Quenya 

yulma

noun. cup, drinking vessel, drinking implement, goblet

A word for “cup” in the Namárië “poem” (LotR/377). Elsewhere Tolkien specified it was a more general term for a “drinking vessel” or “drinking implement”, a derivative of ✶yulmā = √YUL + ✶-mā and hence more literally “a thing used in drinking” (PE17/63, 68, 135; WJ/416).

Quenya [LotR/0377; Minor-Doc/2013-05-13; PE17/063; PE17/068; PE17/135; PE17/180; PE21/76; PE22/161; RGEO/58; RGEO/59; VT21/06; VT49/17; WJ/416] Group: Eldamo. Published by

yulma

cup

yulma (1) noun "cup" (Nam, RGEO:67), "drinking-vessel" (WJ:416, PE17:180). The plural form yulmar is attested (VT48:11). Yulmaya ("k") colloquial Quenya for "his cup" (the formally correct form being *yulmarya) (VT49:17)

yulma

brand

yulma (2) noun "brand" (YUL). May have been obsoleted by # 1 above.

-ya

his

-ya (4) pronominal suffix "his" (and probably also "her, its"), said to be used in "colloquial Quenya" (which had redefined the "correct" ending for this meaning, -rya, to mean "their" because it was associated with the plural ending -r). Hence e.g. cambeya ("k") "his hand", yulmaya "his cup" (VT49:17) instead of formally "correct" forms in -rya. The ending -ya was actually ancient, primitive ¤- being used for "all numbers" in the 3rd person, predating elaborated forms like -rya. It is said that -ya "remained in Quenya" in the case of "old nouns with consonantal stems", Tolkien listing tál "foot", cas "head", nér "man", sír "river" and macil "sword" as examples. He refers to "the continued existence of such forms as talya his foot", that could apparently be used even in "correct" Quenya (VT49:17). In PE17:130, the forms talya "his foot" and macilya ("k") "his (or their) sword" are mentioned.

-rya

his, her

-rya 3rd person sg. pronominal ending "his, her" and probably "its" (VT49:16, 38, 48, Nam, RGEO:67), attested in coivierya *"his/her life", máryat "her hands", ómaryo "of her voice" (genitive of *ómarya "her voice"), súmaryassë "in her bosom" (locative of súmarya "her bosom"); for the meaning "his" cf. coarya "his house" (WJ:369). The ending is descended from primitive ¤-sjā via -zya (VT49:17) and therefore connects with the 3rd person ending -s "he, she, it". In colloquial Quenya the ending -rya could be used for "their" rather than "his/her", because it was felt to be related to the plural ending -r,e.g. símaryassen "in their [not his/her] imaginations" (VT49:16, 17). See -ya #4.

-zya

his, her, its

-zya, archaic form of the pronominal ending -rya "his, her, its", q.v. (VT49:17)

cilinyul

drinking-vessel

cilinyul noun "drinking-vessel" (made of glass) (PE17:37)

sungwa

drinking-vessel

sungwa noun "drinking-vessel" (SUK)

Primitive elvish

yulmā

noun. drinking-vessel

Primitive elvish [WJ/416] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Noldorin 

iolf

noun. brand

A noun for “brand” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from the root ᴹ√YUL “smoulder” (Ety/YUL). The form iolv was written next to it, probably indicating pronunciation (EtyAC/YUL). It was marked ON. but should probably be N. as suggested by Hostetter and Wynne (EtyAC/YUL).

Neo-Quenya: This word would become ✱ylf if adapted directly to Neo-Sindarin, but that conflicts with S. ylf “drinking-vessel” (WJ/416). For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I would adapt the root ᴹ√YUL “smoulder” as the Neo-Root ᴺ√YOL, which would allow the retention of this Noldorin word unchanged since it could be derived from ✱yolmā instead.

iolf

noun. brand

The word is classed as Old Noldorin (ON) in the Etymologies, but rather seems to be Noldorin

Noldorin [Ety/400, X/IU] Group: SINDICT. Published by

Sindarin 

-deid

suffix. his

_3rd sg. poss. suff. his, her.See also the paradigm of poss. suff. in PE17:46. Earlier -ed_. >> -deith, -dyn, -ed, [[]]

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:46] -. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

-deith

suffix. his

_3rd sg. poss. suff. his, her.See also the paradigm of poss. suff. in PE17:46. Earlier -ed_. >> -deid, -dyn, -ed, [[]]

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:46] -. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

-dyn

suffix. his

_3rd sg. poss. suff. his, her.See also the paradigm of poss. suff. in PE17:46. Earlier -ed_. >> -deid, -deith, -ed, [[]]

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:46] -. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

tîn

adjective. his

Sindarin [bess dîn SD/129-31] Group: SINDICT. Published by

tîn

pronoun. his

Non-lenited form suggested by Carl Hostetter (VT31/21).

Sindarin [AotM/062; SD/129] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ylf

noun. brand

The word is classed as Old Noldorin (ON) in the Etymologies, but rather seems to be Noldorin

Sindarin [Ety/400, X/IU] Group: SINDICT. Published by

în

adjective. his (referring to the subject)

Sindarin [SD/129-31] Group: SINDICT. Published by

tín

his

*tín (only attested in lenited form dín, following a noun with article). Possibly, the word also covers ”her(s)” and ”its” as a general 3rd person form. If ”his” refers to the same person as the subject, the form ín* is used instead (e.g. i venn sunc i haw ín** ”the man drank his (own) juice”, but *i venn sunc i haw dín ”the man drank his (somebody elses) juice”.

tín

his

(only attested in lenited form dín, following a noun with article). Possibly, the word also covers ”her(s)” and ”its” as a general 3rd person form. If ”his” refers to the same person as the subject, the form ín is used instead (e.g. ✱i venn sunc i haw ín ”the man drank his (own) juice”, but ✱i venn sunc i haw dín ”the man drank his (somebody else’s) juice”.

ylf

brand

*ylf (no distinct pl. form; coll. pl. ylvath). (Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” iolf.) A homophone means ”drinking vessel”.

ylf

brand

(no distinct pl. form; coll. pl. ylvath). (Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” iolf.) A homophone means ”drinking vessel”.

ín

his

(pronoun referring to the subject, e.g. ✱i venn sunc i haw ín ”the man drank his [own] juice”, as opposed to ✱i venn sunc i haw dín ”the man drank his [= another’s] juice”)


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!

Qenya 

yulma

noun. brand

A noun for “brand” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from the root ᴹ√YUL “smoulder” (Ety/YUL; EtyAC/YUL). It conflicts with the later word Q. yulma “cup”.

sungwa

noun. drinking-vessel

A noun for “drinking-vessel” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from ᴹ✶sukmā under the root ᴹ√SUK “drink” (Ety/SUK).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I’d stick to later Q. yulma “cup, drinking vessel” to avoid dealing with changes to the phonetic rules whereby km > gm > ngw that Tolkien made in the 1950s.

etta

pronoun. his

Gnomish

ontha

pronoun. his

Gnomish [GG/11; GL/62] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Doriathrin

saum

noun. drinking-vessel

A noun meaning “drinking-vessel” derived from primitive ᴹ✶sukmā (Ety/SUK). This word went through a number of phonetic changes:

  • [[ilk|the [k] became [g] before the nasal [m]]]

  • [[ilk|the [u] shifted to [o] before the final [a]]]

  • [[ilk|the [g] vocalized to [u] before the nasal [m] producing the diphthong [ou]]]

  • [[ilk|the resulting diphthong [ou] became [au]]]

Helge Fauskanger originally suggested these developments (AL-Ilkorin/saum).

Doriathrin [Ety/SUK] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Middle Primitive Elvish

sukmā

noun. drinking-vessel

Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/SUK] Group: Eldamo. Published by