Quenya 

was

vb. "was"; see #1. Also used as interjection "yes" when the meaning is "it was so, it was as you say/ask" (VT49:31). Pl. nér "were", dual nét (VT49:30). Nésë "he was" (VT49:29), though Tolkien elsewhere stated that did not "take any inflection of person" (VT49:31), pronominal endings rather being added to ane- (the form anes *he was" is attested). Anda né "long ago" (VT49:31).

was

vb. in pa.t. "was"; see #1.

adverb. ago, behind (earlier time); yes (it was so)

verb. was

was

Quenya [PE 19:48] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

nénar

proper name. Nénar

The name of a star (S/48), possibly Uranus (MR/435). It could be a consonant expansion of néna “wet” = néna-r; hat-tip to Vyacheslav Stepanov for this suggestion.

Quenya [MR/435; MRI/Nénar; SI/Nénar] Group: Eldamo. Published by

néya

néya

néya, see nëa #1

nelma

needle

nelma noun "needle" (QL:65)

nén

noun. water, water, [ᴱQ.] river

The word for “water”, a derivative of the root √NEN of the same meaning (PE17/52; Ety/NEN). Its stem form was nen- (Ety/NEN) and its primitive form was given as ✶nē̆n, the vowel length variation due to distinct subjective nēn versus objective/inflected nĕn- in ancient monosyllables (PE21/64).

Conceptual Development: This word first appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with two senses: “river” and (archaic) “†water”. Tolkien indicated the two senses were based on distinct roots: ᴱ√NEŘE [NEÐE] and ᴱ√NENE respectively, with two distinct stem forms nend- and nēn (QL/64-65). The Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa also mentions the forms nen (nēn-) “water” versus nen(d-) “river” (PME/64-65). In the English-Qenya Dictionary of the mid-1920s Tolkien had both nēn “river” (PE15/76) and nēn “water” (PE15/78), but in the Early Qenya Grammar he had only nēn “water” (PE14/43, 72), also appearing as nen “water” in documents on The Valmaric Script from this period (PE14/110).

In the Declension of Nouns from the early 1930s, Tolkien had ᴹQ. nēn “water”, but in this document it had nēn- with long ē in its inflected forms as well (PE21/23). In The Etymologies of the 1930s, however, uninflected nén “water” had a stem form of nen- with short e (Ety/NEN), and the reasons for this variation was discussed in Primitive Quendian Structure: Final Consonants from 1936, the nominative/objective distinction noted above (PE21/64). This seems to be the paradigm Tolkien stuck with thereafter, as evidenced by S. nen “water” rather than ✱✱nîn.

Quenya [PE17/052; SA/nen] Group: Eldamo. Published by

nér

noun. man, male person (of any kindred: elf, human or dwarf), man, male person; [ᴹQ.] adult male; [ᴱQ.] husband; warrior

The Quenya word for a “man”, or more specifically a person of male gender of any kindred (WJ/393; PE23/87). This word is derived from the root √N(D)ER, and the é is long in Quenya as a remnant of the lengthened vowel in the primitive subjective form ndēr, but the stem form is ner- because the vowel was not long in ancient inflective forms (PE19/102). Thus the singular is nér but the plural is neri (MR/213), and likewise for other inflected forms. Nér can be used regardless of species and so is equally applicable to male Elves, Men, or Dwarves, but is unlikely to be used of male animals, for which the word [ᴹQ.] hanu is more applicable.

Conceptual Development: This word was very well established in Tolkien’s mind, appearing as ᴱQ. ner “man, husband” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√NERE (QL/65), though in the contemporaneous Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa it was glossed “warrior, etc.” (PME/65). The long/short vowel variation had emerged by the time the Early Qenya Grammar was written in the 1920s, where Tolkien gave singular nēr but plural nĕri (PE14/43, 72).

The Declension of Nouns from the early 1930s has this same long/short vowel split (PE21/20) as does The Etymologies from later in the 1930s which had ᴹQ. nér with plural neri as derivatives of the root ᴹ√(N)DER (Ety/DER). This remained the case in later writings as well, except that the unstrengthened form of the root changed from ᴹ√DER to √NER (WJ/393), though this only barely matters, since the actual derivatives were all from strengthened √NDER in pretty much all cases from the 1930s forward.

Quenya [MR/213; MR/226; MR/229; MR/471; UT/211; UT/229; VT49/17; WJ/393] Group: Eldamo. Published by

nén

water

nén (nen-) noun "water" (NEN).

nér

man

nér (1) (ner-, as in pl. neri) noun "man" (adult male elf, mortal, or of other speaking race) (MR:213, VT49:17, DER, NDER, NI1, VT45:9; see also WJ:393)

nér

were

nér (2) pl. vb. "were"; see and #1 (VT49:30)

nét

were

nét dual vb. "were"; see and #1 (VT49:30).

nëa

once, at one time

nëa (1) "once, at one time" (in the past) (VT49:31). Also néya.

nertë

cardinal. nine

nertë cardinal "nine" (NÉTER, VT42:26, VT48:6); nertëa ordinal "ninth" (VT42:25)

nénimë

noun. February, *Wet-ness

Quenya [LotR/1110; UT/279; UTI/Nénimë; UTI/Nínui] Group: Eldamo. Published by

nertë

cardinal. nine

Quenya [PE17/095; VT42/26; VT48/06] Group: Eldamo. Published by

néya

adverb. once, at one time

nér

noun. man

Quenya [PE 22:124] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

nëa

adverb. once, at one time

nercë

noun. little man

A diminutive form of nér “man” given as {nerkĭ >>} nerke “little man” in notes from 1968 (VT47/33), with the addition of the diminutive suffix ✶-i(n)ki.

Nénar

water

Nénar noun name of a star (or planet), evidently derived from nén "water" (Silm), tentatively identified with Uranus (MR:435)

Nénimë

february

Nénimë noun second month of the year, "February" (Appendix D)

nem-

sew

nem- vb. "sew" (cited in the form neme), pa.t. néme (QL:65)

nen

river

nen noun "river" (LT1:248), "river, water" (LT1:262) (In Tolkien's later Quenya, nén with a long vowel means "water", but hardly "river" - that is sírë.)

nenya

wet

nenya adj. "wet" (PE17:52), also néna, q.v. Nenya as the name of a Ring of Power seems to imply *"(thing) related to water", since this Ring was associated with that element (SA:nen).

nercë

little man

nercë ("k")noun "little man", a diminutive of nér (VT47:33). VT48:18 seems to hint that - is to be derived from older -ki; if so, nercë should have the stem-form nerci-. Compare wenci.

nerdo

large, strong man

nerdo noun "large, strong man" (compare nér) (VT47:33)

nessë

youth

nessë noun "youth"; also nésë (NETH)

nettë

girl, daughter

nettë (stem *netti-, given the primitive form listed in VT47:17) noun "girl, daughter" (but also "sister", see below), also used as a play-name of the "fourth finger" or "fourth toe" (VT47:10, VT48:6), in two-hand play also used for the numeral "nine" (nettë is conceived as being related to nertë, q.v.) Nettë is also defined as "sister" or "girl approaching the adult" (VT47:16, VT49:25), "girl/daughter" (VT47:15-16); it may be that "sister" was Tolkien's final decision on the meaning (VT48:4, 22) - The related word nésa seems like a less ambiguous translation of "sister".

néca

pale, vague, faint, dim to see

néca ("k") adj "pale, vague, faint, dim to see", pl. nécë ("k") in Markirya

nén-talma

wet flat

nén-talma noun Quenya cognate of Sindarin nindalf "wet flat" = Wetwang (PE17:52, 167)

néna

wet

néna adj. "wet" (PE17:167). Cf. nenya, mixa.

nénu

yellow water-lily

nénu noun "yellow water-lily" (LT1:248)

nénuvar

pool of lilles

nénuvar noun "pool of lilles" (LT1:248)

nésa

sister

nésa (Þ) noun "sister" (VT47:14); this form from a late source possibly replaces earlier seler and onórë, q.v.

nésë

youth

nésë (Þ) noun "youth", also nessë (NETH). Not to be confused with nésë "he was"; see #1.

nésa

noun. sister

A word for “sister” coined by Tolkien in notes on Eldarin Hands, Fingers and Numerals from the late 1960s, based on the root √NETH of similar meaning (VT47/12, 14). It had a diminutive/affectionate variant nettë used as a play name for the fourth finger in several places in these notes (VT47/12; VT48/6), but I prefer to mainly use nettë for “(little) girl” in Neo-Quenya (VT47/10, 15, 33).

Conceptual Development: The Etymologies of the 1930s had ᴹQ. seler “sister” from the root ᴹ√THEL or THELES (Ety/THEL), and the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s had ᴱQ. heresse “sister” from the early root ᴱ√HESE (QL/40). See those entries for discussion.

nendë

noun. lake, lake, [ᴹQ.] pool

A word for “lake” (PE17/52) or “pool” (Ety/NEN), derived from the root √NEN “water”.

Conceptual Development: This word appeared in both The Etymologies of the 1930s (Ety/NEN) and notes on Words, Phrases and Passages from the Lord of the Rings (WPP) from the late 1950s or early 1960s (PE17/37) with the same basic meaning and derivation.

nelcë

tooth

nelcë ("k")noun "tooth", also nelet (VT46:3)

neldë

cardinal. three

neldë cardinal "three" (SA:neldor, NÉL-ED, VT47:11, VT48:6). Eleni neldë "three stars", archaic elenion neldë = *"of stars three". Genitive "of 3 stars" = elenion neldë (for archaic elenion neldëo) (VT49:45; see 54 regarding neldion as the gen. pl.) Cf. also nelya, neldëa, Neldië.

nelet

tooth

nelet, also nelcë ("k")noun "tooth", pl. nelci ("k") suggesting a stem-form nelc- (NÉL-EK)

nenda

adjective. wet

Quenya [PE17/052; PE17/167] Group: Eldamo. Published by

néca

adjective. pale, vague, faint, dim to see

Quenya [MC/221; MC/222; MC/223] Group: Eldamo. Published by

néna

adjective. wet

nésë nórima rocco

he was a horse strong/swift at running

neldë

cardinal. three, three; [ᴱQ.] four

Quenya [PE17/095; SA/neldor; VT47/10; VT47/11; VT48/06; VT49/45] Group: Eldamo. Published by

nenya

adjective. wet

Uinen

water

Uinen (Uinend-, as in dative Uinenden) fem. name, used of a Maia, spouse of Ossë (UY, NEN). Adopted and adapted from Valarin (WJ:404), though it is also said that it contains -nen "water" (SA:nen); the latter explanation may be folk etymology. In the Etymologies, the name is derived from the same stem (UY) as uilë "long trailing plant, especially seaweed".

ane-

was

#ane-, form of copula "was" when pronominal endings follow: anen "I was", anel "you were", anes "(s)he/it was" (VT49:28, 29); see #1.

nelma

noun. needle

nesya

adjective. gay, lively, girlish

A neologism coined by Luinyelle posted on 2024-01-31 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), an adjectival form of √NETH “(young) woman; lively, merry”.

Quenya Group: Eldamo - neologism/reconstructions. Published by

Therindë

needlewoman

Therindë (þerindë) fem. name, "Needlewoman", original form of Serindë, before the shift th > s (PM:333)

maurë

need

maurë noun "need" (MBAW)

laisi

youth, vigour, new life

laisi, laito noun "youth, vigour, new life" (LT1:267; rather vië or nésë, nessë in Tolkien's later Quenya)

serindë

noun. broideress, needlewoman, *seamstress

A sobriquet of Míriel, mother of Fëanor, variously glossed “broideress” (MR/257) and “needlewoman” (PM/333). It seems likely this word could also be used of an ordinary seamstress, a feminine agental form of the otherwise unattested verb ser- [þ] “✱to sew”. The root √THER or √SER “sew” appeared in notes from 1957, with Tolkien’s preference being the first of these because of its similarity to √TER “pierce” (PE17/33).

Quenya [MR/257; PM/333] Group: Eldamo. Published by

serindë

feminine name. Broideress, Needlewoman

One of the names of Míriel, mother of Fëanor, adopted because of her surpassing skill in weaving and needlework (S/63). It is simply the noun serindë used as a name.

The phonetic development of this name has an interesting history. In Classical Quenya, it was pronounced †Therindë (PM/333). When the sound [[q|[θ] became [s]]] in the speech-feeling of the Noldor, Fëanor opposed this change, in part for practical reasons but also because it meant that the name of his mother was consistently mispronounced Serindë (PM/335).

This sound change was common among all Noldor except Fëanor and his sons, and may have played a part in Fëanor’s alienation from his kin (PM/336). It could therefore have contributed to the exile of the Noldor from Valinor and all the terrible events that followed. Somehow it seems particularlly Tolkienesque that such a critical juncture in the history of the Elves was intertwined with a seemingly minor linguistic change.

Quenya [MR/185; MR/205; MR/257; PM/333; PMI/Míriel; S/063; SI/Míriel¹; SI/Serindë] Group: Eldamo. Published by

huë

cardinal. nine

huë "Qenya" cardinal "nine" (in Tolkiens later Quenya nertë) (VT49:54)

olma

cardinal. nine

olma cardinal "nine" (LT1:258; in Tolkien's later Quenya nertë)

-ya

his

-ya (4) pronominal suffix "his" (and probably also "her, its"), said to be used in "colloquial Quenya" (which had redefined the "correct" ending for this meaning, -rya, to mean "their" because it was associated with the plural ending -r). Hence e.g. cambeya ("k") "his hand", yulmaya "his cup" (VT49:17) instead of formally "correct" forms in -rya. The ending -ya was actually ancient, primitive ¤- being used for "all numbers" in the 3rd person, predating elaborated forms like -rya. It is said that -ya "remained in Quenya" in the case of "old nouns with consonantal stems", Tolkien listing tál "foot", cas "head", nér "man", sír "river" and macil "sword" as examples. He refers to "the continued existence of such forms as talya his foot", that could apparently be used even in "correct" Quenya (VT49:17). In PE17:130, the forms talya "his foot" and macilya ("k") "his (or their) sword" are mentioned.

Amillion

february

Amillion noun "February" (LT1:249; LotR-style Quenya has Nénimë)

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**.

lér

man

**lér noun "man" (NI1; hypothetical Q form of PQ dēr; the form actually used in Quenya was nér)

mixa

wet

mixa ("ks")adj. "wet" (MISK); later sources have néna, nenya

is

(1) vb. "is" (am). (Nam, RGEO:67). This is the copula used to join adjectives, nouns or pronouns "in statements (or wishes) asserting (or desiring) a thing to have certain quality, or to be the same as another" (VT49:28). Also in impersonal constructions: ringa ná "it is cold" (VT49:23). The copula may however be omitted "where the meaning is clear" without it (VT49:9). is also used as an interjection "yes" or "it is so" (VT49:28). Short na in airë [] na, "[] is holy" (VT43:14; some subject can evidently be inserted in the place of [].) Short na also functions as imperative: alcar mi tarmenel na Erun "glory in high heaven be to God" (VT44:32/34), also na airë "be holy" (VT43:14); also cf. nai "be it that" (see nai #1). The imperative participle á may be prefixed (á na, PE17:58). However, VT49:28 cites as the imperative form. Pl. nar or nár "are" (PE15:36, VT49:27, 9, 30); dual nát (VT49:30). With pronominal endings: nányë/nanyë "I am", nalyë or natyë "you (sg.) are" (polite and familiar, respectively), nás "it is", násë "(s)he is", nalmë "we are" (VT49:27, 30). Some forms listed in VT49:27 are perhaps to be taken as representing the aorist: nain, naityë, nailyë (1st person sg, and 2nd person familiar/polite, respectively); does a following na represent the aorist with no pronominal ending? However, the forms nanyë, nalyë, , nassë, nalme, nar (changed from nár) are elsewhere said to be "aorist", without the extra vowel i (e.g. nalyë rather than nailyë); also notice that *"(s)he is" is here nassë rather than násë (VT49:30).Pa.t. nánë or "was", pl. náner/nér and dual nét "were" (VT49:6, 9, 10, 27, 28, 30, 36). According to VT49:31, "was" cannot receive pronominal endings (though nésë "he was" is attested elsewhere, VT49:28-29), and such endings are rather added to the form ane-, e.g. anen "I was", anel "you were", anes "(s)he/it was" (VT49:28-29). Future tense nauva "will be" (VT42:34, VT49:19, 27; another version however gives the future tense as uva, VT49:30). Nauva with a pronominal ending occurs in tanomë nauvan "I will be there" (VT49:19), this example indicating that forms of the verb may also be used to indicate position. Perfect anaië "has been" (VT49:27, first written as anáyë). Infinitive (or gerund) návë "being", PE17:68. See also nai #1.

nívë

pale

nívë adj."pale" (MC:213; this is "Qenya" Tolkien's later Quenya has néca)

onórë

sister

onórë noun "sister" (of blood-kin) (THEL/THELES, NŌ; both of these entries in the Etymologies as reproduced in LR have the reading "onóne", but the "Old Noldorin" cognate wanúre listed in the entry THEL/THELES seems to indicate that the Quenya word should be onórë; the letters n and r are easily confused in Tolkien's handwriting. There is no clear evidence for a feminine ending - in Quenya, but - is relatively well attested; cf. for instance ontarë.) A later source gives the word for "sister" as nésa instead.

rocco

horse

rocco ("k")noun "horse" (ROK, SA:roch; Letters:382; cf. 282 where the spelling really is rocco, not rokko_). _In Letters:382 the word is defined as "swift horse for riding". VT46:12 refers to an alternative form of the entry ROK that was inserted into the Etymologies; here rocco, which Tolkien revised from ronco ("k"), was similarly glossed "swift horse". Nésë nórima rocco ("k") "he was a horse strong/swift at running" (VT49:29)

seler

sister

seler (þ) (sell-, as in pl. selli) noun "sister" (THEL/THELES). In a later source, the word nésa (q.v.) appears instead, leaving the conceptual status of seler uncertain.

vëo

man

vëo noun "man" (WEG; etymologically connected to vëa "manly, vigorous"; the more neutral word for "man" is nér. According to VT46:21, Tolkien indicated that vëo is an archaic or poetic word.) Tolkien at a later point defined the word as "living creature" (PE17:189). Cf. variant wëo, q.v.

maura-

verb. to need, require

A neologism coined by Elaran posted on 2020-06-06 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), based on ᴹQ. maure “need”. Raccoon instead suggested moa- or a passive formation with ᴹQ. mauya-.

Quenya Group: Eldamo - neologism/reconstructions. Published by

rocco

noun. horse

The usual word for “horse” in Quenya, a derivative of ✶rokkō (Let/282, 382; WJ/407) and very well attested. There are indications that this word was more specifically a “swift horse” (Let/382; EtyAC/ROK), but in most cases Tolkien used it generically.

Conceptual Development: ᴹQ. rokko “horse” first appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√ROK, already with the derivation given above (Ety/ROK). The relevant entry appeared twice; in one rokko was first written as rokka “wheel”, and in the other the form was first written ronko, but in both cases Tolkien revised the word to rokko “horse”.

Quenya [Let/178; Let/282; Let/382; PE17/168; PE21/78; PE22/166; SA/roch; VT49/29; WJ/407] Group: Eldamo. Published by

-ndë

petition

-ndë (1) noun ending; forming nouns from verbal stems in arcandë "petition" and ulundë "stream" (q.v. and cf. VT44:8), feminine in Serindë "broideress" or "needle-woman" (q.v.) PE17:69 mentions -ndë as a common suffix denoting feminine agent.

-nya

my

-nya pronominal suffix, 1st person sg. possessive, "my" (VT49:16, 38, 48), e.g. tatanya "my daddy" (UT:191, VT48:17), meldonya "my [male] friend" (VT49:38), meldenya "my [female] friend" (Elaine inscription), omentienya "my meeting" (PE17:68), tyenya "my tye" (tye being an intimate form of "you"), used = "dear kinsman" (VT49:51, 56). This ending seems to prefer i as its connecting vowel where one is needed, cf. Anarinya "my sun" in LR:72, so also in hildinyar "my heirs". It was previously theorized by some that a final -ë would also be changed to -i- before -nya, but the example órenya "my heart [órë]" indicates that this is not the case (VT41:11).

-rya

his, her

-rya 3rd person sg. pronominal ending "his, her" and probably "its" (VT49:16, 38, 48, Nam, RGEO:67), attested in coivierya *"his/her life", máryat "her hands", ómaryo "of her voice" (genitive of *ómarya "her voice"), súmaryassë "in her bosom" (locative of súmarya "her bosom"); for the meaning "his" cf. coarya "his house" (WJ:369). The ending is descended from primitive ¤-sjā via -zya (VT49:17) and therefore connects with the 3rd person ending -s "he, she, it". In colloquial Quenya the ending -rya could be used for "their" rather than "his/her", because it was felt to be related to the plural ending -r,e.g. símaryassen "in their [not his/her] imaginations" (VT49:16, 17). See -ya #4.

Serindë

broideress

Serindë (þ) fem. name; "Broideress" (Silm) or "Needlewoman" (PM:333). Original form Therindë, q.v.

anarcandë

petition

#anarcandë noun "petition" (isolated from anarcandemman, "our petitions", possibly an error for *anarcandemmar) (VT44:8); Tolkien seems to have abandoned this word in favour of #arcandë, q.v.

carca

tooth

carca noun "tooth" (KARAK) or "fang" (SA:carak-). In a deleted version of the entry in question, the glosses were "tooth, spike, peak" (VT45:19). When referring to a normal tooth, not necessarily sharp, the word nelet is probably to be preferred. Cf. also pl. carcar _("karkar") _in Markirya, there translated "rocks", evidently referring to sharp rocks. Already the early "Qenya Lexicon" has carca ("k")"fang, tooth, tusk" (LT2:344). Collective carcanë, q.v.

nánë

was

nánë vb. "was", náner "were"; see #1

olë

cardinal. three

olë (2) cardinal "three" (LT1:258; in LotR-style Quenya Tolkien replaced this "Qenya" form with neldë)

sír(ë)

noun. river, river, [ᴱQ.] stream

The most common Quenya word for “river”, derived from the root √SIR “flow”.

Conceptual Development: This word first appeared as ᴱQ. sīre “stream” as a derivative of ᴱ√SIŘI [SIÐI] (QL/84), and this form and gloss also appeared in the contemporaneous Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME/84). The form ᴹQ. siri- “river” appeared in the Declension of Nouns (DN) from the early 1930s, along with uninflected sire with short i and various inflected forms with siry- (PE21/10). The form sīre “river” with long ī appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a derivative of ᴹ√SIR “flow” (Ety/SIR; EtyAC/SIR). In several notes from the mid-1960s, it appeared in monosyllabic form sír (PE17/65) or sīr (VT49/17), but it had dual form siryat from the late 1960s implying a stem form of sirĭ- and a development similar to that of DN from the early 1930s (VT47/11).

Neo-Eldarin: Its form síre is probably better known and more commonly used in Neo-Quenya. For example this is the typical form in Helge Fauskanger’s NQNT (NQNT).

Quenya [PE17/065; VT47/11; VT49/17] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ye

is

ye (2) copula "is" (FS, VT46:22); both earlier and later sources rather point to (q.v.) as the copula "is", so ye may have been an experiment Tolkien later abandoned. Future tense yéva, q.v.

úyë

is

úyë vb., a form occurring in Fíriel's Song (cf. VT46:22), apparently ye "is" with the negative prefix ú-, hence "is not" (úyë sérë indo-ninya símen, translated "my hearth resteth not here", literally evidently *"[there] is not rest [for] my heart here")

vínë

youth

vínë noun "youth" (probably as abstract) (VT47:26, PE17:191)

ná-

verb. to be, to be, [ᴱQ.] exist

The basic Quenya verb for “to be”, based on the root √ (PE17/93). It was typically used as the copula equating a noun to another noun or an adjective:

> √NA joining adjs./nouns/pronouns in statements (or wishes) asserting (or desiring) a thing to have a certain quality, or to be the same as another (PE22/147).

In many circumstances this verb was optional:

> As a copula “be, is” is not usually expressed in Quenya where the meaning is clear: sc. in such expressions as “A is good” where the adjective (contrary to the usual order in Quenya of a qualifying adjective) follows: the normal Quenya for this is A mára (PE17/93).

For further discussion see the entry on the Quenya copula.

Conceptual Development: This verb dates back all the way to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, where it was given as the early root ᴱ√ “be, exist” (QL/64). This verb and its root appeared regularly throughout Tolkien’s writings thereafter, but at times Tolkien considered alternative verbs for “to be”; see the entry ëa- for further discussion.

Quenya [LotR/0377; Minor-Doc/1955-CT; PE17/057; PE17/058; PE17/059; PE17/074; PE17/090; PE17/093; PE17/126; PE17/162; PE22/154; PE22/158; PE22/166; PE22/167; PE22/168; RGEO/58; RGEO/59; RGEO/60; VT42/33; VT42/34; VT43/13; VT43/14; VT43/15; VT43/16; VT43/23; VT43/30; VT43/34; VT44/34; VT49/09; VT49/10; VT49/19; VT49/23; VT49/27; VT49/28; VT49/29; VT49/30] Group: Eldamo. Published by

vínë

noun. youth, youth, *childhood

Quenya [PE17/191; VT47/26] Group: Eldamo. Published by

endë

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

Quenya [VT41/12; VT48/25] Group: Eldamo. Published by

nuinë

suffix. river

vinyarë

noun. youth, youth, *young adulthood

-ië

suffix. is

- (3) "is", -ier "are", stative verb suffix occurring in Fíriel's Song: númessier "they are in the west", meldielto "they are...beloved", talantië "he is fallen", márië "it is good" (< *númessë "in the west", melda "beloved", *talanta "fallen"); future tense -iéva in hostainiéva "will be gathered" (< *hostaina "gathered"). Compare ye "is", yéva "will be", verbs that also occur in Fíriel's Song. This suffix is probably not valid in LotR-style Quenya: - is an infinitival or gerundial ending in CO, for ye "is" Namárië has , and the phrase "lost is" is vanwa ná, not *vanwië.

-nya

suffix. my

Quenya [PE17/057; PE17/067; PE17/132; PE17/190; VT49/16; VT49/38; VT49/48] Group: Eldamo. Published by

-zya

his, her, its

-zya, archaic form of the pronominal ending -rya "his, her, its", q.v. (VT49:17)

-úmë

large

-úmë (3) suffix "large" (of quantity)", as in liyúmë "host" (VT48:32)

ailo

lake, pool

ailo noun "lake, pool" (LT2:339; Tolkien's later Quenya has ailin)

alat-

large, great in size

alat- prefix "large, great in size". (ÁLAT, cf. VT45:5). In Alatairë.

alta

large, great in size

alta (1) adj. *"large, great in size" (root meaning)(ÁLAT). Alat- in Alatairë, q.v.

arcandë

petition

#arcandë noun "petition" (isolated from arcandemmar "our petitions") (VT44:8)

auta

particle. ago

Quenya [PE 22:168] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

auta

adverb. ago

celu

stream

celu _("k")_noun "stream" (LT1:257; rather celumë in LotR-style Quenya)

celumë

stream, flow

celumë ("k")noun "stream, flow" (KEL, LT1:257); locative pl. celumessen ("k") in Markirya (ëar-celumessen is translated "in the flowing sea", lit. *"in sea-streams").

celusindi

river

celusindi _("k")_noun "river" (LT1:257; hardly a valid word in Tolkien's later Quenya, where the terms sírë and sirya appear instead)

enge

adverb. ago

ago, once, in the past

Quenya [PE 19:48 PE 19:96] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

engë

was

engë vb. "was", "existed", past tense of ëa, q.v. (VT43:38, VT49:29)

entë

noun. centre

hlóna

river, especially given to those at all seasons full of water from mountains

[hlóna (2) noun "a river, especially given to those at all seasons full of water from mountains" (VT48:27; the word is marked with a query and the note containing it rejected; it was apparently replaced by lón, q.v.)]

isca

pale

isca ("k") adj."pale" (LT1:256)

lesta-

leave

lesta- (1) vb. "leave", pa.t. lendë (which is also the pa.t. of lelya-, q.v.) (ELED)

linqui

wet

linqui ("q")adj. "wet" (MC:216; Tolkien's later Quenya has linquë.)

linquë

wet

linquë ("q") (1) adj. "wet" _(LINKWI). In early "Qenya", this word was glossed "water" (LT1:262)_, and "wet" was linqui or liquin, q.v.

liquin

wet

liquin ("q")adj. "wet" (LT1:262; Tolkien's later Quenya has linquë.)

luina

pale

[luina] adj. "pale" (VT45:30)

mairo

horse

mairo noun "horse" (GL:56; later sources have rocco, olombo)

marya

pale, fallow, fawn

marya adj. "pale, fallow, fawn" (MAD)

mausta

compulsion

mausta noun "compulsion" (MBAW)

missë

wet, damp, rain

[missë] adj.ornoun "wet, damp, rain" (VT45:35)

ninda

adjective. wet

ninya

my

ninya _possessive pron _occurring in Fíriel's Song, evidently meaning "my"; see indo-ninya. It may be derived from the dative form nin "for me" by adding the adjectival ending -ya. Compare menya, q.v.

olombo

horse

olombo noun "horse" (derived from a base LOB which Tolkien later changed to LOP; hence read *olompo for olombo?)

osellë

sister, [female] associate

osellë (þ) noun "sister, [female] associate" (THEL/THELES, WŌ). Cf. otorno.

pol

large, big (strong)

pol (2) adj. "large, big (strong)". Since this would be the sole example of a monosyllabic Quenya adjective, it may be that Tolkien is here citing the root POL rather than a complete word. Cf. polda.

rocco

noun. horse

Quenya [PE 22:166] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

sindi

river

sindi noun "river" (LT1:265; rather sírë in LotR-style Quenya)

sirya

river

#sirya noun "river", attested in the dual form siryat (VT47:11). Compare sírë.

sír

river

sír noun "river", shorter form of sirë (PE17:65, VT49:17)

sírë

river

sírë noun "river" (SIR, VT46:13), "stream" (LT1:265). Also short form sír, q.v.Compare #sirya.

tólë

centre

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

vírië

youth

vírië noun "youth" (as abstract) (VT46:22)

wet

wet

wet, see we #2

úra

large

úra (2) adj. "large" (UR), probably obsoleted by #1 above

sangarë

noun. oppression

Quenya Group: Eldamo - neologism/reconstructions. Published by