cenda- vb. "watch" (not "guard", but observe to gain information), also used = "read". Cenda = also noun "reading", as in sanwecenda "thought-inspection, thought-reading". (VT41:5, PE17:156)
Quenya
hentië
noun. reading
Element in
- Q. parmahentië “(book) reading” ✧ PE17/077
Elements
Word Gloss henta- “to eye, examine, read, scan” -ië “gerund suffix, -ing” Variations
- hentie ✧ PE17/077
cenwa
noun. ?reading
Element in
- Q. mélima yondion, lenna antanyes mélio cenwa “*dear [one] of sons I give it to be read with love” ✧ Minor-Doc/1955-CT
tengwië
noun. reading; language (*signing)
Element in
- Q. mátengwië “language of the hands” ✧ VT47/23
- Q. nai laurë lantuva parmastanna lúmissen tengwiesto “may (a) golden light fall on your book at the times of your reading” ✧ VT49/47
Variations
- tengwie ✧ VT47/23; VT49/48
cenda
noun. inspection, reading
Element in
- Q. sanwecenda “thought-inspection, thought-reading” ✧ PE17/183
Elements
Word Gloss cen- “to see, behold, look, to see, behold, look, *perceive” -da “product of an action”
cenda-
watch
henta-
to eye, to examine (with the eyes), scan; to read (silently)
henta- vb. "to eye, to examine (with the eyes), scan; to read (silently)" (for "read aloud", et-henta is used). Forms cited: Aorist henta, present continuative hentëa, "aorist past" hentanë, perfect ehentanië. Gerund #hentië "reading", isolated from parmahentië "book reading" (PE17:77, 156).
tir-
watch, watch over, guard, heed
tir- vb. "watch, watch over, guard, heed", 1st pers. aorist tirin "I watch", pa.t. tirnë (TIR), imperative tira (VT47:31) or á tirë (PE17:94), future tense tiruva "shall heed" in Markirya (also MC:213, 214); also in CO with pronominal endings: tiruvantes "they will guard it" (tir-uva-nte-s "guard-will-they-it"). The stem also occurs in palantíri (q.v.), Tirion place-name "Great Watchtower", a city of the Elves (SA:tir; in MR:176 the translation is "Watchful City")
tiris
watch, vigil
tiris (tiriss-), also tirissë, noun "watch, vigil" (LT1:258, QL:93)
This word appeared in the form tengwiesto “of your reading” in the sentence nai laurë lantuva parmastanna lúmissen tengwiesto “may (a) golden light fall on your book at the times of your reading” (VT49/47). On the same page, Tolkien gives its etymology as the gerund (verbal noun) of the verb tengwa- “to read written matter” (VT49/48). Other attested words for “reading” include cenda or hentië (both based on sight).
Elsewhere this word appears as an element in the word mátengwië “sign language, (lit.) language of the hands”, along with má “hand” (VT47/23). In this word, tengwië could be have the same meaning as above (“sign language” = “✱hand reading”). Alternately, it could be an abstract noun derived from tengwë “sign, token” combined with the abstract-noun suffix -ië, in which case a more literal meaning might be “✱signing” as in “✱the production of signs”. This hypothetical derivation fits nicely with its use in the Quenya word for sign language. More ordinary words for “language” include lambë “a (spoken) language” (LotR/1123, WJ/394) and tengwestië “language (as a concept)” (WJ/394).