yu-

verb. twi-

yu- or yú- prefix "twi-" or "both" (VT45:13, VT46:23, VT48:20; see yualë, yúcalë, yurasta below). According to PE14:84, yú can function independently as the adverb "twice".

yu-

prefix. both, both, [ᴱQ.] twice

Derivations

• √YU “both, both, [ᴹ√] two” ✧ VT48/10

Element in

• ᴺQ. yuitë “dual”
• ᴺQ. yullumë “twice, two times”
• Q. yunquë “twelve” ✧ VT48/10
• ᴺQ. yuquain “twenty”
• ᴺQ. yúquëan “twenty”
• Q. yúyal “twilight”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√yu- > yu-	[ju-]	✧ VT48/10

yúyo

both

yúyo noun? adv.? "both" (YŪ, VT48:10). Used adjectivally in yúyo má "both hands"; notice that the noun following yúyo receives no plural or dual marker.

yúyo

adjective. both

Derivations

• √YU “both, both, [ᴹ√] two”

Element in

• Q. mahtanë yúyo má véla “*wield both hands alike” ✧ VT49/10

auta

particle. ago

auta

adverb. ago

Derivations

• √WĀ/AWA “away (from); go (away), depart, pass away, move (from speaker); before (of time), ago, away (from); go (away), depart, pass away, move (from speaker); before (of time), ago; [ᴹ√] forth, out” ✧ PE22/168

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√awa > auta	[auta]	✧ PE22/168

enge

adverb. ago

ago, once, in the past

ui-

prefix. twi-

Derivations

• √YU “both, both, [ᴹ√] two”

Element in

• S. uial “twilight, evendim” ✧ LotR/1111

ath

on both sides

(across)

ia

ago

ia, io

ia

ago

io

ui

twi-

(adjectival prefix) ui- (two, both)

ui

both

(adjectival prefix) ui- (two, twi-);

ui

both

(two, twi-);

yu

pronoun. they (masculine)

A pronominal prefix, most likely the masculine plural pronoun “they”, appearing in the verb yurahtam “[they] broke” in the sentence Bârim an-Adûn yurahtam dâira sâibêth-mâ Êruvô (SD/247). See the entry on pronominal-prefixes for more discussion.

yu

root. both, both, [ᴹ√] two

This Elvish root was connected to the sense “two” or “both” throughout Tolkien’s life. The first clear manifestation of this root was ᴱQ. yú “twice” and ᴱQ. yúyo “two” from the Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s (PE14/49-51, 82-84). The root ᴹ√YŪ “two, both” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives like ᴹQ. yúyo “both” and ᴹQ. yúkale/N. uial “twilight” (Ety/KAL, YŪ). The root √YU appeared several times in Tolkien’s later writings, generally with the sense “both” (PE17/70; PE21/74; VT48/8, 10). It was likely related to the ancient dual suffix ✶-ū.

Derivatives

• ✶-ū “dual ending for pairs”
  • Q. -u “dual ending” ✧ Let/427
• ✶yŭ “both” ✧ PE17/070
  • Q. yo “both ... and” ✧ PE17/070
• Q. yu- “both, both, [ᴱQ.] twice” ✧ VT48/10
• Q. yúyo “both”
• S. ui- “twi-”

Element in

• ✶yūnekē “twelve, 2 sixes” ✧ VT48/08; VT48/10
• ✶yuyuñal “twilight”

Variations

• yū ✧ PE17/070; VT48/08
• JŪ ✧ PE21/74
• yu- ✧ VT48/10

yŭ

conjunction. both

Derivations

• √YU “both, both, [ᴹ√] two” ✧ PE17/070

Derivatives

• Q. yo “both ... and” ✧ PE17/070

ui-

prefix. twi-

Cognates

• ᴹQ. yú- “both” ✧ Ety/YŪ

Derivations

• ᴹ√YŪ “two, both” ✧ Ety/YŪ

Element in

• N. uial “twilight” ✧ Ety/YŪ

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√YŪ > ui-	[jūju] > [jūjo] > [juio] > [uio] > [ui]	✧ Ety/YŪ

ia

adverb. ago

io

adverb. ago

io

adverb. ago

Cognates

• ᴹQ. yá “formerly, ago” ✧ Ety/YA

Derivations

• ᴹ√YA “there, over there; (of time) back, ago” ✧ Ety/YA

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√YA > io	[jā] > [jǭ] > [jou] > [jau] > [jo]	✧ Ety/YA