-es

ending referring to persons or animals used after dh [= ð]

pl1. -is suff. fem. ending referring to persons or animals used after dh [= ð], th. >> -eth, -on

heledh

noun. glass

The basic Sindarin word for “glass”, a loan word from Khuzdul kheled (PE17/37; RS/466). The Eldar of Valinor invented glass independently, so the Quenya “glass” words were distinct.

Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had G. celc “glass” along with (archaic) variants G. celeg and caileg, all derived from the early root ᴱ√kail(i)k (GL/25). These apparently replaced rejected forms {talp}, {calp}, and {telc} of the same meaning (GL/69). The “glass” word became ᴱN. celch or caileg “glass” in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s (PE13/140).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s the “glass” word became N. hele derived from the root ᴹ√KHYEL(ES) “glass” like its Quenya cognate ᴹQ. hyelle (Ety/KHYEL(ES)). In the 1930s Noldorin and Quenya were direct contact for most of their history, but this was no longer the case for Sindarin and Quenya of the 1950s and 60s. As a result, Tolkien decided that glass was an independent invention in both Valinor and Middle Earth, so that the Quenya and Sindarin words were no longer related as described above.

-eth

suffix. feminine ending

-ien

suffix. feminine ending

An occasional feminine suffix in Sindarin, in one place given as a feminine patronymic (PE17/170) as in the name Lúthien “Daughter of Flowers” (PE17/15, 161). See the entry on the root √YE(L) for a discussion of conceptual vacillations on its connection to “daughter”.

Conceptual Development: In Noldorin it seems N. -ien was simply a feminine suffix in the name N. Lhúthien “Enchantress” (Ety/LUK).

cidinn

?. [unglossed]

An untranslated word (adjective?) appearing with Notes on Names (NN) from 1957 derived from the root √KIT and cognate to Q. cinta “small”, so perhaps of similar meaning (PE17/157).

cinnog

?. [unglossed]

An untranslated word (noun?) appearing with Notes on Names (NN) from 1957 derived from the root √KIT or √KIN and cognate to Q. cinta “small”, so perhaps of similar meaning (PE17/157).

ennas

adverb. there, in that place

ennas

adverb. there

hand

noun. [unglossed]

heledh

noun. glass

madu

?. [unglossed]

maud

?. [unglossed]

neth

noun. sister

neth

noun. girl (in her teens, approaching the adult)

nethel

noun. sister

A word for “sister” coined by Tolkien in notes on Eldarin Hands, Fingers and Numerals from the late 1960s, based on the root √NETH of similar meaning and replacing the archaic form of the word †nîth (VT47/12, 14). The diminutive/affectionate form nethig “[little] sister” was used as a play name for the fourth finger (VT48/6); Tolkien considered an alternate diminutive netheg (VT47/14, 32) and also considered giving this diminutive an alternate meaning “little girl” (VT47/15, 33); see S. neth for discussion.

Conceptual Development: The Etymologies of the 1930s had N. thêl “sister” from the root ᴹ√THEL or THELES (Ety/THEL), and the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had G. hethir “sister” from the early root ᴱ√HESE [HEÞE] (GL/48; QL/40). See those entries for discussion.

nethig

noun. "litte sister"

First given in the manuscript as netheg in VT/47:14-15, but see especially VT/48:17 n. 13 for discussion

nethig

noun. ring finger (Elvish play-name used by and taught to children)

First given in the manuscript as netheg in VT/47:14-15, but see especially VT/48:17 n. 13 for discussion

nîth

noun. sister

nîth

noun. sister

ammen

for us

(to us).

an

for

(prep.) an (+ nasal mutation), with article ni ”for the” (+ nasal mutation in plural).

an

for

(adverbial prefix) an-

an

for

(+ nasal mutation), with article ’ni ”for the” (+ nasal mutation in plural).

an

for the

(for) + i (the).

ar

outside

(adv. prefix) ar- (without)the literal meaning of a word translated SPY (q.v.)

ar

outside

(without)

ennas

there

ennas (SD:128-31)

ennas

there

(SD:128-31)

eth

adverb/adjective. outside

heledh

glass

heledh (i cheledh, o cheledh), pl. helidh (i chelidh) if there is a pl.

heledh

glass

(i cheledh, o cheledh), pl. helidh (i chelidh) if there is a pl.

neth

sister

1. neth (also used = ”girl”). (VT47:14-16, 33; VT48:6), pl. nith. Notice the homophone neth ”young”. Also nîth (no distinct pl. form though the plural article with show pluarlity when the noun is definite: in nîth) (VT47:14). 2) gwathel (i **wathel), pl. gwethil (in gwethil). 3) muinthel (i vuinthel), pl. muinthil (i muinthil), more usual than the shorter form thêl (stem thele-), pl. theli. In “Noldorin”, the pl. was thelei** (LR:392 s.v. THEL).

tass

1,D adverb. then, there

A Quenya-influenced neologism meaning "there, then, in that (place/time)", from Q. tassë.

es

the eagles of the lords are at hand

es unidentified word in the phrase es sorni heruion an! "the Eagles of the Lords are at hand" (SD:290); possibly an assimilated form of en, that may function as a kind of deitic particle here: *"Behold the Eagles..."

calca

noun. glass

A word for “glass” appearing in notes from around 1968 as a derivative of √KALAK (VT47/35).

Conceptual Development: There was a similar form ᴱQ. talqe (talqi-) “glass” in the Qenya Lexicon and Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa of the 1910s (PME/88; QL/88). It also appeared in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon with a Gnomish cognate G. celc, both words being based on variant early roots ᴱ√kail(i)k and ᴱ√tail(i)k (GL/25).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s, the word for “glass” was ᴹQ. hyelle from the root ᴹ√KHYEL(ES) “glass” with Noldorin cognate N. hele (Ety/KHYEL(ES)). In notes on Words, Phrases and Passages in the Lord of the Rings from the late 1950s or early 1960s, Tolkien instead said that “there was no common Eldarin word for glass”, and that the Sindarin word for “glass” was borrowed from Khuzdul while the Quenya word was cilin (PE17/37). Tolkien’s last published word for “glass” was calca as noted above (VT47/35), which seems to be a restoration of the early root ᴱ√kail(i)k.

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would use calca as the main Quenya for “[clear] glass”, but would retain cilin as another word for transluscent or reflective glass.

hyellë

glass

hyellë noun "glass" (KHYEL(ES), VT45:23; the later source also provides the unglossed form hyelma, which may be a synonym of hyellë; alternatively hyellë could be "glass" as a substance, whereas hyelma_ rather refers to "a glass" as a drinking vessel). _In later sources, cilin or calca is given as the word for "glass".

amya-

verb. [unglossed]

an

for

an (1) _conj. and prep. _"for" (Nam, RGEO:66), an cé mo quernë… "for if one turned…" (VT49:8), also used adverbially in the formula an + a noun to express "one more" (of the thing concerned: an quetta "a word more", PE17:91). The an of the phrase es sorni heruion an! "the Eagles of the Lords are at hand" (SD:290) however seems to denote motion towards (the speaker): the Eagles are coming. Etym has an, ana "to, towards" (NĀ1). The phrase an i falmalī _(PE17:127) is not clearly translated but seems to be a paraphrase of the word falmalinnar "upon the foaming waves" (Nam)_, suggesting that an can be used as a paraphrase of the allative ending (and if falmalī is seen as a Book Quenya accusative form because of the long final vowel, this is evidence that an governs the accusative case). In the "Arctic" sentence, an is translated "until". Regarding an as used in Namárië, various sources indicate that it means an "moreover, further(more), to proceed" (VT49:18-19) or ("properly") "further, plus, in addition" (PE17:69, 90). According to one late source (ca. 1966 or later), an "is very frequently used after a full stop, when an account or description is confirmed after a pause. So in Galadriels Elvish lament […]: An sí Tintallë, etc. [= For now the Kindler, etc…] This is translated by me for, side an is (as here) often in fact used when the additional matter provides an explanation of or reason for what has already been said". Related is the use of an + noun to express "one more"; here an is presumably accented, something the word would not normally be when used as a conjunction or preposition.

ar-

outside

ar- (1) prefix "outside" (AR2), element meaning "beside" (VT42:17), "by" (PE17:169; in the same source the glosses "near, by, beside" were rejected). Cf. ara.

ara

outside, beside, besides

ara prep.(and adv.?) "outside, beside, besides" (AR2, VT49:57). According to VT45:6, the original glosses were "without, outside, beside", but Tolkien emended this. Arsë "he is out", VT49:23, 35, 36. As for ar(a), see ar #1. VT49:25 lists what seems to be ar(a) combined with various pronominal suffixes: Singular anni > arni "beside me", astyë "beside you" (informal), allë "besides you" (formal), arsë "beside him/her", plural anwë > armë "beside us" (exclusive), arwë "beside us" (inclusive), astë > ardë "beside you" (plural), astë > artë "beside them"; dual anwet > armet "beside us (two)". (Here Tolkien presupposes that ara represents original ada-.) The same source lists the unglossed forms ari, arin that may combine the preposition with the article, hence "beside the" (VT49:24-25)

arra

adjective. [unglossed]

ava

outside, beyond

ava (1) adv.? noun? prep.? "outside, beyond" (AWA, VT45:6)

cairë

?. [unglossed]

calca

glass

calca noun "glass" (VT47:35); compare hyellë, cilin.

cilin

glass

cilin noun "glass" ("often used as in English ("often used as in English for any thing or implement made of glass") (PE17:37). Compare calca, hyellë.

cilin

noun. glass, glass [transluscent or reflective]

conta-

verb. [unglossed]

cúma

noun. [unglossed]

en

there, look! yon (yonder)

en (1) interjection "there, look! yon (yonder)" (EN, VT45:12)

et(e)-

prefix. *out, [ᴹQ.] forth, out

A prefix for “out” implied by words like et-henta “read aloud” = “✱read out” (PE17/77) and eteminya “prominent” = “✱out first” (VT42/24). The prefix ᴹQ. et- appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√ET “out, forth” (Ety/ET).

Conceptual Development: The Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s had prefixes ᴱQ. ere- “out” and ᴱQ. es- based on the early roots ᴱ√ERE [EÐE] and ᴱ√ESE (QL/36).

etsë

outside, exterior

etsë noun "outside, exterior", glosses changed from ?"issuing" and ?"spring" (VT45:13)

ettë

outside

ettë noun(and/or adv.?) "outside" (ET)

felca

adjective. [unglossed]

felehta-

verb. [unglossed], *to excavate, tunnel, mine

An untranslated form appearing in Notes on Names (NN) from 1957 derived from the root √PHELEG/PHELEK (PE17/118), possibly a verb derived from ✱phelektā- or ✱phelegtā-. The derivatives of this root had to do with mines and tunnels, so perhaps this verb meant “✱to excavate, tunnel, mine”.

finca

noun. [unglossed]

hendas

?. [unglossed]

hindo

noun. [unglossed]

hindë

noun. [unglossed]

holdë

noun. [unglossed]

hríva

place name. [unglossed]

háro

?. [unglossed]

lingi-

verb. [unglossed]

maitya

?. [unglossed]

malsa

?. [unglossed]

maril

glass, crystal

maril noun "glass, crystal" (VT46:13; if this is to be the same word as the second element of Silmaril, the stem-form would be marill-, cf. pl. Silmarilli)

melya-

verb. [unglossed], *to be in love

máriel

feminine name. [unglossed]

naue

?. [unglossed]

nésa

sister

nésa (Þ) noun "sister" (VT47:14); this form from a late source possibly replaces earlier seler and onórë, q.v.

nésa

noun. sister

A word for “sister” coined by Tolkien in notes on Eldarin Hands, Fingers and Numerals from the late 1960s, based on the root √NETH of similar meaning (VT47/12, 14). It had a diminutive/affectionate variant nettë used as a play name for the fourth finger in several places in these notes (VT47/12; VT48/6), but I prefer to mainly use nettë for “(little) girl” in Neo-Quenya (VT47/10, 15, 33).

Conceptual Development: The Etymologies of the 1930s had ᴹQ. seler “sister” from the root ᴹ√THEL or THELES (Ety/THEL), and the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s had ᴱQ. heresse “sister” from the early root ᴱ√HESE (QL/40). See those entries for discussion.

níva

?. [unglossed]

onórë

sister

onórë noun "sister" (of blood-kin) (THEL/THELES, NŌ; both of these entries in the Etymologies as reproduced in LR have the reading "onóne", but the "Old Noldorin" cognate wanúre listed in the entry THEL/THELES seems to indicate that the Quenya word should be onórë; the letters n and r are easily confused in Tolkien's handwriting. There is no clear evidence for a feminine ending -në in Quenya, but -rë is relatively well attested; cf. for instance ontarë.) A later source gives the word for "sister" as nésa instead.

osellë

sister, [female] associate

osellë (þ) noun "sister, [female] associate" (THEL/THELES, WŌ). Cf. otorno.

sal-

verb. [unglossed]

sanomë

there

sanomë adv. "there" (PE17:71). Cf. sinomë, tanomë.

sanomë

adverb. there

A word for “there” appearing in notes from mid-1960s in the phrase sanome tarne Olórin, Aracorno, Eomer, Imrahil “There stood Gandalf, Aragorn, Eomer and Imrahil” (PE17/71). A similar form ᴹQ. sanome(s) appeared in Demonstrative, Relative, and Correlative Stems (DRC) from the late 1940s, where it was based on ᴹ√NOM “spot, place” (PE23/112).

The word can be contrasted with tanome “there” in different notes from the late 1960s (VT49/11, 19), and also in DRC from the 1940s. DRC made the distinction between these two words clear, in that tanome was “demonstrative there” pointing to a place not previously mentioned, while sanome was “anaphoric there” referring back to a place mentioned before. So “go there” would be á mene tanome, but “I went to the city and found Aragorn there” would be mennen i ostonna ar hirnen Aracorno sanome.

Lokyt originally suggested this distinction to me in a Discord conversation from 2022, and was eventually proven right by the publication of DRC in 2024.

seler

sister

seler (þ) (sell-, as in pl. selli) noun "sister" (THEL/THELES). In a later source, the word nésa (q.v.) appears instead, leaving the conceptual status of seler uncertain.

sélo

?. [unglossed]

sóla

?. [unglossed]

ta

there

ta (5) adv. "there" (VT49:33; this may be an Elvish root or "element" rather than a Quenya word; see tanomë; see however also tar, tara, tanna under ta #1).

tasse

there

tassë

there

tassë adv. "there" (VT49:11), short form tás. These seem to be properly locative forms of ta "that, it", hence "in that [place]". Compare allative tanna "thither" and ablative talo "thence".

tassë

adverb. there

The words tās and tasse “there” appeared in a list of demonstratives from 1968 (VT49/11), combinations of ta “that” and the locative suffix -ssë. Short form tas appeared in the phrase tas kennen nótime eldali “I saw a few elves there” in notes from 1969 (PE22/155). Similarly formed ᴹQ. tasse “there” appeared in Demonstrative, Relative, and Correlative Stems (DRC) from 1948, also with a short variant tas (PE23/97, 111).

ten

for

ten (2) conj. "for", in Fíriel's Song; apparently replaced by an in LotR-style Quenya.

thar-

verb. [unglossed]

tomba

noun. [unglossed]

tompë

noun. [unglossed], *pulse, beat

@@@ Neo-meaning “✱pulse, beat” suggested by Röandil on 2023-04-20

tás

there

tás adv. "there" (VT49:11); also tassë, q.v.

tás

adverb. there

um(ba)-

prefix. [unglossed]

umbacarin

noun. [unglossed]

éna

?. [unglossed]

úpa-

verb. [unglossed]

þúna

?. [unglossed]

hele

noun. glass

thêl

noun. sister

A word for “sister” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from the root ᴹ√THEL or THELES of the same meaning, with an irregular plural thelei (Ety/THEL). It had a more elaborate form muinthel, the equivalent of muindor “(dear) brother”, with an initial element muin “dear”.

Neo-Quenya: In notes from the late 1960s, Tolkien introduced a new word nethel for “sister” from the root √NETH (VT47/14). However, I think thêl and related words might be retained to mean a “metaphorical sister”, a close female associate who may or may not be related by blood, as with such words as gwathel “[sworn] sister, associate”. In this paradigm, I would assume muinthel still refers to a sister by blood, with an added connotation of strong affection. I think it’s best to assume the irregular Noldorin plural pattern was reformed to the normal Sindarin plural thîl.

adwen

noun. [unglossed]

An untranslated word appearing in notes on The Feanorian Alphabet from the late 1940s or early 1950s (PE23/26). It might be a later iteration of G. adhwen “approach, avenue” from the 1910s, or is perhaps related to S. adu and ᴹQ. atwa “double”.

borth

?. [unglossed]

cenedril

noun. looking-glass, mirror

clei

?. [unglossed]

coen

?. [unglossed]

diragas

?. [unglossed]

gwathel

noun. sister, associate

mauth

?. [unglossed]

men

noun. *place

menwed

?. [unglossed]

muinthel

noun. sister

muinthel

noun. sister

nith

?. [unglossed]

nithrad

?. [unglossed]

níth

?. [unglossed]

porennin

?. [unglossed]

telwen

?. [unglossed]

thêl

noun. sister

-ien Reconstructed

suffix. feminine ending

sad Reconstructed

noun. *place

asdi

?. [unglossed]

A word Tolkien used to illustrate Adûnaic pronunciation (pronounced [azdi]) without giving its meaning (SD/421).

sapda

?. [unglossed]

A word Tolkien used to illustrate Adûnaic pronunciation without giving its meaning (SD/421).

kheled

noun. glass

kalak

root. glass

A root appearing in etymological notes from 1968 glossed “glass” with Quenya and Telerin derivatives Q./T. calca of the same meaning (VT47/35). It seems to be a late restoration of the much earlier root ᴱ√kail(i)k or ᴱ√tail(i)k that was the basis of “glass” words in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s; in this early period the Qenya derivatives began with t- and the Gnomish derivatives with c- [k-] (GL/25). It may also have replaced Q. cilin (< ✱√KILIN?) from the late 1950s or early 1960s (PE17/37). Given its Quenya/Telerin derivatives, √KALAK was probably coined in Aman as was also the case with earlier Q. cilin, since the Sindarin word for “glass” is the unrelated word S. heledh borrowed from Khuzdul (PE17/37).

lemek

root. [unglossed]

An unglossed root in the Outline of Phonology from the early 1950s illustrating certain phonetic combinations (PE19/98), and therefore possibly not a “real” root.

mik

root. pierce

This root appeared in a late etymology of the name S. Maeglin (“Sharp Glance”) as √MIK “pierce”, along with several other derivatives including the word Q. hendumaika “sharp-eye[d]” (WJ/337). In earlier versions of the tales, the name was given as G. Meglin, but this form of the name was not given a derivation until the 1930s, when N. meglin appeared in The Etymologies as an adjectival form of N. megli “bear” (Ety/LIS). The form of this name became Maeglin in Silmarillion drafts from the 1950s and 60s (WJ/122 note §119), though when Tolkien devised its new derivation isn’t clear. The (unglossed) Quenya word Q. maica appeared in the second version Tengwesta Qenderinwa (TQ2) from around 1950, and it may be related to √MIK “pierce”, but without a translation it is hard to be sure.

nēthā

noun. sister

phut

root. [unglossed]

An unglossed root appearing in the second version of Tengwesta Qenderinwa (TQ2) as an etymological variation of √PUT (PE18/90).

sal

root. [unglossed], *harp(ing), lyre

The unglossed root ᴱ√SALA appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. salma “lyre, small harp” and ᴱQ. salumbe “harping, music” (QL/81). The root √SAL appeared again Common Eldarin: Verb Structure from the early 1950s to illustrate the reformed perfect form of its verb Q. asálie (PE22/132), but since these later forms are unglossed it is unclear whether they have the same meaning (“✱harp(ing)”) as the earlier version of the root.

stuk

root. [unglossed]

An unglossed root in a rejected section of the Outline of Phonology (OP2) from the early 1950s, serving to illustration certain phonetic developments: ✶stuknā > Q. thúna (PE19/86).

ter

root. pierce

This root first appeared as unglossed ᴱ√TEŘE [TEÐE] in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, with derivatives like ᴱQ. teret “auger, borer, gimlet”, ᴱQ. tereva “piercing, acute, shrill, sharp”, and ᴱQ. teste “worm”; another set of derivatives based on Q. teren “lissom, lithe” were marked by Tolkien with a “?” (QL/91). In the Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa the root teře was glossed “pierce” (PME/91). Possibly related forms in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon include G. tertha- “devour, destroy” and G. tereg “worm”, but if so they may represent a shift of the root from ᴱ√TEÐE >> ✱ᴱ√TERE (GL/70).

Indeed, in The Etymologies of the 1930s the root was given as ᴹ√TER “pierce” with derivatives like ᴹQ. ter/N. trî “through” and ᴹQ. tereva/N. trîw “fine, acute, [N.] very slender” (Ety/TER). As originally written, the root was ᴹ√TERÉW, but Tolkien changed this to ᴹ√TER and added an extended form ᴹ√TERES that was the basis for ᴹQ. terra/N. tess “fine pierced hole” (EtyAC/TER). The root √TER “pierce” appeared again in notes from 1957 on the origin of Q. Vairë “Weaver” as a variant of √THER “sew” (PE17/33). This specific note was marked through, but given Tolkien’s ongoing use of Q. ter “though”, the root √TER probably survived.

tig

root. [unglossed]

A root appearing in Late Notes on Verb Structure (LVS) from 1969 as the basis for the verb Q. tinga- “go (for a long while)” (PE22/157). The etymology was marked with an “X” and so was probably a transient idea (PE22/157 note #70).

graw Reconstructed

root. [unglossed], [ᴹ√] dark, swart

This root appeared as a primitive form grawa serving as the basis of the word Q. roa “bear” >> “dog” in notes on monosyllabic roots from 1968 (VT47/35); a Sindarin derivative S. graw “bear” appeared in other notes written around the same time (VT47/12). Patrick Wynne suggested that in the sense “bear” grawa might be connected to the root ᴹ√GRAWA “dark, swart” from The Etymologies of the 1930s (EtyAC/GRAWA).

ter

root. pierce

calca

noun. glass

néþa

noun. sister