Quenya 

ala

not

ala, #ála (1) imperative particle á, a combined with the negation , -la "not" to express a prohibition (VT43:22; see #1). Also with 1st person suffix -lyë (alalyë and álalyë, VT43:10, 22, VT44:8) and 1st person pl. object suffix - (alamë and álamë, "do not [do something to] us", as in ála tulya, "do not lead us", VT43:12, 22). In the essay Quendi and Eldar, negative imperatives are rather indicated by áva, q.v., but this form can well coexist with ala, #ála.

ala-

not

ala- (2) negative prefix "not", "un-", reduced to al- before a vowel (VT42:33, GALA, VT45:25), though the example Alcorin would suggest that al- can sometimes appear before a consonant as well. In a deleted entry in Etym, al(a)- was defined as "not" and said to be a "pure negative" (VT45:5). In alahasta, Alamanyar, alasaila, Alcorin.

ui

no

ui interjection "no" (originally an endingless negative verb in the 3rd person aorist: "it is not [so]"; see #u-). Apparently this is the word for "no" used to deny that something is true (compare , which is rather used to reject orders, or to issue negative orders). (VT49:28) Compare uito.

la

no, not

la negation "no, not" (see ); also prefix la- as in lacarë, q.v. (VT45:25)

no, not

(1) adv. "no, not" (LA, VT45:25) According to VT42:33, is the stressed form, alternating with la when the negation is unstressed. In another conceptual phase of Tolkien's, had the opposite meaning "yes" (VT42:32-33), but this idea is contradicted by both earlier and later material: usually is conceived as a negation. The negation can receive tense markers and be used as a negative verb "when [another] verb is not expressed" (VT49:13), apparently where the phrase "is not" is followed by a noun or an adjective as a predicate, or where some verb is understood, as in English "I do not" (i.e. "I do not do whatever the context indicates"). With pronominal endings la- in the aorist, e.g. lanyë "I do not, am not" (etc.) (Tolkien abandoned the form lamin.) Exemplified in the sentence melin sé apa lanyë *"I love him but I do not [love] him" (another person) (VT49:15). Present tense laia, past lánë, perfect alaië, future lauva.

adverb. no, not

Derivations

  • LA “no, not; negative; not to be” ✧ PE22/153; VT42/33

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ALA > [lā]✧ PE22/153
ala > la[lā]✧ VT42/33

Variations

  • ✧ PE22/153; VT49/13
  • la ✧ PE22/154; PE22/158 (la); PE22/160; PE22/162; VT42/33; VT49/18
  • ✧ PE22/154; PE22/158; PE22/160; PE22/161; PE22/166; PE22/166; VT42/33; VT42/33
Quenya [PE22/153; PE22/154; PE22/158; PE22/160; PE22/161; PE22/162; PE22/166; VT42/33; VT49/13; VT49/18] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lá-

verb. to not be

Changes

  • laminlanye ✧ VT49/13

Derivations

  • lā- “to not be” ✧ PE22/153; PE22/153; VT49/13
    • LA “no, not; negative; not to be” ✧ PE22/153
  • LA “no, not; negative; not to be” ✧ PE22/156; VT42/33; VT49/13

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
> lanye[lanye]✧ PE22/153
lājā > laia[lājā] > [laijā] > [laija] > [laia]✧ PE22/153
(A)LA > lā-[lā-]✧ PE22/156
ala > [lā-]✧ VT42/33
ala > [lā-]✧ VT49/13
lājā > laia[lājā] > [laijā] > [laija] > [laia]✧ VT49/13

Variations

  • la ✧ PE22/154; VT43/22; VT49/15
  • lā- ✧ PE22/156
  • ✧ VT42/33; VT49/13; VT49/13
  • ✧ VT49/13
  • lamin ✧ VT49/13 (lamin)
Quenya [PE22/153; PE22/154; PE22/156; PE22/160; VT42/33; VT43/22; VT49/13; VT49/15] Group: Eldamo. Published by

il-

verb. no, *un-

il- (prefix) "no, *un-" (LA); cf. ilfirin "immortal" (vs. firin "dead"). This prefix "denotes the opposite, the reversal, i.e. more than the mere negation" (VT42:32). But il- can also mean "all, every"; see ilaurëa, ilqua, ilquen.

la-

prefix. not, in-, un-

Derivations

  • LA “no, not; negative; not to be”

Element in

  • Q. lacalima “not possible to be kindled (made to shine)” ✧ PE22/155
  • Q. lacaltaima “not possible to be kindled” ✧ PE22/155
  • Q. lacaraitë “impossible, *inactive; impossible”
  • Q. lacarë “not-doing, inaction”
  • ᴺQ. lacárima “not feasible, impossible”
  • Q. lacárima “not feasible, impossible” ✧ PE22/153
  • Q. lacarina “undone, undone, *unfinished” ✧ PE22/156
  • Q. lacenítë “unseeing, blind” ✧ PE22/153
  • ᴺQ. lahlaraitë “deaf, (lit.) unable to hear”
  • Q. laista “ignorance, (lit.) not-knowing” ✧ PE22/153
  • ᴺQ. lalevítë “lame”
  • Q. lamate “fasting, a fast”
  • Q. lamélima “unlovable” ✧ PE22/156
  • ᴺQ. lanéya “recently, not long ago”
  • Q. lanotoitë “innumerable”
  • ᴺQ. latanca “unsure, insecure”
  • ᴺQ. lavéla “different, dissimilar”

Variations

  • la ✧ PE22/153; PE22/153 (la)
  • ✧ PE22/156 ()
Quenya [PE22/153; PE22/155; PE22/156] Group: Eldamo. Published by

pen

without, not having

[pen prep. "without, not having" (PE17:171). Cf. Ú #1.]

nec-

without, -less

nec- prefix "without, -less" (PE17:167), cf. -enca, q.v.

nec-

prefix. without

Derivations

  • NEK “divide, separate, part; deprive” ✧ PE17/167

Element in

  • ᴺQ. necermëa “insubstantial, immaterial”
  • ᴺQ. necestel “hopelessness, despair, desperation”

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
NEK > nec-[nek-]✧ PE17/167

-enca

without, -less

-enca suffix "without, -less" (PE17:167), cf. nec-, q.v.

au-

without

au- (3) privative prefix, = "without" (AWA)

ava-

without

ava- (3) prefix "without" (AR2, AWA). In some cases apparently used as a mere negation prefix: The form avalerya in VT41:6 is seemingly a negated form of the verb lerya- "release, set free"; the verb avalerya- is suggested to have the same meaning as the root KHAP = "bind, make fast, restrain, deprive of liberty". Likewise, the verb avalatya- from the same source seems to mean "to close, shut", this being a negated form of a verb *latya- "open" (q.v.)

lala

no indeed not, on the contrary

lala (3) negation "no indeed not, on the contrary" ("also used for asking incredulous questions") (LA)

lau

no indeed not, on the contrary

lau negation "no indeed not, on the contrary" ("also used for asking incredulous questions") (LA)

laumë

no indeed not, on the contrary

laumë < lá umë negation "no indeed not, on the contrary" ("also used for asking incredulous questions")This is a combination of the negation "not" and the negative verb umë "is not, does not" (LA)

lá umë

no indeed not, on the contrary

lá umë > laumë negation "no indeed not, on the contrary" ("also used for asking incredulous questions"). This is a combination of the negation "not" and the negative verb umë "is not, does not" (LA)

al(a)-

prefix. in-, un-, not; †-less, without

Cognates

  • S. al- “no, not”

Derivations

  • LA “no, not; negative; not to be” ✧ PE22/153; VT42/33

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ALA > al[al-]✧ PE22/153
ala > ala[ala-]✧ VT42/33

Variations

  • al ✧ PE22/153; PE22/153; PE22/153
  • ala- ✧ PE22/153
  • ala ✧ PE22/153; PE22/156; PE22/160; PE22/160; VT42/33
  • al- ✧ VT42/33
Quenya [PE22/153; PE22/156; PE22/160; VT42/33] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lacaraite

adjective. impossible

Quenya [PE 22:156] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

lacaraitë

adjective. impossible, *inactive; impossible

Changes

  • alákăraitelắkăraite “impossible” ✧ PE22/156

Elements

WordGloss
la-“not, in-, un-”
caraitë“active, busy, active, busy; [ᴹQ.] able to make, handy, crafty, craftsmanlike, skilled”

Variations

  • lắkăraite ✧ PE22/156
  • alákăraite ✧ PE22/156 (alákăraite)

ú

without, destitute of

ú (1) adv. and prep. "without, destitute of" (VT39:14). Usually followed by genitive: ú calo "without light" (cala). In one source, ú is seemingly also used as a negative verb "was not" (VT49:13), but Tolkien revised the text in question.

ú-

prefix. no, not, un-, in-; hard, difficult, bad, uneasy; hardly, with difficulty, ‘badly’

Cognates

  • S. ú- “no, not, negative; impossible, no, not, negative; impossible; [N.] bad-” ✧ PE17/062

Derivations

  • UG “dislike” ✧ PE22/160
  • Ū “denial of fact, privation, negative element, denial of fact, privation, negative element, [ᴱ√] not” ✧ VT42/33

Element in

  • ᴺQ. úpuhta- “to fornicate”
  • ᴺQ. úhep- “to lose, (lit.) to un-keep”
  • ᴺQ. únet- “to lose, (lit.) to un-get”
  • Q. úcalima “dim, murky, dim, murky, *not bright” ✧ PE22/156
  • Q. úcar- “*to trespass, do wrong, sin”
  • Q. úcarë “*sin, debt, trespass”
  • Q. úcárima “hard to do, difficult” ✧ PE22/156
  • Q. úcarnë “not red” ✧ PE22/152
  • ᴺQ. úcim- “disregard”
  • ᴺQ. úfailië “unrighteousness”
  • Q. úfantima “not concealable”
  • Q. úfanwëa “not veiled, unveiled”
  • ᴺQ. úhandë “unreason, incomprehension”
  • Q. úχarin “unmarred” ✧ PE17/150
  • Q. Úlairi “Ring-wraiths, (lit.) ?Un-living, Un-summer”
  • ᴺQ. úlaita- “to dishonour”
  • ᴺQ. úlévima “paralyzed, lame”
  • Q. Úmaiar “Evil Spirits”
  • Q. úmaitë “clumsy(-handed), unskilled”
  • Q. Úmaneldi “*Elves not of Aman”
  • Q. Úmanyar “Those not of Aman”
  • Q. úmara “bad, ill-used, evil, sinister” ✧ VT49/15
  • Q. úmárë “not good = evil” ✧ PE22/152
  • Q. únat “thing impossible to be or to be done”
  • Q. únehta “*atom”
  • Q. Úner “Noman” ✧ UT/211
  • Q. únotë(a) “not counted, uncounted” ✧ PE17/143; VT39/14
  • Q. únótima “numberless, innumerable, countless, difficult/impossible to count” ✧ PE17/062; PE17/063; PE17/143; PE22/156; PE22/160; VT39/14; VT42/33
  • ᴺQ. únut- “to untie”
  • Q. únyárima “impossible to recount”
  • Q. úpa “dumb [unable to speak]”
  • Q. úpahtëa “speechless”
  • ᴺQ. úpoica “unclean”
  • ᴺQ. úqua “nothing”
  • ᴺQ. úquen “nobody, no one”
  • Q. úquétima “unspeakable, impossible to say or put into words, unpronounceable”
  • Q. úsahtië “inducement to do wrong, *temptation”
  • Q. úsië “on the contrary” ✧ VT49/18
  • Q. úsir “on the contrary” ✧ VT49/18
  • ᴺQ. útancië “uncertainty”
  • ᴺQ. útulya- “to mislead”
  • ᴺQ. útúrima “unruly”
  • Q. úvana “marred”
  • Q. úvanë(a) “without beauty”
  • Q. úvanima “not fair, ugly; hard to call beautiful, hideous” ✧ PE17/143; PE22/156; VT39/14
  • Q. úvanimo “monster, corrupt or evil creature”

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
UG > ú[ugu-] > [uɣu-] > [ū-]✧ PE22/160
û > ú[ū-]✧ VT42/33

Variations

  • ū- ✧ PE17/062; PE17/144; PE22/152; PE22/156
  • ū ✧ PE22/156; PE22/167; VT44/04
  • ú ✧ PE22/160; VT42/33
  • Ú- ✧ UT/211 (Ú-)
Quenya [PE17/062; PE17/063; PE17/143; PE17/144; PE17/150; PE22/152; PE22/156; PE22/160; PE22/167; UT/211; VT39/14; VT42/33; VT44/04; VT49/15; VT49/18] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Sindarin 

al-

prefix. not

pref. not. >> alfirin

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:101:146] -. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

û

interjection. no

adv. or interj. no, not (of fact).

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:144] -. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

al-

prefix. no, not

Cognates

  • Q. al(a)- “in-, un-, not; †-less, without”

Derivations

  • LA “no, not; negative; not to be”

Element in

  • S. alfirin “immortal, (lit.) not dying; a species of flower” ✧ PE17/101
  • ᴺS. alhad “nowhere”
  • ᴺS. allu “never”
  • ᴺS. alnad “nothing”
  • ᴺS. alphen “no one, nobody”
  • ᴺS. alben “no one”

Variations

  • al- ✧ PE17/101
Sindarin [PE17/101] Group: Eldamo. Published by

û

adverb/interjection. no, not, no, not, [G.] nor

Derivations

  • ū “primitive negative interjection” ✧ PE17/144
    • Ū “denial of fact, privation, negative element, denial of fact, privation, negative element, [ᴱ√] not” ✧ PE17/143

Element in

  • S. ú- “no, not, negative; impossible, no, not, negative; impossible; [N.] bad-” ✧ PE17/144

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ū > û[ū]✧ PE17/144
Sindarin [PE17/144] Group: Eldamo. Published by

baw

interjection. no, don't!

Sindarin [WJ/371] Group: SINDICT. Published by

pen

preposition. without, lacking, -less

Sindarin [Iarwain ben-adar LotR/II:II] Group: SINDICT. Published by

pen-

without

(ben-) _ pref. _without,**less. pen-adar 'fatherless'. >> ben-, ú-

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:34:144] < PENE lack. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

nedia-

verb. to count

Sindarin [Ety/378, VT/46:6] Group: SINDICT. Published by

ú-

prefix. no, not, negative; impossible, no, not, negative; impossible; [N.] bad-

Cognates

  • Q. ú- “no, not, un-, in-; hard, difficult, bad, uneasy; hardly, with difficulty, ‘badly’” ✧ PE17/062

Derivations

  • UG “dislike” ✧ PE22/160
  • Ū “denial of fact, privation, negative element, denial of fact, privation, negative element, [ᴱ√] not” ✧ VT42/33

Element in

  • S. ú-chebin estel anim “I have kept no hope for myself” ✧ LotR/1061
  • S. Udalraph “Stirrupless” ✧ UT/313
  • ᴺS. úgan(n) “gutless, faint-hearted, diffident”
  • S. úgarol “not now doing or making, idling” ✧ PE17/144
  • S. úgarth “trespass, *(lit.) misdeed” ✧ VT44/28
  • ᴺS. úgethiol “boring, (lit.) not interesting”
  • S. uin gar “I do not make” ✧ PE17/145
  • ᴺS. úlam “dumb, unable to speak, (lit.) untongued”
  • S. úlan(n) “narrow, (lit.) not broad” ✧ PE17/144
  • S. Úmarth “Ill-fate”
  • S. únodui “countless” ✧ PE17/144

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
û > ú[ū-]✧ VT42/33

Variations

  • ū- ✧ PE17/062; PE17/144; PE17/144
  • ú ✧ PE17/145; PE22/160; VT42/33; VT44/28 (ú)
  • U- ✧ UT/313
  • ū ✧ WJ/369
Sindarin [LotR/1061; PE17/062; PE17/144; PE17/145; PE22/160; UT/313; VT42/33; VT44/28; WJ/369] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ú-

prefix. impossible

Sindarin [PE 22:160] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

ú

prefix. no, not (negative prefix or particle)

Sindarin [WJ/369, LotR/A(v)] Group: SINDICT. Published by

ú-

~M prefix. negates the sense of the following word

pref. negates the sense of the following word. Applied to all classes of words but especially to verbs and adjectives. Prefixed to verbal stems (without further suffix), it forms quasi-participles in aorist mode (e.g. únod not ever counting, _úbed _not saying). The continuative participle ol can be added in order to express a strictly present (and continuative) sense : úgarol 'not now doing or making', idling vs. ugar '(generally) idle'. There is no sens of 'without' attaching to ú- in Sindarin, see pen- (ben-). >> pen-, úland, úlann

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:62:144-5] -. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

al

not

al- (prefix) as in alfirin "not-mortal", immortal.

al

not

(prefix) as in alfirin "not-mortal", immortal.

no, not

also ú

law

adverb. not

Derivations

  • LA “no, not; negative; not to be”
Sindarin Group: Eldamo - neologism/reconstructions. Published by

law

jyE prefix. not

Neologism derived from the root √LA "no, not". ló- and lenition before consonants. It's meant to be used as an alternative to ú-, which Tolkien rejected as a negative prefix in his later writings.

Examples:
*ló-hevin mass "I do not have bread."
*law aníron mass "I do not want bread."

Phonological development:
lā > lǭ > lau, law
?law > ló-

Sindarin [< √LA] Group: Neologism. Published by

ú

not

(adverbial prefix) ú-, u- (followed by lenition, e.g. ú-chebin ”I do not keep”) (without). Verb

ú

not

u- (followed by lenition, e.g. ú-chebin

baw!

no

! (interjection expressing refusal or prohibition, not denying facts) baw! (dont!) Prefix

baw!

no

(don’t!) Prefix

no, not

-, also ú-

ava

will not

(i ava, in avar).

genediad

count

(noun) genediad (i **enediad) (reckoning), pl. genediaid (i ngenediaid** = i ñenediaid) if there is a pl.

genediad

count

(i ’enediad) (reckoning), pl. genediaid (i ngenediaid = i ñenediaid) if there is a pl.

gonod

count up

(i ’onod, i ngenedir = i ñenedir) (reckon, sum up), pa.t. gonont

lae-

verb. to not be

Derivations

  • lā- “to not be”
    • LA “no, not; negative; not to be” ✧ PE22/153
Sindarin Group: Eldamo - neologism/reconstructions. Published by

nedia

count

(verb) nedia- (reckon, number) (i nedia, in nediar). Cited in archaic form ”noedia” = nödia- (LR:378 s.v. NOT);

nedia

count

(reckon, number) (i nedia, in nediar). Cited in archaic form ”noedia” = nödia- (LR:378 s.v. NOT);

said

not common

(lenited haid; no distinct pl. form) (separate, private, excluded) (VT42:20)

pen

without

1) pen (lenited ben) (lacking, -less) (WJ:375) Not to be confused with the pronoun pen ”one, somebody, anybody”. When prefixed to a noun, the resulting phrase can be treated as an adjective in that it is lenited (pen- appears as ben-) where an adjective would be lenited. 2)

pen

without

(lenited ben) (lacking, -less) (WJ:375) Not to be confused with the pronoun pen ”one, somebody, anybody”. When prefixed to a noun, the resulting phrase can be treated as an adjective in that it is lenited (pen- appears as ben-) where an adjective would be lenited.

ar

without

(adv. prefix) ar- (outside)

ar

without

(outside)

ú

without

(adverbial prefix) ú-, u- (e.g. udalraph ”without stirrups; stirrupless”, uluithiad *”without quenching” (SD:62) = ”unquenchable”). The prefix ar- has a similiar meaning, as in:

ú

without

u- (e.g. udalraph ”without stirrups; stirrupless”, uluithiad ✱”without quenching” (SD:62) = ”unquenchable”). The prefix ar- has a similiar meaning, as in:

Telerin 

aba-

prefix. not

Cognates

  • Q. ava- “negation (refusing or forbidden)” ✧ WJ/370

Derivations

  • BĀ/ABA “refuse, forbid, prohibit, say nay (in refusal or denial), refuse, forbid, prohibit, say nay (in refusal or denial), [ᴹ√] deny; away, go away, depart” ✧ WJ/370

Element in

Variations

  • aba- ✧ WJ/371

Primitive elvish

not

root. count, reckon

This root was the basis for Elvish words for “counting” for much of Tolkien’s life. The earliest indications of the root are in primitive ᴱ✶notta > ᴱN. noth “number” in Early Noldorin word lists of the 1920s, along with related words like ᴱN. gonod- “count” (PE13/145, 151); the revision of noth “number” to nath may represent some uncertainty on its initial form, but it seems Tolkien restored noth in a marginal note (PE13/150, 151).

The root reappeared as ᴹ√NOT “count, reckon” in The Etymologies of the 1930s with a number of derivatives of similar meaning, the most notable being N. arnœdiad or arnediad “innumerable, countless, endless” (Ety/NOT) as in Nirnaeth Arnoediad “[Battle of] Tears Unnumbered”, a name Tolkien introduced in the 1930s and with minor variations (Nirnaith vs. Nirnaeth, Arnediad vs. Arnoediad) retained thereafter. The root √NOT itself appeared several times in Tolkien’s later writings (PE17/62; PE19/86), most notably as the basis for Q. únótima “numberless” from the Q. Namárië poem (LotR/377).

Derivatives

  • notmē “calculation, a sum” ✧ PE19/086
    • ᴺQ. nonwë “calculation, sum, *total”
    • Q. nonwë “calculation, sum” ✧ PE19/086
  • nōto “number in counting, numeral”
  • ᴺQ. nonwa “computer, (lit.) implement for reckoning”
  • Q. not- “to count, to count, [ᴹQ.] reckon”
  • ᴺQ. nótar “computer, calculator”
  • ᴺQ. notil “calculator”
  • ᴺQ. (o)notasta “amount”
  • S. nedia- “to count”
  • S. nod- “to count”
  • ᴺS. noth “number”

Element in

  • Q. nótima “countable, limited in number (weight and measure); (colloquial) moderate in amount, some, few, several” ✧ PE17/062
Primitive elvish [PE17/062; PE17/169; PE19/086] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lā-

verb. to not be

Derivations

  • LA “no, not; negative; not to be” ✧ PE22/153

Derivatives

  • Q. lá- “to not be” ✧ PE22/153; PE22/153; VT49/13
  • ᴺS. lae- “to not be”

Element in

Variations

  • la ✧ PE22/140
  • ✧ PE22/153
Primitive elvish [PE22/140; PE22/153; VT49/13] Group: Eldamo. Published by

umu

root. not, expressing privation, not, expressing privation; [ᴹ√] negative stems

The roots √UMU and variant √UGU were often assigned a negative sense, either as elaborations on the base root negative √Ū or sometimes (especially in the case of √UGU) serving as its source. The earliest iteration of these more elaborate negative roots was ᴱ√UMU or ᴱ√UVU in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like the negative verb ᴱQ. um- or ᴱQ. uv- as well as ᴱQ. ūvanimo “monster” (QL/98); ᴱQ. munta “nothing” from the Qenya Grammar of the 1920s was probably related (PE14/48, 81).

The Etymologies of the 1930s had negative stems ᴹ√UMU and ᴹ√UGU with derivatives like the negative verb ᴹQ. um- as well as ᴹQ. úmea “evil” (Ety/UGU; UMU). This document also had inverted forms ᴹ√ and ᴹ√, the latter the basis for the negative prefix ᴹQ. ú- with a bad or evil connotation (Ety/GŪ; MŪ). Finally both √UMU and √UGU were mentioned a number of times in later writings in connection to negation (PE17/143, 172; VT49/29). See the entry on negative √Ū and the entry on Quenya negation for further information.

Derivations

  • Ū “denial of fact, privation, negative element, denial of fact, privation, negative element, [ᴱ√] not”

Derivatives

  • ᴺQ. munta “nothing, *zero”
  • Q. ui- “to not be, to not do” ✧ VT49/29
  • Q. um(ba)- “[unglossed]” ✧ PE17/172
  • ᴺS. ont “no, none”
  • ᴺS. unt “nothing”

Variations

  • UGU ✧ PE17/143 (UGU); PE17/188 (UGU)
  • ugu ✧ VT42/32 (ugu)
  • ū̆gu/gū ✧ VT49/29
Primitive elvish [PE17/143; PE17/172; PE17/188; VT42/32; VT49/29] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ugu

root. expressing privation

ala

root. no, not; negative; not to be

la

root. no, not; negative; not to be

An invertible root, √LA or √ALA, used for negation. Its earliest iteration was as the primitive negative prefix ᴱ✶ḷ- from the 1910s (GL/50; PE12/11; QL/97). Its first appearance as ᴹ√LA “no, not” was in The Etymologies of the 1930s (Ety/LA), and it regularly appeared in documents from the 1930s, 40s and 50s. Tolkien then abandoned this form of negation in 1959 (PE17/143), but restored it again around 1969 (PE22/160) only to abandon it again shortly after (VT44/4). For a full history of Tolkien’s shifting conceptions of negation in Elvish, see the Quenya entry on the negative.

Derivatives

  • lā- “to not be” ✧ PE22/153
    • Q. lá- “to not be” ✧ PE22/153; PE22/153; VT49/13
    • ᴺS. lae- “to not be”
  • Q. al(a)- “in-, un-, not; †-less, without” ✧ PE22/153; VT42/33
  • Q. ala- “to deny”
  • Q. la- “not, in-, un-”
  • Q. lá- “to not be” ✧ PE22/156; VT42/33; VT49/13
  • Q. “no, not” ✧ PE22/153; VT42/33
  • ᴺQ. lana “no, not any, not (a); none”
  • S. al- “no, not”
  • ᴺS. lad “nothing, zero”
  • ᴺS. law “not”

Variations

  • AL ✧ PE17/143 (AL); PE17/146; PE22/140
  • al ✧ PE18/088; PE22/140; VT42/32 (al)
  • la ✧ PE18/088; VT42/32 (la)
  • ✧ PE22/140
  • ✧ PE22/153
  • ALA ✧ PE22/153
  • (A)LA ✧ PE22/156
  • ala ✧ VT42/33; VT49/13
  • al/la ✧ VT48/25
Primitive elvish [PE17/143; PE17/146; PE17/158; PE18/084; PE18/088; PE22/140; PE22/153; PE22/156; VT42/32; VT42/33; VT48/25; VT49/13] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Noldorin 

interjection. no

Derivations

  • ᴹ√ “no, not” ✧ Ety/MŪ

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√ > [mū]✧ Ety/MŪ
Noldorin [EtyAC/MŪ] Group: Eldamo. Published by

al-

prefix. no, not

Noldorin [Ety/367] Group: SINDICT. Published by

al-

prefix. no, not

@@@ the phrase “the only place in Noldorin where the primitive prefix is preserved” was deleted (EtyAC/AR²)

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. il- “no, not” ✧ Ety/LA

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶al “without”
    • ᴹ√LA “no, not; to be not” ✧ Ety/AR²
  • ᴹ✶la- “no, not, negative prefix” ✧ Ety/LA
    • ᴹ√LA “no, not; to be not” ✧ Ety/LA; EtyAC/LA

Element in

  • N. Alchorin “Not-of-Kôr” ✧ Ety/LA

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶la- > al[la-] > [al-]✧ Ety/LA

Variations

  • al ✧ Ety/LA

gonod-

verb. to count, count up, reckon, sum up

Noldorin [Ety/378, Ety/399, VT/46:6] Group: SINDICT. Published by

nœdia-

verb. to count

Noldorin [Ety/378, VT/46:6] Group: SINDICT. Published by

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 

il-

prefix. no, not

Cognates

  • N. al- “no, not” ✧ Ety/LA

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶la- “no, not, negative prefix” ✧ Ety/LA; EtyAC/LA
    • ᴹ√LA “no, not; to be not” ✧ Ety/LA; EtyAC/LA

Element in

  • ᴹQ. ilfirin “immortal”
  • ᴹQ. Ilkorin “Not of Kôr” ✧ Ety/LA; EtyAC/LA (Ilkorin)

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶la- > il[ḷ-] > [il-]✧ Ety/LA
ᴹ✶la > > > il[ḷ-] > [il-]✧ EtyAC/LA

Variations

  • il ✧ Ety/LA; EtyAC/LA (il)
Qenya [Ety/LA; EtyAC/LA] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lala

adverb. no, not

adverb. no, not

Derivations

  • ᴹ√LA “no, not; to be not” ✧ Ety/LA; EtyAC/LA

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√LA > [lā]✧ Ety/LA

Variations

  • ✧ Ety/LA; EtyAC/LA ()
  • lala ✧ Ety/LA; EtyAC/LA (lala)
  • la ✧ PE22/119; PE22/120; PE22/122
Qenya [Ety/LA; EtyAC/LA; PE22/119; PE22/120; PE22/122] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lá-

verb. to not be

Derivations

  • ᴹ√LA “no, not; to be not” ✧ PE22/126

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√ > [lā-]✧ PE22/126

Variations

  • la ✧ PE22/121; PE22/126; PE22/127
  • ✧ PE22/126
Qenya [PE22/106; PE22/119; PE22/121; PE22/126; PE22/127] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ú-

prefix. not, un-, in-

Cognates

  • N. ú- “un, bad-” ✧ Ety/UGU

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶gū̆- “no, not” ✧ Ety/GŪ; Ety/UGU
    • ᴹ√ “no, not” ✧ Ety/GŪ
    • ᴹ√UMU “negative stems” ✧ Ety/UGU
    • ᴹ√ “no, not” ✧ Ety/UGU; Ety/GŪ
  • ᴹ√ “no, not” ✧ EtyAC/ƷŪ

Element in

  • ᴹQ. ufárea “not enough” ✧ LR/072
  • ᴹQ. úvanimo “monster” ✧ Ety/GŪ; Ety/UGU; EtyAC/ƷŪ (húvanimor)

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶gū̆- > ū-[gū-] > [ɣū-] > [ū-]✧ Ety/GŪ
ᴹ✶ugu/gū > ú-[gū-] > [ɣū-] > [ū-]✧ Ety/UGU
ᴹ√ƷŪ > hū̆-[ɣū-] > [hū-]✧ EtyAC/ƷŪ

Variations

  • ū- ✧ Ety/GŪ; EtyAC/A
  • hū̆- ✧ EtyAC/ƷŪ (hū̆-)
  • ú ✧ EtyAC/UGU
  • u- ✧ LR/072 (u-)
Qenya [Ety/GŪ; Ety/UGU; EtyAC/A; EtyAC/ƷŪ; EtyAC/UGU; LR/072] Group: Eldamo. Published by

al(a)-

prefix. not, negative prefix

Derivations

  • ᴹ√LA “no, not; to be not” ✧ EtyAC/ALA; EtyAC/LA
  • ᴹ✶la- “no, not, negative prefix” ✧ PE19/056
    • ᴹ√LA “no, not; to be not” ✧ Ety/LA; EtyAC/LA

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√ALA > al(a)[ala-]✧ EtyAC/ALA
ᴹ√ALA > ala-[ala-]✧ EtyAC/LA
ᴹ✶ > > al-[ḷ-] > [al-]✧ PE19/056

Variations

  • ala- ✧ Ety/GALA; EtyAC/LA (ala-)
  • al(a) ✧ EtyAC/ALA (al(a))
  • al- ✧ EtyAC/LA (al-); PE19/056
Qenya [Ety/GALA; EtyAC/ALA; EtyAC/LA; PE19/056] Group: Eldamo. Published by

au-

prefix. without

ava-

prefix. without

Derivations

  • ᴹ√AWA “away, forth; out” ✧ Ety/AR²; Ety/AWA

Element in

  • ᴺQ. avamarwa “homeless”
  • ᴹQ. avanóte “without number, numberless” ✧ Ety/AR²; Ety/AWA
  • ᴹQ. avaqet- “to refuse, forbid”

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√AWA > ava-[awa-] > [ava-]✧ Ety/AWA

Variations

  • au- ✧ Ety/AWA
Qenya [Ety/AR²; Ety/AWA] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Middle Primitive Elvish

not

root. count, reckon

Derivatives

  • ᴹQ. not- “to reckon” ✧ Ety/NOT
  • ᴹQ. nóte “number” ✧ Ety/NOT
  • N. nœdia- “to count” ✧ Ety/NOT

Element in

  • ᴹQ. avanóte “without number, numberless” ✧ Ety/AR²; Ety/AWA
  • N. arnediad “without reckoning, numberless, innumerable, countless, endless” ✧ Ety/AR²; Ety/NAY
  • N. aronoded “innumerable, countless, endless” ✧ Ety/NAY
  • N. gonod- “to count (up)” ✧ Ety/NOT
  • N. gwanod “tale, number, number, tale” ✧ Ety/NOT
Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/AR²; Ety/AWA; Ety/NAY; Ety/NOT] Group: Eldamo. Published by

root. no, not

Changes

  • GŪ/GUMU ✧ Ety/GŪ

Derivatives

  • ᴹ✶gū̆- “no, not” ✧ Ety/GŪ
    • ᴹQ. ú- “not, un-, in-” ✧ Ety/GŪ; Ety/UGU
    • N. ú- “un, bad-” ✧ Ety/UGU
  • ᴹ√UMU “negative stems” ✧ Ety/UGU; Ety/GŪ
    • ᴹ✶gū̆- “no, not” ✧ Ety/UGU
    • ᴹQ. ú- “not, un-, in-” ✧ Ety/GŪ; Ety/UGU
    • N. ú- “un, bad-” ✧ Ety/UGU
    • ᴹQ. um- “to not be, to not do” ✧ Ety/LA; Ety/UGU
    • ᴹQ. úmea “evil” ✧ EtyAC/UGU
    • ᴺS. ummas “evil”
  • ᴹQ. ú- “not, un-, in-” ✧ EtyAC/ƷŪ
  • ᴹQ. um- “to not be, to not do” ✧ EtyAC/ƷŪ
  • N. “no” ✧ Ety/MŪ

Element in

  • ᴹ√UMU “negative stems” ✧ Ety/UGU; Ety/UGU

Variations

  • ✧ Ety/MŪ; Ety/UGU
  • GŪ/GUMU ✧ EtyAC/GŪ (GŪ/GUMU)
  • ƷŪ ✧ EtyAC/ƷŪ (ƷŪ)
Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/GŪ; Ety/MŪ; Ety/UGU; EtyAC/GŪ; EtyAC/ƷŪ] Group: Eldamo. Published by

gū̆-

interjection. no, not

Derivations

  • ᴹ√ “no, not” ✧ Ety/GŪ
  • ᴹ√UMU “negative stems” ✧ Ety/UGU
    • ᴹ√ “no, not” ✧ Ety/UGU; Ety/GŪ

Derivatives

  • ᴹQ. ú- “not, un-, in-” ✧ Ety/GŪ; Ety/UGU
  • N. ú- “un, bad-” ✧ Ety/UGU

Variations

  • ugu/gū ✧ Ety/UGU
  • gū- ✧ EtyAC/GŪ
Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/GŪ; Ety/UGU; EtyAC/GŪ] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ala

root. no, not; to be not

Middle Primitive Elvish Group: Eldamo. Published by

la

root. no, not; to be not

Derivatives

  • ᴹ✶al “without” ✧ Ety/AR²
    • N. al- “no, not”
  • ᴹ✶la- “no, not, negative prefix” ✧ Ety/LA; EtyAC/LA
    • ᴹQ. al(a)- “not, negative prefix” ✧ PE19/056
    • ᴹQ. il- “no, not” ✧ Ety/LA; EtyAC/LA
    • N. al- “no, not” ✧ Ety/LA
  • ᴹQ. al(a)- “not, negative prefix” ✧ EtyAC/ALA; EtyAC/LA
  • ᴹQ. lá- “to not be” ✧ PE22/126
  • ᴹQ. “no, not” ✧ Ety/LA; EtyAC/LA
  • ᴹQ. lala- “to deny” ✧ Ety/LA; EtyAC/LA

Element in

  • ᴹQ. [[mq|laqe[t]-]] “[unglossed]” ✧ EtyAC/LA (laqe[t])

Variations

  • ALA ✧ EtyAC/ALA (ALA); EtyAC/LA (ALA); EtyAC/LA (ALA); PE22/126
  • ✧ EtyAC/ALA (); PE22/126
Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/AR²; Ety/LA; EtyAC/ALA; EtyAC/LA; PE18/060; PE22/126] Group: Eldamo. Published by

la-

prefix. no, not, negative prefix

Derivations

  • ᴹ√LA “no, not; to be not” ✧ Ety/LA; EtyAC/LA

Derivatives

  • ᴹQ. al(a)- “not, negative prefix” ✧ PE19/056
  • ᴹQ. il- “no, not” ✧ Ety/LA; EtyAC/LA
  • N. al- “no, not” ✧ Ety/LA

Element in

  • N. Alchorin “Not-of-Kôr” ✧ EtyAC/LA (Alchoron)

Variations

  • ✧ Ety/LA
  • l ✧ EtyAC/LA
  • la ✧ EtyAC/LA (la)
  • ✧ PE19/056
Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/LA; EtyAC/LA; PE19/056] Group: Eldamo. Published by

al

prefix. without

Derivations

  • ᴹ√LA “no, not; to be not” ✧ Ety/AR²

Derivatives

  • N. al- “no, not”

Element in

  • N. Alchorin “Not-of-Kôr” ✧ Ety/AR²
Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/AR²] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Gnomish

u

adverb. no, not, nor

Derivations

  • ᴱ√Ū “not”

Element in

Variations

  • u – u ✧ GL/73
Gnomish [GL/47; GL/52; GL/53; GL/73] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Primitive Elvish

ū

root. not

Derivatives

  • G. untha “no, none”
  • G. u- “negative prefix”
  • G. û- “not to be, not to do”
  • G. u “no, not, nor”
  • G. ug- “negative verb”
  • G. ub “no, none”
  • G. unt “nothing”

Element in

  • ᴱ√UMU “*negative” ✧ QL/098

Variations

  • Ū- ✧ QL/096
Early Primitive Elvish [QL/096; QL/098] Group: Eldamo. Published by

taþa

root. count

The root {ᴱ√TASA >>} ᴱ√TAÞA “count” appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, with derivatives ᴱQ. tanta “number” and ᴱQ. tasta- “reckon” (QL/90). It also had derivatives in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon such as G. {tant >>} tast “number” and {tath- >>} G. tathna- “number, count, reckon” (GL/69), the later the basis for {udathriol >>} G. udathnarol as in G. Nínin-Udathriol “[Battle of] Unnumbered Tears”, the earliest name for S. Nirnaeth Arnoediad of the same meaning. In Tolkien’s later writings, counting and number words were based on the root √NOT (Ety/NOT; PE17/62).

Changes

  • TASATAÞA ✧ QL/090

Derivatives

  • Eq. tanta “number” ✧ QL/090
  • Eq. tasinwa “numbered”
  • Eq. tasta- “to reckon” ✧ QL/090
  • G. tathn “number”
  • G. tant “a number”
  • G. tathna- “to number, count, reckon”
  • G. tath- “to count”
  • G. tast “total, amount”

Variations

  • TASA ✧ QL/090 (TASA)
Early Primitive Elvish [QL/090] Group: Eldamo. Published by

noto Reconstructed

root. count

Derivatives

  • ᴱ✶notta
    • En. noth “number” ✧ PE13/151
  • En. gonod- “to count (up)”
  • En. nod- “to count”
Early Primitive Elvish Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Quenya

enqe

preposition. without

Variations

  • Enqe ✧ QL/035
Early Quenya [QL/035] Group: Eldamo. Published by