yé

lo!

yé (1) interjection "lo!" (VT47:31), also occurring in Aragorn's exclamation when he found the sapling of the White Tree. (Compare yéta-.) Also in the ejaculation yé mána (ma) = "what a blessing" or "what a good thing!" (VT49:41). The more literal meaning would seem to be *"behold the blessing!"

ló

preposition. (away) from; by agent [of], (away) from; by agent [of]; [ᴹQ.] ablative element

A rarely used prepositional equivalent of -llo (VT49/24; EtyAC/LŌ). In one note from 1969 Tolkien said “lō̆ as independent word was used only with person; thus not Manwello but lo Manwe, and usually in sense ‘by agent’ (VT49/24)”. As an example Tolkien gave the phrase nahtana lō Turin, apparently meaning “slain from [by agency of] Turin”. I interpret this to mean ló can only be used with animate beings, and no longer means “away from” by rather “by agency of”.

Conceptual Development: In The Etymologies of the 1930s lō was given as a derivative of the “ablative element” ᴹ√LŌ (EtyAC/LŌ).

aiya

interjection. hail; behold, lo

The best known Quenya greeting, appearing in the phrase aiya Eärendil elenion ancalima “hail Eärendil, brightest of stars” from The Lord of the Rings (LotR/720, 915).

Conceptual Development: The earliest appearance of this interjection is ᴱQ. áye “hail!, o!” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s where it was derived from the early root ᴱ√AYA “honour, revere” (QL/34). In Definitive Linguistic Notes (DLN) from 1959, Tolkien derived its later form aiya “hail” from √AYA “blessed” or “revere” (PE17/146, 149). In these same notes, Tolkien said it was “only addressed to great or holy persons as the Valar, or to Earendil” (PE17/149).

At times, however, Tolkien used aiya as a more general interjection. In Words, Phrases and Passages in the Lord of the Rings from the later 1950s or early 1960s, Tolkien said it was “a cry, to call for help or attention” (PE17/89). It was used as a call for attention “behold!, lo!” in The Silmarillion and its drafts in the phrase aiya Eldalië ar Atanatári, utúlie’n aurë “Behold [or Lo!], people of the Eldar and Fathers of Men, the day has come!” (S/190; WJ/166).

At times Tolkien gave this interjection in a reduced form aia, most notably in the phrase Aia María quanta Eruanno “Hail Mary, full of grace” from Quenya prayers from the 1950s (VT43/27-28). This variant is comparable to the Maiya vs. Maia variation in spelling for the servants of the Valar, with *māja* becoming *maija*, sometimes spelled *maia* (PE19/62). The interjection aiya is more common in Tolkien’s writings, however.

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I treat aiya as a more formal greeting, in keeping with the notion that it was “only addressed to great or holy persons” (PE17/149). For a more casual greeting, see alla “hail, welcome”.

lan

conjunction. while

lo manwë

*from (by agency of) Manwe

luimë

flood

luimë noun "flood" (VT48:23, 30; the additional glosses "floodwater, flooded land" were struck out, VT48:30), "flood, high tide" (VT48:24, 30). According to VT48:30, partially illegible glosses in Tolkien's manuscript may also suggest that luimë can be used for any tide, or for the spring tide (the maximum tide just after a new or full moon).

lúto

flood

lúto noun "flood" (LT1:249)

nahtana ló turin

*slain by Túrin

to(lo)sta

fraction. one eighth

A word appearing as tolosta, tosta, or tolsat “1/8” in notes on numbers from the late 1960s, a combination of toldo “eight” with the fractional suffix -sta.

Conceptual Development: The Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s had ᴱQ. toltosto “[one] 8th” with adjective form ᴱQ. toltost(y)a (PE14/51, 84), combinations of ᴱQ. tolto “eight” with the 1920s fractional suffix ᴱQ. -sto.

tolosta

one eighth

tolosta fraction "one eighth" (1/8). Also tolsat, tosta. (VT48:11)

tolsat

one eighth

tolsat fraction "one eighth" (1/8). Also tolosta, tosta. (VT48:11)

tolsat

fraction. one eighth

tosta

one eighth

tosta fraction "one eighth" (1/8). Also tolosta, tolsat (VT48:11)

ulundë

flood

ulundë noun "flood" (ULU), possibly in the sense of (great) river.% Cf. nuinë, oloirë.

yé

interjection. lo!, what a ..., what is more