ta (3) pron. "they, them", an "impersonal" 3rd person pl. stem, referring "only to 'abstracts' or to things (such as inanimates) not by the Eldar regarded as persons" (VT43:20, cf. ta as an inanimate Common Eldarin plural pronoun, VT49:52). Compare te, q.v. The word ta occurring in some versions of Tolkien's Quenya Lord's Prayer may exemplify this use of ta as an "impersonal" plural pronoun: emmë avatyarir ta** "we forgive them" (VT43:8, 9; this refers to trespasses, not the trespassers). However, since Tolkien also wanted ta to mean "that" (see #1 above), he may seem to be somewhat dissatisfied with ta "they, them", introducing variant forms like tai (VT49:32) to free up ta as a sg. pronoun. In one document, tai was in turn altered to te (VT49:33), which could suggest that the distinction between animate and inanimate "they, them" was abandoned and the form te (q.v.) could be used for both. In some documents, Tolkien seems to use tar as the plural form (VT49:56 mentions this as an uncertain reading in a source where the word was struck out; compare ótar under ó**-).
Quenya
ta
that, it
ta
they, them
ta
there
ta (5) adv. "there" (VT49:33; this may be an Elvish root or "element" rather than a Quenya word; see tanomë; see however also tar, tara, tanna under ta #1).
ta
then
ta (4) conj., said to be a reducted form of tá "then", used "before each new item in a series or list"; "if as often in English the equivalent of and was omitted, and placed only before a final item [e.g. Tom, Dick, and Harriet], this would in Quenya represent a discontinuity, and what followed after ta would be an addition of something overlooked or less important". (PE17:70) Hence the use of arta (ar ta, "and ta") for "et cetera"; in older language ta ta or just ta.
ta
so, like that, also
ta (2) adv. "so, like that, also", e.g. ta mára "so good" (VT49:12)
ta
pronoun. them (inanimate)
ta
pronoun. that, there, that, there, [ᴹQ.] it
Derivations
- √TA “that, there, then; demonstrative”
Element in
- Q. A carnë ta yallë B (carnë) “A did that as / like B (did)” ✧ PE17/074
- Q. epetai “consequently, thereupon, thence, whereupon, (lit.) following which (fact)” ✧ VT49/08
- Q. etta “*therefore, (lit.) out of that”
- Q. ita “that which, what” ✧ VT49/12
- Q. taitë “of that sort” ✧ VT49/11
- Q. tallë “like that”
- Q. talo “thence” ✧ VT49/11
- Q. talumë “at that time” ✧ VT49/11
- Q. tama “that matter” ✧ VT49/11
- Q. tana “that”
- Q. tanen “in that way” ✧ VT49/11
- Q. tanna “thither”
- Q. tanomë “there, (lit.) in the place (referred to)” ✧ VT49/11
- Q. tar(a) “thither, thither; [ᴹQ.] beyond” ✧ VT49/33
- Q. tassë “there” ✧ VT49/11
Variations
- ta ✧ PE17/074; VT49/08; VT49/12; VT49/32; VT49/33
- tă ✧ VT49/11
ta
adverb/conjunction. so, like that, also; and also, then
Derivations
Element in
- Q. arta “etcetera” ✧ PE17/071
- Q. sanomë tarnë Olórin, Aracorno, Eomer, Imrahil, mi mísë, mi telepta yo morna, mi laiqua yo ninquë, mi luinë, ta Gimli mi lossëa “There stood Gandalf, Aragorn, Eomer and Imrahil in grey, in silver and black, in green and white, and in blue, and also Gimli in white” ✧ PE17/071
- Q. ta mára “so good” ✧ VT49/12
Variations
- ta ✧ PE17/070; PE17/070; PE17/070; PE17/071; PE17/071
- tă ✧ VT49/12
ita
that which
ita 3) pron "that which" (VT49:12), emended from tai (#1, q.v.) The form ita is compounded from the relative pronoun i + the pronoun ta "that, it".
tai
that which, what
tai (1) pron. "that which, what", "which fact" (VT42:34, VT49:12, 20). The word occurs in the sentence alasaila ná lá carë tai mo navë mára, translated "it is unwise not to do what one judges good". So tai = "what", but it means more literally "that which" (VT49:12), ta + i (cf. ta #1 and the use of i as a relative pronoun). In one note, Tolkien emended tai to ita, reversing the elements (VT49:12) and also eliminating the ambiguity involving the homophone tai #2, see below.
tai
they, them
tai (2) pron. "they, them", 3rd person pl., used with reference to inanimates rather than persons or living things (VT49:32, see ta #3 above). Perhaps to avoid the clash with tai "that which", the pronoun tai "they, them" was altered to te in at least one manuscript (VT49:33), so that it would merge with the pronoun used of living beings and the distinction between animate and inanimate would be abandoned (see te).
tai
then
tai (3) adv. "then", also tá (which form may be preferred because tai has other meanings as well) (VT49:33)
tai
1lE adverb. then
tai
pronoun. them (inanimate)
Element in
- Q. sív’ emmë apsenet tien i úcarir emmen “as we forgive those who trespass against us” ✧ VT43/20
Variations
- ta ✧ VT43/20
- tai ✧ VT49/32
- sa ✧ VT49/51
tar
adverb. thither
PQ. thither
tar
thither
tar (1) adv. or technically pron. with old allative ending: "thither" (TA). This is ta #1 with the same allative ending -r (from primitive -da) as in mir "into". Compare tanna. According to VT49:11, tar may also appear in the logner form tara.
tá
high
tá 2) adj. "high" (LT1:264; there spelt tâ. This is hardly a valid word in Tolkien's later Quenya, but cf. tára "lofty".)
tá
then
tá 1) adv. "then" (VT49:11). Cf. ta #4.
tá
adverb. then
Derivations
- √TA “that, there, then; demonstrative”
Element in
- Q. tenta “still, yet [past], still, yet [past], *up until then”
Variations
- tā ✧ VT49/11; VT49/33
- tai ✧ VT49/33
arta
etcetera
arta (3) adv. "etcetera" (PE17:71); see ta #4.
arta
adverb. etcetera
Variations
- arta ✧ PE17/071
i
pronoun. that
i, antevokaliskt in
conjunction. that
ne
that
ne (2) conj. "that" (as in "I know that you are here") (PE14:54), evidently replaced by i in Tolkiens later Quenya (see i #3).
sa
conjunction. that
sana
that
savin elessar ar <u>i</u> nánë aran ondórëo
that
i (3) conj. "that". Savin Elessar ar i nánë aran Ondórëo "I believe that Elessar really existed and that [he] was a king of Gondor" (VT49:27), savin…i E[lesarno] quetië naitë *"I believe that Elessars speaking [is] true" (VT49:28) Also cf. nai, nái "be it that" (see nai #1), which may seem to incorporate this conjunction.
talo
thence
talo adv. "thence". Also tó. Basically these are simple ablative/genitive forms of ta (#1) "that"; compare silo, sio. (VT49:11)
talo
adverb. thence
Element in
Variations
- tō ✧ VT49/11; VT49/29
- tălo ✧ VT49/11
tana
that
tana (1) demonstrative "that" (said to be "anaphoric") (TA). According to VT49:11, tana is the adjective corresponding to ta, "that" as a pronoun.
tana
that
Element in
- Q. tambë “*as, so”
Elements
Word Gloss ta “that, there, that, there, [ᴹQ.] it” Variations
- tănā ✧ VT49/11
tanya
that
tanya demonstrative "that" (MC:215; this is "Qenya", perhaps corresponding to later tana)
tar-
affix. high, high; [ᴹQ.] king or queen (in compounds)
Cognates
- S. -dor “*king, lord”
Derivations
- √TĀ/TAƷ “high, high, [ᴹ√] lofty; noble”
Element in
- Q. Alatar
- Q. Annatar “Lord of Gifts” ✧ SA/tar
- Q. Arantar “*High King”
- Q. Tar Calimos “*Royal Bright City”
- Q. Hyarantar “?Southern Height”
- Q. Sorontar “King of Eagles”
- Q. Taniquetil “High White Peak”
- Q. tára “lofty, tall, high” ✧ SA/tar
- Q. Tarannon
- Q. Tarcil “High Man, Númenórean”
- Q. Tarciryan
- Q. Tareldar “High-elves”
- Q. tarhanwa “throne, (lit.) high seat” ✧ PE22/148
- Q. tári “queen, queen, [ᴱQ.] mistress, lady” ✧ SA/tar
- Q. Tarindor “*High minded one”
- Q. tarma “pillar” ✧ SA/tar
- Q. Tarmenel “High Heaven”
- Q. tarminas “great towering building (fort/city/castle), tower”
- ᴺQ. tarolwen “sceptre, (lit.) royal branch”
- Q. Tarondor “?King of Stones”
- Q. Tarostar “?King of the Lands”
- Q. Tarquesta “High Speech, High Language”
- Q. Tarumbar “King of the World”
- S. Tarmund “Noble Bull”
Variations
- tar- ✧ PE22/148; SA/tar
tara
thither
tara adv. "thither"; see tar #1.
tás
there
tás adv. "there" (VT49:11); also tassë, q.v.
tás
adverb. there
yana
that
yana demonstrative "that" (the former) (YA)
arata
high, lofty, noble
arata adj. "high, lofty, noble" (PE17:49, 186). Also used as a a noun with nominal pl. form Aratar "the Supreme", the chief Valar, translation of the foreign word Máhani adopted and adapted from Valarin (WJ:402). Aratarya "her sublimity"; Varda Aratarya "Varda the lofty, Varda in her sublimity" (WJ:369). In one source, Aratar is translated as a singular: "High One" (PE17:186)
epeta
following that, thereupon, thence, whereupon
epeta adv. "following that, thereupon, thence, whereupon" (epë + ta #1). Also epta. (VT49:12)
tambë
so
tambë prep. (1) "so" or "as" (referring to something remote; contrast sívë). Sívë...tambë "as...so" (VT43:17).
tamen
thither
tamen adv. "thither" (VT49:33). Compare simen.
tamen
adverb. thither
tande
thither
tande adv. "thither" (MC:215; this is "Qenya")
tanen
in that way
tanen, tánen adv. "in that way", "therefore" (VT49:11). Basically the instrumental form of ta (#1) "that".
tanen
adverb. in that way
Element in
- Q. epetai i hyarma ú ten ulca símaryassen “consequently the left hand was not to them evil in their imaginations” ✧ VT49/11
tanna
thither
tanna (2) pron. in allative "thither" (VT14:5, PE16:96; evidently to be understood as the allative of ta #2: "to that [place]"). Compare tar and locative tassë.
tanna
adverb. thither
Element in
- Q. i·oromandi tanna lendë “*the wood-spirits came thither” ✧ PE16/096
- Q. lendë tanna Nieliccilis “*thither came little Niéle” ✧ PE16/096
Elements
Word Gloss ta “that, there, that, there, [ᴹQ.] it” Variations
- tanna ✧ PE16/096; PE16/096
tasse
there
tassë
there
tassë adv. "there" (VT49:11), short form tás. These seem to be properly locative forms of ta "that, it", hence "in that [place]". Compare allative tanna "thither" and ablative talo "thence".
tassë
adverb. there
Element in
- Q. tas cennen nótimë eldali “I saw a few elves there” ✧ PE22/155
Variations
- tas ✧ PE22/155
- tās ✧ VT49/11
- tasse ✧ VT49/11
tána
high, lofty, noble
tána (meaning unclear, probably adj. "high, lofty, noble") (TĀ/TA3). Compare tára.
sa
pronoun. them (inanimate)
tar(a)
adverb. thither, thither; [ᴹQ.] beyond
Derivations
- ✶tad(a) “thither, thereto, to that” ✧ PE19/104
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶tad > tar [tad] > [tað] > [tar] ✧ PE19/104 Variations
- tar ✧ PE19/104
- tăr ✧ VT49/11
- tăra ✧ VT49/11
- tamen ✧ VT49/33
te
they, them
te pron. "they, them", 3rd person pl. (VT49:51, LotR3:VI ch. 4, translated in Letters:308). The pronoun te represents an original stem-form (VT49:50). Dative ten, téna or tien "for them, to them" (q.v.) Stressed té (VT49:51). Ótë "with them", q.v. VT43:20 connects te "them" with a discussion of Common Eldarin pronominal stems (ca. 1940s), where te is the "personal" 3rd person pl. stem, referring to persons rather than abstracts or inanimates (which are denoted by ta instead; see, however, the entry ta #3 regarding the problems with this form, and the hints that te may possibly be used with reference to inanimates as well)). Also consider the reflexive pronoun intë "themselves", the final element of which is apparently this pronoun te; see also tú for the dual form.
apa
on
apa (2) prep. denoting "on" with reference to contact of surfaces, especially vertical surface (in the sense in which a picture hangs on a wall). Apa is said to have this meaning in various Tolkien manuscripts (VT44:26), but apa is also used for "after" (see apa #1 above), and the two were probably never meant to coexist in a single variant of Quenya. The clash may be avoided by consistently using the variants pá, pa (q.v.) mentioned by Tolkien in the sense of apa #2. Another variant gives apa, pá "on (above but touching)" (VT49:18).
pá
on
pá, pa (1) prep. "on" with reference to contact of surfaces, especially vertical surface (in the sense in which a picture hangs on a wall); also used = "touching, as regards, concerning" (VT44:26). Another variant gives pá (and apa) with the meaning "on (above but touching)". (2) Variants of apa "after" (VT44:36), which preposition is in one source also ascribed the first meaning here discussed. For Neo-Quenya purposes, pá and pa may be used for "on" or "concerning", whereas apa is used for "after" (see entries for apa #1 and #2), or pa may also be seen as a shorter form of apa "after", as in the phrase yéni pa yéni *"years upon years" (VT44:36)
san
then
san (1) adv. "then" (MC:216; also twice in Narqelion), a "Qenya" term apparently replaced by tá in Tolkiens later conception. In his later Quenya, san would be the dative form of sa "it", hence "for it; to it".
san
so
san (2) adv. ephemeral word for "so" (ya(n)...san "as...so"; san na "thus be" = let it be so, "amen"); this form was apparently quickly abandoned by Tolkien (VT43:16, 24, VT49.18)
ter
so
ter (2), also tér, prep. (?) ephemeral word for "so" (see ier), abandoned by Tolkien in favour of tambë (VT43:17)
toi
they
toi pron. "they" (FS; replaced by te in LotR-style Quenya?)
tó
thence
tó 2) adv. "thence" (for *tao, the pronoun ta "that, it" with the genitive ending -o, here used in an ablativic sense). Also talo, with -lo as a short form of the ablative ending -llo. (VT49:29, 11)
tó
adverb. thence
tú
they, them
tú pron. "they, them", 3rd person dual ("the two of them"), both "personal and neuter" (the pronoun can be used of persons and things alike). (VT49:51) Tolkien also considered tet for the same meaning, listing it alongside tú in one source (VT49:56), but this form was apparently abandoned.
-lto
they
-lto, "Qenya" pronominal ending "they"; see -ltë
-ltë
they
-ltë, 3rd person pl. pronominal suffix, "they" (VT49:51; cariltë "they do", VT49:16, 17). It alternates with -ntë in Tolkiens manuscripts (VT49:17, 57). In his early material, the ending also appears as -lto, occurring in Fíriel's Song (meldielto "they are beloved" and cárielto "they made"), also in LT1:114: tulielto "they have come" (cf. VT49:57). Compare -lta, -ltya as the ending for "their".
-ltë
suffix. they
Derivations
- ✶te “they” ✧ VT49/50
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶te/se > -lte [-lte] ✧ VT49/50 Variations
- -lte ✧ PE17/075; PE17/190; VT49/16; VT49/17 (-lte); VT49/51
-ntë
they
-ntë "they", pronomimal ending, inflexion of 3rd person plural when no subject is previously mentioned (CO; see also VT49:49). This ending competes with -ltë (q.v.) in Tolkiens conception (VT49:57; for "they do", both carintë and cariltë are attested, VT49:16 vs. 17). The corresponding pronominal possessive suffix appears as -ntya or -nta in various sources.
-ntë
suffix. they
Variations
- -nte ✧ PE17/057; PE17/190; UT/317; VT49/17
-ttë
suffix. themselves
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶-te-tē̆ > -tte [-tte] ✧ VT49/21 Variations
- -tte ✧ VT49/21
-ttë
they
-ttë (1) "they", dual 3rd person pronominal ending ("the two of them") (VT49:51), replacing (also within the legendarium) the older ending -stë (which was later used for the second person only). This older ending -stë corresponds to a possessive ending -sta "their" (VT49:16), but this was presumably likewise altered to *-tta as the new ending for dual "their" = "of the two of them".
halda
adjective. high, tall
intë
themselves
intë *"themselves", 3rd person pl. reflexive pronoun, e.g. *i neri tirir intë, "the men watch themselves". Intë is derived from earlier imte(VT47:37). Conceivably intë* is only used for "themselves" with reference to persons; impersonal "themselves" ought to be inta or intai, compare ta #3, tai #2. A form intai might however have evolved into intë by the Third Age (like pl. adjectives in -ai later came to end in -ë), thus converging with the "personal" form.% In an earlier source, Tolkien listed intë as an emphatic pronoun "they", 3rd person plural (VT49:48, 49); compare the pronominal ending -ntë. The word intë** (derived from inde via inze, an unusual development in Quenya) also appears as a candidate 2nd person singular polite form (VT49:49).
intë
pronoun. themselves
Derivations
Elements
Word Gloss im- “same” te “them” Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶imte > inte [imte] > [inte] ✧ VT47/37 Variations
- inte ✧ VT47/37
orna
adjective. high, lofty
orwa
adjective. high, lofty
Derivations
Variations
- orna ✧ PE17/186
or
preposition. above, above, [ᴱQ.] upon; on
Cognates
- N. or “above, above; [G.] onto, on top, on”
Element in
- Q. ar i Eru i or ilyë mahalmar ëa tennoio “and of the One who is above all thrones for ever” ✧ UT/305
- ᴺQ. oranar “noon, (lit.) above Sun”
- ᴺQ. orolanda “upland, plateau”
- ᴺQ. ortirmo “overseer”
- ᴺQ. ortur- “to overpower, conquer, prevail”
sanomë
there
sanomë adv. "there" (PE17:71). Cf. sinomë, tanomë.
sanomë
adverb. there
en
there, look! yon (yonder)
en (1) interjection "there, look! yon (yonder)" (EN, VT45:12)
ó-
used in words describing the meeting, junction, or union of two things or persons, or of two groups thought of as units
ó- (usually reduced to o- when unstressed) a prefix "used in words describing the meeting, junction, or union of two things or persons, or of two groups thought of as units". In omentië, onóna, ónoni, q.v. _(WJ:367, PE17:191; in the Etymologies, stem WŌ, the prefix _o-, ó- is simply defined as "together".) In VT43:29 is found a table showing how pronominal endings can be added to the preposition ó-; the resulting forms are onyë or óni "with me", ómë "with us" [also in VT43:36, where "us" is said to be exclusive], ólyë or ólë "with you" (olyë only sg. "you", whereas ólë can be either sg. or pl.), ósë "with him/her", ótë *"with them" (of animates where "them" refers to non-persons, óta [or shortened ót] is used, though the conceptual validity of ta as a pl. pronoun is questionable), ósa (or shortened ós) "with it". (Two additional forms, ótar and ótari, presumably mean "with them" of inanimate things; see VT49:56 for a possible second attestation of tar as the word for plural inanimate "they".) However, Tolkien's later decision to the effect that ó- refers to two parties only may throw doubt upon the conceptual validity of some of these forms, where at least three persons would be implied (like ótë "with them", where one person is "with" two or more others though Tolkien indicates that two groups may also be involved where the preposition ó- is used). The explicit statement in WJ:367 that the prepostion o (variant of ó) did not exist independently in Quenya is however difficult to get around, so instead using the preposition ó/o (with or without endings) for "with", writers may rather use as, the form appearing in the last version of Tolkien's Quenya Hail Mary (also attested with a pronominal suffix: aselyë "with you").
arata
high, lofty, noble
arata adj. "high, lofty, noble" (PE17:49, 186). Also used as a a noun with nominal pl. form Aratar "the Supreme", the chief Valar, translation of the foreign word Máhani adopted and adapted from Valarin (WJ:402). Aratarya "her sublimity"; Varda Aratarya "Varda the lofty, Varda in her sublimity" (WJ:369). In one source, Aratar is translated as a singular: "High One" (PE17:186)
ta (1) pron. "that, it" (TA); compare antaróta** "he gave it" (FS); see anta-. The forms tar/tara/tanna "thither", talo/tó "thence" and tás/tassë* "there" are originally inflected forms of this pronoun: "to that", "from that" and "in that" (place), respectively. Compare "there" as one gloss of ta (see #4).