Beware, older languages below! The languages below were invented during Tolkien's earlier period and should be used with caution. Remember to never, ever mix words from different languages!

Early Quenya

tel

noun. roof

Early Quenya [LT1A/Telimektar; QL/090] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telerines

place name. Telerines

A valley where Teler lived, mentioned only in the Qenya Lexicon and Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa from the 1910s (QL/91; PME/91), as some elaboration or abstraction of that name.

Early Quenya [PME/091; QL/091] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telimpe

proper name. Telimpe

Early Quenya [LT1/079; LT1/130; LT1A/Telimpë; LT1I/Silindrin; LT1I/Telimpë] Group: Eldamo. Published by

teleatka

proper name. Teleatka

Early Quenya [QL/032; QL/039] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telellin

proper name. Telellin

Early Quenya [LT1A/Telelli] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telpetalwi

feminine name. Telpetalwi

Early Quenya [PE13/104] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telda

adjective. having a roof

A word for “having a roof” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, an adjectival form of ᴱQ. tel (teld-) “roof” under the early root ᴱ√TELE (QL/90).

Early Quenya [LT1A/Telimektar; QL/090] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telea

adjective. *roofed

A word in notes on The Valmaric Script from the 1920s (PE14/109), possibly an adjectival form of ᴱQ. tel “roof” and so meaning “✱roofed, covered” as suggested by Arden Smith (PE14/111).

Early Quenya [PE14/109] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telpe

noun. butter

A Qenya word for “butter” in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s from primitive ᴱ✶t’lḗpe (PE13/154), a temporary repurposing of the form usually used for “silver”, which in this document was ᴱQ. telqe from primitive ᴱ✶kelekwé (PE13/140).

Early Quenya [PE13/154] Group: Eldamo. Published by

teltasse

noun. awning

A word appearing as {telte >>} teltasse “awning” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s derived from primitive {ᴱ✶tet’li >>} ᴱ✶tet’l-asse (GL/70).

Early Quenya [GL/70] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telumbe

noun. mushroom, (lit.) fairy-canopy

A word appearing as ᴱQ. telumbe “mushroom” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the root ᴱ√TELE “cover in”, along with a longer variant inwetelumbe where the initial element was ᴱQ. inwe “fairy” (QL/42), hence more properly “fairy-canopy” (QL/90).

Neo-Quenya: Since √TELU meant “roof in” in Tolkien’s later writings, I would retain ᴺQ. telumbë “mushroom” for purposes of Neo-Quenya.

Early Quenya [QL/090] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telumen tollanta naiko lunganar

the vault of heaven sagged upon the tops of the hills

The sixteenth phrase (lines 17-18) of the first version of the Oilima Markirya poem (MC/221). The first word is the nominative form of the noun telume “vault of heaven” followed by the allative of tolla “hill”, singular despite its English translation. It is followed by an adverb of unclear function naiko; this adverb is not reflected in the English translation, but in the Glossary Commentary accompanying the sixth draft, it is said to be the adverbial form of naika “stricken ill, sick” (PE16/75). The last word in the phrase is the aorist 3rd-singular masculine form of the verb lunga(na)- “sag, bend down”.

Decomposition: Broken into its constituent elements, this phrase would be:

> telume-n tolla-nta naik-o lungana-r = “✱heavens-(nominative) hill-upon sick-ly sag-he”

Conceptual Development: This phrase appeared in the fourth draft of this poem, where Tolkien first considered an alternate form lungáro of the verb before switching to lunganar (OM1d: PE16/62). Aside from the variant Finnish-like spelling of the fifth draft (OM1e: PE16/72), the phrase remained the same thereafter.

Early Quenya [MC/221; PE16/062; PE16/072; PE16/074] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telintule

adjective. bearing a roof, roofed

A word in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “bearing a roof, roofed”, a combination of ᴱQ. telin “roof” and ᴱQ. -tule “bearing” (QL/90, 95).

Early Quenya [QL/090; QL/095] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telpingwe

noun. silverfish

A noun appearing as ᴱQ. telpingwe “silverfish” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s as a combination of ᴱQ. telpe “silver” and ᴱQ. ingwe “fish” (QL/91).

Neo-Quenya: I think ᴺQ. telpingwë “silverfish” can be retained in Neo-Quenya as a combination of the later words Q. telpë “silver” and Q. lingwë “fish”, where the initial li of “fish” was reduced by haplology.

Early Quenya [PME/091; QL/091] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telume lungane

the heavens bending

The twenty third line of the Oilima Markirya poem (MC/214). The first word is the noun telume “heavens” followed by the “bare stem” infinitive form of the verb lunga(na)- “to bend”, as suggested by Gilson, Welden, and Hostetter (PE16/84, notes on line #10 and #11), apparently functioning as either an active-participle or a verbal object.

Decomposition: Broken into its constituent elements, this phrase would be:

> telume lunga-ne = “✱heavens bend-ing”

Early Quenya [MC/214] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telu

noun. end (fate), close

Early Quenya [LT1A/Teleri; PME/091; QL/091] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telu-

verb. to finish, end, close, complete; to cover, roof

Early Quenya [LT1A/Teleri; PE16/134; QL/091] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telwa

adjective. last, late

Early Quenya [LT1A/Teleri; QL/091] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telúme

noun. finish, conclusion, (the great) end

Early Quenya [PE13/104; PME/091; QL/091] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telúmea

adjective. final, conclusive, end; last; extreme

Early Quenya [QL/091] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telelle

proper name. little elf

Early Quenya [LT1/022; LT1A/Telelli; LT1I/Telelli; PE13/099; PE14/009; PME/091; QL/091] Group: Eldamo. Published by

teler

proper name. little elf

Early Quenya [LBI/Teleri; LR/165; LT1/050; LT1A/Telelli; LT1A/Teleri; LT1I/Teleri; LT2I/Teleri; PE13/099; PE13/154; PE14/009; PE14/109; PE15/08; PME/091; QL/090; SM/013] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telerea

adjective. elfin

Early Quenya [LT1A/Telelli; QL/091] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telerin

proper name. of ... Elfland, of Elfin kindred

Early Quenya [LT1A/Telelli; MC/216; PE16/090; PE16/092] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telimbo

noun. canopy; sky

Early Quenya [LT1A/Telimektar; QL/090] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telimektar

proper name. Orion, (lit.) Swordsman of Heaven

Early Quenya [GL/70; LT1A/Telimektar; LT1I/Telimektar; LT2/302; LT2I/Taimonto; LT2I/Telimektar; PE14/013; QL/088; QL/090; SMI/Telimektar] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telpe

noun. silver; money

Early Quenya [GL/25; LT1/100; LT1A/Ilsaluntë; LT1A/Telimpë; PE13/140; PE13/154; PE14/054; PME/091; QL/091] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telepta

adjective. of silver

Early Quenya [LT2A/Talceleb; QL/091] Group: Eldamo. Published by

teler-’ohta

proper name. *Sea-elf War

Early Quenya [PE14/109] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telin

noun. roof, covering

Early Quenya [QL/090] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telpea

adjective. silvern

Early Quenya [QL/047; QL/091] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telpina

adjective. of silver

Early Quenya [QL/091] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telume

noun. the heavens, (vault of) heaven, firmament

Early Quenya [MC/214; MC/221; PE16/062; PE16/065; PE16/072; PE16/074; PE16/075; PE16/142] Group: Eldamo. Published by

teluste

noun. extremity

Early Quenya [QL/091] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telya

adjective. attractive; importunate

Early Quenya [PE15/69; QL/090] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telyanta-

verb. to allure

Early Quenya [PE15/69; QL/090] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telella

adjective. elfin

Early Quenya [LT1A/Telelli; QL/091] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telar

noun. brick, tile

Early Quenya [PE13/153; PE14/070; PE16/138] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telempe

noun. silver

teleste

noun. (f.) little elf

Early Quenya [QL/090] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telesto

noun. (m.) little elf

Early Quenya [QL/090] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telko

noun. stem

Early Quenya [PE16/112; PE16/113; PE16/114; PE16/115] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telpea kalka

proper name. *Silvern Sickle

Early Quenya [PME/047; QL/047] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telpia

adjective. silvern

telpilin

noun. silver piece

Early Quenya [QL/091] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telqe

noun. silver

telumen

noun. finish, conclusion

telusta

adjective. outer, extreme, ultimate

Early Quenya [QL/091] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telyantalya

adjective. alluring

Early Quenya [PE15/69; QL/090] Group: Eldamo. Published by

telyantasse

noun. allurement

Early Quenya [PE15/69; QL/090] Group: Eldamo. Published by

kiris iluqingatelda

place name. Gully of the Rainbow Roof

In an early name list, Qenya cognate of G. Cris a Teld Quing Ilon, precursor to S. Cirith Ninniach (PE13/101). It is a combination of kiris “cleft”, iluqinga “rainbow” and telda “(having a) roof”, as suggested by Christopher Tolkien (LT2A/Teld Quing Ilon). In one early name list it appeared beside a variant form Kiris Ilqintelimba (PE13/101) where the second element contained telimbo “canopy”. Yet another variant form, Ilwerantelimba appeared in a different name list (PE15/21), with the initial element ilweran(ta) “rainbow”.

Early Quenya [LT2A/Teld Quing Ilon; PE13/101; PE15/21] Group: Eldamo. Published by

taitelúme

noun. firmament

An unglossed word in a draft of the Oilima Markirya poem from around 1930 given as taiteluume- “firmanent” (PE16/77), probably a combination of some derivative of ᴱ√TAHA “✱high” and ᴱQ. telume “firmanent, heavens”, as suggested by Gilson, Welden and Hostetter (PE16/79).

Early Quenya [PE16/077] Group: Eldamo. Published by

inwetelumbe

noun. mushroom, (lit.) fairy-canopy

nyara-

verb. to relate, tell

Early Quenya [QL/068] Group: Eldamo. Published by

mingwe

noun. butter

The word for “butter” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s was ᴱQ. manya derived from the early root ᴱ√MṆGṆ (QL/62) with the cognate G. mang “butter” from the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon (GL/56). A similar form ᴱQ. mingwe “butter” appeared in Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s (PE16/141, 145), along with an unrelated form ᴱQ. úle “butter” that also appeared as an adjective in the phrase masta {mingwea >>} úlea]] “bread and butter” (PE16/141). In contemporaneous Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s, the Qenya word for “butter” was ᴱQ. telpe rather than having its usual meaning “silver” as in earlier and later writings (PE13/154).

Neo-Quenya: Of these forms, I prefer ᴺQ. manya for “butter” for purposes of Neo-Quenya since it has the clearest (Neo-Sindarin) cognate ᴺS. mang. I assume these words are derived from a Neo-Root ᴺ√MANGYA where ngy became ng in (Old) Sindarin but became ndy in Quenya and then developed into ny.

Early Quenya [PE16/141; PE16/145] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ektar

noun. swordsman

Early Quenya [LT1A/Telimektar; PME/035; QL/035] Group: Eldamo. Published by

taime

noun. sky

A word for “the sky” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, with variants Taime and Taimie from the early root ᴱ√TAHA [DAHA] (QL/87). ᴱQ. tea “sky” from Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s is probably related, as suggested by Patrick Wynne and Christopher Gilson (PE16/142).

Early Quenya [LT1A/Telimektar; PE16/142; QL/088] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ka

?. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [PE14/054] Group: Eldamo. Published by

karnevaite úri kilde hísen níe nienaite

amid the red skies the Sun with wet eyes dropped tears of mist

The eighteenth phrase (the second part of line 20 and lines 21-22) of the first version of the Oilima Markirya poem (MC/221). Its English translation is quite liberal. The first Qenya word is a compound of karne “red” and an adjectival form vaite (“skied”) of vaiya “sky”, as indicated by the Glossary Commentary accompanying the sixth draft (PE16/75).

The subject úri is a variant form of Ûr “Sun” followed by the verb kilde, the aorist 3rd-singular feminine form of kili- “to see”. As indicated by the Glossary Commentary accompanying the sixth draft (PE16/75), the combination kili- nie (nienaite) is idiomatic Qenya meaning “have tears in the eyes”, more literally “see a dropping [(lit.) tearful] tear” (PE16/75).

In the middle of this phrase is the word hísen “of mist”, which superficially resembles a nominative but seems to function as a genitive, something supported by its translation in the Glossary Commentary as “misty”, it is possible, though that it is a distinct adjective.

Decomposition: Broken into its constituent elements, this phrase would be:

> karne-vaite úri kil-de híse-n níe nienaite = “✱red-skied Sun see-she mist-of tear tearful”

Conceptual Development: This phrase appeared in the fourth draft of this poem, where after experimenting with and rejecting some alternate wording, Tolkien settled on a phrase quite close to its final form, with the addition of the preposition ter “through” before nie “tear” (OM1d: PE16/62). This preposition was removed in the sixth draft (OM1f: PE16/74).

Early Quenya [MC/221; PE16/062; PE16/072; PE16/074] Group: Eldamo. Published by

teta-

verb. to attract (physical and figurative)

Early Quenya [PE15/69; QL/090] Group: Eldamo. Published by

tolto

cardinal. eight

Early Quenya [PE14/049; PE14/082] Group: Eldamo. Published by

alle

?. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [PE16/143] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ambarta

adjective. fated

Early Quenya [PE13/137; PE13/159] Group: Eldamo. Published by

anaukante

?. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [PE12/027] Group: Eldamo. Published by

angwe

?. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [PE16/145] Group: Eldamo. Published by

anwe

?. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [PE16/147] Group: Eldamo. Published by

arwa

noun. field

Early Quenya [PME/032; QL/032] Group: Eldamo. Published by

aukaine

?. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [PE12/027] Group: Eldamo. Published by

eant

?. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [PE12/027] Group: Eldamo. Published by

eldarin

adjective. Elfin

Early Quenya [PE15/71] Group: Eldamo. Published by

eldarinwa

adjective. Elfin

elte-

verb. to thrust in

Early Quenya [PE12/027; PE14/086; QL/035] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ematte

?. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [VT40/08] Group: Eldamo. Published by

fingwe

?. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [PE16/145] Group: Eldamo. Published by

hingwe

?. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [PE16/145] Group: Eldamo. Published by

hyanta

?. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [PE16/143] Group: Eldamo. Published by

intya

?. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [PE14/107] Group: Eldamo. Published by

kie

noun. path

laisifalle

noun. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [QL/052] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lantanwa

adjective. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [PE12/006] Group: Eldamo. Published by

las

noun. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [QL/051] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lilyen

?. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [PE16/080] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lindo

noun. singer

Early Quenya [LT1A/Tuilérë] Group: Eldamo. Published by

linqarassea

adjective. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [PE16/080] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lossiattea

?. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [PE16/147] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lungwe

?. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [PE16/145] Group: Eldamo. Published by

láwakéle

?. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [QL/052] Group: Eldamo. Published by

maite

adjective. handed

Early Quenya [PE14/084] Group: Eldamo. Published by

makillar

noun. swordsman

Early Quenya [QL/058] Group: Eldamo. Published by

manya

noun. butter

Early Quenya [QL/062] Group: Eldamo. Published by

min-

verb. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [PE14/028] Group: Eldamo. Published by

nauto

noun. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [QL/064] Group: Eldamo. Published by

nawa-

verb. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [QL/064] Group: Eldamo. Published by

nierme

?. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [VT40/08] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ningwe

?. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [PE16/145] Group: Eldamo. Published by

nyúken

?. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [PE16/077] Group: Eldamo. Published by

oilima

adjective. last

Early Quenya [MC/213; MC/214; MC/221; PE16/062; PE16/066; PE16/067; PE16/072; PE16/073; PE16/074; PE16/075; PE16/076; PE16/077; PE16/080] Group: Eldamo. Published by

palante

noun. plain

palume

noun. plain

Early Quenya [QL/071; QL/072] Group: Eldamo. Published by

pelko

noun. leg

Early Quenya [PE14/052; PE14/076; PE15/74; QL/073] Group: Eldamo. Published by

pingwe

?. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [PE16/145] Group: Eldamo. Published by

porokoi

?. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [QL/075] Group: Eldamo. Published by

pundo

noun. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [PE16/111] Group: Eldamo. Published by

póya

adjective. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [QL/074] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ralle

?. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [PE16/143] Group: Eldamo. Published by

saile

noun. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [GL/72] Group: Eldamo. Published by

saqa-

verb. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [PE14/034] Group: Eldamo. Published by

sauke

?. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [QL/082] Group: Eldamo. Published by

sinqita-

verb. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [VT40/08] Group: Eldamo. Published by

sivilda

?. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [QL/084] Group: Eldamo. Published by

súlimarya

?. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [VT40/08] Group: Eldamo. Published by

súme

?. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [VT40/08] Group: Eldamo. Published by

taimie

noun. sky

tal-

noun. to end

Early Quenya [PE16/143] Group: Eldamo. Published by

talarin

adjective. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [QL/088] Group: Eldamo. Published by

talas

noun. sole

Early Quenya [LT2A/Talceleb; PME/088; QL/088] Group: Eldamo. Published by

talma

noun. end

Early Quenya [PE16/144] Group: Eldamo. Published by

talqe

noun. glass

Early Quenya [GL/25; PME/088; QL/088] Group: Eldamo. Published by

tantilta-

verb. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [PE14/058] Group: Eldamo. Published by

tea

noun. sky

tirípti

?. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [LT1/047] Group: Eldamo. Published by

toron

?. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [QL/094] Group: Eldamo. Published by

tultárie

adjective. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [PE14/030] Group: Eldamo. Published by

tyalu-

verb. to play

Early Quenya [PE15/76] Group: Eldamo. Published by

tyanta

?. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [PE16/142] Group: Eldamo. Published by

táne

adjective. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [PE13/161] Group: Eldamo. Published by

tánie

adjective. [unglossed]

ukárele

noun. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [PE12/006] Group: Eldamo. Published by

umna

cardinal. eight

Early Quenya [GL/75] Group: Eldamo. Published by

umpai

?. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [PE12/027] Group: Eldamo. Published by

upaitya-

verb. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [QL/034] Group: Eldamo. Published by

usult

?. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [QL/087] Group: Eldamo. Published by

valle

?. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [PE16/143] Group: Eldamo. Published by

vingwe

?. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [PE16/145] Group: Eldamo. Published by

yu

?. [unglossed]

Early Quenya [PE16/146] Group: Eldamo. Published by

úle

noun. butter

Early Quenya [PE16/141] Group: Eldamo. Published by