Quenya 

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

pel-

verb. go round, revolve, return

pel- vb. "go round, revolve, return" (PEL), apparently also transitive "encircle" (mentioned in the Silmarillion Appendix as a meaning of the root), cf. also "Qenya" pele- "surround, fence in, pen in" (pa.t. pellë given, QL:73)

tecil

pen

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

tecil

noun. pen

Quenya [PM/318; VT47/08] Group: Eldamo. Published by

al-

prefix. -less

-less

Quenya [PE 18:30] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

lanotoite

adjective. innumerable

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

mo

somebody, one

Quenya [PE 22:154] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

nér

noun. man

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

tecco

noun. stroke, accent

Quenya [PE 22:21] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

-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

Quenya [PE 22:94; PE 22:124f] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

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

lér

man

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

min

cardinal. one

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

min

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

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

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

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)

pelma

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

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.

Quenya [UT/317; VT44/35; VT49/42] Group: Eldamo. Published by

vi

pronoun. us (inclusive)

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.

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

Quenya Group: Eldamo - neologism/reconstructions. Published by

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”.

Quenya Group: Eldamo - neologism/reconstructions. Published by

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”.

Quenya Group: Eldamo - neologism/reconstructions. Published by

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”.

Quenya Group: Eldamo - neologism/reconstructions. Published by