os

house, cottage

os (ost-) noun "house, cottage" (LT2:336; hardly valid in LotR-style Quenya writers may use coa or már)

ossë

masculine name. Ossë

One of the greatest of the Maia, master of the seas that wash the shores of Middle-earth (S/30). His Quenya name is derived from his name in Valarin: Val. Oš(o)šai “spuming, foaming” (WJ/400).

Conceptual Development: This name dates back to the earliest Lost Tales, when ᴱQ. Osse was derived from the root ᴱ√’O’O along with other words related to the sea (LT1A/Ossë, QL/70). In The Etymologies, the name ᴹQ. Osse was derived from the primitive root ᴹ√GOS “dread” (Ety/GOS), perhaps referring to the awe-inspiring nature of the sea. The later derivation of Q. ëar “sea” < √GAY(AR) “awe, dread” was similar (PM/363, WJ/400).

In a list of roots written around 1959-60, Tolkien derived Ossë from an otherwised unattested root OS “making a hissing foaming noise” (PE17/138). His Valarin name did not appear until the Quendi and Eldar essay from this same period (WJ/400).

osto

noun. fortress, stronghold, strong place, fortress, stronghold, strong place; [ᴹQ.] city, town with wall round

The best known Quenya word for “city”, but strictly speaking really a fortification or a stronghold (Ety/OS; MR/350; NM/228; PE22/124; WJ/414). The two were more or less synonymous, since in Middle-earth most cities were fortified. In theory osto might also be used of any large fortification, not just a fortified city, as was the case with its Sindarin cognate ost, but in most of the Quenya examples it was used in city-names.

Conceptual Development: Possible precursors include the words ᴱQ. os (ost-) {“dwelling, hamlet” >>} “cottage, house”, ᴱQ. osta {“walled tower” >>} “homestead”, and ᴱQ. ostar {“walled tower” >>} “township” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√OSO [’OSO] (QL/71). The contemporaneous Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME) had only the older glosses, but the forms began with h: ᴱQ. hos(t) “dwelling, hamlet”, ᴱQ. hosta/hostar “walled tower” (PME/71). Elsewhere in PME Tolkien said that osta was equivalent to ᴱQ. irin “town” (PME/43).

The Etymologies of the 1930s had ᴹQ. osto “city, town with wall round” under the root ᴹ√OS “round, about” (Ety/OS). Notes on The Feanorian Alphabet from the 1940s had osto “fort” (PE22/50 note #183), but in the Quenya Verbal System of the late 1940s Tolkien glossed this word as “city” in the phrase: tasse i·osto “there (is) the city” (PE22/124).

In Tolkien’s later writing this word was glossed “fortification” (NM/228), “a strong or fortified building or place” (MR/350), and “fortress or stronghold” (WJ/414). With some exceptions like the name Mandos, it appeared mainly as an element in the names of cities of Men, Elves or Dwarves, such as Armenelos, Formenos, and Túrosto. Note the reduction of the suffix to -os in longer compounds, but not in shorter compounds like Túrosto.

osto

strong or fortified building or place, strong place, fortress

osto (1) noun "a strong or fortified building or place, strong place, fortress" (MR:350, 471; WJ:414); "city, town with wall round" (OS, VT46:8)

ostoher

masculine name. *City Lord

The 7th king of Gondor (LotR/1038). His name seems to be a compound osto “city” and heru “lord”.

Conceptual Development: In the drafts of the Lord of the Rings appendices, Tolkien first gave his name as Ostohir, with a transient variation Ostonir (PM/197). Ostohir was a “mixed name” whose final element was Sindarin S. hîr “lord”, much like Ondohir which went through a similar conceptual development (PM/210). In the 2nd edition of The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien changed it to the pure Quenya name Ostoher.

ostimë

noun. blend

A word for a “blend” appearing in notes associated with the Quendi and Eldar essay from 1959-60, more specifically “the running together of two elements” (VT39/9). It appeared only in its plural form ostimi “blends”. In the context where it appeared, it referred to the blending of sounds in diphthongs and consonant clusters, but it probably can refer to other blends and mixes as well.

Ostoher

city-lord

Ostoher noun masc. name, *"City-lord" (Appendix A)

osamnar

diphthong

osamnar, noun a word for "diphthong" (actually plural "diphthongs", sg. #osamna?) which Tolkien in the late thirties (?) replaced by ocamna, q.v.

osellë

sister, [female] associate

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

ossa

wall and moat

ossa noun "wall and moat" (LT2:336)

ossë

terror

ossë noun "terror" (GOS/GOTH). In the pre-classical Tengwar system presupposed in the Etymologies, ossë was also the name of a Tengwa similar in shape to Roman c, which in a full-vowel mode apparently had the value o. (VT45:15; in the Sindarin "Mode of Beleriand", exemplified in the LotR itself, this letter has the value a instead. Elsewhere in the Etymologies itself, this symbol is called Elwë (q.v.) and is assigned the value e.)

ossë

terror

Ossë noun name of a Maia, adopted and adapted from Valarin (WJ:400), though connected with the common noun ossë "terror" in Etym (GOS/GOTH)

osta

one seventh

osta (1) fraction "one seventh" (1/7). Also otosta, otsat. (VT48:11)

osta

homestead

osta (2) noun "homestead" (LT2:336)

ostar

township

ostar noun "township" (LT2:336)

ostimë

blend

ostimë (pl. ostimi is attested) noun "blend", in linguistics a term for a kind of "strengthened" elements within a stem, where a single sound has been expanded into two different elements while maintaining a unitary effect and significance: such as s- being turned into st-, or m being strengthened to mb. (VT39:9)

ostirion

fort

ostirion noun "fort" (TI:423)

osto

the gates of the sun

osto (2) noun "the gates of the Sun" (LT1:264; this "Qenya" word was probably obsoleted by # 1 above)

oswë

hip

oswë noun "hip" (QL:71). If this "Qenya" word is used in Tolkiens later Quenya (and no other term for "hip" seems available), one would have to assume that the s represents older þ (or it would have become z > r).

osco

cardinal. seven

osto

noun. city

Túrosto

gabilgathol

Túrosto place-name "Gabilgathol", a dwelling of the Dwarves (Sindarin Belegost; the names mean "Mickleburg", "Great Fortress"). Apparently túra + osto.

otosta

one seventh

otosta fraction "one seventh" (1/7). Also osta, otsat. (VT48:11)

otos

cardinal. seven

os

preposition. around, about, round

@@@ used in NQNT

ossë

Ossë

At least two explanations exist for the name Ossë. In The Etymologies, it is understood as the Qenya word osse ("terror"), deriving from the root GOS ("dread"). A later note pertaining to the name instead suggests it is a name of non-Elvish origin, deriving from Valarin Oš(o)šai ("spuming, foaming"). The same later note mentions that Ossë's Sindarin names were Yssion and Gaerys. In Eriol's Old English translations, Osse is referred to as Saefrea "Sea-ruler". However, this reflects his status as a Vala (Fréa) in the earlier Legendarium.

ospor

noun. chaff

A neologism for “chaff” coined by Helge Fauskanger for his NQNT (NQNT), probably a combination of the roots ᴹ√OS “around” and ᴹ√POR having to do with flour and meal, so literally something like “✱around grain”.

oswë

noun. hip

The word ᴱQ. oswe “hip” appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√OSO whose other derivative was ᴱQ. oksa “joint” (QL/71).

Neo-Quenya: I’d retain the word ᴺQ. oswë “hip” for purposes of Neo-Quenya, but it cannot be derived from √OS any longer. I would assume it is derived from a √OTH, a variant of ᴹ√OS “round” (perhaps originally referring to the round joint), and hence archaically oþwe; compare [ᴹQ.] hiswa < ᴹ✶khithwa (Ety/KHIS).

ostimmir

noun. agate, (lit.) blend-jewel

A neologism for “agate” coined by Helge Fauskanger for his NQNT (NQNT), a combination of ostimë “blend” and mírë “jewel”.

oscaita-

verb. to surround, (lit.) around-lie

oscir-

verb. to circumcise, (lit.) around-cut

osquetië

noun. context

ostec-

verb. to describe

ostar

noun. community

ostomo

noun. citizen

osáma

adjective. common, joint, (lit.) together-having

@@@ Discord 2022-06-09

panda

enclosure

panda noun "enclosure" (PAD)

filiculumpe

noun. ostrich, (lit.) sparrow-camel

A neologism for “ostrich” coined by Dírheron on Discord in 2019, a combination of [ᴹQ.] filit (filik-) “sparrow” and [ᴱQ.] ulumpe “camel”, inspired by Latin “strúthiocamélus”.

Elwë

star-person

Elwë masc. name, *"Star-person" (PM:340, WJ:369, WEG, VT45:12). In the pre-classical Tengwar system presupposed in the Etymologies, Elwë was also the name of a Tengwa similar in form to Roman c, which in a full-vowel mode denoted a (short) e. (VT45:17; in the Sindarin "Mode of Beleriand", exemplified in the LotR itself, this letter has the value a instead. Elsewhere in the Etymologies itself, this symbol is called Ossë [q.v.] and is assigned the value o.)

háno

noun. brother

A word for “brother” coined by Tolkien in notes on Eldarin Hands, Fingers and Numerals from the late 1960s, based on the root √KHAN of the same meaning (VT47/14). It had a diminutive/affectionate variant hanno used as a play name for the middle finger in several places in these notes (VT47/12; VT48/6).

Conceptual Development: The Etymologies of the 1930s had ᴹQ. toron “brother” from the root ᴹ√TOR (Ety/TOR), and the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s had ᴱQ. herendo “brother” from the early root ᴱ√HESE (QL/40). See those entries for discussion.

lairë

summer

lairë (1) noun "summer" (Letters:283, VT45:26), in the calendar of Imladris a precisely defined period of 72 days, but also used without any exact definition (Appendix D). Oiolairë "Eversummer", name of a tree (UT:167), see also Coron Oiolairë. Lairelossë noun *"Summer-snow", name of a tree (UT:167), perhaps with white flowers.

nésa

sister

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

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.

otorno

brother, sworn brother, [male] associate

otorno noun "brother, sworn brother, [male] associate" (TOR, WŌ). Cf. osellë.

otsat

one seventh

otsat fraction "one seventh" (1/7). Also otosta, osta (VT48:11)

otso

cardinal. seven

otso cardinal "seven" (SA:sîr, OT/OTOS/OTOK, VT48:6); otsëa ordinal "seventh" (VT42:25)

rissë

cut

rissë noun? The word is not clearly glossed but apparently means "cut" or "cleft" (ravine), the cognate of the final element of Imladris, Sindarin name of Rivendell. (PE17:87)

samnar

diphthongs

samnar noun "diphthongs" (sg. #samna "diphthong"?) (SAM; in one text probably dating to late 1930s, Tolkien rejects "osamnar" as the word for "diphthong", introducing the form ocamna to replace it. See VT44:13-14.)

usquë

reek

usquë ("q")noun "reek" (USUK). In the pre-classical Tengwar system presupposed in the Etymologies, usquë was also the name of tengwa #16, which at this conceptual stage had the value squ (VT46:20). Later, Tolkien would call this letter unquë, with the value nqu.

valariandë

place name. Beleriand

The genitive form Malariando “of Beleriand” was given as the Quenya translation of S. Beleriand appearing in linguistic notes from the 1950s (PE21/78). This form implies that primitively the initial form of this name began with mb-, but that concept is not well supported by other evidence. The lenited form of S. Beleriand consistently had an initial V- (VT50/18, LR/202), making Valariandë is a more probable Quenya form of this name.

Conceptual Development: The (ᴹQ) genitive form Valarianden appeared in an alternate title for the Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (LR/202). In linguistic notes from the 1940s, this name appeared as Veleriande (PE22/126), but the use of e in this form means it is most likely a direct adapation of the Noldorin name.

indë

pronoun. yourselves

lairë

noun. summer

o(to)sta

fraction. one seventh

otso

cardinal. seven

ósanwë

noun. communication of thought, interchange of thought; (lit.) thinking together (dual)

sinilë

noun. topaz

A neologism for “topaz” coined by Helge Fauskanger for his NQNT (NQNT), which might be an elaboration of [ᴱQ.] sink “mineral”.

uomë

noun. community

Elenwë

star-person

Elenwë fem. name *"Star-person" (Silm)

Ellairë

summer

Ellairë alternative name of June (PM:135); evidently incorporating lairë "summer"; the el- part is probably an assimilated form of er-, an element meaning one or first, June being the first summer month.

arta

fort, fortress

arta (2) noun "fort, fortress" (GARAT under 3AR)

corima

round

corima _("k")_adj. "round" (LT1:257; rather corna in Tolkien's later Quenya)

corna

round, globed

corna ("k")adj. "round, globed" (KOR)

falasta-

to foam

falasta- vb. "to foam", participle falastala "foaming, surging" in Markirya

hanno

brother

hanno noun "brother" (a colloquial form, cf. háno), also used in children's play for "middle finger" (VT47:12, 14, VT48:4, 6)

háno

brother

háno noun "brother", colloquially also hanno (VT47:12, 14). It is unclear whether Tolkien, by introducing this form, abandoned the older (TLT) word toron (q.v.)

indo

house

indo (2) noun "house" (LT2:343), probably obsoleted by #1 above (in Tolkiens later Quenya, the word for "house" appears as coa).

indë

yourselves

indë "yourselves", 2nd person pl.. reflexive pronoun, e.g. *tirildë indë, "you watch yourselves". Indë is derived from earlier imde(VT47:37)

laire

noun. summer

malariandë

place name. Beleriand

mallë

street, road

mallë pl. maller noun"street, road" (MBAL, LR:47, 56, LT1:263, SD:310)

minassë

fort, city, with a citadel and central watch-tower

minassë noun "fort, city, with a citadel and central watch-tower" (VT42:24)

ocamna

diphthong

ocamna ("k")noun "diphthong" (VT44:13)

ocamnar

noun. diphthongs

diphthongs

ohlon

diphthong

ohlon (pl. ohloni is attested) noun "diphthong", used of both vocalic diphthongs and "consonantal diphthongs" like mb(VT39:9)

ohlon

noun. diphthong

onóro

brother

onóro noun "brother" (of blood-kinship) (TOR, NŌ (WŌ) )

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 -në in Quenya, but -rë is relatively well attested; cf. for instance ontarë.) A later source gives the word for "sister" as nésa instead.

otsat

fraction. one seventh

rista

cut

rista (2) noun "cut" (RIS), cf. #1 above.

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.

toron

brother

toron (torn- as in pl. torni) noun "brother" (TOR; a later source gives háno, hanno [q.v.] as the word for "brother", leaving the status of toron uncertain)

coro

preposition. around