tenna

noun. thought

thought, notion, idea

sanwecenda

thought-inspection, thought-reading

sanwecenda ("k")noun "thought-inspection, thought-reading" (VT41:5, PE17:183)

sanwë

thought, an act of thinking

sanwë noun "thought, an act of thinking" (VT39:23, 30; VT41:5, 13, PE17:183)

sanwë-latya

thought-opening

sanwë-latya noun "thought-opening", direct, telepathic thought-transfer (VT39:23)

sanwë-menta

thought-sending, mental message

sanwë-menta noun "thought-sending, mental message" ((VT41:5, PE17:183)

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").

ósanwe-centa

proper name. [Enquiry into] Communication of Thought

Title of an essay on the mental-communication abilities of the Elves, with the English translation “Communication of Thought” (MR/415). Elsewhere, the word ósanwë by itself is translated “communication of thought” or “interchange of thought” (VT39/23-4, PE17/183). Furthermore, in the title of another essay, centa is translated “enquiry”: Essecenta Eldarinwa “Enquiry (into the origins) of the Elvish names” (MR/415, WJ/359). Thus, the full meaning of this title is likely “Enquiry into Communication of Thought”.

ósanwë

interchange of thought

ósanwë noun "interchange of thought", "communication of thought", i.e. telepathy (VT39:23, PE17:183, cf. MR:415); Ósanwë-centa ("k")noun "Enquiry into the Communication of Thought" (VT39:23 cf. MR:415)

indo

noun. (state of) mind, (inner) thought, mood; will, resolve, (state of) mind, (inner) thought, mood; will, resolve; [ᴹQ.] heart

sanwecenda

noun. thought-inspection, thought-reading

sanwementa

noun. thought-sending, mental message

sanwë

noun. thought, an act of thinking

sanwë-latya

noun. thought-opening

ósanwë

noun. communication of thought, interchange of thought; (lit.) thinking together (dual)

enne

noun. thought, purpose

sanwe

noun. thinking, thought

tengwë

noun. sign, token, indication; writing, sign, token, indication; writing; [ᴱQ.] knowledge, understanding; idea, notion, thought

tenna

noun. thought, notion, idea

axanwë

noun. logic, (orig.) law of thought

A neologism coined by Arael posted on 2023-12-15 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), originally a combination of axan “law” and sanwë “thought”, with some reductions.

sanwelunga

adjective. serious, (lit.) thought-heavy

indo

heart, mood

indo (1) noun "heart, mood" (ID), "state" (perhaps especially state of mind, given the other glosses) (VT39:23), "mind, region/range of thought, mood" (PE17:155, 179), "inner thought, in fea as exhibited in character or [?personality]" (PE17:189). In another post-LotR source, indo is translated "resolve" or "will", the state of mind leading directly to action (VT41:13). Indo is thus "the mind in its purposing faculty, the will" (VT41:17). Indo-ninya,a word occurring in Fíriels Song, translated "my heart" (see ninya). In the compound indemma "mind-picture", the first element would seem to be indo.

nó

conception

nó (1) (stem nów- as in pl. nówi) noun "conception" (= idea) (NOWO). In an earlier version, later deleted, nó represented earlier ñó (ngó), glossed "idea, thought" (VT46:6).

Ainu

holy one, angelic spirit

Ainu noun "holy one, angelic spirit"; fem. Aini (AYAN, LT1:248); "one of the 'order' of the Valar and Maiar, made before Eä"; pl. Ainur is attested. Adopted and adapted from Valarin ayanūz(WJ:399). In the early "Qenya Lexicon", ainu was glossed "a pagan god", and aini was similarly "a pagan goddess", but as Christopher Tolkien notes, "Of course no one within the context of the mythology can call the Ainur 'pagan' " (LT1:248). Ainulindalë noun "Music of the Ainur" (SA:lin #2), the First History (WJ:406), the Song of Creation (AYAN)

Ancalë

radiant one

Ancalë noun("k") "radiant one" or "radiance" = Sun (KAL, VT45:5, 18). In the pre-classical Tengwar system presupposed in the Etymologies, Ancalë was the name of letter #7 (VT45:18), which tengwa Tolkien would later call anga instead changing its Quenya value from nc to ng. - Another source (VT45:36) cites the word for "radiance, Sun" as incalë ("k"), but the form Ancalë is probably to be preferred.

ainu

noun. holy one, spirit, holy one, angelic spirit (m.); [ᴱQ.] (pagan) god

elwen

heart

elwen noun "heart" (LT1:255; rather hón or enda in LotR-style Quenya)

enda

heart

enda noun "heart", but not referring to the physical organ; it literally means "centre" (cf. endë) and refers to the fëa (soul) or sáma (mind) itself. (VT39:32)

hondo

noun. [metaphorical] heart, (seat of the) deepest feelings

A variant of hón “(physical) heart” used of more metaphorical expressions which Tolkien said was: “often used as the (seat of the) deepest feelings such as pity or hate parallel to ōre ‘innermost mind’ (NM/176)”. It also appears as in element in compounds such as hondoringa “cold-hearted” (CPT/1298) or sincahonda “flint-hearted” (LotR/979), where such expressions were figurative rather than literal.

hón

heart

hón noun "heart" (physical) (KHŌ-N); hon-maren "heart of the house", a fire (LR:63, 73; this is "Qenya" with genitive in -en, not -o as in LotR-style Quenya read *hon-maro?)

ilúvë

noun. the whole, the all, allness, the whole, the all, allness; [ᴹQ.] universe, world; Heaven

A term for everything in existence, an elaboration on (or variant of) Q. ilu. It was the initial element of Q. Ilúvatar “All-father” (MR/39). In the Quendi and Eldar essay of 1959-60, Tolkien said ilúvë “allness, the all” was an equivalent of Q. Eä “All Creation” (WJ/402). In The Etymologies of the 1930s, it seems to be the equivalent of ᴹQ. ilu “universe” (Ety/IL).

Conceptual Development: In note from the 1940s Tolkien used Ilúve for “heaven” (MR/355), and in the earliest draft of Elendil’s Oath he used Iluve for “world” (SD/56), the latter eventually revised to Q. Ambar (LotR/967). These both seem to have been transient ideas.

Neo-Eldarin: Compared to Q. ilu, I feel that ilúvë is the totality of everything in the universe as originating from Eru, as opposed to ilu which is the entire universe itself. I think that, technically speaking, ilúvë does not include Eru, whereas ilu does. In the sense that it includes all things created by Eru, ilúvë resembles Q. Eä, but it also includes the Ainur and other spirits not within the material realm, and so in that respect is distinct from Ëa. These fine-grained interpretations are mostly speculation on my part.

immo

same one, self

immo, "same one, self" (VT49:33), general singular reflexive pronoun (covering both the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person sg.), except where the subject is impersonal, in which case imma is used instead (VT47:37). Hence *tirin immo* "I watch [my]self", tirilyë immo "you watch [your]self", tiris immo "(s)he watches [him/her]self" (but apparently tiris imma** "it watches [it]self").

manima

of what kind

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)

noa

conception

noa (1) noun "conception" (= idea) (NOWO)

noldo

one of the people of the noldor

noldo (ñ) noun "one of the people of the Noldor", "one of the wise folk, Gnome". Cf. the gloss "Gnome" in early "Qenya" (LT1:262). Also name of tengwa #19, that is used for the initial n of noldo in Tengwar spelling. Originally pronounced ngoldo (also spelt ñoldo by Tolkien, ÑGOLOD); initial ng had become n in Third Age pronunciation (Appendix E). Pl. Noldor ("Ñoldor"), "the Wise", name of the second clan of the Eldar (WJ:380, 381); gen. pl. Noldoron "of the Noldor" is attested (VT39:16)

nostalë

species, kind

nostalë noun "species, kind" (LT1:272)

pano

plan, arrangement

pano (2) noun "plan, arrangement" (QL:72)

súriquessë

noun. species of grass, (lit.) wind feather

The name of grass-like plant, a label of one of Tolkien’s drawings in the book J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator (TAI/197), like a combination of súrë (súri-) “wind” and quessë “feather”.

talma

noun. basis, basis; [ᴹQ.] foundation, base, root; [ᴱQ.] end

This word appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as ᴹQ. talma “base, foundation, root” derived from ᴹ✶talmā, appearing under the root ᴹ√TALAM “floor, base, ground” as an extension of ᴹ√TAL “foot” (Ety/TAL). The word talma “basis” appeared as either a Quenya or a primitive word in Common Eldarin: Noun Structure from the early 1950s (PE21/80).

Conceptual Development: Qenya word-lists of the 1920s had ᴱQ. talma “end” (PE16/144). The Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s had ᴱQ. tauma “basis, foundation, ground floor” under the early root ᴱ√TAW̯A (QL/90).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya I would use this word for “basis; foundation, base” (physical or conceptual), but for “root” I would use Q. sundo.

vanima

noun. beautiful one, fair one

órë

heart

órë (1) noun "heart" (inner mind), also name of tengwa #21 (Appendix E), "premonition" (VT41:13), "nearest equivalent of 'heart' in our application to feelings, or emotions (courage, fear, hope, pity, etc.)" (VT41:13). The órë apparently defines a person's personality, cf. the description of Galadriel in PM:337, that "there dwelt in her the noble and generous spirit (órë) of the Vanyar". Órenya "my heart" (VT41:11).

órë

noun. heart (inner mind); warning, caution, (pre)monition, heart (inner mind), *conscience; warning, caution, (pre)monition

The meaning of the Quenya word órë is quite subtle, and does not have a direct equivalent in English. In The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien translated the word as “heart (inner mind)” (LotR/1123), but elsewhere he said that this was a poor translation of the word (VT41/11; NM/220). Tolkien wrote a lengthy essay on the nature of this word, first published in the year 2000 (VT41/11-19) and again in 2021 (NM/219-225). In this essay Tolkien described it as the source of wisdom and moral impulses that informed one’s judgement, so perhaps the closest English equivalent is “conscience”. This is still not quite right, however, since the órë could be the source of negative impulses as well, particularly among Men (VT41/13; NM/223). Furthermore, divine powers such as the Valar could sometimes (but not always) communicate subtly through one’s órë (VT41/15). Galadriel was described as having a particularly noble and generous órë (PM/337).

This word could also be used with the sense “warning, caution” (VT41/15) or even “premonition” (VT41/13). It seems that the órë and its urges was viewed as almost external to the mind itself, as indicated by the phrase órenya quetë nin “my heart tells me” = “I feel compelled to ...”, not unlike the pop-cultural “shoulder angel and devil” whispering into your ear. Tolkien said that in Quenya this word was associated with the sense of √OR “rise” and its urges were seen as rising up within the spirit (VT41/13). Compare this to the words for ordinary feelings, such as fëafelmë “✱(lit.) spirit-impulse”.

The word órë was also the name of tengwa #21 [6] used for a weak and untrilled medial r (LotR/1123), many of which originated from primitive intervocalic [z] or [d]. There is no sign that órë ever had such a consonant medially, however, and it seems this name was chosen simply because it had a medial r.

Conceptual Development: Possible precursors to this word in Tolkien’s earlier writings include ᴹQ. hóre “impulse” from The Etymologies (Ety/KHOR), as well as ᴱQ. ir (ird-) “interior, centre, inwards, inner parts” >> ᴱQ. hir (hird-) “inwards, interior, inside, heart” from Early Noldorin word lists of the 1920s (PE13/144, 161).

carranta

noun. strategy, (lit.) action-course

A neologism coined by Luinyelle posted on 2023-11-04 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), a combination of KAR “act[ion]” and [ᴹQ.] ranta “course”.

endië

noun. average

A noun for “average” coined by Orondil posted on 2025-06-03 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), inspired by Delle’s alternate neo-gloss “average” for endëa “middle”.

manaitë

adjective. of what kind, of what sort, what kind of

nostalë

noun. species, kind, *type, sort; nature

nóquista

noun. hypothesis

A neologism for “hypothesis” coined by Parmandil posted on 2026-04-15 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), a combination of nó “before” and quista “supposition”.

ocaraitië

noun. program, a set of activities

A neologism for “program”, more exactly “a set of activities”, coined by Sami Paldanius in the 1000W project (1000W) as a combination of o- “together” and caraitië “activity”.

quista

noun. assumption, supposition

A neologism for “assumption, supposition” coined by Parmandil posted on 2026-04-15 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), a noun form of √KWIS “suppose”, from primitive ✱kwis-dā.

sundë

noun. element, ingredient, a basic component

A neologism coined by Lokyt posted on 2024-09-14 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), derived from the root ᴹ√STUD “base”.

súnalë

noun. inspiration

@@@ Discord 2022-05-13

nauth

noun. thought

nauth

noun. thought

ûn

noun. idea, thought

ind

noun. inner thought, meaning, heart

ind

noun. inner thought, meaning, heart

inn

noun. inner thought, meaning, heart

inn

noun. inner thought, meaning, heart

anfang

noun. one of the Longbeards (a tribe of Dwarves)

hûn

noun. heart (physical)

in(id)

root. mind, (inner) thought, inmost heart, inner senses

A root appearing in various notes written around 1957 connected to the mind (PE17/145, 155, 189; UT/400; VT43/16). Its most notable derivatives are Q. indo/S. ind “(state of) mind”. In The Etymologies of the 1930s, ᴹQ. indo “heart, mood” and N. ind “inner thought, meaning, heart” were instead derived from the root ᴹ√ID; this 1930s root was unglossed but had derivatives connected to both thoughts and desires, such as ᴹQ. íre “desire, longing” (Ety/ID).

Tolkien introduced a new derivation of indo from √IN(ID) in Quenya Notes written in 1957 (PE17/145, 189):

> IN-I-D, mind, inner thought. These refer to the movements or activities of the fëa or “spirit” (rational soul). indo, inner thought, in fea as exhibited in character or [?personality]. indóme, settled character, also used of the “will” of Eru (PE17/189).

The root √IN- “inmost heart, thought, mind” with extended forms √INID and √INIS also appeared in contemporaneous Notes on Names (NN), again as the basis for indo (PE17/155).

Tolkien coined yet another etymology of Q. indo in notes written in 1969, deriving it from √NID “force, press(ure), thrust” (PE22/165). This new derivation doesn’t necessarily invalidate √INID, but rather gives a new basis for the root itself as an vocalic augment of √NID rather than an extended form of √IN-.

san

root. think, use mind; (trans.) ponder, consider in thought

Tolkien used this root and ones like it on-and-off for Elvish “thought” words throughout his life. The first manifestation of this root was in words from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s like G. sana- “can, know how to, have knowledge, craft or skill” and G. santhi “knowledge, experience (in) or skill (in)” (GL/67), which suggests a (hypothetical) early root ✱ᴱ√SANA “know”, though such a root does not appear in the contemporaneous Qenya Lexicon. In etymological notes associated with the Ósanwe-kenta essay from 1959-60 Tolkien gave:

> √SAM mind, think, reflect, be aware. sāma a mind. sanwe an act of thinking, a thought (✱sam-we). ósanwe interchange of thought (between 2 samat). sanwekenda thought-inspection, thought-reading. sanwe-menta thought-sending, mental message (VT41/5).

However, in notes associated with óre that were contemporaneous with The Shibboleth of Feanor from 1968, Tolkien gave Q. sanar = “mind, reflector, thinker” (VT41/13), and in Late Notes on Verb Structure (LVS) from 1969 (LVS) Tolkien gave the root √SAN “think, use mind; ponder, consider (in thought)” with derivative Q. sanwë “(act or process of) thinking, thought” (PE22/158). Thus 1959-60 √SAM “think” >> 1968-69 √SAN “think”, perhaps a restoration of the Gnomish root from the 1910s.

inis

root. inmost heart, thought, mind

sam-wē

noun. an act of thinking, a thought

gōrē

noun. heart, inner(most) mind

talmā

noun. basis

ñgōlē

noun. Science/Philosophy as a whole

ind

noun. some particular purpose or intention of an individual; heart, some particular purpose or intention of an individual; heart [metaphorical], [N.] inner thought, meaning

gordh

noun. deep thought

nauth

thought

nauth (pl. noeth, coll. pl. nothath);

nauth

thought

(pl. noeth, coll. pl. nothath);

Calarind

noun. Lamp of thought

ind

inner thought

ind (mind, meaning, heart), no distinct pl. form; coll. pl. innath

ind

inner thought

ind (mind, meaning, heart), no distinct pl. form;, coll. pl. innath.

ind

inner thought

(mind, meaning, heart), no distinct pl. form; coll. pl. innath

sanath

85#3D noun. thinking, thought

A theoretical noun arising from OS *sanattʰe (< SAN). Cp. girith, meleth, etc.

idhor

thoughtfulness

. (Correction of idher in LR:361 s.v.

idhren

thoughtful

(pondering, wise), pl. idhrin;

hûn

heart

1. (physical heart) hûn (i chûn, o chûn, construct hun), pl. huin (i chuin), 2) (inner mind) gûr (i **ûr, construct gur), pl. guir (i nguir = i ñuir). Note: A homophone means ”death”, but has different mutations. (VT41:11). 3) ind (inner thought, mind, meaning), no distinct pl. form;, coll. pl. innath. 4) nest (core, center), pl. nist. Also notice the prefix hû**- apparently meaning ”heart”..

ind

heart

(inner thought, mind, meaning), no distinct pl. form;, coll. pl. innath.

galvorn

noun. type of dark metal devised by Eöl, *(lit.) shining-black

Name of the black metal devised by Eöl as mentioned in The Silmarillion (S/133), apparently a combination of √GAL “shine” and morn “black”.

Conceptual Development: In Silmarillion drafts from the 1950s Tolkien first gave this name as Rodëol “metal of Eöl” (WJ/322), where the initial element seems to be a later iteration of N. rhaud “metal” from The Etymologies of the 1930s (Ety/RAUTĀ). Tolkien then considered a number of alternate names for the metal, all various forms of the name of Eöl’s son Maeglin, since at this stage he intended the son to be named after the metal (WJ/48, 322). Later Tolkien decided that “the metal must not have same name as Maeglin”, and he settled on galvorn for the metal, as discussed above.

golodh

noun. one of the wise folk, Noldo

gûr

noun. heart (in the moral sense), counsel

gûr

noun. heart (inner mind)

A word for “heart (inner mind)” in notes from the late 1960s, equivalent to Q. órë (VT41/11). In the original article published in VT41 in July 2000, Carl Hostetter gave its primitive form as ʒōrē, but in his later book The Nature of Middle-Earth published in 2021, he corrected this to gōrē (NM/219).

Conceptual Development: Early Noldorin word-lists from the 1920s had N. gir glossed “interior, centre, inwards, inner parts” (PE13/144) or “inwards, interior, inside, heart” (PE13/161).

linnod

noun. type of poetic meter, (lit.) ?seven-chant

As suggested by Patrick Wynne and Carl Hostetter, perhaps meaning “seven-chant” (RC/700).

morben

noun. one of the Avari or Easterlings in Beleriand

rodon

'One of the High'

pl1. Rodyn n. 'One of the High', Vala. (Q. pl1.?) Artor. >> arod, raud

carrant

noun. tactics, strategy, (lit.) action-course

A neologism for “tactics, strategy” coined by Rínor posted on 2024-09-21 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), inspired by ᴺQ. carranta of similar meaning and derivation.

enaith

sixth part

enaith. No distinct pl. form. Archaic eneith.

gûr

heart

(i ’ûr, construct gur), pl. guir (i nguir = i ñuir). Note: A homophone means ”death”, but has different mutations. (VT41:11).

hond

noun. (emotional) heart, (seat of the) deepest feelings

A neologism of uncertain origin posted on 2024-08-16 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), derive from ✶khomdō and the equivalent to Q. hondo.

hûn

heart

(i chûn, o chûn, construct hun), pl. huin (i chuin)

idhr

id

&gt; idhor as the later forms.)

inc

notion

inc (guess, idea), no distinct pl. form (though the pl. article in will mark the word as pl. when definite)

inc

notion

(guess, idea), no distinct pl. form (though the pl. article in will mark the word as pl. when definite)

nest

heart

(core, center), pl. nist. Also notice the prefix hû- apparently meaning ”heart”..

nost

noun. total, amount

sadron

faithful one

?sadron (i hadron, o sadron), pl. sedryn (i sedryn), coll. pl. sadronnath. Only attested in the pl.; the singular could be either *sadron* (as here supposed), sodron** or *sedron.

sadron

faithful one

(i hadron, o sadron), pl. sedryn (i sedryn), coll. pl. sadronnath. Only attested in the pl.; the singular could be either ✱sadron (as here supposed), ✱sodron or ✱sedron.

thúnas

noun. inspiration

@@@ Discord 2022-05-13

órë

noun. heart (inner mind)