#tengwië noun "language" in the compound mátengwië "language of the hands" (VT47:9). Compare tengwë, tengwesta.
Quenya
tengwë
indication, sign, token
tengwë
noun. sign, token, indication; writing, sign, token, indication; writing; [ᴱQ.] knowledge, understanding; idea, notion, thought
tengwië
language
tengwa
letter
tengwa (pl. tengwar is attested) (1) noun "letter" Tengwa (ñ) is defined as "any one visible sign representing (theoretically) any one audible teñgwe" (phoneme) (VT39:17). In non-technical usage tengwa was equivalent to "consonant", since only the consonants were full signs (WJ:396, TEK). In the Etymologies, tengwa was apparently emended from tengwë (VT46:17).
tengwa
noun. sign
sign, indicator, letter
tengwelë
language
tengwelë noun "Language" (in all its aspects), a general word for the grouping and composing of tengwi (linguistic "signs", phonemes) into a linguistic system (VT39:16)
tengwestië
language
tengwestië noun "Language" as abstract or phenomenon (WJ:394)
lambetengwë
consonant
#lambetengwë noun "consonant" (as a tengwë or phoneme), literally "tongue-signs". Only pl. lambetengwi ("ñ") is attested (VT39:16)
óma-tengwë
vowel
#óma-tengwë noun "vowel" (only pl. óma-tengwi attested); this refers to vowels considered as independent phonemes, according to Fëanor's new insights on phonemics. Also #ómëa. (VT39:8; ómatengwi ["ñ"] with no hyphen in VT39:16)
lambetengwë
noun. consonant
pávatengwë
noun. consonant
óma-tengwë
noun. vowel-sign
#hlonítë
phonetic
#hlonítë adj. "phonetic", only attested in the pl. in the phrase hloníti tengwi "phonetic signs" (sg. #hlonítë tengwë) (WJ:395). The sg. form hlonitë with a short i occurs in VT48:29 and PE17:138. The form #hlonítë was changed by Tolkien from hlonaitë, as in hlonaitë tengwesta "a tengwesta [q.v.] employing phonetic signs" (VT39:4),hlonaiti tengwi "phonetic signs" (VT39:4).
lehta
free, released
lehta (2) adj. "free, released" (VT39:17); #lehta tengwë "free element, released element", a term for "vowel" (only pl. lehta tengwi [ñ] is attested; we would rather expect *lehtë tengwi with the pl. form of the adjective) (VT39:17)
mussë tengwë
soft elements
#mussë tengwë noun-phrase only attested in the pl.: mussë tengwi ("ñ") "soft elements", a term for vowels, semi-vowels (y, w) and continuants (l, r, m, n). (In the pl. we would rather expect *mussi tengwi with the pl. form of the adjective.) (VT39:17)
náva-tengwë
mouth-sign
náva-tengwë noun*"mouth-sign" = "consonant" considered as a phoneme (only pl. náva-tengwi ["ñáva-"] is attested). Also #návëa. Fëanor later substituted the term #pataca (VT39:8)
quanta
full
quanta (1) ("q") adj. "full" (KWAT, Narqelion, VT39:8, VT43:28), "filled, full" (PE17:68); the gloss "filled" would suggest that quanta can be regarded as a passive participle of quat- (q.v.) In these phrases: quanta sarmë "full writing", writing with separate letters for vowels (VT39:8); #quanta tengwë "full sign" (only pl. quantë tengwi is attested), in early Elvish analysis of Quenya the term for a consonant + a vowel (then analyzed as a kind of unitary phoneme rather than two phonemes); hence a stem like mata- "eat" was analyzed as two quantë tengwi, namely ma + ta. (VT39:5)
racina
stripped, deprived
#racina adj. "stripped, deprived"; this adj. is only attested in the pl. (racinë ["k"]). Compare rácina under rac- above. Cf. #racina tengwë (only pl. racinë tengwi ("k") is attested) "stripped sign", "deprived sign"; in early Elvish analysis of Quenya the term for a consonant with no following vowel; the vowel was held to have disappeared or been omitted (VT39:6)
sarda tengwë
hard sound
#sarda tengwë noun "hard sound", a term for "consonant", but not used of semi-vowels (y, w) and continuants (l, r, m, noun). (Only pl. sarda tengwi [ñ] is attested; we would rather expect #sardë tengwi with the pl. form of the adjective.) Sarda tengwi are also simply called sardë "hards", see sarda. (VT39:17)
tapta tengwë
impeded elements
#tapta tengwë phrase only attested in the pl.: tapta tengwi ("ñ") "impeded elements", a term for consonants. (In the pl. we would rather expect *taptë tengwi with the pl. form of the adjective.) Also simply tapta pl. taptar (VT39:17)
óma
voice
óma noun "voice" (OM), "voice, resonance of the vocal chords" (VT39:16), "voice /vowel" _(PE17:138, where it is said that the root _OM refers to "drawn-out" sounds; contrast tomba, q.v.). With pronominal suffix #ómarya "his/her voice", genitive ómaryo "of his/her voice" (Nam, RGEO:67). Instrumental pl. ómainen "with voices" _(WJ:391). Adj. ómalóra "voiceless" (VT45:28)_. The term óma is closely associated with vowels, see óma-tengwë, ómëa; cf. also the compounds ómataina "vocalic extension", the addition to the base a final vowel identical to the stem-vowel (WJ:371, 417; also called ómataima, VT42:24, 25), ómatehtar "vowel-signs", signs used for vowels (usually called simply tehtar, but the latter term strictly includes all kinds of diacritics, not just the vowel-signs) (WJ:396)
óman
vowel
óman noun "vowel" (stem omand- as in the pl. omandi, which form was misread as "amandi" in the Etymologies as printed in LR, entry OM; see VT46:7). The terms óma-tengwë, ómëa from a later source are probably to be preferred.
ómëa
vowel
#ómëa noun "vowel" (only pl. ómëar attested); this refers to vowels considered as independent phonemes, according to Fëanor's new insights on phonemics. Also #óma-tengwë. (VT39:8)
Nolmë
knowledge, philosophy (including science)
Nolmë ("ñ")noun "knowledge, Philosophy (including Science)" (PM:360 cf. 344)
aranya
free
aranya, also ranya, adj. "free". Another gloss was not certainly legible, but the editors suggest "uncontrolling" (VT46:10)
fairë
free
fairë (4) adj. "free" (LT1:250) (rather léra, lerina or mirima in LotR-style Quenya)
handë
knowledge, understanding, intelligence
handë noun "knowledge, understanding, intelligence" (KHAN). Note: *handë is (probably) also the past tense of the verb har- "sit".
hlonaitë
adjective. phonetic
hlonitë
phonetic
hlonitë adj. "phonetic", apparently a close variant of hlónítë below (VT48:29, PE17:138)
hlonitë
adjective. phonetic
issë
knowledge, lore
issë noun "knowledge, lore" (LT2:339; rather ista or istya in Tolkien's later Quenya)
ista
knowledge
ista (1) noun "knowledge" (IS). Also istya.
istare
noun. knowledge
istya
knowledge
istya noun "knowledge" (IS). Also ista (#1).
lambelë
language
lambelë noun "Language" (especially with reference to phonology), *"phonetics" (VT39:15)
lenta
adjective. free
lerina
free
lerina adj. "free" of things: not guarded, reserved, made fast, or "owned" (VT41:5)
léra
free
léra adj. noun "free", of persons (VT41:5)
mirima
free
mirima adj. "free" (MIS). ("Free" is rather expressed as léra in Tolkiens later Quenya; mirima would be prone to confusion with mírima above.)
narwë
sign, token
[narwë (and short nar, unless this is an incomplete form) noun "sign, token"] (VT45:37)
náva-tengwë
noun. consonant
návëa
consonant
#návëa nounor adj. "consonant" (only pl. návëar ["ñ"] is attested) (VT39:8)
pataca
consonant
#pataca noun "consonant" (only pl. patacar ["k"] is attested) (VT39:8)
pataca
noun. consonant
A word for “consonant” invented by Fëanor to represent the chief points of consonantal contact or friction: p, t, k (VT38/8).
penna
vowel
#penna noun "vowel" (only pl. pennar is attested) (VT39:16)
ráva
free, unfettered, uncontrolled, lawless
ráva (1) adj. "free, unfettered, uncontrolled, lawless" (PE17:78), "wild, untamed"_ (RAB). _In PE17:78, the gloss "wild" is given to the variant hráva instead.
sarat
letter
sarat (pl. sarati given) noun "letter", any individual significant mark, used of the letters of Rúmil after the invention of Fëanor's tengwar (WJ:396). Cf. sarmë.
sarmë
writing
sarmë noun "writing" (VT39:8). Cf. sarat.
sarmë
noun. writing
taina
sign
#taina (2) noun "sign", isolated from Tainacolli *"Sign-bearer" MR:385
tanna
sign, token
tanna (1) noun "sign, token" (MR:385, PE17:186), also tanwa (PE17:186)
tanwa
sign, token
tanwa noun "sign, token" (Tolkien marked this word with a query, but it is not clearly rejected). Also tanna (#1). (PE17:186)
ólama
noun. consonant
óman
noun. vowel
ómatehta
noun. vowel-sign
ómëa
noun/adjective. vowel, vowel; [ᴹQ.] voiced
tengwë (pl. tengwi attested) noun "indication, sign, token", in linguistics used for phonemes(VT39:7, WJ:394); hloníti tengwi "phonetic signs" (WJ:395). The term tengwë was particularly associated with consonants (VT39:16). In the Etymologies, stem TEK, tengwë is glossed "writing"; this gloss would seem to be obsolete (for this meaning the word sarmë occurs in Tolkien's later material).