quén

person, individual, man or woman; one, somebody

A general word for “person”, any individual independent of their gender and species, since the term was “freely applied to other Incarnates, such as Men or Dwarves, when the Eldar became acquainted with them” (WJ/372). In unstressed form quen, it was sometimes used as a pronoun “one, somebody”, and was also used as the second element in compounds such as ilquen “everyone” and roquen “horseman” (WJ/363, 372).

Most likely the Elves had a bias towards themselves as the main category of persons, since they used the term Quendi “(lit.) Speakers” to refer the Elves as species, and quén seems to have originally have been a variant of that term, derived from the same root √KWEN “speak”. This word was primarily discussed in the Quendi and Eldar essay from 1959-60, which may be where the term was introduced, but it appears in other late notes as well (PE19/93).

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).

quenderin

noun/adjective. Quendian, of the Quendi, belonging to the Elves as a whole

Collective term for all the races of the elves and their languages, including the Avari (WJ/407), a combination of Quendë “Elf” and the suffix -rin. As a term for languages, it was often translated as “Quendian”. An archaic variant quenelya was used as an adjective only (PE19/93).

Conceptual Development: The term ᴹQ. Qenderin also appeared in linguistic notes from the 1930s (PE18/23).

quennar onótimo

masculine name. Quennar Onótimo

The full name of the author of the Annals of Aman (MR/49). Elsewhere, his name is given simply as Quennar, so it seems likely that onótimo is a title or sobriquet, perhaps meaning “✱reckoner” (as suggested by Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynne, VT34/30).

Quenderin

quendian, belonging to the elves as a whole

Quenderin adj."Quendian, belonging to the Elves as a whole" (a learned word) (WJ:407). The phrase quenderinwë coar "Elvish bodies" (PE17:175) presupposes a longer form *quenderinwa, here attested in the pl.

Quendya

quendya

Quendya original form of the word Quenya, preserved in the Vanyarin dialect (Quenya is the Noldorin form) (WJ:361, 371)

Quenderin

noun. Quendian

Quendian, name of all Elf-tongues

Quenderin

adjective. Quendian

Quendian

Quenderinwa

adjective. Quendian

Quendian

quenelya†

adjective. Quendian

Quendian

quennar

masculine name. Quennar

The name of the author of the Annals of Aman, or a portion thereof (MR/49, 51). In some linguistic notes from the 1950s, he was said to be one of the Quettúri “Word-masters” (PE21/84). The meaning of this name is unclear, but it appears to be a derivative of the root √KWEN “speak”.

quenya

noun. Elvish, High-elven, Elf-latin, †speech, Elvish, High-elven, Elf-latin, †speech; [ᴹQ.] belonging to the Qendi, Quendian

quenyarin

adjective. *of Quenya

Quendi

zF2% noun. elves

Quendi "Elves" as a race (analogical sg. quendë, not much used) (WJ:361;SA:quen-/quet-, WJ:372, KWEN(ED), spelt "qende, Qendi" in Etym). Gen. pl. Quendion (PM:395)

quendil

masculine name. Elf-friend

A term translated as “Elf-friend” (WJ/410), but more accurately describing those concerned with the lore of Elven-kind (WJ/412). This name is a compound Quendë “Elf” and the suffix -(n)dil “friend”. It also appear in the longer form Quendendil.

quenta noldorinwa

proper name. the History of the Noldor

Another title for the Quenta Silmarillion (WJ/27). It is a combination of quenta “tale” and the possessive form of Noldorin. As Noldorin is itself already an adjective, this name is best understood as the “Tale of the Noldorin (People)”.

Conceptual Development: The name ᴹQ. Qenta Noldorinwa was Tolkien’s original title of the cycle of tales that eventually became The Silmarillion (SM/77). Later, Tolkien introduced the name ᴹQ. Qenta Silmarillion which became the full title of the tales, while Quenta Noldorinwa became an alternate title (LR/202).

In later writings, this name appeared with a number of variations. In some cases its final element was the genitive plural of Noldo: Noldoron (VT39/16) or Noldorion (PM/30). Sometimes its initial element was quentalë “history” (VT39/16). This entry uses Quenta Noldorinwa for consistency with its earlier form.

quendelië

proper name. Elf-race

A term for Elven people appearing in The Etymologies and other linguistic notes from the 1930s and 1950s (Ety/KWEN(ED); PE18/21, 71), presumably more inclusive than Eldalië. This term is a compound of Quendë “Elf” and lië “people”.

quendingoldo

masculine name. *Loremaster of the Elves

Quenya name of S. Pengolodh (PM/401, VT48/5), also appearing in the shorter form Quengoldo (PM/404). His name seems to be a compound the plural of Quendë “Elf” and ✶ñgolodō in its original sense “lore-master” (later used for the tribal name Q. Noldo).

Quendelië

the people of the elves

Quendelië ("q")noun *"the People of the Elves" (KWEN(ED) )

Quendendil

elf-friend

Quendendil (also contracted Quendil; pl. Quendili in WJ:410) masc. name "Elf-friend" (WJ:410)

Quendi

elvish woman

quendi noun "Elvish woman", pl. quendir given (MR:229; changed by Tolkien from quendë pl. quender); the sg. quendi must not be confused with the pl. Quendi, see above. Compare masc. quendu.

Quendingoldo

elves

Quendingoldo masc. name, apparently compound of Quendi "Elves" and -ngoldo "Noldo", Sindarin Pengolodh, a loremaster of Gondolin. (PM:401, 404-405, VT48:5) Shorter form Quengoldo (PM:404, VT48:14)

quendu

elvish man

quendu noun *"Elvish man", pl. quendur given (MR:229; changed by Tolkien from quendo pl. quendor). Compare fem. quendi.

quendë

elf

quendë noun "Elf", the little-used analogical sg. of Quendi, q.v. (KWEN(ED), WJ:361)

quent

word

quent ("q")noun "word" (LT2:348; in Tolkien's later Quenya quetta)

quenta

tale

quenta ("q")noun "tale" (KWET), "narrative, story" (VT39:16); Quenta Silmarillion "the Story/Tale of the Silmarils", also Quenta Eldalien "History of the Elves" (SD:303), notice "Qenya" genitive in -n in the latter title. Quenta is also translated "account", as in Valaquenta "Account of the Valar".

quentalë

account, history

quentalë ("q") noun "account, history" (KWET), "narration, History" as abstract, but the word may also be used with a particular reference, as in quentalë Noldoron or quentalë Noldorinwa "the history of the Noldor", referring to the real events rather than an account of them: "that part of [universal] History which concerned the Noldor". (VT39:16; in this source the spelling really is "quentale" rather than "qentale")

quentaro

narrator

quentaro ("q")noun "narrator" (KWET)

quenta silmarillion

proper name. History of the Silmarils

The full and proper title for The Silmarillion (S/33). It is a combination of quenta “tale” and the genitive plural of Silmaril.

Conceptual Development: In the early 1930s, the original Quenya title of the cycle of tales that eventually became The Silmarillion was ᴹQ. Qenta Noldorinwa (SM/77). In the mid-30s, Tolkien introduced the name ᴹQ. Qenta Silmarillion which became the full title of the tales, while Quenta Noldorinwa became an alternate title (LR/202).

quentasta

historical account

quentasta noun *"historical account", "any particular arrangement (by some author) of a series of records or evidences into a given historical account" (not History as such, which is quentalë). (VT39:16, VT48:19). May include the "group suffix" -asta.

quentelë

sentence

quentelë ("q")noun "sentence" (LT2:348)

quenya

speech

quenya noun (original adj.) "speech" (PM:399); the language-name Quenya is said to mean properly "language, speech" (WJ:393); cf. the phrase coirëa quenya "living speech" (PM:399).However, Quenya (archaic Quendya, still so in Vanyarin) is also interpreted "Elvish" (Letters:176), sc. the adjective corresponding to Quendi (WJ:374), but it was no longer used as a general adjective. Quenya lambë"Quenya tongue" (WJ:407). The command queta Quenya! "speak Quenya!" was used in the sense of "speak precisely and intelligibly, put into actual words" (instead of using hand signs or looks); the word Quenya is here used adverbially (PE17:138). The variant queta quenyā (PE17:137) appears to use the distinct accusative (formed by lengthening a final vowel) known from "Book Quenya".

quendë

noun. Elf, (lit.) One That Speaks

quenta

noun. story, narrative, account, history, story, narrative, account, history, [ᴹQ.] tale

quenna

noun. saying, proverb

quentalë

noun. history, narration, history, narration, [ᴹQ.] account

quentaro

noun. speaker, reciter, speaker, reciter; [ᴹQ.] narrator, minstrel

quentasta

noun. historical account

quenten tulil márië nin

I said: you come happily (for me)

quentë quengoldo

Thus spoke Pengoloð

quentalë ardanómion

*History of the Places of Arda

Quende#

noun. Elf

Elf

Quendelie

noun. Elf-race

Elf-race

Quendi

noun. Those that Speak

Those that Speak [= Elves]

quendi

noun. female Elf

quendu

noun. male Elf

quendya

noun. Elvish

quenelya

adjective. of the Elves

quenso

noun. minstrel, reciter

quenso†

noun. minstrel

minstrel, reciter

quenta#

noun. account

account

quentaro

noun. speaker

speaker, reciter, minstrel

quenya

noun. †elf-language

†elf-language

Valaquenta

account of the valar

Valaquenta noun "Account of the Valar" (SA:val-). See quenta.

lúmequenta

history, chronological account

lúmequenta ("q")noun "history, chronological account" (LU)

lúmequentalë

history

lúmequentalë ("q")noun "history" (LU, KWET). According to VT45:29, the accent marking the ú as a long vowel is actually missing in the entry LU in Tolkien's original Etymologies manuscript; yet it is apparently included both in the entry KWET and in the related words lúmequenta and lúmequentalëa; its omission in the entry LU is therefore probably just a slip.

Quennar

Quennar

Quennar's first name seems to consist of the Quenya word for 'person', 'elf': quen, and a derivative of the root NAR2 'tell', yielding the meaning *"Elf-speaker". Onótimo apparently means "Reckoner", originating from the verb onot- 'count up' and the masculine agental suffix -mo.

quennasta

noun. syntax

A neologism coined by Luinyelle posted on 2024-05-07 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), an elaboration of quenna “saying”, patterned after tengwesta “grammar, morphology”.

quenna

noun. saying, proverb

@@@ used in NQNT; its original etymology is no longer valid, but it might be re-derived from √KWEN

quenwa

noun. subject matter, discussion topic

A neologism for “subject matter, discussion topic” proposed by Orondil posted on 2024-12-13 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), previously proposed by Arael in a post on 2022-07-22. It is a combination of √KWET “speak” and -mā “thing”. If you adhere to the sound changes whereby tm > tw, this word would be quetwa instead.

-li

the elves

-li partitive pl. ending (simply called a plural suffix in the Etymologies, stem LI). The ending is used to indicate a plural that is neither generic (e.g. Eldar "the Elves" as a race) nor definite (preceded by article); hence Eldali is used for "some Elves" (a particular group of Elves, when they are first mentioned in a narrative, VT49:8). Sometimes Tolkien also lets -li imply a great number; in PE17:129, the form falmalinnar from _Namárië _is broken down as falma-li-nnar "foam wave-many-towards-pl. ending", and falmali by itself Tolkien translated "many waves" (PE17:73). A distinct accusative in -lī seems to occur in the phrase an i falmalī (PE17:127, apparently meaning the same as i falmalinnar, but replacing the allative ending with a preposition). Genitive -lion in vanimálion, malinornélion (q.v. for reference), allative -linna and -linnar in falmalinnar, q.v. The endings for other cases are only known from the Plotz letter: possessive -líva, dative -lin, locative -lissë or -lissen, ablative -lillo or -lillon, instrumental -línen, "short locative" -lis. When the noun ends in a consonant, r and n is assimilated before l, e.g. Casalli as the partitive pl. of Casar "Dwarf" (WJ:402), or elelli as the partitive pl. of elen "star" (PE17:127). It is unclear whether the same happens in monosyllabic words, or whether a connecting vowel would be slipped in before -li (e.g. ?queneli or ?quelli as the partitive pl. of quén, quen- "person").

quet-

say, speak

quet- vb. "say, speak" (SA:quen-/quet-, LT2:348), sg. aorist quetë in VT41:11 and VT49:19 (spelt "qete" in the latter source), not to be confused with the infinitival aorist stem in the example polin quetë "I can speak" (VT41:6); pl. aorist quetir in VT49:10-11, present tense quéta in VT41:13, pa.t. quentë in PM:401, 404, apparent gerund quetië in VT49:28 (by Tolkien translated as "words", but more literally evidently *"speaking"). Imperative in the command queta Quenya! "speak Quenya!" (PE17:138), see Quenya regarding the meaning of this phrase. The same verb is translated "tell" in the sentence órenya quetë nin "my heart tells me" (VT41:15). Cf. also #maquet-

quetta

word

quetta noun "word" (SA:quen-/quet-, GL:28), pl. quettar (WJ:391). An quetta "a word more" (phrase used = "to add to what has been said") (PE17:91)

luhtya-

verb. extinguish, *quench

A neologism for “extinguish” coined by Helge Fauskanger for his NQNT (NQNT), perhaps intended to be a cognate of S. luithia- “quench”, assuming that verb was derived from primitive ✱luktya-; hat-tip to Vyacheslav Stepanov for this suggestion. Patrick Wynne suggested [N.] luithia- could be based on the root √DUY “flood” (VT48/31 note #7) with primitive D/L variation (VT48/22), but this derivations makes it difficult to explain the -thia ending. This verb might instead be tied to the root √LUK “drag”, based on the sense of dragging something over flames to put them out, making primitive ✱luktya- more plausible. However, -tya does not appear as a verb suffix in Tolkien’s later writing, though it was fairly common in Early Quenya of the 1910s.

-i

-i

-i nominative plural ending regularly used on nouns ending in a consonant and in -ë; in the latter case, -ë is displaced (e.g. Quendë pl. Quendi).

-on

name

-on gen.pl. ending (3O), in aldaron, aranion, elenion, Eldaron, #esseron, Ingweron, Istarion, Númevalion, Quendion, Silmarillion, Sindaron, tasarion (see Nan-Tasarion), Valion, wenderon, yénion. Normally the ending -on is added to the nominative plural, whether it ends in -i or -r, but some nouns in -ë that would have nominative plurals in -i seem to prefer the ending -ron in the genitive (hence #esseron as the gen. pl. of essë "name", though the nominative pl. is attested as essi and we might have expected the gen. pl. *ession; similarly wenderon, Ingweron).

-wë

person

-wë a suffix occurring in many personal names, generally but not exclusively masculine (Elenwë is the sole certain example of a fem. name with this ending); it is derived from a stem simply meaning "person" (PM:340, WJ:399). In Etym, -wë is simply defined as an element that is frequent in masculine names, and it is there derived from a stem (WEG) having to do with "(manly) vigour".

-ya

elvish

-ya (5) adjectival ending, as in the word Quenya "Elvish" itself; when added to a verbal stem it may derive a kind of short active participle, as in melumatya "honey-eating" (mat- "eat"), saucarya "evil-doing" (car- "do"). (PE17:68)

Eldalië

the elven-folk

Eldalië noun "the Elven-folk" (often used vaguely to mean all the race of Elves, though it properly did not include the Avari) (WJ:374, ÉLED; possessive Eldaliéva in the name Mindon Eldaliéva, q.v.) "Qenya" genitive in -n in Eldalien as part of the title Quenta Eldalien "History of the Elves" (SD:303).

Silmaril

radiance of pure light

Silmaril (Silmarill-, as in pl. Silmarilli), noun, name of the shining jewels made by Fëanor; full sg. form Silmarillë (SA:sil, SIL, RIL, MIR).Translated "radiance of pure light" in Letters:148. Gen. pl. Silmarillion, as in (Quenta) Silmarillion "(the Story) of the Silmarils".

asta

month

asta (1) noun "month", a division of the year (VT42:20). Pl. astar is attested (Appendix D). According to VT48:11, the basic meaning of asta is "division, a part", especially one of other equal parts: "of the year, a month or period". According to VT48:19, asta is also used in Quenya as a group suffix (see quentasta).

coa

köa

coa ("köa")noun "house" (VT47:35, with etymology); coarya "his house" (WJ:369), allative coaryanna ("k") "to/at his house" (VT49:23, 35), quenderinwë coar ("koar") "Elvish bodies" (PE17:175). Notice how coa "house" is here used metaphorically = "body", as also in the compound coacalina "light of the house"(a metaphor for the soul [fëa] dwelling inside the body [hroa]) (MR:250)

indyo

grandchild, descendant

indyo noun "grandchild, descendant" (ÑGYŌ/ÑGYON - read *inyo in Noldorin Quenya, which dialect changed ndy to ny? Cf. Quenya for Quendya.) In the pre-classical Tengwar system presupposed in the Etymologies, indyo was also the name of tengwa #17 with overposed dots to indicate following y (VT46:4), the whole symbol having the value ndy.

mbelekōro

the oldest q form

¤mbelekōro masc. name, mentioned as "the oldest Q form" of Melkor, q.v. This is obviously a form that belongs to Common Eldarin rather than Quenya as we know it: Notice that it is marked (in the source asterisked) as unattested _(WJ:402). _It may be that "Q" here means "Quendian" rather than Quenya.

mir

cardinal. one

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

pahta

speech

pahta (2) noun "speech", i.e. language (PE17:126); accompanied by the intransitive verb pakta- "speak, talk", which would be *pahta- in Quenya, of which the transitive equivalent is quet-, q.v. The intransitive verb "speak" is also given as carpa-, q.v.

quet-

verb. to say, speak, tell, to say, speak, tell, [ᴹQ.] mention, [ᴱQ.] talk

quetta

noun. word

-o

person, somebody

-o (2), also -ó, "a person, somebody", pronominal suffix (PM:340)

Eldandil

elf-friend

Eldandil (pl. Eldandili in WJ:412) noun "Elf-friend" (by the Edain confused with Elendil, properly "Star-friend") (WJ:410)

Námo

person, somebody

námo (2) noun "a person, somebody" (PM:340 writers may prefer the synonym quén to avoid confusion with # 1)

eques

saying, dictum, a quotation from someone's uttered words, a current or proverbial dictum

eques (equess-, as in pl. equessi) noun "a saying, dictum, a quotation from someone's uttered words, a current or proverbial dictum" (WJ:392); I Equessi Rúmilo "the Sayings of Rúmil" (WJ:398)

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)

essë

name

essë (1) noun "name", also later name of Tengwa #31, originally (MET) called árë (ázë). (Appendix E). With a pronominal ending esselya "thy name" (VT43:14). Pl. #essi in PM:339 and MR:470, gen.pl. #esseron "of names" in the compound Nómesseron (q.v.); we would rather have expected *ession, given the nom.pl. essi; perhaps #esser is a valid alternative plural form. Essecarmë noun "name-making" (MR:214, 470), Eldarin ceremony where the father announces the name of his child. Essecenta *("k") noun "Name-essay" (see centa) (MR:415); Essecilmë noun "name-choosing", an Eldarin ceremony where a child named him- or herself according to personal lámatyávë (q.v.) (MR:214, 471). The meaning Tolkien originally assigned to the word essë** in the Etymologies was "place" rather than "name" (VT45:12).

lumenyárë

history, chronological account

lumenyárë noun "history, chronological account" (NAR2 - read *lúmenyárë?) According to VT45:36, the manuscript spelling actually seems to be lumennyáre, but Hostetter and Wynne conclude that this is "probably a slip": The double nn would be difficult to justify.

min

cardinal. one

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

minë

cardinal. one

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

mo

one, someone, anyone

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

nassë

person, an individual

nassë (1) "a person, an individual" (VT49:30). Also translated "true-being" (pl. nasser is attested), the inner "true" being of a person. With a pronominal suffix in the form nassentar "their true-being" (PE17:175, cf. -nta #2), in the source referring to the "true" spiritual nature of the Valar, as hidden within their visible shapes. The word nassentar would seem to be plural, *"their true-beings". Not to be confused with the verb nassë/násë "he/she is"; see ná #1.

nyarna

tale, saga

nyarna noun "tale, saga" (NAR2), compounded in nyarmamaitar noun "storyteller" (PE17:163), literally *"tale-artist" (see maitar).

nyárë

tale, saga, history

nyárë noun "tale, saga, history". Compounded in Eldanyárë "History of the Elves", lumenyárë "history, chronological account" (NAR2, LR:199). Compare nyarië, nyarna.

sanda

name

[sanda, sandë] (þ) (2) noun "name" (VT46:16)

sanya

name

[sanya] (þ) (2) noun ?"name" (reading of gloss uncertain, VT46:16)

a

cardinal. one

eldandil

masculine name. Elf-friend

A term meaning “Elf-friend”, but implying an interest in them as a subject of lore (WJ/412). This name is a compound of Elda “Elf” and the suffix -(n)dil “-friend”.

eldanyárë

proper name. History of the Elves

A title for the history of Elvenkind, an alternate title to The Silmarillion (MR/143). This name is a compound of Elda “Elf” and nyárë “history”.

Conceptual Development: The name ᴹQ. Eldanyáre first appeared in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (LR/199).

esse

noun. name

essë

noun. name

esta-

verb. name

min

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

nyáre#

noun. account

account

pahta

noun. speech

quetta

noun. word

quetwa

noun. subject matter, discussion topic