Minardil masc.name noun "minar[?]-friend". Perhaps minar is to be understood as a variant of minas (s being voiced to z by contact with the voiced plosive that follows, and then regularly becoming r); if so, the name means "Tower-friend" (Appendix A)
Quenya
min
cardinal. one
min
cardinal. one, one, [ᴱQ.] one (in a series), the first
Minardil
minar[?]-friend
mintya
mintya
mintya ??? (Narqelion)
mi
preposition. in, in, [ᴹQ.] within
minda
prominent, conspicuous
minda adj. "prominent, conspicuous" (MINI)
minya
first; eminent, prominent
minë
cardinal. one
minë numeral "one", also min (MINI, VT45:34)
minalcar
masculine name. ?First Glory
Given name of the 19th king of Gondor, later called Rómendacil II (LotR/1038). His name might be a compound minya “first” and alcar “glory”.
minardil
masculine name. ?Friend of the Tower
25th king of Gondor (LotR/1038). The final element might be -(n)dil “-friend”, but the meaning of the initial element is unclear. There is possibility that it is a shortened form minas of minassë “tower”, possibly also appearing in the name of his son Minastan. In the phonetic development of Quenya, [[p|[s] before [d] would have been voiced to [z]]] which would then have developed into [r].
minastan
masculine name. ?Smith of the Tower
The second son of Minardil, whose son Tarondor laer became the 27th king of Gondor after the previous king and his heirs perished in the great plague (LotR/1038, 1048). The meaning of his name is unclear, but it might be a compound of a shortened form minas of minassë “tower” and the suffixal form -tan of tamo “smith”.
minastir
masculine name. ?Watch Tower
mindon eldaliéva
place name. Lofty Tower of the Eldalië
The high tower of Ingwë at the summit of Túna in the city of Tirion (S/59), in some places simply called Mindon (S/70). This name is a combination of mindon “(lofty) tower” and the possessive form of Eldalië “Elven-folk”.
Conceptual Development: In Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s this tower was called ᴹQ. Ingwemindon the “Tower of Ingwë” (LR/222).
minnónar
collective name. First-born
A name for the Elves as the first-born children of Ilúvatar, in contrast to Apanónar “After-born” as a name for Men (WJ/403). It is a compound of minya “first” and the plural form of the adjective nóna “born”.
Conceptual Development: The similar but rejected terms ᴹQ. Estanosse “Firstborn” and ᴹQ. Esselda “✱First-elves” appear in The Etymologies (Ety/ESE, EtyAC/ESE).
minohtar
masculine name. *First Warrior
minyar
collective name. Firsts (original clan name of the Vanyar)
minyatur
masculine name. First-ruler
minyon
masculine name. First-begotten
Minalcar
first-glory
Minalcar masc. name, noun *"First-glory"??? (Appendix A)
Minastan
tower-maker
Minastan masc.name, noun *"Tower-maker" (Appendix A)
Minastir
tower-watcher
Minastir masc. name, noun *"Tower-watcher" (Appendix A)
Mindi
first-clan
[Mindi noun "First-clan" (PE17:155)]
Mindolluin
blue tower
Mindolluin noun *"Blue Tower" (mindon + luin), name of a mountain. (Christopher Tolkien translates the name as "Towering Blue-head" in the Silmarillion Index, but this seems to be based on the questionable assumption that it includes the Sindarin element dol "head, hill". Unless this translation is given in his father's papers, the name is better explained as a Quenya compound.)
Minnónar
first-born
Minnónar pl. noun "First-born", Elves (as contrasted to Apanónar, the After-born, Men). Sg. #Minnóna (WJ:403)
Minyarussa
first-russa
Minyarussa noun "First-russa", masc. name (VT41:10)
Minyatur
first-ruler
Minyatur noun "First-ruler"; Tar-Minyatur "High First-ruler", title of Elros as the first King of Númenor (SA:minas, PM:348, SA:tur)
Minyon
first-begotten
Minyon noun "First-begotten", attested as a personal (masc.) name (MR:87). Apparently this is minya "first" + the stem ON = beget.
mi
in, within
mi prep. "in, within" (MI, VT27:20, VT44:18, 34, VT43:30; the latter source also mentions the variant imi); mí "in the" (Nam, RGEO:66; CO gives mi; the correct forms should evidently be mi = "in" and mí = mi i "in the"; VT49:35 also has mí with a long vowel, though the gloss is simply "in"). Used in PE17:71 (cf. 70) of people clad "in" various colours, e.g. mi mísë "in grey". Allative minna "to the inside, into" (MI), also mina (VT43:30). The forms mimmë and mingwë seem to incorporate pronominal suffixes for "us", hence ?"in us", inclusive and exclusive respectively. The pronoun -mmë denoted plural inclusive "we" when this was written, though Tolkien would later make it dual instead (see -mmë). Second person forms are also given: mil or milyë *"in you" (sg.), millë "in you" (pl.) (VT43:36). A special use of mi appears in the phrase Wendë mi Wenderon "Virgin of Virgins" (VT44:18); here mi appears superfluous to achieve the desired meaning, but this combination of singular noun + mi + plural genitive noun may be seen as a fixed idiom expressing that the initial noun represents the most prominent member of a class.
mina
into
mina prep. "into" (VT43:30); see minna
minassë
fort, city, with a citadel and central watch-tower
minassë noun "fort, city, with a citadel and central watch-tower" (VT42:24)
minasurie
enquiry
minasurie noun "enquiry" (Þ; the word is actually cited as minaþurie) in Ondonóre Nómesseron Minaþurie "Enquiry into the Place-names of Gondor". The editor tentatively analyzes minaþurie as #mina "into" + #þurie (#surië) noun "seeking" (VT42:17, 30-31).
mindo
isolated tower
mindo noun "isolated tower" (MINI)
mindon
(great, lofty) tower
mindon noun "(great, lofty) tower", said to be an augmented form of mindë (VT42:24). Allative pl. mindoninnar in Markirya, changed to the contracted form mindonnar. Cf. also Mindon Eldaliéva "Lofty Tower of the Eldalië" (Silm)
mindë
turret
mindë noun "turret" (VT42:24)
minga-ránar
in waning-moon
minga-ránar compound noun in pre-classical locative "in waning-moon" (locative -r) (MC:213; this is "Qenya")
minna
to the inside, into
minna prep. "to the inside, into" (also mir) (MI); variant mina "into" (VT43:30), possibly occurring, compounded, in minasurie, q.v.
minquesta
one eleventh
minquesta fraction "one eleventh" (1/11). (VT48:11)
minquë
cardinal. eleven
minquë ("q") cardinal "eleven" (MINIK-W, LT1:260, VT48:4, 6, 8, VT49:57). Not to be confused with minquë as the pa.t. of miqu- "to kiss", q.v. Etymology discussed, VT48:7, 8 (where the unorthodox spelling "minkwe" occurs besides "minque").
minta
inwards, [?into]
minta prep. "inwards, [?into]" (Tolkien's gloss is not certainly legible). Also mitta. (VT45:34)
mintë
small
mintë adj. "small" (VT45:35)
minya
first
minya adj. "first" (MINI) (cf. Minyatur, Minyon); "eminent, prominent" (VT42:24, 25). Minyar "Firsts", the original name of the Vanyar (or rather the direct Quenya descendant of the original Primitive Quendian name) (WJ:380)
minyarussa
masculine name. First-russa
mindon
noun. (lofty) tower, (lofty or isolated) tower; [ᴱQ.] turret
minassë
noun. fort, city (with a citadel and central watch tower)
mindë
noun. turret
minquë
cardinal. eleven
mina
preposition/adverb. into, in, into, in, [ᴹQ.] to the inside
minasurië
noun. enquiry, *research
@@@ the gloss “research” was sugested by Tamas Ferencz
minquesta
fraction. *one eleventh
minquetyarmë
noun. accentuation
minaþurië
noun. enquiry
minquetyarme
noun. accentuation
accentuation
Tiristemindon
place name. Minas Tirith
eteminya
prominent
eteminya adj. "prominent" (VT42:24)
eteminya
adjective. prominent
tarminas
tower
tarminas noun "tower" etc. (Sindarin barad); see taras (PE17:22)
minquetyar-
verb. to accentuate, (lit.) pronounce prominently
@@@ Discord 2022-06-02, cf. minquetyarmë
mintya-
verb. to remind; (impers.) it reminds me = I remember
minul(da)
noun. ingot
@@@ from Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS) 2023-04-07, < PE ✱minuldā “what is poured in”
mindórë
cardinal. million
minasurindo
noun. researcher
minatec-
verb. to record, (lit.) into-write
minquellumë
adverb. eleven times
minaxanwa
adjective. enchained, bound, fettered
@@@ from Discord 2022-02-28, < PE ✱mi-nazgā-nwa, compare mirroanwe “embodied/incarnate one” < ✱mi-srawa-nwa-wē
minomë
adverb. instead, in place of, in exchange of
felya
noun. mine, boring, tunnel, underground dwel[ling], mine, boring, tunnel, underground dwelling; [ᴹQ.] cave
A word for “mine, boring, tunnel, underground dwel[ling]” in Notes on Names (NN) from 1957 with Sindarin cognate S. fela, both derived from ✶phelgā (PE17/118). In the same note Tolkien seemed to consider replacing it with felco “cave, mine, underground dwelling” from the root √PHELEK.
Conceptual Development: A similar word ᴹQ. felya “cave” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from the root ᴹ√PHELEG, with cognate N. fela (Ety/PHÉLEG). The latter form also appeared in notes from 1969 as S. fela “minor excavations, den”, again derived from ✶phelga indicating √PHELEK was a transient idea (NM/304).
Neo-Quenya: I prefer the root form √PHELEG over √PHELEK and thus would retain felya, but I would keep its 1957 meaning “mine, boring, tunnel” rather than adopting the 1969 Sindarin sense “den”.
incánus
masculine name. Mind Master(ship)
The name of Gandalf “in the South” (LotR/670). In one place, Tolkien intrepretted this name as Quenya, meaning “Mind Master(ship)”, a derivation of the roots √IN(ID) and √KAN (UT/400) from the word incánussë “mind mastership” (PE17/88, 155). Elsewhere he interpreted it as a name in the language of the Haradrim meaning “North-spy” (UT/399): see Eas. Incánus for discussion of its meaning in that language and of earlier forms of the name.
Conceptual Development: In his notes on Words, Phrases and Passages from the Lord of the Rings from the late 1950s or early 1960s, Tolkien indicated that this word was Latin, which Christopher Gilson (among others) pointed out meant “grey-haired” (PE17/88). This Latin term may be the original inspiration for this name.
indemma
noun. mind-picture (of apparition in dream)
A word for a “mind-picture”, a combination of indo “mind” and emma “picture” (PE17/174, 176, 179). Tolkien described them thus:
> They [the Elves] held that a superior mind by nature, or one exerting itself to its full in some extremity of need, could communicate a desired vision direct to another mind. The receiving mind would translate this impulse into the terms familiar to it from its use of the physical organs of sight (and hearing) and project it, seeing it as something external ... indemmar were by Men mostly received in sleep (dream). If received when bodily awake they were usually vague and phantom-like (and often caused fear); but if they were clear and vivid, as the indemmar induced by Elves might be, they were apt to mislead Men into taking them as real things beheld by normal sight (PE17/179).
Thus this word was used for telepathically induced visions, used among the Elves for communication, but Men could sometimes be fooled (intentionally or not) into believing these visions were real if they were awake when they received them, otherwise the visions were perceived as dreams. These “sorcerous” visions were likely one of the reasons for the mistrust between Elves and Men towards the end of the Third Age.
fanwos
mind-picture of apparition in dream
fanwos noun "mind-picture of apparition in dream", possibly ephemeral variant of indemma (q.v.) (PE17:174). Normally Quenya phonology seems to prohibit a combination like wo.
incáno
mind master
incáno or incánu ("k"), noun "mind master" (PE17:155), cf. cáno.
incánus
mind mastership
incánus (*incánuss-), also incánussë, noun "mind mastership" (PE17:155), associated with Incánus as a name of Gandalf.
indemma
mind-picture
indemma noun "mind-picture", i.e. a vision transferred from one mind to another and perceived as visual (and aural) images, usually produced by Elves, though Men were capable of receiving them (especially during sleep) (PE17:174, 179). Compound of indo (#1) + emma. Ephemerally Tolkien may have considered the word fanwos (q.v.) for the same phenomenon.
inwisti
mind-mood
inwisti noun "mind-mood" (changed by Tolkien from inwaldi) (MR:216, 471). The word may seem to be plural in form, despite its singular gloss. Cf. variant inwis above (which could be the singular, if it has the stem inwist-).
quenso†
noun. minstrel
minstrel, reciter
sanar
mind
sanar noun "mind" (literally "thinker" or "reflector", suggesting an underlying verb #sana- "to think, to reflect") (VT41:13)
sáma
mind
sáma noun "mind" (pl. sámar and dual samat [sic, read *sámat?] are given) (VT39:23, VT41:5, VT49:33, PE17:183)
síma
mind, imagination
síma noun "mind, imagination" (VT49:16); variant isima. Also attested with endings: símaryassen "in their imaginations" (with the ending -rya used = "their" rather than "his/her", according to colloquial useage) (VT49:16)
lúmincë
noun. minute, moment
incánu
noun. mind master
incánussë
noun. mind mastership
sanar
noun. mind, thinker, reflector
sáma
noun. mind
arandur
noun. minister, steward, (lit.) king’s servant
indo
noun. mind in its purposing faculty, will
quenso
noun. minstrel, reciter
imi
in
imi prep. "in"; see mi (VT43:30)
imi
preposition. in, in, [ᴱQ.] inside
felco
noun. cave, mine, underground dwelling
A word for “cave, mine, underground dwelling” Tolkien considered in Notes on Names (NN) from 1957, derived from the root √PHELEK as a possible replacement for felya “mine, boring, tunnel, underground dwel[ling]” < ✶phelgā (PE17/118).
Neo-Quenya: I prefer the root form √PHELEG over √PHELEK (see that entry for details) and as a result prefer felya over felco.
felco
cave, mine, underground dwelling
felco noun "cave, mine, underground dwelling" (PE17:118); also felca, felehta
felehta-
verb. [unglossed], *to excavate, tunnel, mine
An untranslated form appearing in Notes on Names (NN) from 1957 derived from the root √PHELEG/PHELEK (PE17/118), possibly a verb derived from ✱phelektā- or ✱phelegtā-. The derivatives of this root had to do with mines and tunnels, so perhaps this verb meant “✱to excavate, tunnel, mine”.
inwalmë
noun. mood of mind
quentaro
noun. speaker, reciter, speaker, reciter; [ᴹQ.] narrator, minstrel
isima
noun. imagination, mind
síma
noun. imagination, mind
mir
cardinal. one
mir (2) cardinal "one" (LT1:260; in LotR-style Quenya rather minë)
sincë
noun. mineral [as in any solid inorganic substance], gem, metal
núromolië
noun. ministry, (lit.) servant-labour
sanastëa
adjective. mindful, cognizant, aware of, conscious of
andanyarro
noun. weasel, ferret, mink, stoat, polecat, (lit.) long-rat
nihtana
verb. reduced, minor
renta-
verb. to remind
tolya Reconstructed
adjective. prominent
meneltarma
place name. Pillar of Heaven
Name of the highest and holiest mountain in Númenor, translated “Pillar of Heaven” (S/261). This name is a compound of menel “the heavens” and tarma “pillar” (SA/menel, tarma).
Conceptual Development: This mountain was referred to only as the “Mountain of Ilúvatar” in the first version of the “Fall of Númenor” (LR/27). Its Quenya name first emerged in the versions of the stories associated with the unfinished “Notion Club Papers” story from the 1940s, in forms such as ᴹQ. Menelmin(do) or Meneltyúla (SD/315, 335, 346), though at this stage it frequently appeared in its Adûnaic forms: Ad. Menel-Tûbal >> Minul-târik (SD/388). In the revisions of the Akallabêth in the 1950s, the name first appeared as Menelmindon but was soon revised to its final form Meneltarma (PM/146).
-lma
our
-lma pronominal ending "our", 1st person pl. exclusive (VT49:16), also attested (with the genitive ending -o that displaces final -a) in the word omentielmo "of our meeting" (nominative omentielma, PE17:58). Tolkien emended omentielmo to omentielvo in the Second Edition of LotR, reflecting a revision of the Quenya pronominal system (cf. VT49:38, 49, Letters:447). The cluster -lm- in the endings for inclusive "we/our" was altered to -lv- (VT43:14). In the revised system, -lma should apparently signify exclusive "our".
-lwa
our
-lwa, possessive pronominal ending, 1st person pl. inclusive "our" (VT49:16), later (in exilic Quenya) used in the form #-lva, genitive -lvo in omentielvo (see -lv-).
-ndil
friend
-ndil (also -dil) ending occurring in many names, like Amandil, Eärendil; it implies devotion or disinterested love and may be translated "friend" (SA:(noun)dil); this ending is "describing the attitude of one to a person, thing, course or occupation to which one is devoted for its own sake" (Letters:386). Compare -ndur. It is unclear whether the names derived with the ending -ndil are necessarily masculine, though we have no certain example of a woman's name in -ndil; the name Vardilmë (q.v.) may suggest that the corresponding feminine ending is -(n)dilmë.
-ndur
friend
-ndur (also -dur), ending in some names, like Eärendur; as noted by Christopher Tolkien in the Silmarillion Appendix it has much the same meaning as -ndil "friend"; yet -ndur properly means "servant of" (SA:(noun)dil), "as one serves a legitimate master: cf. Q. arandil king's friend, royalist, beside arandur 'king's servant, minister'. But these often coincide: e.g. Sam's relation to Frodo can be viewed either as in status -ndur, in spirit -ndil." (Letters:286)
-ngwa
our
-ngwa "our", 1st person dual inclusive possessive pronominal ending: *"thy and my", corresponding to the ending -ngwë for dual inclusive "we" (VT49:16)
Eldalië
the elven-folk
Eldalië noun "the Elven-folk" (often used vaguely to mean all the race of Elves, though it properly did not include the Avari) (WJ:374, ÉLED; possessive Eldaliéva in the name Mindon Eldaliéva, q.v.) "Qenya" genitive in -n in Eldalien as part of the title Quenta Eldalien "History of the Elves" (SD:303).
canaquë
cardinal. fourteen
canaquë ("k, kw") cardinal "fourteen" (VT48:21).The spelling "kanakwe" occurring in the primary source could suggest that this is really a Common Eldarin form; if so, one could theorize that the Quenya form would be canquë with syncope of the middle vowel (the same source lists "minikwe" as a word for 11, and the Quenya form is known to be minque rather than **miniquë**). On the other hand, in the same source "tolokwe" as a word for 18 is listed together with definite Quenya forms and is apparently an unorthodox spelling of toloquë** (as observed by the editor): Here no syncope producing *tolquë occurs.
emma
picture
emma noun *"picture" (compounded in indemmar "mind-pictures") (PE17:179)
enda
heart
enda noun "heart", but not referring to the physical organ; it literally means "centre" (cf. endë) and refers to the fëa (soul) or sáma (mind) itself. (VT39:32)
esta
first
esta (2) adj. "first" (ESE/ESET); this entry was marked with a query. The word Yestarë (q.v.) "Beginning-day" in LotR suggests that Tolkien decided to change the stem in question to _YESE/YESET_. We could then read *yesta for esta (but later this became a noun "beginning" rather than an adj. "first", PE17:120) and also prefix a y to the other words derived from ESE/ESET (essë* > yessë, essëa > yessëa). Estanossë noun "the firstborn", read likewise Yestanossë** (*Yestanessi?) but in a later text, Tolkien used Minnónar (q.v.) for "the Firstborn" as a name of the Elves, and this form may be preferred. _(In the Etymologies as printed in LR, the word _Estanossë is cited as "Estanesse", but according to VT45:12, the second-to-last vowel is actually o in Tolkien's manuscript.)
felya
cave
felya noun "cave" (PHÉLEG), "mine, boring, tunnel, underground dwel[ling]" (PE17:118)
indo
heart, mood
indo (1) noun "heart, mood" (ID), "state" (perhaps especially state of mind, given the other glosses) (VT39:23), "mind, region/range of thought, mood" (PE17:155, 179), "inner thought, in fea as exhibited in character or [?personality]" (PE17:189). In another post-LotR source, indo is translated "resolve" or "will", the state of mind leading directly to action (VT41:13). Indo is thus "the mind in its purposing faculty, the will" (VT41:17). Indo-ninya,a word occurring in Fíriels Song, translated "my heart" (see ninya). In the compound indemma "mind-picture", the first element would seem to be indo.
meldo
friend, lover
meldo noun "friend, lover". _(VT45:34, quoting a deleted entry in the Etymologies, but cf. the pl. #_meldor in Eldameldor "Elf-lovers", WJ:412) **Meldonya *"my friend" (VT49:38, 40). It may be that meldo is the distinctly masculine form, corresponding to feminine #meldë** (q.v.)
meldë
friend
#meldë noun "friend", feminine (meldenya "my friend" in the Elaine inscription [VT49:40], Tolkien referring to Elaine Griffiths). Compare meldo.
miqu-
to kiss
miqu- vb. "to kiss", the pa.t. minquë ("q") is cited, not to be confused with the cardinal minquë "eleven" (QL:61). Also miquë ("q")noun "a kiss". Old plural form miquilis ("q") "kisses" (MC:215; this is "Qenya")
mir
to the inside, into
mir (1) prep. with old allative ending "to the inside, into"(also minna) (MI). This is mi "in" with the same allative ending -r (from primitive ¤-da) as in tar "thither", q.v.
mitta
inwards, [?into]
mitta (4) prep. "inwards, [?into]" (Tolkiens gloss is not certainly legible). Also minta. (VT45:34)
nelequë
cardinal. thirteen
?nelequë ("kw") cardinal "thirteen" (VT48:21). The spelling "nelekwe" occurring in the primary source could suggest that this is really a Common Eldarin form; if so, one could theorize that the Quenya form would be *nelquë with syncope of the middle vowel (the same source lists "minikwe" as a word for 11, and the Quenya form is known to be minque). Compare nelquëa*. On the other hand, "tolokwe" as a word for 18 is listed together with definite Quenya forms and is apparently an unorthodox spelling of toloquë** (as observed by the editor); here no syncope producing *tolquë occurs. Thus toloquë could support ?nelequë as the Quenya word (but because of the uncertainties, yunquentë may be preferred as the word for 13).
quentaro
noun. speaker
speaker, reciter, minstrel
surië
seeking
#surië (þ), possibly a noun *"seeking"; see minasurië.
yuncë
cardinal. twelve
yuncë ("k") cardinal "twelve", before it was altered to yunquë under the influence of minquë "eleven" (according to VT48:7, 8). The form yuncë is asterisked by Tolkien. Compare encë under enquë.
órë
heart
órë (1) noun "heart" (inner mind), also name of tengwa #21 (Appendix E), "premonition" (VT41:13), "nearest equivalent of 'heart' in our application to feelings, or emotions (courage, fear, hope, pity, etc.)" (VT41:13). The órë apparently defines a person's personality, cf. the description of Galadriel in PM:337, that "there dwelt in her the noble and generous spirit (órë) of the Vanyar". Órenya "my heart" (VT41:11).
cánusse
noun. mastership, mastery
Derived from attested incanus(se) 'mind mastership' and aranus(sse) 'kingship'.
marto
noun. tower
rénë
noun. memory
-mma
our
-mma "our", 1st person dual exlusive possessive ending: *"my and one others" (VT49:16). At an earlier conceptual phase, Tolkien apparently intended the same ending to be plural inclusive "our" (VT49:55, RS:324), cf. Mélamarimma "Our Home" (q.v.) In the latter word, Tolkien slips in i as a connecting vowel before this ending; elsewhere he used e, as in Átaremma "our Father" (see atar).
-ser
friend
-ser noun "friend" (SER)
Quende#
noun. Elf
Elf
Túna
hill, mound
Túna (also Tún) place-name, used of the hill on which Tirion was built (Silm, TUN, KOR), derived from a stem (TUN) apparently meaning simply *"hill, mound".
a
cardinal. one
aicalë
peak
aicalë ("k")noun "a peak" (AYAK)
amaurëa
dawn, early day
†amaurëa noun "dawn, early day" (Markirya)
ambarónë
noun. dawn, dawn; [ᴹQ.] uprising, sunrise, Orient
ambo
hill, rising ground
ambo noun "hill, rising ground" (Markirya, PE17:92), "mount" (PE17:157), allative pl. ambonnar "upon hills" in Markirya (ruxal' ambonnar "upon crumbling hills") According to VT45:5, ambo was added to the Etymologies as a marginal note.
ambona
noun. hill
amun
hill
amun (amund-) noun "hill" (LT2:335; in Tolkien's later Quenya ambo)
amya-
verb. [unglossed]
arin
morning
arin noun "morning" (AR1)
arinya
morning
arinya adj. "morning" in the adjectival sense (e.g. *arinya árë "morning sun") and hence "early" (AR1, VT45:6)
arra
adjective. [unglossed]
arta
fort, fortress
arta (2) noun "fort, fortress" (GARAT under 3AR)
cairë
?. [unglossed]
cendë
point
cendë noun "point" (PE16:96)
cendë
noun. point
cinta
small
cinta adj. "small" (PE17:157)
cinta
adjective. small
conta-
verb. [unglossed]
cúma
noun. [unglossed]
elwen
heart
elwen noun "heart" (LT1:255; rather hón or enda in LotR-style Quenya)
enel
between
enel prep. "between" = "at the central position in a row, list, series, etc. but also applied to the case of three persons" (VT47:11). This preposition refers to the position of a thing between others of the same kind; compare imbë.
enna
first
[enna adj. "first" (VT45:12)]
er
one, alone
er cardinal "one, alone" (ERE, VT48:6, VT49:54), in an early source also adv. "only, but, still" (LT1:269); Eru er "one God" (VT44:17; er was here emended by Tolkien from erëa, which seems to be an adjectival form *"one, single".)
erinqua
single, alone
erinqua adj. "single, alone" (VT42:10)
eruman
place name. Heaven
The Quenya name for Heaven in the final draft of Átaremma, Tolkien’s translation of the Lord’s Prayer (VT43/12), attested only in the assimilated locative form Erumande. Its initial element is Eru “God” and its final element is probably related to the root √MAN “good, blessed, unmarred” also seen in the names Aman and Manwë, as suggested by Patrick Wynne, Arden Smith and Carl Hostetter (VT43/16).
Conceptual Development: In earlier versions of Tolkien’s legendarium, the name ᴱQ/ᴹQ. Eruman was used for the wasteland north of Valinor (LT1/91, Ety/ERE), but in the materials used for the published version of The Silmarillion, that name was changed to Q. Araman (MR/123). This freed Tolkien to use the name Eruman for “Heaven”, as suggested by Patrick Wynne, Arden Smith and Carl Hostetter (VT43/16-17).
In earlier versions of the Átaremma prayer, Tolkien used menel for “Heaven”, but it was rejected and elsewhere Tolkien said that menel referred only to “the heavens, firmament” where the stars reside (MR/387, PE17/152). In writings from the 1940s, Tolkien used ᴹQ. ilúve for “Heaven” (MR/355, SD/401), but later ilúvë meant “the whole, the all”, and was equated to Eä “the Universe” (WJ/402, Ety/IL).
erya
single, sole
erya adj. "single, sole" (ERE)
erëa
cardinal. one
erëa adj.? "one" or *"single", apparently an adjectival form (see er) (VT44:17)
felca
adjective. [unglossed]
finca
noun. [unglossed]
heldo
friend
[heldo, also helmo, fem. heldë, noun "friend" (VT46:3)]
hendas
?. [unglossed]
hindo
noun. [unglossed]
hindë
noun. [unglossed]
holdë
noun. [unglossed]
háro
?. [unglossed]
hón
heart
hón noun "heart" (physical) (KHŌ-N); hon-maren "heart of the house", a fire (LR:63, 73; this is "Qenya" with genitive in -en, not -o as in LotR-style Quenya read *hon-maro?)
imbë
between
imbë (1) prep "between" (Nam, RGEO:67, VT47:11, PE17:92). This is "between" referring to a gap, space, barrier, or anything intervening between two other things, like or unlike one another (compare enel). The pluralized form imbi implies "among" of several things (ancalima imbi eleni "brightest among stars"); "in the sense 'among' before plurals [imbë] is usually pluralized > imbi even when a plural noun follows". As pointed out by Patrick Wynne, imbi may also be used in the sense of "between" before two singular nouns connected by "and" (as in the example imbi Menel Cemenyë "between heaven and earth"), whereas imbë is used before dual forms, as in the examples imbë siryat "between two rivers", imbë met "between us". Elided imb' in the phrase imb' illi "among all" (VT47:11, 30). A dual form imbit is also mentioned, used to express "in absolute form the sense 'between two things' when these are not named" (apparently meaning that imbit expresses *"between them" referring to two entities, with no noun following) (VT47:30, PE17:92)
inga
first
inga (2) adj. "first" (ING)
intyalë
imagination
intyalë noun "imagination" (INK/INIK, VT49:33)
inya
small
inya (2) adj. "small" (LT1:256; this "Qenya" word may be obsoleted by # 1 above)
isilmë pícalassë
in the moon waning
The eighteenth line of the Markirya poem (MC/222). The first word is isilmë “moonlight” followed by the active-participle (“-ing”) of the verb pic- or píca- “to wane” with the locative suffix -ssë (“in”), which modifies the entire phrase, as suggested by Helge Fauskanger (AL/Markirya).
Decomposition: Broken into its constituent elements, this phrase would be:
> isilmë píca-la-ssë = “✱moonlight wan-ing-in”
isima
imagination
isima (þ?) noun "imagination" (if a variant of síma, q.v.; the form isima as such is not clearly glossed) (VT49:16)
lingi-
verb. [unglossed]
lóna
island, remote land difficult to reach
lóna (2) noun "island, remote land difficult to reach" (LONO (AWA) ). Obsoleted by #1 above?
maitya
?. [unglossed]
malsa
?. [unglossed]
marto
tower
marto (1) noun "tower" (PE17:66)
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.
melya-
verb. [unglossed], *to be in love
mentë
point, end
mentë noun "point, end" (MET)
menya
our
menya (pl. menyë is attested) possessive pron. "our", 1st person pl. exclusive independent possessive pronoun (VT43:19, 35). Evidently derived from the dative form men "for us" by adding the adjectival ending -ya. Compare ninya, q.v.
miqu-
verb. to kiss
mitsa
small
mitsa adj. "small" (VT45:35) Another synonym from the same source, mitra, looks unusual for a Quenya word (because of the medial cluster tr)
mitta
preposition/adverb. between, [ᴹQ.] inwards, into, [ᴱQ.] in; [Q.] between
mitta-
between
mitta- (2) prep. "between" (VT43:30; the final hyphen may suggest that suffixes would normally follow)
mo
one, someone, anyone
mo, indefinite pronoun "one, someone, anyone" (VT42:34, VT49:19, 20, 26)
málo
noun. friend
friend, comrade
málo
friend
málo noun "friend" (MEL, VT49:22)
naue
?. [unglossed]
nausë
imagination
nausë (Þ) noun "imagination" (NOWO, VT49:33)
nelquëa
cardinal. thirteen
nelquëa, cardinal "thirteen" (?) (VT48:21). This looks like an odd form next to other cardinals that simply end in -quë (like lepenquë, enenquë, otoquë = 15, 16, 17), and the form "nelekwe" also listed may indicate another Quenya form nelequë (q.v.) or *nelquë (but because of the uncertainties, yunquentë may be preferred as the word for 13). By another theory, nelquëa* is the ordinal "thirteenth", corresponding to the cardinal nel(e)quë**.
nildo
friend
nildo noun "friend" (apparently masc.; contrast nildë) (NIL/NDIL)
nildë
friend
nildë noun "friend" (fem.) (NIL/NDIL)
nilmo
friend
nilmo noun "friend" (apparently masc.) (NIL/NDIL)
nincë
small
*nincë (ninci*-) ("k")adj. "small". The form is given as "ninki" with the last vowel marked as short; this is probably the etymological form that would underlie Quenya nincë. The word is said to mean "small" with "good senses"; contrast nípa**, *nimpë. (VT48:18)
nitya
small
#nitya adj. "small" (VT48:15, PM:365)
nitya
adjective. little
níca
small
níca ("k")adj. "small". The word is said to mean "small" with "good senses"; contrast nípa, *nimpë. (VT47:26, VT48:18)
ostirion
fort
ostirion noun "fort" (TI:423)
pia
little
pia adj. "little" (PE17:115); variants picina ("k"), pincë ("k"), pitya
pia
adjective. little
picina
adjective. little
pincë
adjective. little
pinilya
small
pinilya adj. "small" (MC:220; this is "Qenya")
pitya
little
#pitya adj. "little" in Pityafinwë, Pitya-naucor
quaican
cardinal. fourteen
quaican, cardinal "fourteen" (but *canaquë may be preferred) (VT48:21)
quainel
cardinal. thirteen
quainel, cardinal "thirteen" (but yunquentë may be preferred) (VT48:21)
quelië
waning
quelië noun "waning" in Narquelië, q.v.
quendë
elf
quendë noun "Elf", the little-used analogical sg. of Quendi, q.v. (KWEN(ED), WJ:361)
quentaro
narrator
quentaro ("q")noun "narrator" (KWET)
quén
one, (some)body, person, individual, man or woman
quén (quen-, as in pl. queni; as final element in compounds -quen) noun "one, (some)body, person, individual, man or woman", pl. queni = "persons", "(some) people", "they" with the most general meaning (as in "they [= people in general] say that..."). The element is combined with noun and adjective stems in old compounds to denote habitual occupations or functions, or to describe those having some notable (permanent) quality; examples include roquen, ciryaquen, arquen, q.v. Also in aiquen "whoever", ilquen "everybody" (WJ:361 cf. 360, 372).
rasta
cardinal. twelve
#rasta cardinal "twelve" (isolated from yurasta_ "24", two times 12; cf. the stem RÁSAT "twelve" listed in the Etymologies). See yunquë. (PE14:17)_
rea
adjective. single
rotelë
cave
rotelë noun "cave" (LT2:347)
rotto
cave, tunnel
rotto noun "cave, tunnel" (VT46:12), "a small grot or tunnel" (PM:365)
rëa
adjective. single
ríë
crown
ríë noun "crown" (RIG; VT46:11 indicates that the vowel í should be long)
sal-
verb. [unglossed]
sermo
friend
sermo noun "friend" (evidently masc., since sermë is stated to be fem.) (SER)
sermë
friend
sermë noun "friend" (fem.) (SER)
seron
friend
seron noun "friend" (SER)
setta
first
[setta, setya adj. "first" (possibly also "primary", but Tolkien's gloss was not certainly legible) (VT46:13)]
sondo
friend
[sondo noun "friend" (VT46:15)]
sélo
?. [unglossed]
sóla
?. [unglossed]
tereva
fine, acute
tereva adj. "fine, acute" (TER/TERES), "piercing"_ (LT1:255; though glossed "fine, acute" in the Etymologies, the stem _TER is defined as "pierce")
thar-
verb. [unglossed]
tilma
noun. point
tirin
tall tower
tirin noun "tall tower" _(LT1:258; this is a verb "I watch" in the Etymologies, stem TIR.)_
titta
little, tiny
titta adj. "little, tiny" (TIT)
tol
island, isle
tol noun "island, isle" (rising with sheer sides from the sea or from the river, SA:tol, VT47:26). In early "Qenya", the word was defined as "island, any rise standing alone in water, plain of green, etc" (LT1:269). The stem is toll-; the Etymologies as published in LR gives the pl. "tolle" (TOL2), but this is a misreading for tolli (see VT46:19 and compare LT1:85). The primitive form of tol is variously cited as ¤tolla (VT47:26) and ¤tollo (TOL2).
tomba
noun. [unglossed]
tompë
noun. [unglossed], *pulse, beat
@@@ Neo-meaning “✱pulse, beat” suggested by Röandil on 2023-04-20
tundo
hill, mound
tundo noun "hill, mound" (TUN)
turco
tower
turco ("k") (2) noun "tower". In Lúnaturco, Quenya name of Barad-dûr (Dark Tower). Tolkien changed the word turco from turma (PE17:22).
turma
tower
[turma] (2) noun "tower". Tolkien changed this word to turco (#2), q.v. (PE17:22)
um(ba)-
prefix. [unglossed]
umbacarin
noun. [unglossed]
umbo
hill, lump, clump, mass
umbo, umbon noun "hill, lump, clump, mass" (PE17:93)
undómë
twilight
undómë noun "twilight", usually of the time near evening, not near dawn (that is tindómë)
yualë
twilight
yualë noun "twilight" (KAL). Also yúcalë. Cf. yúyal.
yunquenta
cardinal. thirteen
yunquenta cardinal "thirteen" (12 and one more) (VT47:15), variant yunquentë (VT47:40), compare entë #1.
yunquenta
cardinal. thirteen
yunquentë
cardinal. thirteen
yunquë
cardinal. twelve
yunquë ("q") cardinal "twelve" (VT47:41, VT48:4, 6, 9; VT49:57; also compare the stem yunuk(w)-_ cited in VT42:24, 31). This word appears already in an early source (PE14:82)_. Some sources point to #rasta, q.v., as another word for "twelve". However, available post-LotR sources indicate that Tolkien intended yunquë as the regular Quenya word for "twelve".
yunquë
cardinal. twelve
yurasta
cardinal. twelve
yurasta cardinal "24" (two times #rasta "twelve") (PE14:17)
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
ára
dawn
ára noun "dawn" (AR1). According to VT45:6, ára is also the name of the long vowel carrier of the Tengwar system; it would be the first letter of the word ára if spelt in Tengwar.
éna
?. [unglossed]
úpa-
verb. [unglossed]
úyalë
noun. twilight
þúna
?. [unglossed]
manya
noun. butter
miquë
noun. kiss
vanyar
Vanyar
The name Vanyar means "the Fair" in Quenya, referring to their golden hair. It seems to be from a primitive Elvish form bányâ (stem BAN) but also from wanjâ (stem WAN). The Teleri called them Baniai.
min numeral "one", also minë (VT45:34, VT48:6)