Quenya 

me

we, us

me (1) 1st person pl. exclusive pronoun "we, us" (VT49:51; VT43:23, VT44:9). This pronoun preserves the original stem-form (VT49:50). Stressed (VT49:51). Cf. also mel-lumna "us-is-heavy", sc. *"is heavy for us" (LR:47, mel- is evidently an assimilated form of men "for us", dative of me; the form men is attested by itself, VT43:21). For me as object, cf. ála** "do not [do something to] us", negative imperative particle with object pronoun suffixed (VT43:19: álamë tulya, "do not lead us"), ámen** "do [something for] us", imperative particle with dative pronoun suffixed (ámen apsenë "forgive us", VT43:12, 18). Dual exclusive met "we/us (two)" (Nam, VT49:51), "you and me" (VT47:11; the latter translation would make met an inclusive pronoun, though it is elsewhere suggested that it is rather exclusive: "him/her and me", corresponding to wet [q.v.] as the true inclusive dual form). Rá men or rámen "for us/on our behalf", see . Locative messë "on us", VT44:12 (also with prefix o, ó- ?"with" in the same source). See also ménë, ómë.

me

pronoun. us (exclusive)

Derivations

  • mē̆ “2nd person plural exclusive pronoun” ✧ PE17/130
  • me “1st-pl-exclusive pronoun” ✧ VT49/50

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
mē̆ > me[me]✧ PE17/130
me > [mē]✧ VT49/50

Variations

  • ✧ VT49/51
Quenya [LotR/0377; Minor-Doc/2013-05-13; PE17/014; PE17/073; PE17/076; PE17/130; PE17/135; RGEO/58; RGEO/59; VT43/18; VT43/19; VT43/22; VT43/23; VT43/33; VT44/05; VT44/09; VT44/15; VT44/18; VT47/11; VT49/51] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ni

me

ni (1) 1st person sg. pron. "I" (according to PE17:68 also "me" as object), with long vowel () when stressed (VT49:51), cf. ní nauva next to nauvan for "I will be" (VT49:19), the former wording emphasizing the pronoun. The pronoun ni represents the original stem-form (VT49:50). Dative nin "for me, to me" (Arct, Nam, RGEO:67, VT41:11/15). Compare the reflexive pronoun imni, imnë "myself" and the emphatic pronoun inyë, q.v. The ancient element ni is said to have implied, originally, "this by me, of my [?concern]" (VT49:37)

men

(for) us

men (1) pron. "(for) us", dative form of me, q.v.

met

us (two)

met dual 1st person pronoun "us (two)", including the dual ending -t (Nam, VT47:11; VT49:51, 56). See me.

-lmë

we

-lmë 1st person pl. pronominal ending: "we" (VT49:38; 51 carilmë *"we do", VT49:16). It was originally intended to be inclusive "we" (VT49:48), including the person(s) spoken to, but by 1965 Tolkien made this the ending for exclusive "we" instead (cf. the changed definition of the corresponding possessive ending -lma, see above). _(VT49:38) Exemplified in laituvalmet "we shall bless them" (lait-uva-lme-t "bless-shall-we-them") (the meaning apparently changed from inclusive to exclusive "we", VT49:55), see also nalmë under # 1. (LotR3:VI ch. 4, translated in Letters:308_)

-lmë

suffix. we (exclusive)

Derivations

  • me “1st-pl-exclusive pronoun” ✧ VT49/50

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
me > -lme[-lme]✧ VT49/50

Variations

  • -lme ✧ PE17/013; PE17/075; PE17/075; PE17/129; VT49/16; VT49/51
  • l+me ✧ PE17/014
  • lme ✧ PE17/130
Quenya [PE17/013; PE17/014; PE17/075; PE17/129; PE17/130; VT49/16; VT49/51] Group: Eldamo. Published by

-lmë

suffix. we (inclusive)

Variations

  • -lme ✧ PE17/057; PE17/190; VT49/38; VT49/48
  • -lbe ✧ PE17/129 (-lbe)
Quenya [PE17/057; PE17/129; PE17/190; VT49/38; VT49/48] Group: Eldamo. Published by

-mmë

we

-mmë "we", 1st person dual exclusive pronominal ending: "I and one other" (compare the inclusive dual form -ngwë or -nquë). First written -immë in one source (VT49:57). Carimmë, "the two of us do" (VT49:16, cf. VT43:6). At an earlier conceptual stage, the ending was already exclusive, but plural rather than dual: vammë "we won't" (WJ:371), firuvammë "we will die" (VT43:34), etemmë ?"out of us" (VT43:36); see also VT49:48, 49, 55. Also compare the corresponding emphatic pronoun emmë (q.v.). The ending -lmë replaced -mmë in its former (plural exclusive) sense. In some early material, -mmë was apparently used as an ending for plural inclusive "we" (VT49:55).

-mmë

suffix. we (exclusive)

Variations

  • -mme ✧ PE17/057; PE17/075; PE17/075; PE17/190; VT49/38; VT49/48
Quenya [PE17/057; PE17/075; PE17/190; VT49/38; VT49/48] Group: Eldamo. Published by

emmë

we

emmë (2) pron. "we", emphatic pronoun; dative emmen (VT43:12, 20). In the source this pronoun is intended as the 1st person plural exclusive; later Tolkien changed the corresponding pronominal ending from -mmë to -lmë, and the plural emphatic pronoun would likewise change from emmë to *elmë. Since the ending -mmë was redefined as a dualexclusive pronoun, the form emmë may still be valid as such, as a dual emphatic pronoun "we" = "(s)he and I".

ménë

on us

ménë pronoun in locative? "on us" (SD:310; compare me "us") The form is somewhat obscure.

ni

pronoun. me, I

Cognates

  • ᴺS. ni “I”
  • T. ni “me, *I” ✧ VT41/11

Derivations

  • ni “I, me” ✧ PE17/068; VT49/50

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
NI > ni[ni]✧ PE17/068
ni > [ni]✧ VT49/50

Variations

  • ✧ VT49/19
  • ✧ VT49/51
Quenya [LotR/0377; PE17/014; PE17/068; PE17/147; PE22/151; PE22/156; PE22/158; PE22/161; PE22/168; RGEO/58; RGEO/59; VT41/11; VT41/13; VT41/15; VT49/19; VT49/20; VT49/30; VT49/34; VT49/51] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ámen

ámen

ámen, see me

-lwë

we

-lwë, later -lvë, pronominal ending "we" (VT49:51), 1st person pl. inclusive ending, occurring in the verbs carilwë "we do" (VT49:16) and navilwë (see #nav-). The ending became -lvë in later, Exilic Quenya (VT49:51). See -lv-.

-ngwë

we

-ngwë "we", 1st person dual inclusive pronominal ending: "thou and I" (compare the exclusive dual form -mmë). Caringwë, "the two of us do" (VT49:16). One source lists the ending as "-inke > -inque" instead (VT49:51, 53, 57; "inke" was apparently Old Quenya). In an earlier pronoun table reproduced in VT49:48, the ending -ngwë is listed as an alternative to -lmë, which Tolkien at the time used as the plural inclusive ending (a later revision made it plural exclusive).

omessë

omessë

omessë, ómessë, see me

ve

we

ve (2) pron. "we", 1st person pl. inclusive (corresponding to exclusive me), derived from an original stem-form we (VT49:50, PE17:130). Variant vi, q.v. Stressed , later (VT49:51). Dative (*wéna >) véna, VT49:14. Dual wet*, later vet "the two of us" (inclusive; cf. exclusive met) (VT49:51). Also compare the dative form ngwin or ngwen (q.v.), but this would apparently be wen > ven** according to Tolkiens later ideas.

vi

we

vi pron. "we", 1st person inclusive (PE17:130), variant of ve #2.

we

we

we, , see ve #2

álamë

álamë

álamë, see me

-ma

suffix. instrumental

Derivations

  • -mā “instrumental suffix”

Element in

  • Q. carma “tool, implement, means, weapon”
  • Q. corma “ring”
  • ᴺQ. hlarma “earpiece, receiver”
  • Q. lícuma “taper, candle” ✧ MC/223
  • Q. tamma “tool”
  • Q. yulma “cup, drinking vessel, drinking implement, goblet”

-nyë

i am come

-n (2), also -nyë, pronominal ending, 1st person sg. "I" (VT49:51), as in utúlien "I am come" (EO), cainen "I lay" (VT48:12-13), carin or carinyë "I do" (VT49:16), veryanen *"I married" (VT49:45). See also VT49:48. Long form -nye- with object ending -s "it" following in utúvienyes (see tuv-). A possible attestation of -n in object position ("me") is provided by the untranslated verbal form tankassen (PE17:76), where -n may be preceded by -sse- as a longer form of the 3rd person sg. ending -s (see -s #1).

-lvë

suffix. we (inclusive)

The suffix -lvë is the first person plural inclusive inflection: “we (including you)” (PE17/130; VT49/16, 51). The corresponding possessive form -lva “our (inclusive)” appears in its genitive form -lvo in the famous phrase elen síla lúmenn’ omentielvo.

Possible Etymology: Tolkien indicated that this inflection was ultimately derived from the primitive pronoun ✶we, with the same plural marker l as other plural inflections such as -l(yë) and -ltë, and that its oldest form was ✶-lwe (PE17/130; VT49/50-51). At one point Tolkien indicated that the change of lw > lv was the normal phonetic development in Quenya (PE17/129). There little evidence that Tolkien carried through with the phonetic rule, however, and there are plenty of examples of unmodified lw in later Quenya. A better explanation might be that -lwe changed to -lve under the influence of the independent pronoun ve. These ideas came out of a discussion with Shihali on the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS) on Jan 28, 2018.

Conceptual Development: @@@

Derivations

  • -lwe ✧ PE17/130
  • we “we, us (inclusive)” ✧ VT49/50
    • ñwe “1 pl. inclusive base” ✧ VT48/10; VT48/10
    • me “1st-pl-exclusive pronoun” ✧ VT48/10

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
-lwe > -lve[-lwe] > [-lve]✧ PE17/130
we > -lwe > -lve[-lwe] > [-lve]✧ VT49/50

Variations

  • -lve ✧ PE17/130; VT49/51
  • -lwe ✧ VT49/16
Quenya [PE17/130; VT49/16; VT49/51] Group: Eldamo. Published by

-lwë

suffix. we (inclusive)

-nen

suffix. instrumental

Derivations

  • -mē̆n “instrumental, with (which)” ✧ PE21/79
Quenya [PE17/062; PE21/79] Group: Eldamo. Published by

inyë

i, too

inyë emphatic independent 1st person sg. pronoun, "I" with emphasis, translated "I, too" in LR:61 (and, according to one reading of Tolkiens manuscript, in VT49:49).

nin

to me, for me

nin pron. "to me, for me", dative of ni (FS, Nam). Sí man i yulma nin enquantuva? "Now who will refill the cup for me?" (Nam), nás mara nin *"it is good to me" = "I like it" (VT49:30), ecë nin carë sa* "it-is-open for me to do it" = "I can do it" (VT49:34). See also ninya**.

-n(yë)

suffix. I

Derivations

  • ni “I, me” ✧ VT49/50

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ni > -n[-ne] > [-n]✧ VT49/50

Variations

  • -n(ye) ✧ PE17/057; PE17/190
  • -nye ✧ PE17/075; PE17/075; PE22/161; VT49/16; VT49/48; VT49/51
  • -n ✧ PE17/075; PE17/075; VT49/16; VT49/48; VT49/51
Quenya [PE17/057; PE17/075; PE17/190; PE22/161; VT49/16; VT49/48; VT49/51] Group: Eldamo. Published by

attat

2 fathers or neighbours

-t (1) dual ending, on nouns denoting a _pair of something: attat "2 fathers or neighbours" (VT48:19; see _atto), máryat "her (pair of) hands" (Nam), siryat "two rivers" (VT47:11), ciriat "2 ships" (Letters:427 read ciryat as in the Plotz Letter?), maquat "group of ten" (from maqua, meaning among other things "group of five") (VT47:7), nápat "thumb and index as a pair" (VT48:5), also compare met "us two" as the dual form of me "us" (Nam, VT47:11). Other dual endings known from the Plotz letter: genitive -to, possessive -twa, dative -nt, locative -tsë, allative -nta, ablative -lto, instrumental -nten, plus -tes as a possible short locative. It may be that these endings only apply to nouns that would have nominative dual forms in -t, and that nouns preferring the alternative dual ending -u would simply add the otherwise "singular" case endings to this vowel, e.g. *Alduo rather than ?Alduto as the genitive form of "Two Trees" (Aldu). The ending -t is also used as a verbal inflection, corresponding to pl. -r (elen atta siluvat**, "two stars shall shine", VT49:45; the verb carit** "do" would also be used with a dual subject, VT49:16; cf. also the endings listed in VT49:48, 50).

caris

he/him, she/her, it

-s (1) 3rd person sg. pronominal ending "he/him, she/her, it" (VT49:48, 51), occurring in caris "he/she/it does" (VT49:16, PE17:129), caitas "it lies" (PE17:65), tentanes "it pointed" (VT49:26), tulis "(s)he comes" (VT49:19), eques (q.v.), anes (see #1), also (in object position) in camnelyes, caritas, caritalya(s), melinyes, tiruvantes, and utúvienyes, q.v. (Tolkien mentions -s as an "objective" ending for the 3rd person sg. in PE17:110.) The longer form - (perhaps with personal meaning "he, she" only) is said to be "rare" (VT49:51); cf. násë "he is", nésë "he was" (see #1). In nésë the ending is suggested to be shortened from -sse (VT49:28), an ending that may also be attested in the untranslated verbal form tankassen (PE17:76), where it is perhaps followed by a second pronominal ending -n "me". According to PE17:129, the 3rd person sg. ending at one stage appeared as -ze "when pronominal affixes followed" (Tolkien citing the form carize-, e.g. apparently *carizet for "he makes them"); normally z would later become r, but it actually became (historically: reverted to) s by analogy with the short form caris as well as the independent pronoun se*. Exilic Quenya would then evidently have (e.g.) cariset for "he makes them", with a rare example of intervocalic s that is not derived from older þ**.

-n

suffix. I