hellë

sky

hellë noun "sky" (3EL; a distinct word hellë "frost" was struck out, see KHEL.)

vilya

air, sky

vilya noun "air, sky", also name of tengwa #24. Older wilya. (Appendix E). Early "Qenya" has Vilya (changed from Vilna) "lower air" (LT1:273); also vilya "air" (MC:215)

vilya

noun. air, sky

A word for “air” or “sky” appearing Appendix E of The Lord of the Rings from older †wilya, serving as the name of tengwa #24 [n] (LotR/1123). It is clearly a derivative of the root ᴹ√WIL (Ety/WIL). It has an abnormal plural form wilyar with initial w- in the 1950s version of the Nieninquë poem in the phrase yan i wilyar antar miquelis “✱to whom the air gives kisses” (PE16/96).

Conceptual Development: The notion of the “lower air” as a region dates all the way back to the earliest Lost Tales, where the innermost layer of air was called ᴱQ. Vilna (LT1/65). However, in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, the term was ᴱQ. Vilya “air (lower)” as a derivative of the early root ᴱ√VILI (QL/101). The word vilya “lower air” appeared English-Qenya Dictionary of the 1920s but was deleted (PE15/68), and this term appeared as both the singular “air” and plural “airs” in version of Nieninqe and its drafts circa 1930: yan/yar i vilya(r) anta miqilis “to whom the air(s) give kisses” (MC/215; PE16/90, 92).

In the Ambarkanta of the early 1930s, the lower air was {Wilwa >>} Vista (SM/236, 240 note #1), but it was Wilwa again in the earliest tales of Númenor from the 1930s (LR/12) and was ᴹQ. {vilwa >>} wilma in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√WIL “fly, float in air” (Ety/WIL). Q. vilya “air, sky” in Appendix E seems to be the last iteration in this chain.

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I think vilya refers mainly to air as the region above the ground, as opposed to ᴹQ. vista “air (as a substance)”. You breath vista, but birds fly through vilya, and breezes flow through vilya like ripples in a lake.

Derivations

• ᴹ√WIL “fly, float in air”

Element in

• ᴺQ. vilwis(të) “weather, (lit.) turn of air”
• Q. yan i wilyar antar miquelis “*to whom the air gives kisses” ✧ PE16/096

Variations

• wilya ✧ LotR/1123 (wilya)

wilya

noun. air, sky

telimbo

canopy, sky

telimbo noun "canopy, sky" (LT1:268)

ilwë

sky, heavens

ilwë noun "sky, heavens" (LT1:255), "the middle air among the stars" (LT1:273). VT49:51, 53 also mentions an obscure prononominal element ilwë.

fanya

(white) cloud

fanya noun "(white) cloud" (translated "sky" in FS); pl. fanyar in Namárië(Nam, RGEO:67). ). Used "only of white clouds, sunlit or moonlit, or clouds gilded or silvered at the edges by light behind them", not "of storm clouds or cloud canopies shutting out the light" (PE17:174). Cf. lumbo, q.v. According to VT46:15, fanya was originally given as an adjective "white" in the Etymologies; the printed version in LR wrongly implies that fanya and fána both mean "cloud", whereas actually the first was at this stage meant to be an adjective "white" whereas fána is both noun "cloud" and adj. "white". However, Namárië and later emendations to the entry SPAN in Etym indicate that Tolkien would later think of fanya as a noun "cloud", perhaps giving it the same double meaning as fána: noun "cloud" as well as adjective "white". According to PE17:26, fanya was originally an adjectival form "white and shining" that was however often used as a noun "applied to various things, notably to white clouds lit by sun or moon". In Namárië, the word is used poetically with reference to the hands of Varda (she lifted her hands ve fanyar "like clouds").

vaiya

envelope

vaiya < waiya (also vaia, waia) noun "envelope", especially of the Outer Sea or Air enfolding the world within the Ilurambar or world-walls (WAY, capitalized Vaiya under GEY; the latter entry was struck out). In a "Qenya" text in MC:214, vaiya is simply translated "sky". In the pre-classical Tengwar system presupposed in the Etymologies, vaiya (/ waiya) was also the name of a tengwa letter that does not appear in Tolkien's later table, but which was apparently intended to have the value w > v, like the letter wilya > vilya in the later, canonical system (VT46:21). According to Arden R. Smith, the form of the pre-classical letter is a variant of #21, which letter Tolkien would later call vala (VT46:32).

waiya

envelope

waiya > vaiya (also vaia, waia) noun "envelope", especially of the Outer Sea or Air enfolding the world within the Ilurambar or world-walls (WAY)

Menel

heavens

Menel noun "heavens" (Markirya, SA), "the heavens, the firmament" (SD:401), "the apparent dome in the sky" (MR:387). Menel Cemenyë ("k") "Heaven and Earth" (VT47:30). Found in names like Meneldil "Heaven-friend" = astronomer (Appendix A; Letters:386), Meneldur masc. name, "Heaven-servant" (Appendix A, Tar-Menelduras a Númenórean King, UT:210); menelluin "sky-blue", used as noun = "cornflower" (J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist & Illustrator p. 193). Menelmacar "Swordsman of the Sky", the Orion constellation (also called Telumehtar, Appendix E, first footnote); the older name was Menelmacil "Heaven-sword" (WJ:411); Meneltarma "Pillar of Heaven", name of the great central mountain of Númenor (SA:tar, VT42:21).Menelya fifth day of the Eldarin six-day week, dedicated to the heavens (Appendix D) Locative meneldë "in heaven"; abandoned forms menellë, menelzë (VT43:12, 16). Adj. meneldëa "(being) in heaven", evidently based on a locative form meneldë "in heaven"; abandoned forms menelzëa, menellëa, menelessëa (VT43:13, VT44:16; the last of these forms would suggest the locative form #menelessë).

menel

noun. the heavens, firmament, sky

A word for the firmament or “the heavens” (but not “Heaven”), derived from the root √MENEL of the same meaning (PE17/24, 152; PE21/84), possibly √MEN + √EL “✱direction of the stars” (RGEO/64). It was often used in contrasted to cemen, “earth”, “the earth” (but not “Earth”), as the surface of the world versus its (apparent) “roof”. Tolkien clarified that “these were ‘pictorial’ words, as the lore of the Eldar and the Numenoreans knew much astronomy” (PE17/24), so that menel as the dome over the world was metaphorical rather than actual.

At one point in the Legendarium there was an actual dome of heaven created by Varda, but over Aman rather than the entire world:

> Later, when the Valar took refuge from Melkor, and the imminent ruin of Arda, and built and fortified Valinor in Aman, it was Varda who made the great dome above Valinor, to keep out any spirits or spies of Melkor. It was made as a simulacrum of the true firmament (Tar-menel), and the patterns were therein repeated, but with apparent stars (or “sparks”: tinwi) of greater relative size to the total visible area. So that the lesser firmament of Valinor (Nur-menel) was very brilliant (PE17/22; MR/388).

This notion was not mentioned in The Silmarillion as published, however.

Conceptual Development: At various points in his work on the Legendarium Tolkien considered having a literal firmament or “upper airs”, ᴱQ. Vaitya (QL/100) >> ᴹQ. Vaiya. See for examples, his diagrams of the world in the Ambarkanta (SM/243, 245). How literal this notion was depended on whether Tolkien was considering the Legendarium as a cycle of myth or as an actual description of the world. In earlier documents the term for the firmament or “outermost airs” was often ᴱQ. Vaitya >> ᴹQ. Vaiya (QL/100; SM/241-245) or Q. Ilmen (SM/241-245, LR/12 etc.), the last term surviving into The Silmarillion as published (S/99).

The term menel appeared in the 1940s, mentioned as “heaven” in an early draft of Lord of the Rings Book I (RC/671) and also appearing in The Notion Club Papers and related document of the 1940s where it was a cognate of Ad. minil or minal and derived from the ancient Elvish root ᴹ√MENEL (SD/241, 414). In these document it was distinctly “the heavens, the firmament” (SD/401), but in the 1950s Quenya prayer Átaremma, Tolkien used menel = “Heaven” a number of times (VT43/8-12), though in the final draft of the prayer he used the term Eruman for “Heaven” (VT43/12). For the most part, though, Tolkien used menel for “the heavens” rather than “Heaven” in later writings.

Cognates

• S. menel “the heavens, firmament, region of the stars” ✧ PE17/024; MR/387

Derivations

• ✶menel “heaven, sky”
  • √MENEL “heavens, firmament, heavens, firmament, [ᴹ√] sky”

Element in

• Q. Armenelos “City of the Kings; *(lit.) Noble Heaven City”
• Q. Átaremma i ëa han Eä “our Father who art in Heaven” ✧ VT43/13; VT43/13; VT43/13; VT43/13; VT43/13; VT43/13; VT43/13; VT43/13; VT43/13; VT43/13; VT43/13
• Q. Atar meneldëa Eru órava (o)messë “God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us” ✧ VT44/16
• Q. cemendë tambe Erumandë “on Earth as [it is] in Heaven” ✧ VT43/16; VT43/16; VT43/16
• Q. imbi Menel Cemenyë menë Ráno tië “between Heaven and Earth goes the path of the Moon” ✧ VT47/11
• Q. menel acúna “the heavens bending” ✧ MC/222; MC/222
• Q. Meneldil “*Lover of the Heavens” ✧ PE17/030; PE17/152; SA/menel
• Q. meneldil “astronomer, *(lit.) lover of the heavens”
• Q. Meneldur “*Servant of the Heavens”
• Q. menelluin “cornflower (colour), *(lit.) sky-blue”
• Q. Menelmacar “Swordsman of the Sky” ✧ MR/071; SA/menel
• Q. Menelmacil “*Sword of the Sky” ✧ WJ/411
• Q. Meneltarma “Pillar of Heaven” ✧ SA/menel
• ᴺQ. menelwa “heavenly”
• Q. Menelya “*Wednesday, Heavens-day”
• Q. Nur-menel “*Under Heaven”
• Q. Tarmenel “High Heaven” ✧ RC/774

Variations

• Menel ✧ MC/222; MR/071; NM/281; UTI/Menel; VT47/11; WJ/411; WJI/Menel

telumë

noun. roof, canopy; heaven, sky, roof, canopy, [ᴹQ.] vault, dome (of heaven); [Q.] heaven, sky, [ᴱQ.] firmament

A word for “roof, canopy” appearing in the Quendi and Eldar essay from 1959-60 derived from √TELU “roof in, put the crown on a building” (WJ/399, 411). Tolkien said it “was probably one of the earliest Quendian words for the heavens, the firmament, before the increase of their knowledge, and the invention of the Eldarin word Menel” (WJ/411). As such, it was only used for “heavens” metaphorically, in mythical names like Telumehtar “Warrior of the Sky”, the Quenya name of the Orion constellation (LotR/1113; WJ/411).

Conceptual Development: The first precursor to this word seems to be ᴱQ. telimbo “canopy, often used = sky” under the early root ᴱ√TELE “cover in” (QL/90). This became ᴱQ. telume “heavens, vault of heaven, firmament” in Qenya poems written around 1930 (MC/214, 221; PE16/142). In the Declension of Nouns of the early 1930s it was ᴹQ. telume “vault, heaven” (PE21/16) and in The Etymologies of the 1930s it was glossed “dome, (especially) dome of heaven” under the root ᴹ√TEL(U) (Ety/TEL).

Derivations

• √TELU “roof in, put the crown on a building” ✧ WJ/411

Element in

• Q. Telumehtar “Orion, (lit.) Warrior of the Sky” ✧ WJ/411
• Q. Telumendil “*Sky-lover”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√tel-u > telume	[telume]	✧ WJ/411

Variations

• telume ✧ WJ/399; WJ/411

ungo

cloud, dark shadow

ungo noun "cloud, dark shadow" (UÑG)

lindë

air, tune, singing, song

lindë noun "air, tune, singing, song" (SA:gond, (LIN2, [GLIN]); lindelorendor "music-dream-land"; see laurelindórenan lindelorendor... _(LotR2:III ch. 4, cf. Letters:308). _Also compare lindi- in lindimaitar, q.v. (but the other compounds here cited do not give a lindë a stem-form lindi-).

eruman

place name. Heaven

The Quenya name for Heaven in the final draft of Átaremma, Tolkien’s translation of the Lord’s Prayer (VT43/12), attested only in the assimilated locative form Erumande. Its initial element is Eru “God” and its final element is probably related to the root √MAN “good, blessed, unmarred” also seen in the names Aman and Manwë, as suggested by Patrick Wynne, Arden Smith and Carl Hostetter (VT43/16).

Conceptual Development: In earlier versions of Tolkien’s legendarium, the name ᴱQ/ᴹQ. Eruman was used for the wasteland north of Valinor (LT1/91, Ety/ERE), but in the materials used for the published version of The Silmarillion, that name was changed to Q. Araman (MR/123). This freed Tolkien to use the name Eruman for “Heaven”, as suggested by Patrick Wynne, Arden Smith and Carl Hostetter (VT43/16-17).

In earlier versions of the Átaremma prayer, Tolkien used menel for “Heaven”, but it was rejected and elsewhere Tolkien said that menel referred only to “the heavens, firmament” where the stars reside (MR/387, PE17/152). In writings from the 1940s, Tolkien used ᴹQ. ilúve for “Heaven” (MR/355, SD/401), but later ilúvë meant “the whole, the all”, and was equated to Eä “the Universe” (WJ/402, Ety/IL).

Element in

• Q. cemendë tambe Erumandë “on Earth as [it is] in Heaven” ✧ VT43/16

Elements

Word	Gloss
Eru	“The One, God”
MAN	“good (morally), blessed, holy, unmarred, free from evil, good (morally), blessed, holy, unmarred, free from evil; [ᴹ√] holy spirit”

fána

cloud

fána (2) noun "cloud" _(SPAN, VT46:15). _Cf. fana.

lumbo

cloud

lumbo noun "cloud" (pl. lumbor in Markirya), also glossed "gloom; dark, shade" (PE17:72, 168). In early "Qenya", lumbo was glossed "dark lowering cloud" (LT1:259)

tel

roof

tel noun "roof" (LT1:268). Rather tópa in Tolkiens later Quenya.

tópa

roof

tópa noun "roof" (TOP)

tópa-

roof

tópa- vb. "roof" (TOP)

vaia

envelope

vaia < waia (also vaiya < waiya) noun "envelope", especially of the Outer Sea or Air enfolding the world within the Ilurambar or world-walls (WAY). Cf. váya.

vilwa

air, lower air

[vilwa < wilwa] noun "air, lower air" (distinct from the 'upper' air of the stars, or the 'outer') (WIL; in one place vilwa was not struck out, VT46:21) According to VT46:21, Tolkien considered vilda < wilda as a replacement form, but rejected it.

waia

envelope

waia > vaia noun "envelope", especially of the Outer Sea or Air enfolding the world within the Ilurambar or world-walls (WAY) (also vaiya, waiya)

wilma

air, lower air

wilma noun "air, lower air" (distinct from the 'upper' air of the stars, or the 'outer') (WIL)

Menel

noun. the heavens

_n. _the heavens, the apparent dome of the sky. Probably a Quenya word introduced into Sindarin. It was a 'pictorial' word, as the lore of the Eldar and the Númenoreans know much astronomy.

Menel

noun. sky, high heaven, firmament, the region of the stars

gwelu

noun. air (as substance)

Menel

heaven

menel (i venel), pl. menil (i menil)

faun

cloud

(pl. foen, coll. pl. fonath)

fân

cloud

1) fân (veil, also used of the manifested body of a Vala), construct fan, pl. fain, 2) faun (pl. foen, coll. pl. fonath)

fân

cloud

(veil, also used of the manifested body of a Vala), construct fan, pl. fain

gwelu

air

2) (as substance) gwelu (i **welu), analogical pl. gwely (in gwely) if there is a pl. The attested form is archaic gwelw** (LR:398 s.v. WIL). Hence the coll. pl. is likely *gwelwath, if there is a coll. pl..

gwelu

air

(i ’welu), analogical pl. gwely (in gwely) if there is a pl. The attested form is archaic gwelw (LR:398 s.v. WIL). Hence the coll. pl. is likely ✱gwelwath, if there is a coll. pl..

gwelwen

air

1) (as a region) gwelwen (i **welwen), pl. gwelwin (in gwelwin), also gwilith (i **wilith), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwilith)

gwelwen

air

(i ’welwen), pl. gwelwin (in gwelwin), also gwilith (i ’wilith), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwilith)

lind

noun. air, tune

lind

air

3) (of music) lind (song, tune; singer, in the latter sense also used of rivers), no distinct pl. form, but coll. pl. linnath (WJ.309)

lind

air

(song, tune; singer, in the latter sense also used of rivers), no distinct pl. form, but coll. pl. linnath (WJ.309)

menel

heaven

(i venel), pl. menil (i menil)

orthel

roof

(verb.) orthel- (i orthel, in erthelir for archaic in örthelir) (screen above);

orthel

roof

(i orthel, in erthelir for archaic in örthelir) (screen above); 

telu

roof

(noun, high roof) telu (i delu, o thelu) (dome), pl. tely (i thely);

telu

roof

(i delu, o thelu) (dome), pl. tely (i thely);

toba

roof over

(i** doba, i** thobar) (cover). Cited as a ”Noldorin” infinitive in -o (tobo).**

tobas

roof, roofing

(i** dobas, o thobas), pl. tebais (i** thebais) for archaic pl. töbais (VT46:19)

daedelu

canopy

1) daedelu (i dhaedelu), pl. daedely (i naedhely), 2) orthelian (pl. ortheliain)

daedelu

canopy

(i dhaedelu), pl. daedely (i naedhely)

orthelian

canopy

(pl. ortheliain)**

spenna

noun. cloud

Derived from a stem SPAN "white" (LR:387), but hardly a direct cognate of Quenya fanya and Telerin spania (both probably from spanjâ), nor a direct cognate of Sindarin faun, stated to be derived from spâna. Rather spenna must derive from spannâ, sc. the stem SPAN with the adjectival ending -nâ (or possibly the simpler adjectival ending -â combined with a medial strengthening n > nn). As for the change of a to e, cf. scella from skalnâ.

minal

noun. the heavens, sky

An Adûnaic noun for “the heaven” or “sky”, cognate of Q. menel but not a direct loan word from Quenya (SD/241). It was borrowed from Primitive Elvish, probably from an Avari dialect, and therefore underwent different phonetic development (SD/414). In one place Tolkien changed it minil (SD/414), but the form minal appears in various compounds and is probably to be preferred.

Changes

• Minal → Minil ✧ SD/414

Cognates

• ᴹQ. menel “the heavens, firmament, sky” ✧ SD/241

Derivations

• √Ad. MINIL “heaven, sky” ✧ SD/414
  • ᴹ√MENEL “heaven, sky” ✧ SD/414

Element in

• Ad. Arminalêth “*Royal Heaven (City)”
• Ad. minal-târik “heavenly pillar” ✧ SD/429
• Ad. Minal-zidar “Poise in Heaven” ✧ SD/200
• Ad. Minul-târik “Pillar of Heaven” ✧ SD/241; SD/429

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√Ad. MINIL > Minil	[minil]	✧ SD/414

Variations

• Minal ✧ SD/200; SD/414 (Minal)
• minil ✧ SD/241
• Minil ✧ SD/414

menel

noun. heaven, sky

Derivations

• √MENEL “heavens, firmament, heavens, firmament, [ᴹ√] sky”

Derivatives

• Q. menel “the heavens, firmament, sky”
• S. menel “the heavens, firmament, region of the stars”

Variations

• Menel ✧ NM/060

ell

noun. sky

An element meaning “sky” in several names from The Etymologies of the 1930s: N. Elfaron “Sky-hunter” (Ety/SPAR) and N. Elthoron “Eagle of the Sky” (Ety/THOR). It was derived from the root ᴹ√ƷEL “sky” which had an Old Noldorin form: ON. elle (Ety/ƷEL). However, Tolkien said “In Noldorin and Telerin this is confused with EL star”, implying that the word was not used in modern language; an earlier but rejected version of this entry had archaic N. †ell, el “sky” (EtyAC/ƷEL).

Neo-Sindarin: Despite the above statements, ell is probably the best attested option for “sky” in Neo-Sindarin, and I would use it as such, since it is in fact distinct from S. êl “star”, a word that is itself archaic/poetic versus more common S. gil.

Derivations

• On. elle “sky” ✧ Ety/ƷEL
  • ᴹ√ƷEL “sky” ✧ Ety/ƷEL

Element in

• ᴺS. eiliant
• N. Elfaron “Sky-hunter” ✧ Ety/SPAR
• N. Elthoron “Eagle of the Sky” ✧ Ety/THOR

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
On. elle > ell > el	[elle] > [ell] > [el]	✧ Ety/ƷEL

Variations

• el ✧ Ety/SPAR (el); Ety/THOR (el); EtyAC/ƷEL (el)

elrond

masculine name. Starry-dome, Sky

Elements

Word	Gloss
el	“star”
rhonn	“roof, cave”

daedelu

noun. canopy

daedelu

noun. canopy

A word for a “canopy” in The Etymologies of the 1930s, a combination of N. dae “shadow” and N. telu “roof” (Ety/TEL; EtyAC/DAY).

Neo-Sindarin: Since Tolkien seems to have later abandoned the meaning “shadow” for N. dae, I would not use this word for “canopy” in Neo-Sindarin, and would use other words like esgal or [N.] orthelian instead.

Elements

Word	Gloss
dae	“shadow (cast by an object or form), shade”
telu	“dome, high roof”

orthelian

noun. canopy

orthelian

noun. canopy

A word for “canopy” in The Etymologies of the 1930s, a noun form of N. ortheli “roof, screen above” (Ety/TEL).

gwilith

noun. air (as a region)

gwelw

noun. air (as substance)

orthel-

verb. to roof, screen above

ui

noun. envelope (especially of the Outer Sea or Air enfolding the world within the Ilurambar or world-walls)

gwelwen

noun. air, lower air (distinct from the upper air of the stars, or the outer)

faun

noun. cloud

faun

noun. cloud

Cognates

• ᴹQ. fána “cloud; white” ✧ Ety/SPAN

Derivations

• ᴹ✶spāna “cloud” ✧ Ety/SPAN
  • ᴹ√SPAN “white” ✧ Ety/SPAN

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶spāna > faun	[spāna] > [spǭna] > [sɸǭna] > [sɸouna] > [ɸouna] > [founa] > [fauna] > [faun]	✧ Ety/SPAN

lhind

noun. air, tune

lhinn

noun. air, tune

ui

noun. envelope

Cognates

• ᴹQ. Vaiya “Outer Sea, Enfolding Ocean” ✧ Ety/GEY
• ᴹQ. vai(y)a “envelope” ✧ Ety/WAY

Derivations

• ᴹ√WAY “enfold” ✧ Ety/GEY
• On. uia “envelope” ✧ Ety/WAY
  • ᴹ✶wāyā “envelope” ✧ Ety/WAY
  • ᴹ√WAY “enfold” ✧ Ety/GEY; Ety/WAY

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
On. uia > ui	[uia] > [ui]	✧ Ety/WAY

Variations

• Gui ✧ Ety/GEY (Gui)
• ui ✧ Ety/WAY