Quenya 

endë

noun. centre, middle, centre, middle; [ᴹQ.] core

Changes

  • enedente ✧ VT41/12

Cognates

  • S. enedh “centre, middle, centre, middle; [N.] core” ✧ VT48/25
  • T. ened “middle” ✧ VT48/25

Derivations

  • ENED “centre, middle; three” ✧ VT48/25

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ened/l > ende[enede] > [ende]✧ VT48/25

Variations

  • ente ✧ VT41/12
  • ened ✧ VT41/12 (ened)
  • ende ✧ VT48/25
Quenya [VT41/12; VT48/25] Group: Eldamo. Published by

imi

in

imi prep. "in"; see mi (VT43:30)

imi

preposition. in, in, [ᴱQ.] inside

mi

preposition. in, in, [ᴹQ.] within

Cognates

  • S. mi “*in”

Derivations

  • “in, within” ✧ PE17/092; VT47/30
    • MI/IMI “in, within, [ᴹ√] inside” ✧ PE17/092; VT47/30
  • MI/IMI “in, within, [ᴹ√] inside” ✧ VT43/30

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
> [mi]✧ PE17/092
mi > imi[imi]✧ VT43/30
mi > mi[mi]✧ VT43/30
> [mi]✧ VT47/30

Variations

  • ✧ PE17/092; VT47/30
  • ✧ RGEO/58; VT49/35
  • imi ✧ VT43/30
  • mil ✧ VT43/30 (mil)
Quenya [LotR/0377; PE17/063; PE17/071; PE17/092; RGEO/58; UT/305; UT/317; VT43/13; VT43/30; VT43/36; VT44/18; VT44/34; VT47/30; VT49/35] Group: Eldamo. Published by

enna

first

[enna adj. "first" (VT45:12)]

entë

noun. centre

Element in

  • Q. entya “central, middle”

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.)

inga

first

inga (2) adj. "first" (ING)

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)

setta

first

[setta, setya adj. "first" (possibly also "primary", but Tolkien's gloss was not certainly legible) (VT46:13)]

tólë

centre

tólë noun "centre" (LT1:269; the word endë is to be preferred in Tolkien's later Quenya)

mi

in, within

mi prep. "in, within" (MI, VT27:20, VT44:18, 34, VT43:30; the latter source also mentions the variant imi); "in the" (Nam, RGEO:66; CO gives mi; the correct forms should evidently be mi = "in" and = mi i "in the"; VT49:35 also has 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.

Sindarin 

ned

noun. first, *one more; first; *during

This word replaced the preposition uin “of the” in the third version of the King’s Letter, appearing in the phrase nelchaenen ned Echuir “the thirty-first day of Stirring”. Both Carl Hostetter (VT31/30) and David Salo (SG/229) theorized that this replacement has a similar prepositional function, from either √NOT “count” or √NED “middle”. Fiona Jallings suggested it might be a temporal preposition, with sense “during” (FJNS/349).

On VT47/40, note 67, Patrick Wynne suggested that this word might be a cognate of the newly published Quenya word net(ë) “one more”. This theory is supported by the most likely interpretation of nelchaenen. This word seems to mean “thirtieth” rather than “thirty-first”, and Patrick Wynne suggested that nelchaenen ned means “thirtieth and one more” = “thirty-first”. I find this theory the most compelling, and use it here.

Element in

ned

preposition. (uncertain meaning) in, of (about time, e.g. giving a date)

[Another possible interpretation: "another, one more" (related to Q. net(e)), VT/47:40]

Sindarin [SD/129-31] Group: SINDICT. Published by

ened

noun. centre

enedh

noun. centre, middle, centre, middle; [N.] core

@@@ Tolkien vacillated between enedh (< √ENED) and ened (perhaps < √ENET) in his later writings. In HSD/ened, it is suggested that ened is the likely “final” form based on Enedwaith as it appears in The Lord of the Rings and as discussed on Let/224. I prefer enedh for better compatibility with its Quenya cognate endë as in Q. enderi “middle-days” (LotR/1108, endë + “day”). If the Sindarin form were ened < √ENET, the corresponding Quenya form would instead be entë. Furthermore, in a general discussion of the uses of dh on VT42/20, Tolkien states that “Enedhwaith is misspelt”, possibly meaning that the normal spelling (Enedwaith) is not strictly correct.

Cognates

  • Q. endë “centre, middle, centre, middle; [ᴹQ.] core” ✧ VT48/25

Derivations

  • HENET “middle” ✧ VT41/16
  • ENED “centre, middle; three” ✧ VT48/25

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
HENET > ente > ened[ɣenet] > [enet] > [ened]✧ VT41/16
ened/l > eneð[ened] > [eneð]✧ VT48/25

Variations

  • Enedh ✧ UT/264
  • ened ✧ VT41/16
  • eneð ✧ VT48/25
Sindarin [UT/264; VT41/16; VT48/25] Group: Eldamo. Published by

vi

preposition. in

Sindarin [VT/44:21,27] Group: SINDICT. Published by

vi

preposition. in

main

ordinal. first, (only in the sense of) prime, chief, pre-eminent

Sindarin [VT/42:10, VT/42:25] Group: SINDICT. Published by

mein

ordinal. first, (only in the sense of) prime, chief, pre-eminent

Sindarin [VT/42:10, VT/42:25] Group: SINDICT. Published by

mein

ordinal. first

Cognates

  • Q. minya “first; eminent, prominent” ✧ VT42/10

min-

preposition. (in) between (referring to a gap, space, barrier or anything intervening between two other things)

Sindarin [Minhiriath LotR/Map, VT/47:11,14] Group: SINDICT. Published by

minui

ordinal. first

Sindarin [VT/42:10, VT/42:25] Group: SINDICT. Published by

minui

ordinal. first

Cognates

  • Q. minya “first; eminent, prominent” ✧ VT42/25
Sindarin [VT42/10; VT42/25] Group: Eldamo. Published by

mîn

preposition. (in) between (referring to a gap, space, barrier or anything intervening between two other things)

Sindarin [Minhiriath LotR/Map, VT/47:11,14] Group: SINDICT. Published by

ne

in

ned (used of time in the source), possibly followed by hard mutation (SD:129)

ne

in, inside

(prefix) (mid-)

in

unstressed di (beneath, under) (VT45:37). Note: a homophone means ”bride, lady”.

vi

in

(prep.) 1) vi (VT44:23), with article vin; 2) ne, ned (used of time in the source), possibly followed by hard mutation (SD:129); 3) , unstressed di (beneath, under) (VT45:37). Note: a homophone means ”bride, lady”.

vi

in

(VT44:23), with article vin

erui

first

(single, alone). No distinct pl. form. Some would argue that Tolkien abandoned erui as a word for ”first”.

minui

first

1) minui (lenited vinui; no distinct pl. form), 2) mîn (lenited vîn; no distinct pl. form) (isolated, towering). Note: homophones include the noun ”peak” and the number ”one”; 3) erui (single, alone). No distinct pl. form. Some would argue that Tolkien abandoned erui as a word for ”first”.

minui

first

(lenited vinui; no distinct pl. form)

mîn

first

(lenited vîn; no distinct pl. form) (isolated, towering). Note: homophones include the noun ”peak” and the number ”one”

Telerin 

minya

ordinal. first

Cognates

  • Q. minya “first; eminent, prominent” ✧ VT42/25

Black Speech

ishi

preposition. in, inside

Usually placed after the noun in Black Speech, c.f. burzum-ishi (darkness-inside).

Black Speech [PE17/11] Published by

Primitive elvish

imi

root. in

minya

ordinal. first

Derivatives

  • S. main “prime, chief, pre-eminent” ✧ VT42/25
Primitive elvish [VT42/25] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Noldorin 

nedh-

prefix. in, inside, mid-

See also the preposition ned , and the noun ened for a discussion of this form

Noldorin [Ety/376] Group: SINDICT. Published by

ne-

prefix. in

Derivations

  • ᴹ√NE “*in”

Element in

  • N. neledh- “*to go in, enter”
  • N. nestag- “to insert, stick in” ✧ Ety/STAK
  • ᴺS. nethan- “to inspire, kindle inside”
Noldorin [Ety/STAK] Group: Eldamo. Published by

edhen

adjective. first

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. enna “first” ✧ EtyAC/EDE

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶edenā “first” ✧ EtyAC/EDE
    • ᴹ√EDE(L) “precede, come forward, hence” ✧ EtyAC/EDE

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶edenā > eðen[edenā] > [edena] > [eðena] > [eðen]✧ EtyAC/EDE

Variations

  • eðen ✧ EtyAC/EDE (eðen)
Noldorin [EtyAC/EDE] Group: Eldamo. Published by

di

preposition. in

Derivations

  • ᴹ√(N)DI “in” ✧ EtyAC/NDI

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√NDI/DI > di[ndi] > [di]✧ EtyAC/NDI
Noldorin [EtyAC/NDI] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ereg

place name. First

Earlier name for the river S. Erui from Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, apparently a Noldorin word meaning ereg “first” (TI/312, WR/436).

Changes

  • EregErui “First” ✧ TI/312
  • EregErui ✧ WRI/Erui
Noldorin [TI/312; TII/Ereg; WR/436; WRI/Erui] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ereg

adjective. first

Element in

  • N. Ereg “First” ✧ TI/312

Elements

WordGloss
er“one, alone”
-eg“suffix for ordinal numbers”

Variations

  • Ereg ✧ TI/312

Beware, older languages below! The languages below were invented during Tolkien's earlier period and should be used with caution. Remember to never, ever mix words from different languages!

Qenya 

to

preposition. in

Element in

enna

adjective. first

Cognates

  • N. edhen “first” ✧ EtyAC/EDE

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶edenā “first” ✧ EtyAC/EDE
    • ᴹ√EDE(L) “precede, come forward, hence” ✧ EtyAC/EDE

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶edenā > enna[edenā] > [ednā] > [ennā] > [enna]✧ EtyAC/EDE

Variations

  • enna ✧ EtyAC/EDE (enna)

esta

adjective. first

Derivations

  • ᴹ√ESE(T) “precede (forward)” ✧ Ety/ESE; EtyAC/SET

Element in

  • ᴹQ. Estanosse “Firstborn” ✧ Ety/ESE (Estanosse); EtyAC/SET (Estanor/?Estannoss)

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√ESE/ESET > esta[esta]✧ Ety/ESE
Qenya [Ety/ESE; EtyAC/SET] Group: Eldamo. Published by

inga

adjective. first

Derivations

  • ᴹ√ING “first, foremost” ✧ Ety/ING

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√ING > inga[iŋga]✧ Ety/ING

minya

ordinal. first

Derivations

  • ᴹ√MIN “stand alone, stick out” ✧ Ety/MINI

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√MINI > minya[minja]✧ Ety/MINI

Middle Primitive Elvish

ned

root. NED

Middle Primitive Elvish Group: Eldamo. Published by

(e)ned

root. centre, middle

Changes

  • EN/ENEDÉNED ✧ Ety/ÉNED

Derivatives

  • ᴹQ. ende “centre, middle, core” ✧ Ety/ÉNED; Ety/NÉD
  • ᴹQ. enya “middle, *central, middle” ✧ Ety/ÉNED
  • N. enedh “centre, middle, core” ✧ Ety/ÉNED; Ety/NÉD
  • N. nedh- “mid-” ✧ Ety/NÉD
  • N. nest “?heart, core”

Element in

  • ᴹQ. Endien “Midyear (week)” ✧ Ety/YEN
  • ᴹQ. Endor “Middle-earth” ✧ Ety/NDOR

Variations

  • NÉD ✧ Ety/ÉNED; Ety/NÉD
  • ÉNED ✧ Ety/NDOR; Ety/YEN
  • EN/ENED ✧ EtyAC/ÉNED (EN/ENED)
  • NED ✧ EtyAC/NĒ̆ (NED)
Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/ÉNED; Ety/NDOR; Ety/NÉD; Ety/YEN; EtyAC/ÉNED; EtyAC/NĒ̆] Group: Eldamo. Published by

(n)di

root. in

Derivatives

  • N. di “in” ✧ EtyAC/NDI

Variations

  • NDI/DI ✧ EtyAC/NDI
Middle Primitive Elvish [EtyAC/NDI] Group: Eldamo. Published by

edenā

adjective. first

Derivations

  • ᴹ√EDE(L) “precede, come forward, hence” ✧ EtyAC/EDE

Derivatives

  • ᴹQ. enna “first” ✧ EtyAC/EDE
  • N. edhen “first” ✧ EtyAC/EDE
Middle Primitive Elvish [EtyAC/EDE] Group: Eldamo. Published by

imi

root. in

Middle Primitive Elvish Group: Eldamo. Published by

settā

adjective. first

Derivations

  • ᴹ√ESE(T) “precede (forward)” ✧ EtyAC/SET

Derivatives

  • ᴹQ. essea “?primary” ✧ EtyAC/SET
  • N. seth “first, forth” ✧ EtyAC/SET
Middle Primitive Elvish [EtyAC/SET] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Gnomish

ba

preposition. in

Cognates

  • Eq. ve “as, like” ✧ GL/21

Variations

  • b- ✧ GL/21
  • bi- ✧ GL/21
  • b’ ✧ GL/21

bi

preposition. in

Element in

  • G. bin “into” ✧ GL/22 (bin)
  • G. bir “in, within, inside” ✧ GL/22 (bir)
Gnomish [GL/20; GL/22] Group: Eldamo. Published by

sectha

noun/adjective. centre

Early Primitive Elvish

root. in

Early Primitive Elvish Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Quenya

metl

noun. centre

Derivations

  • ᴱ√MEKE “*centre; aim” ✧ QL/060

Element in

  • Eq. mekilwa “central” ✧ QL/060

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√MEKE > metl[meklǝ] > [mekl] > [mekḷ] > [mekḷ] > [metḷ]✧ QL/060
Early Quenya [PME/060; QL/060] Group: Eldamo. Published by

mekta

adjective. centre

Derivations

  • ᴱ√MEKE “*centre; aim” ✧ QL/060

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√MEKE > mekta[mektā] > [mekta]✧ QL/060
Early Quenya [QL/047; QL/060] Group: Eldamo. Published by

minya

ordinal. first

Element in

Variations

  • minya ✧ PE14/051; PE14/082; PE14/084
Early Quenya [PE14/051; PE14/082; PE14/084] Group: Eldamo. Published by

tóle

noun. centre

Derivations

  • ᴱ√TOLO “*stick up” ✧ LT1A/Tol Eressëa; QL/094
    • ᴱ√TOŁᵂO “[unglossed]” ✧ PE12/016

Element in

  • Eq. tólea “central, middle” ✧ QL/094

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√TOLO > tōle[tōlē] > [tōle]✧ QL/094

Variations

  • tólë ✧ LT1A/Tol Eressëa
  • tōle ✧ QL/094
Early Quenya [LT1A/Tol Eressëa; QL/094] Group: Eldamo. Published by