pen-

without

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

pen-

verb. to have not, *to lack

A verb in Definitive Linguistic Notes (DLN) from 1959 used as the negative of sav- “have” based on the root √PEN (PE17/146). Thus a better meaning might be “✱to lack”. This verb was also mentioned in discussion of negation from around this time, along with the phrase penim vast “we have no bread” (PE17/144). In this note Tolkien stated that Sindarin did not use its negative particle ū- for the sense “without”, instead using preposition/prefixal pen instead, as in Iarwain Ben-adar “Oldest and Fatherless” (LotR/265; PE17/34, 144).

pen-

-less

pref. -less. >> penadar

pen-

obsolete except in few names

pref. obsolete except in few names. >> -ben

pen-

-less

pref. -less. Q. _pen _without, not having. . This gloss was rejected.

pen-

verb. 'have not'

v. 'have not'. penimvast 'we have no bread'. >> ú-

pen-arduin

place name. Pen-arduin

Home of Borlas in Tolkien’s aborted sequel to The Lord of the Rings: The New Shadow (PM/411). The meaning of this name is unclear, but David Salo suggested it might be a combination of pend “fall”, ar(a)- “royal” and duin “river” (GS/389).

pen

preposition/prefix. without, lacking, -less

pen

pronoun. one, somebody, anybody, one, somebody, anybody; [N.] Elf

A Sindarin pronoun with the sense “one, somebody, anybody” appearing in the Quendi and Eldar essay of 1959-60, also used as a suffix in words like orodben “mountaineer” and rochben “rider” (WJ/376), originally “✱mountain-person” and “✱horse-person”. It was thus more narrow in scope than its Quenya cognate quén “person”. Hints of this word can be found in other late writings, such as in the final element in Morben (PE17/141; EtyAC/MOR), originally “Dark-elf” but later expanded to include any people who are not among the Celbin “✱Light folk”, which applied to “peoples in alliance in the War against Morgoth” (WJ/377).

Conceptual Development: In The Etymologies of the 1930s, N. penn meant “Elf” in the compound N. Morbenn “Dark-elf”, though this word was rejected (EtyAC/MOR). The word N. penn, plural i-phinn “the Elves” also appeared in notes on Ælfwine’s spelling from around 1937-8 (PE22/67). This Noldorin form was thus a cognate of ᴹQ. Qende “Elf”, though elsewhere the usual cognate was N. penedh (Ety/KWEN(ED)); see the entry on S. penedh for further discussion. However, the later Sindarin pronoun/suffix “had no special association with Elves” (WJ/376).

pen

preposition. without, lacking, -less

pen

pronoun. one, somebody, anybody

Usually enclitic and mutated as ben.2

pen

adverb. lacking

adv. lacking, without.

Pen-ada

noun. fatherless

pen (“without, lacking”) + adar (“father”)

Pen-adar

'Fatherless'

(Ben-adar) prop. n. 'Fatherless', a title of Tom Bombadil.

pen-bed

adjective. not pronunceable

adj. not pronunceable (rather than ineffable).

pen-nod

adjective. without count

adj. without count.

pen-noediad

adjective. innumerable

adj. innumerable.

pen

anybody

pen (one, somebody) (WJ:376); lenited ben

pen

less

S pen (lenited ben) (without, lacking) (WJ:375) The phrase ben-adar ”without father, fatherless” is treated as an adjective and lenited following a noun (Iarwain ben-adar, Iarwain the Fatherless or Iarwain without father). Not to be confused with the pronoun pen ”one, somebody, anybody”.

pen

cardinal. one

(indefinite pronoun) (= somebody, anybody) pen (WJ:376); lenited ben. According to one interpretation of the phrase caro den i innas lín from the Sindarin Lords Prayer (VT44:23), this could mean *”let one do your will”, with den (perhaps a lenited form of *ten) as the indefinite pronoun ”one”. However, others interpret den as the accusative form of the pronoun ”it”: ”Do it [, that is:] your will”.

pen

somebody

pen (one, anybody) (WJ:376); lenited ben

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

pronoun. us (inclusive)

pen

anybody

(one, somebody) (WJ:376); lenited ben

pen

lacking

(lenited ben) (without, -less) (WJ:375) Not to be confused with the pronoun pen ”one, somebody, anybody”.

pen

less

(lenited ben) (without, lacking) (WJ:375) The phrase ben-adar ”without father, fatherless” is treated as an adjective and lenited following a noun (Iarwain ben-adar, Iarwain the Fatherless or Iarwain without father).  Not to be confused with the pronoun pen ”one, somebody, anybody”.

pen

one

(WJ:376); lenited ben. According to one interpretation of the phrase caro den i innas lín from the Sindarin Lord’s Prayer (VT44:23), this could mean ✱”let one do your will”, with den (perhaps a lenited form of ✱ten) as the indefinite pronoun ”one”. However, others interpret den as the accusative form of the pronoun ”it”: ”Do it [, that is:] your will”.

pen

somebody

(one, anybody) (WJ:376); lenited ben

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.

pen-channas

adjective. stupid, idiotic, *(lit.) lack-wit

pen-ind

adjective. insane, heartless, crazy

tegilbor

noun. pen-hand

tegil (Sindarized Q tekil “pen”) + paur (“a tightly closed hand as in using an implement or a craft-tool”)

tegilbor

masculine name. *Pen-fist

A term for one skilled in calligraphy (PM/318), a combination of tegil “pen” and the suffixal form -bor of paur “fist”.

tegil

noun. pen

tegil

noun. pen

Sindarized form of Quenya tekil, not known to the Sindar until the coming of the Ñoldor (but see however tegol for a possible dialectal variant)

tegil

pen

tegil (i degil, o thegil), no distinct pl. form except with article (i thegil) (PM:318). Also (at least in ”Noldorin”) tegol (i degol, o thegol), analogical pl. tegyl (i thegyl)

tegil

pen

(i degil, o thegil), no distinct pl. form except with article (i thegil) (PM:318). Also (at least in ”Noldorin”) tegol (i degol, o thegol), analogical pl. tegyl (i thegyl)

pennod

adjective. without count, *impossible to count

A compound appearing in Definitive Linguistic Notes (DLN) from 1959 glossed “without count” as a combination of pen “without” and nod- “count”. In this note Tolkien said pen- when used in this way was “referring principally to (complete) impossibility”, so pennod means “✱impossible to count”.

-ben

suffix. obsolete except in few names

suff. obsolete except in few names. >> pen-

penadar

adjective. 'fatherless'

adj. 'fatherless'. >> pen-

iarwain ben-adar

masculine name. Oldest and Fatherless

Fuller title of Tom Bombadil, loosely translated “oldest and fatherless” (LotR/265). This first word is the name Iarwain, and the second is a combination of the lenited form of the prefix pen “without” and the noun adar “father” (PE17/34).

penbed

adjective. not pronouncable

pennoediad

adjective. innumerable

A word appearing in Definitive Linguistic Notes (DLN) from 1959 glossed “innumerable” as a combination of pen “without” and the gerund of noedia- “to count”. The oe [œ] is archaic and the modern form would be pennediad.

arnœdiad

adjective. innumerable, countless, endless, without reckoning, numberless

godref

adverb. through together

min

fraction. one (first of a series)

min

cardinal. one, one, [G.] single

The Sindarin word for “one” used when counting multiple things (PE17/95; VT42/25; VT48/6), such as minui “first”. Contrast this with er “one” for single isolated things.

Conceptual Development: This word was very well established, with G. min “one single” appearing all the way back in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/32). Similar forms ᴱN. mind, minn appeared in Early Noldorin word-lists of the 1920s, but without translation (PE13/150). N. min “one” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√MINI “stand alone, stick out” (Ety/MINI). In one late note it appeared with a long î: mîn “1” (VT42/25).

mîn

fraction. one (first of a series)

ar

without

(adv. prefix) ar- (outside)

ar

without

(outside)

aronoded

innumerable

aronoded (countless, endless), pl. erenedid (archaic erönödid)

aronoded

innumerable

(countless, endless), pl. erenedid (archaic erönödid)

eru

the one

isolated from

gar

have

(i ’âr, i ngerir = i ñerir) (hold, possess; be able, can); pa.t. garant. (AI:92, VT45:14)

gwen

pronoun. us (inclusive)

min

cardinal. one

1. (number ”one” as the first in a series) min, mîn (VT48:6), Note: homophones include the noun ”peak” and the adjective ”isolated, first, towering”. 2) (number) êr, whence the adjectival prefix er- (alone, lone); 3)

min

one

mîn (VT48:6), Note: homophones include the noun ”peak” and the adjective ”isolated, first, towering”.

tre

through

(adverbial prefix, sometimes = ”completely”) tre-, tri-. For an example of this prefix, see TELL TO END.

tre

through

tri-. For an example of this prefix, see

trî

through

(prep.) trî ;

trî

through

;

êr

one

whence the adjectival prefix er- (alone, lone)

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:

pen-

verb. not to have, not to have, *to lack

A verb in Definitive Linguistic Notes (DLN) from 1959 used as the negative of sam- “have” based on the root √PEN “lack, have not” as in penin “I haven’t” (PE17/146). Thus a better meaning might be “✱to lack”.

Conceptual Development: The Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s had ᴱQ. oito “lack” with past tense oionte under the early root ᴱ√OYO (QL/71).

pen-

verb. to have

pen- vb. negative of #sam- "to have" (q.v.), used as a negative answer to inquires on ownership: penin "no / I haven't" (PE17:173)

pen

without, not having

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

pen

preposition. without, not having

pel-

verb. to go round, encircle, to go round, encircle; [ᴱQ.] to surround, fence in, pen in; [ᴹQ.] to revolve, return

A verb for “go round, encircle” (SA/pel) with a long history in Tolkien’s writings. In The Etymologies of the 1930s it appeared under the root ᴹ√PEL “revolve on fixed point” and was glossed “go round” but also “revolve, return” (Ety/PEL). In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s ᴱQ. pele- was glossed “surround, fence in, pen in” under the early root ᴱ√PELE “fence in” (QL/73).

Neo-Quenya: In Tolkien’s later writings the root √PEL meant “edge, bound, fence, limit” (PE17/65) rather than “revolve” (which became √KWER), so for purposes of Neo-Quenya I would use pel- mainly in the sense “go round, encircle” as suggested by Christopher Tolkien in the Silmarillion Appendices (SA/pel). I would also use the Early Qenya senses “surround, fence in, pen in”, but not the 1930s meanings “revolve, return” for which I would use quer- (“revolve”) or entul- (“return”) instead.

tecil

pen

tecil ("k")noun "pen" (TEK, PM:318, VT47:8)

tecil

noun. pen

al-

prefix. -less

-less

lanotoite

adjective. innumerable

mo

somebody, one

-enca

without, -less

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

-lóra

-less, without

-lóra ending "-less, without", as in ómalóra "voiceless" (VT45:28)

-valta

-less

-valta suffix "-less", also -viltë (evidently endings used to derive adjectives like "lifeless") (GL:23) The ending -lóra appears with the same meaning in Tolkien's later Quenya.

-viltë

-less

-viltë adjectival ending "-less", also -valta (evidently endings used to derive adjectives like "lifeless") (GL:23). Rather -lóra in Tolkien's later Quenya.

a

cardinal. one

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.)

er

one, alone

er cardinal "one, alone" (ERE, VT48:6, VT49:54), in an early source also adv. "only, but, still" (LT1:269); Eru er "one God" (VT44:17; er was here emended by Tolkien from erëa, which seems to be an adjectival form *"one, single".)

erëa

cardinal. one

erëa adj.? "one" or *"single", apparently an adjectival form (see er) (VT44:17)

lanotoitë

adjective. innumerable, *innumerate, without knowledge of mathematics, (lit.) incapable of counting; innumerable

A word appearing as {alánŏtoite >>} lanŏtoite “innumerable” in Late Notes on Verb Structure (LVS) written in 1969 as a combination of la- and an adjectival form of not- “count”.

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would assume notoite means “capable of counting”, so that lanotoite would mean “✱innumerate, without knowledge of mathematics, (lit.) incapable of counting”. For “innumerable” I would use únótima.

min

cardinal. one

min numeral "one", also minë (VT45:34, VT48:6)

min

cardinal. one, one, [ᴱQ.] one (in a series), the first; [adverb] first

The Quenya word for “one” used when counting: min, atta, neldë, etc. This is contrasted with er “one, alone” for an isolated thing (VT48/6).

Conceptual Development: This use of min “one” appeared regularly in Tolkien’s writings, dating back to the Early Qenya Grammar (EQG) of the 1920s (PE14/49, 82, 84), but there were occasional variations. The Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s instead had ᴱQ. mir “one” (QL/61), and The Etymologies of the 1930s had a variant form mine derived from the root ᴹ√MINI “stand alone, stick out” (Ety/MINI).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would also use min adverbially to mean “first”, as in carnes sa min “he/she did it first”, either before anyone else did so, or before he/she did anything else. Tolkien use min this way in the Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s. See [ᴱQ.] minyallumë “firstly” for further discussion. For adjectival or pronominal “first” I would use minya.

minë

cardinal. one

minë numeral "one", also min (MINI, VT45:34)

mir

cardinal. one

mir (2) cardinal "one" (LT1:260; in LotR-style Quenya rather minë)

mis

less

mis adverbial particle "less" (PE14:80)

mo

one, someone, anyone

mo, indefinite pronoun "one, someone, anyone" (VT42:34, VT49:19, 20, 26)

nec-

without, -less

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

nec-

prefix. without

pelma

noun. border, fringe, edge, limiting device, border, fringe, edge, limiting device; [ᴱQ.] pen

A word for “a border, fringe, edge, limiting device” derived from the root √PEL “fence” (elsewhere glossed “encircle”) in notes from the mid-1960s (PE17/65). The Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s had ᴱQ. pelma “pen” under the early root ᴱ√PELE “fence in” (QL/73).

Neo-Quenya: Based on the usual meaning of the root, I would assume pelma is a limiting device that surrounds something, and therefore is usable for things like animal pens, the fringes of cloth, or the borders of a country.

penya

lacking, inadequate

penya adj. "lacking, inadequate"; pl. penyë in penyë tengwi "lacking signs", "inadequate signs"; in early Elvish analysis of Quenya the term for vowels with no preceding consonant, held (in many cases incorrectly) to have lost such a consonant (VT39:6, 8)

quén

one, (some)body, person, individual, man or woman

quén (quen-, as in pl. queni; as final element in compounds -quen) noun "one, (some)body, person, individual, man or woman", pl. queni = "persons", "(some) people", "they" with the most general meaning (as in "they [= people in general] say that..."). The element is combined with noun and adjective stems in old compounds to denote habitual occupations or functions, or to describe those having some notable (permanent) quality; examples include roquen, ciryaquen, arquen, q.v. Also in aiquen "whoever", ilquen "everybody" (WJ:361 cf. 360, 372).

tecco

stroke of pen or brush (´) when not used as long mark

tecco ("k")noun "stroke of pen or brush (´) when not used as long mark" (TEK)

ter

through

ter (1), also terë, prep. "through", "throughout" (Notes on CO, UT:317, TER/TERES, Narqelion, VT44:33, 35, VT49:41, 42). The preposition is used both with spatial and temporal reference: ter i·aldar "through the trees" (Narqelion, cf. VT49:42), ter coivierya "throughout his/her life", ter yénion yéni "through years of years" (VT49:42, VT44:33, 35)

ter

preposition. through

The word ter was the common Quenya word for “through” for most (but not all) of Tolkien’s life. The Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s had ᴱQ. pen “through” under the early root ᴱ√PENE, a variant of ᴱ√PERE “go through, pierce; endure, undergo” (QL/73), so probably meaning “through” both spatially and temporally. In ᴱQ. Oilima Markirya drafts from around 1930, Tolkien instead had ᴱQ. ter “through” in the phrase ᴱQ. karnevaite úri kilde hīsen __ter__ nie nienaite (PE16/62, 72), translated “when the sky was red; the Sun gazed through a haze of tears” (PE16/68); this new preposition may have been based on the early root ᴱ√TEŘE [TEÐE] “pierce” (QL/91; PME/91).

Indeed, in The Etymologies from about 1937 Tolkien had ᴹQ. tere or ter “through” under the root ᴹ√TER “pierce” (Ety/TER). This ter “through” continued to appear in Tolkien’s later writings from the 1950s and 60s, in phrases like et sillumello __ter__ yénion yéni tenn’ ambarmetta “✱from this hour, through years of years until the ending of the world” (VT44/33) and nai amanya onnalya __ter__ coivierya “✱may your child be blessed through his/her life” (VT49/41).

Most of the later uses for ter “through” seem to be temporal in nature, such as in the phrase vanda sina __termaruva__ Elenna·nóreo alcar enyalien “This oath shall stand in memory of the glory of the Land of the Star” (UT/305), where the verb termar- “stand” is more literally ter + mar- = “through-abide” (UT/317 note #43). However, it I think it is reasonable to assume ter “through” retained its spatial sense as well, given its 1930s connection to the root ᴹ√TER “pierce”, indicating a physical penetration.

vi Archaic

pronoun. us (inclusive)

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.

ampícië

adverb. less

undo

less

A neologism for “less” as an adjective or pronoun, proposed by Arael in a 2022-02-24 chat Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS) as the opposite of amba “more”.

undë

adverb. less

A neologism for “less” as an adverb proposed by Paul Strack in a 2022-02-27 chat Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), inspired by the adjective/pronoun undo “less”. In the 1000W project (1000W), Sami Paldanius instead suggested ampícië “less” as an intensified adverbial form of pic- “lessen”.

urmatecil

noun. pencil, (lit.) coal-pen

A neologism for “pencil” coined by Chaered posted on 2025-08-06 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), a combination of ur(u)ma “coal” and tecil “pen”.

pen

root. lack, be without, have not

A root appearing in various notes from around 1959-60 with glosses like “lack” (PE17/144), “lack, have not” (PE17/173), and “lack, be without” (WJ/375). The root clearly entered the Eldarin languages to explain the name S. Iarwain Ben-adar “Oldest and Fatherless” of Tom Bombadil (LotR/265), but Tolkien expanded its use from there.

tekma

noun. pen

imin

masculine name. One

min

cardinal. one

pen Archaic

noun. man, *somebody, *someone

er

cardinal. one

min

cardinal. one

tegl

noun. pen

It is stated in PM/318 that " tegil was a Sindarized form of Quenya tekil "pen", not known to the Sindar until the coming of the Ñoldor". It must be assumed therefore that tegol was either rejected by Tolkien, or that it may perhaps have been considered as a dialectal variant. For a similar case where both a true Sindarin/Noldorin word and a Sindarized form conceivably coexist, see magol and megil "sword" (it is unlikely that weapons were not known to the Sindar before the coming of the Ñoldor)

tegol

noun. pen

It is stated in PM/318 that " tegil was a Sindarized form of Quenya tekil "pen", not known to the Sindar until the coming of the Ñoldor". It must be assumed therefore that tegol was either rejected by Tolkien, or that it may perhaps have been considered as a dialectal variant. For a similar case where both a true Sindarin/Noldorin word and a Sindarized form conceivably coexist, see magol and megil "sword" (it is unlikely that weapons were not known to the Sindar before the coming of the Ñoldor)

tegol

noun. pen

arnediad

adjective. innumerable, countless, endless, without reckoning, numberless

arnœdiad

adjective. innumerable, countless, endless, without reckoning, numberless

aronoded

adjective. innumerable, countless, endless

godrebh

adverb. through together

min

fraction. one (first of a series)

min

cardinal. one

tre-

prefix. through (but denoting completeness when prefixed to verbs, cf. English idioms like "talk something through")

tre-

prefix. through

A prefixal form of N. trî “through” in The Etymologies of the 1930s, appearing as tre- when unstressed (the norm) and tri- when stressed, though there are no examples of the latter (Ety/TER). Presumably this refers to ancient rather than modern stress.

tri

prefix. through (but denoting completeness when prefixed to verbs, cf. English idioms like "talk something through")

trî

preposition. through

trî

preposition. through

A preposition meaning “through” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from ON. trī under the root ᴹ√TER(ES) “pierce” (Ety/TER), so presumably derived from ✱trē with ancient *ē* > *ī* as usual in Noldorin and Sindarin. In The Etymologies as published in The Lost Road Christopher Tolkien gave the Noldorin and Old Noldorin forms as trî and trí following the usual orthographic conventions of those languages (LR/392), but Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynne indicated they were both trī in their Addenda and Corrigenda to the Etymologies (VT46/18).

ash

cardinal. one

ash

cardinal. one