*matil, see matl
Quenya
mat
meal, meal time
matil
matil
mat-
eat
mat- (1) vb. "eat" (MAT, VT45:32), also given as mata- (VT39:5), pa.t. mantë "ate" (VT39:7). The form matumnë is said to be future-past: "was going to eat", with the "OQ" (Old Quenya?) future-past element umnë (VT48:32; possibly this could function independently as a form of the verb "to be", hence "was to be"). It is not clear if the form matumnë is itself "Old Quenya" as if this is an archaic future-past formation, or it is just umnë (as an independent word) that is archaic. (Note: Tolkien's translation of matumnë is actually "I was going to eat", but the pronoun "I" does not seem to be expressed in the Quenya form.) Adj. or pseudo-participle #matya "eating" in melumatya "honey-eating" (PE17:68)
mat-
verb. eat
mantë
mantë
mantë pa.t. of mat-, mata-, q.v.
mat-
verb. to eat
The verb for “to eat” derived from the root √MAT of the same meaning (VT39/7).
Conceptual Development: This verb and root are quite well established, dating all the way back to ᴱQ. mat- and ᴱ√MATA of the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/59) and appearing as ᴹQ. mat- and ᴹ√MAT in The Etymologies of the 1930s (Ety/MAT), as well as numerous other places albeit with occasional variants like mata- (PE12/26). This verb was one Tolkien often used in examples of verb conjugations and as such its inflected forms changed considerably over time, but that is more a topic of the evolution of the Quenya verb system itself.
matta
noun. food
A noun for “food” from the Common Eldarin: Verb Structure (EVS2) of the early 1950s, derived from primitive ✶matnā, originally an ancient adjective meaning “eaten” (PE22/136).
Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s the word for “food” was ᴱQ. matl under the early root ᴱ√MATA (QL/59). This became ᴱQ. {masta} >> matso in Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s (PE16/141). In EVS2 the word was originally manna “food”, but this was struck through and replaced by matta (PE22/136 note #36), which likely reflects Tolkien’s shift in the phonetic developments of primitive tn, so that tn became tt rather than nn as it did in Tolkien’s earlier writings (PE19/85 and note #79).
Neo-Quenya: I find the phonetic developments associated with the above sound change to be problematic for various reasons. Therefore, I prefer to assume the primitive form of this word was an ancient noun: ✱mattā.
matl
food
matl noun "food"; read *matil in LotR-style Quenya (in which language final syllabic -l becomes -il) (QL:59); however, the word matso from a later source may be preferred.
matso
food
matso noun "food" (PE16:141)
matina
participle. eaten
matta
noun. food
mattima
verb. edible
matimar
noun. restaurant, (lit.) eating hall
matya-
verb. to feed
A neologism for “to feed” coin by Damien Bador as a straightforward derivative of the attested primitive verb ✶matyā- of the same meaning (PE22/135). I would distinguish it from ᴺQ. nesta- “to graze, pasture, (give to) feed” used for feeding farm animals, whereas matya- can be used for feeding anyone.
matina
adjective. eaten
hrón
noun. matter, substance, flesh; body
vesta
matrimony
vesta noun "matrimony" (BES, VT49:46)
masematica
noun. mathematics
quantolië
noun. maturity
erma
noun. (physical) matter
alanwa
fully grown, adult, mature
orma
noun. (physical) matter
mátima
adjective. edible
An adjective “edible” = “able to be eaten”, a combination of Q. mat- “eat” with the suffix -ima “able” which induces lengthening of the base vowel: á (PE17/68; PE22/155).
Conceptual Development: The suffix -ima “able” dates all the way back to the Early Qenya of the 1910s, but the way it interacted with the verb evolved over time. In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s the form was ᴱQ. matsima (QL/59) with the usual Early Qenya sound change of ti to tsi (PE12/23). In the Quenya Verbal System of 1948 it was ᴹQ. mattima with consonant-doubling instead of vowel lengthening (PE22/111). In Common Eldarin: Verb Structure of the early 1950s it was Q. mastima with a variant suffix -tima and the usual sound change whereby t+t became st (PE22/137). The form mátima appeared in various notes from the 1960s (PE17/68; PE22/155).
-ima
fair
-ima adjectival suffix. Sometimes it is used to derive simple adjectives, like vanima "fair" or calima "bright"; it can also take on the meaning "-able" (PE17:68), as in mátima "edible" (mat- "eat"), nótima "countable" (not- "count") and (with a negative prefix) úquétima "unspeakable" (from quet- "speak"). Note that the stem-vowel is normally lengthened in the derivatives where -ima means "-able", though this fails to occur in cenima "visible" (q.v., but contrast hraicénima, q.v.) and also before a consonant cluster as in úfantima "not concealable" (PE17:176). "X-ima" may mean "apt to X" (when the ending is added to an intransitive verbal stem), as in Fírimar "mortals", literally "those apt to die" (WJ:387). The adj. úfantima "not concealable" (PE17:176) also appears as úfantuma (PE17:180), indicating the existence of a variant ending -uma (possibly used to derive adjectives with a "bad" meaning; compare the ending *-unqua next to -inqua, q.v.)
-ya
elvish
-ya (5) adjectival ending, as in the word Quenya "Elvish" itself; when added to a verbal stem it may derive a kind of short active participle, as in melumatya "honey-eating" (mat- "eat"), saucarya "evil-doing" (car- "do"). (PE17:68)
mulë
noun. meal, meal, *grist, ground grains
mátima
edible
mátima adj. "edible" (PE17:68), cf. mat-.
umnë
umnë
umnë, see matumnë under mat-
tusturin
noun. match
valda-
verb. to matter; to be of significance, worth, moment
natto
noun. affair, *matter, thing
olanwa
adjective. fully grown, adult, mature
nat
noun. thing
A Quenya noun for “thing” derived from the root √NĀ “be, exist” (VT49/30, Ety/N²), so perhaps prehistorically simply “a thing that exists”. Its plural form nati is indirectly attested in the plural únati of its (strong) negation únat “a thing impossible to be or to be done” (VT39/26).
Conceptual Development: This word is well established in Tolkien’s writings, appearing all the way back in the Qenya Lexicon from the 1910s (QL/64). In its earliest iteration, its stem form was natt- and its plural was natsi, where [[eq|[ti] became [tsi]]] as was the usual pattern in Early Qenya. The word reappear in texts and notes from the 1920s (PE14/43, 72; PE15/32, 68, 78). In one early dictionary entry glossed more generally as “affair, matter, thing”, but this entry was deleted (PE15/68); in other early writings the word for “affair” was given as ᴱQ. natto (QL/64). The word reappeared in The Etymologies from the 1930s with a simplified stem form nat- given its Noldorin equivalent N. nad (Ety/N²). The word appeared again in the late 1960s in notes associated with Q. ná- “to be”, where it was given the primitive form ✶năta (VT49/30).
hrón
flesh/substance of arda
hrón noun "flesh/substance of Arda", "matter" (PE17:183), also at one point used = hroa "body", q.v. Compare erma.
má
noun. hand
The most common Quenya word for “hand”, which Tolkien usually derived from a root √MAH or √MAƷ “hand; handle, wield”. The weak consonant h or ʒ in the root was lost very early, so that primitive ✶mā was one of a rare set of ancient monosyllabic nouns ending in a vowel. Tolkien said that of the various hand words, má was “the oldest (probably) and the one that retained a general and unspecialized sense — referring to the entire hand (including wrist) in any attitude or function” (VT47/6).
As a part of the body, má “hand” was usually referred to in the singular (má) or dual (mát). This was true when referring to the hands of groups of people as well. For example, to say that “the Elves raised their hands”, you would say either i Eldar ortaner mánta (singular, one hand each) or i Eldar ortaner mántat (dual, both hands each), with the possessive suffix -nta “their”.
The plural form már “hands” (or archaic †mai) was almost never used, in part because it conflicted with Q. már “dwelling”. The singular form was also used in general statements and proverbs: “hand is cleverer than foot” má anfinya epe tál (ná). A collection of otherwise unrelated hands would likely use the partitive-plural form: máli “some hands”, which in this case could also serve as the general plural (VT47/12 Note 2). See the discussions on PE17/161 and VT47/6 for more information.
This word is also unusual in that it retains its long vowel before consonant clusters in inflected forms such as mánta “their hand” (PE17/161) or márya “his/her hand” (PE17/69). As Tolkien described it:
> Lá is usually shortened to la before 2 consonants, according to the usual Q. procedure, but the long vowel can be retained, especially for additional emphasis, as in other cases where pronominal affixes follow a long vowel, as in márya “his hand” (PE22/160).
Conceptual Development: This word dates all the way back to ᴱQ. mā “hand” from Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, derived from the early root ᴱ√MAHA “grasp” (QL/57). ᴹQ. má “hand” also appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√MAƷ “hand” (Ety/MAƷ). Tolkien mentioned this word with great frequency, usually derived from √MAH or √MAƷ (as noted above) though he sometimes considered deriving it from √MAG instead.
mastima
adjective. edible
alima
fair, good
alima adj. "fair, good" (also alya) (PE17:146)
alya
fair, good
alya (1) adj. "fair, good" (PE17:146), "prosperous, rich, abundant, blessed" (GALA). In a deleted entry in Etym, the glosses provided were "rich, blessed"; another deleted entry defined alya as "rich, prosperous, blessed". (GALA, [ÁLAM], VT42:32, 45:5, 14)
cambë
noun. hand, (hollow of) hand
col-
bear, carry
#col- vb. "bear, carry", not attested by itself by suggested by colindo and colla, q.v.; also compare Tancol.
costa-
quarrel
costa- ("k")vb. "quarrel" (KOT > KOTH)
engwë
thing
engwë noun "thing" (VT39:7, VT49:28). Extrapolation may also point to *engwë as an emphatic dual inclusive pronoun "we" (thou and I), corresponding to the ending -ngwë.
engwë
noun. thing
histë
dusk
histë noun "dusk" (LT1:255)
hrávë
flesh
hrávë noun "flesh" (MR:349)
hrávë
noun. flesh
A word for “flesh” appearing in documents from 1959, derived from primitive ✶srāwe based on the root √SRAW (MR/349-350).
Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, Tolkien had ᴱQ. hara or haranda “flesh-meat” (QL/39), also mentioned as hara(nda) “fleshmeat” in the Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME/39). These early forms might have been a precursor to later hrávë. Another potential precursor is ᴱQ. sarko (sarku-) “flesh, living flesh, body” from the early root ᴱ√SṚKṚ “fat” (QL/86).
hísë
dusk
hísë (2) noun "dusk" (LT1:255). A "Qenya" form possibly obsoleted by #1 above.
linda
fair, beautiful
linda adj. "fair, beautiful" (of sound) (SLIN, LIND; VT45:27), "soft, gentle, light" (PE16:96), "beautiful, sweet, melodious of sound" (PE17:150); for Linda as a noun, see Lindar.
lómë
dusk, twilight
lómë noun "dusk, twilight", also "night"; according to SD:415, the stem is lómi- (contrast the "Qenya" genitive lómen rather than **lómin in VT45:28). According to PE17:152, lómë refers to night "when viewed favourably, as a rule, but it became the general rule" (cf. SD:414-415 regarding lōmi as an Adûnaic loan-word based on lómë, meaning "fair night, a night of stars" with "no connotations of gloom or fear"). In the battle-cry auta i lómë "the night is passing" (Silm. ch. 20), the "night" would however seem to refer metaphorically to the reign of Morgoth. As for the gloss, cf. Lómion masc. name "Child of Twilight [dusk]", the Quenya name Aredhel secretly gave to Maeglin _(SA). Otherwise lómë is usually defined as "night" (Letters:308, LR:41, SD:302 cf.414-15, SA:dú)_; the _Etymologies defines lómë as "Night [as phenomenon], night-time, shades of night, Dark" (DO3/DŌ, LUM, DOMO, VT45:28), or "night-light" (VT45:28, reading of _lómë uncertain). In early "Qenya" the gloss was "dusk, gloom, darkness" (LT1:255). Cf. lómelindëpl. lómelindi "nightingale" _(SA:dú, LR:41; SD:302, MR:172, DO3/DŌ, LIN2, TIN). _Derived adjective #lómëa "gloomy" in Lómëanor "Gloomyland"; see Taurelilómëa-tumbalemorna...
maita-
verb. feed
feed
mastima
adjective. edible
morco
bear
morco ("k")noun "bear" (MORÓK)
mulë
meal, grist
mulë noun "meal, grist" (PE17:115, 181), replacing polë, q.v.
má
noun. hand
hand
má
hand
má noun "hand" (MA3, LT2:339, Narqelion, VT39:10, [VT45:30], VT47:6, 18, 19); the dual "a pair of hands" is attested both by itself as mát (VT47:6) and with a pronominal suffix as máryat "his/her (pair of) hands" (see -rya, -t) (Nam, RGEO:67). The nominative plural form was only máli, not **már (VT47:6), though plurals in -r may occur in some of the cases, as indicated by the pl. allative mannar "into hands" (FS). Mánta "their hand", dual mántat "their hands" (two hands each) (PE17:161). Cf. also the compounds mátengwië "language of the hands" (VT47:9) and Lungumá "Heavyhand" (VT47:19); also compare the adj. -maitë "-handed". See also málimë.
má
noun. hand
nat
thing
nat noun "thing" (NĀ2); compare únat. VT49:30 lists "năta, nat", but it is unclear whether năta is here a Quenya word or an etymological form underlying Quenya nat.
nonda
hand, especially in [?clutching]
nonda noun "hand, especially in [?clutching]" (VT47:23; Tolkien's gloss was not certainly legible)
olinwa
fully grown, adult
polë
meal, grist
[polë (stem poli-) noun "meal, grist" (PE17:115, 181), a word Tolkien decided to replace by mulë; perhaps polë was a variant of porë.]
sarco
flesh
sarco ("k") noun "flesh" (LT2:347; Tolkien's later Quenya has hrávë)
sinyë
evening
sinyë (þ) noun "evening" (THIN)
tecco
noun. stroke, accent
tur-
wield, control, govern
tur- vb. "wield, control, govern" (1st pers. aorist turin "I wield" etc.), pa.t. turnë (TUR). The verb is elsewhere defined "master, conquer, win" (PE17:115), virtually the same meanings are elsewhere assigned to turu- #1, q.v.
undómë
twilight
undómë noun "twilight", usually of the time near evening, not near dawn (that is tindómë)
usque
noun. dusk
dusk
usque
noun. dusk, twilight
vanya
fair
vanya (1) adj. "fair" (FS), "beautiful" (BAN), a word referring to beauty that is "due to lack of fault, or blemish" (PE17:150), hence Arda Vanya as an alternative to Arda Alahasta for "Arda Unmarred" (ibid., compare MR:254). Nominal pl. Vanyar "the Fair", the first clan of the Eldar; the original meaning of this stem was "pale, light-coloured, not brown or dark" (WJ:382, 383, stem given as WAN), "properly = white complexion and blonde hair" (PE17:154, stem given as GWAN); stems BAN vs. WAN discussed, see PE17:150.
vanë
fair
vanë adj. "fair" (LT1:272; in Tolkien's later Quenya rather vanya)
vanë
adjective. fair, fair, [ᴱQ.] lovely
veryanwë
wedding
veryanwë "wedding"; veryanwesto "of your (dual) wedding" (VT49:44, 45)
veryanwë
noun. wedding
A word for “wedding” in notes from 1968, a combination of the root √BER “man/wife” and Q. yanwë “joining” (VT49/44-45).
Conceptual Development: The earliest precursor of this word was ᴱQ. vestale “wedding” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, a noun form of vesta- “to wed” under the early root ᴱ√VEŘE [VEÐE] (QL/101). ᴹQ. vestale “wedding” reappeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s, also related to vesta- “to wed”, but under the 1930s root ᴹ√BES (Ety/BES).
Neo-Quenya: For purpose of Neo-Eldarin, I prefer to retain the 1930s form of the root ᴹ√BES in order to keep attested Sindarin/Noldorin forms. However, veryanwe could still be derived form this root, from ✱bes+yanwē, since s > z > r before y. Thus veryanwë “wedding” is compatible with my preferred “marriage” root and I recommend its use. ᴹQ. vestale “wedding” might also remain valid as a variant.
vestalë
wedding
vestalë noun "wedding" (BES, VT49:46) (under WED the word was defined as "oath", but this was struck out)
vinyë
evening
[vinyë noun "evening" (VT46:21)]
yualë
twilight
yualë noun "twilight" (KAL). Also yúcalë. Cf. yúyal.
yúcalë
twilight
yúcalë ("k")noun "twilight" (KAL, VT45:13). Also yualë.
yúyal
twilight
yúyal noun "twilight" (PE17:169); cf. yualë, yúcalë, q.v.
yúyal
noun. twilight
úyalë
noun. twilight
mat (matt-) noun "meal, meal time" (QL:59)