Quenya 

-l(yë)

suffix. you (polite)

Quenya [PE17/057; PE17/075; PE17/190; PE22/161; VT49/16; VT49/48; VT49/51] Group: Eldamo. Published by

-n(yë)

suffix. I

Quenya [PE17/057; PE17/075; PE17/190; PE22/161; VT49/16; VT49/48; VT49/51] Group: Eldamo. Published by

-ië

suffix. is

- (3) "is", -ier "are", stative verb suffix occurring in Fíriel's Song: númessier "they are in the west", meldielto "they are...beloved", talantië "he is fallen", márië "it is good" (< *númessë "in the west", melda "beloved", *talanta "fallen"); future tense -iéva in hostainiéva "will be gathered" (< *hostaina "gathered"). Compare ye "is", yéva "will be", verbs that also occur in Fíriel's Song. This suffix is probably not valid in LotR-style Quenya: - is an infinitival or gerundial ending in CO, for ye "is" Namárië has , and the phrase "lost is" is vanwa ná, not *vanwië.

-ië

suffix. abstract noun, adverb

Quenya [LotR/1110; PE17/058; PE17/059] Group: Eldamo. Published by

-ië

suffix. perfect suffix

-l

suffix. you (polite)

-ldë

suffix. you (plural)

Quenya [PE17/057; PE17/190; VT49/16; VT49/51] Group: Eldamo. Published by

-llë

suffix. you (plural)

Quenya [PE17/057; PE17/069; PE17/075; VT49/48] Group: Eldamo. Published by

-lë

suffix. abstract noun, adverb

Quenya [PE17/058; PE17/074; VT39/16] Group: Eldamo. Published by

-më

suffix. abstract noun

-n

suffix. I

-rë

suffix. abstract noun

-ssë

at

-ssë (1) locative ending (compare the preposition se, "at", q.v.); in Lóriendessë, lúmessë, máriessë, yalúmessë (q.v. for reference); pl. -ssen in yassen, lúmissen, mahalmassen, símaryassen, tarmenissen, q.v. Pronouns take the simple ending -ssë, even if the pronoun is plural by its meaning (messë "on us", VT44:12). The part. pl. (-lissë or -lissen) and dual (-tsë) locative endings are known from the Plotz letter only.

-ssë

suffix. abstract noun

-vë

as, like

-, (3) apparently an ending used to derive adverbs from adjectives (see andavë under anda and oiavë under oia). May be related to the preposition ve "as, like".

-vë

suffix. abstract noun, adverb

Quenya [PE17/068; PE17/074] Group: Eldamo. Published by

-ya

dad

-ya (3) suffix of endearment, attested in Anardilya as an intimate form of the name Anardil (UT:174, 418), possibly also occurring in atya "dad", emya "mum" (q.v.) The forms ataryo "daddy" and amilyë "mummy" (q.v.) may contain gender-specific variants -yo masc. and - fem.

-ye

suffix. and (pairs)

A suffix appearing in the phrase imbi Menel Cemenye mene Ráno tie “between Heaven and Earth goes the path of the Moon” from Eldarin Hands, Fingers and Numerals (HFN) written in the late 1960s (VT47/11). In notes from 1968 Tolkien described this suffix in detail:

> -ye “and” add[ed] to second of pair (sg. pl. — dual). In Q. still normally used of pairs usually associated as Sun, Moon; Heaven, Earth; Land, Sea; fire, water; etc. ... This ye is probably related to “lo” — (now see!) = kena, tira. Also in Q. or yea “What is more” (VT47/31).

A similar non-suffixal form ye appeared (untranslated) in the 1969 phrase Orome Valaron minya omenne ye Eldar “Orome first of (the) Valar met the Elves” (PE23/134). Christopher Gilson suggested that in this phrase ye might mean “✱with”, which seems plausible to me.

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would only use -ye to mean “and” with natural pairs like Anar Isilye “Sun and Moon”, an alternative to the dual conjunction yo. For “[together] with” I would use ó.

Quenya [PE23/134; VT47/11; VT47/31] Group: Eldamo. Published by

-yë

conjunction. and

- (4) conj. "and" as a suffix added to the second of a pair, as Menel Cemenyë "Heaven and Earth" (VT47:30, 31, VT49:25). Other "pairs" are mentioned as examples but not actually translated into Quenya by Tolkien: Sun and Moon (*Anar Isilyë), Land and Sea (*Nór Eäryë), fire and water (*nárë nenyë, or *úr nenyë).

am(il)ye

noun. *mummy

and

and

a (2) conj. "and", a variant of ar occurring in Fíriel's Song (that also has ar; a seems to be used before words in f-, but contrast ar formenna "and northwards" in a late text, VT49:26). According to PE17:41, "Old Quenya" could have the conjunction a (as a variant of ar) before n, ñ, m, h, hy, hw (f is not mentioned), PE17:71 adding ty, ny, hr, hl, ñ, l, r, þ, s. See ar #1. It may be that the a or the sentence nornë a lintieryanen "he ran with his speed" (i.e. as quickly as he could) is to be understood as this conjunction, if the literal meaning is "he ran and [did so] with his speed" (PE17:58).

ar

and

ar (1) conj. "and" (AR2, SA, FS, Nam, RGEO:67, CO, LR:47, 56, MC:216, VT43:31, VT44:10, 34; see VT47:31 for etymology, cf. also VT49:25, 40). The older form of the conjunction was az (PE17:41). Ar is often assimilated to al, as before l, s (PE17:41, 71), but "in written Quenya ar was usually written in all cases" (PE17:71). In one case, Tolkien altered the phrase ar larmar "and raiments" to al larmar; the former may then be seen as representing the spelling, whereas the latter represents the pronunciation(PE17:175). More complex schemes of assimilation are suggested to have existed in "Old Quenya", the conjunction varying between ar, a and as depending on the following consonant (PE17:41, 71). An alternative longer form of the conjunction, arë, is said to occur "occasionally in Tolkien's later writings" (VT43:31, cf. VT48:14). In the Etymologies, the word for "and" was first written as ar(a) (VT45:6). In one source, Tolkien notes that Quenya used ar "as preposition beside, next, or as adverb = and" (PE17:145); compare ara.

ar

and

o (1) conj. "and", occurring solely in SD:246; all other sources give ar.

ar

conjunction. and, and; [ᴱQ., ᴹQ.] but

The word ar was the Quenya word for “and” for much of Tolkien’s life. It was related to (and originally identical with) Q. ar(a) “beside” (PE17/70). The word ar was always used between sentences, but in sets of items sometimes yo and ta were used instead.

Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s ᴱQ. ar(a) was glossed “but” under the early root ᴱ√ƷARA “spread, extend sideways” (QL/32). In this earliest period the word for “and” was ᴱQ. ya(n) (QL/104). By the end of the 1920s when Tolkien composed the Nieninqe and Earendil poems, he consistently translated ar as “and” (MC/216; PE16/100). The translation “but” reappeared in a few phrases from the 1940s (PE22/124; PE23/74), but it is not clear if these were genuine shifts in meaning or loose translations.

By the time Tolkien wrote The Etymologies of the 1930s, ᴹQ. ar “and” was derived from the root ᴹ√AR “beside, outside” (Ety/AR²). This seems to have remained the case up through most of the 1950s, with the possible exception of a couple phrases in the 1930s where Tolkien used a “and” instead (LR/61, 72). In this period the usual Noldorin/Sindarin word for “and” was also ar.

At some point while writing drafts of The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien decided that the Sindarin word for “and” should a in the famous phrase pedo mellon a minno “speak, friend, and enter”. His motivations for this change are unclear, but he noticed the problem in notes written between the first and second edition of The Lord of the Rings, saying “a·Berhael. ‘And’ cannot therefore be [derived from] arĭ!” (PE17/102). From this point forward, Tolkien considered two possible roots serving as the basis for “and”: √AD(A) and √AS, both meaning “beside” (PE17/145; VT48/25). In his later writings, Tolkien seems to favor √AS which appeared in a few different notes from 1968 (VT47/31; VT48/25), though ada reappeared in notes from 1969 (VT49/25).

Assimilations: In the notes written between both the 1st and 2nd edition of The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien considered what kind of assimilations ar might have before consonants if it were derived from √AS or √AD (PE17/41). For √AS it became a before the consonants f, h, hw, hy, became as before t, k, p, q, s, and became al before l. For √AD it became a before the consonants n, m, became as before s, and became al before l. In notes from around 1964 Tolkien said:

> It is not necessary here to specify all the assimilations that could have occurred at these different stages, since in fact few have left traces in the forms of “and” ... Later after development to ar, only as survived as an occasional form before t, and as the usual form before s (of any origin); while al appeared before l. But in written Quenya ar was usually written in all cases, though the pronunciation of ar-s, ar-l as as-s, al-l remained usual (PE17/71).

In this particular discussion, ar as derived from √AD. However, the system Tolkien described was that all the older assimilations were abandoned, and the only ones that survived were based on later assimilations involved r of any origin: rs &gt; ss and rl &gt; ll. These sound shifts only affected pronunciation, not spelling. Thus the same arguments would be apply if ar was derived from √AS.

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would write ar “and” in all cases, and would assume it was derived from derived from √AS, but would further assume that the Tarquesta pronunciations before s and l were as-s, al-l.

Quenya [CPT/1296; LotR/0377; LotR/0967; Minor-Doc/1955-CT; NM/239; NM/240; PE16/096; PE17/041; PE17/070; PE17/071; PE17/072; PE17/102; PE17/103; PE17/145; PE17/174; PE17/175; PE22/147; PE22/154; PE22/158; PE22/162; RGEO/58; RGEO/59; S/190; SA/ar; UT/305; VT43/17; VT43/18; VT43/21; VT43/31; VT43/34; VT43/36; VT44/10; VT44/34; VT47/04; VT47/31; VT49/25; VT49/27; VT49/40; WJ/166] Group: Eldamo. Published by

arë

and

arë conj. "and", longer form of ar, q.v. (VT43:31)

az

and

az, archaic form of the conjunction ar "and"; see ar #1.

cemendë tambe erumandë

on Earth as [it is] in Heaven

The fifth line of Átaremma, Tolkien’s Quenya translation of the Lord’s Prayer. The first word cemendë “on Earth” is an assimilated locative form of cemen “earth”. The word tambë likely corresponds to “as”, while Erumandë “in Heaven” is an assimilated locative form of Eruman “Heaven”. The English words “it is” are not represented in the Quenya phrase.

Decomposition: Broken into its constituent elements, this phrase would be:

> cemen-dë tambe Eruman-dë = “✱earth-on as [it is] Heaven-in”

Conceptual Development: In earlier versions of this phrase (I-V), Tolkien used menel for “Heaven”. Elsewhere, Tolkien said that menel referred to the dome of the sky or “the firmament”, and therefore was not proper for “Heaven” (MR/387, PE17/152), which is probably why he changed the word to Eruman in version VI of the prayer.

Tolkien experimented with various ways of comparing Earth to Heaven: ier ... ar tér (I), ier ... tier (IIa), ya(n) ... ar san (IIb) and san ... ya (III-IV), each probably meaning something like “as ... so ...”, as suggested by Wynne, Smith and Hostetter (VT43/16-7). In versions V and VI Tolkien switched to a single word “as”: sívë (V) and tambë (VI).

The English words “it is” are only expressed in version III-IV, with the Quenya verb na, appearing at the end of the phrase as is typical of declarative statements.

| |  I  |IIa|IIb|III|IV|V|VI| |{yé >> ye >>}|ier|ya(n)|san| | |menelle|menelze|menelde|cemende| |ar tér|tier|ar san|ya|sívë|tambe| |{kemenze >>}|cemenze|cemende|menelde|Erumande| | |na| |

Quenya [VT43/08; VT43/09; VT43/10; VT43/11; VT43/12] Group: Eldamo. Published by

et

preposition. out (of)

The basic Quenya preposition for “out”, as seen in et Eärello Endorenna utúlien “Out of the Great Sea to Middle-earth I am come” (LotR/967). It is derived from the root √ET of the same meaning. In most of its appearances, the following noun also has the ablative case, and in The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien said “et with ablative = out of: Et elendellor” (EtyAC/ET).

It is less clear whether et can be used without the ablative, and what it means in such cases. We have only one example: et i péti, untranslated but probably meaning “✱out of the lips” (VT47/35). This example seems to have the same meaning as et + ablative, meaning movement out of the mouth. But I think et without the ablative might also be used to indicate position as in et i coa “out of the house” = “outside the house (not leaving from it)”. It might even be possible to use the allative with et, such as et i ulonna “out into the rain”.

Quenya [LotR/0967; PE17/103; VT43/36; VT43/38; VT44/35; VT47/35] Group: Eldamo. Published by

euva

will be, will exist

euva vb. "will be, will exist"; see ëa

fara-

verb. to hunt

A verb for “to hunt” based on the root √SPAR. In the Quenya Verbal System (QVS) from 1948, Tolkien gave it as an example of an a-verb with an inherently continuative sense (PE22/113).

Quenya [PE22/138; PE22/164] Group: Eldamo. Published by

harya-

verb. to have, to have, *hold, [ᴹQ.] possess

A verb in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “possess” under the root ᴹ√ƷAR “have, hold” (Ety/ƷAR). There was another variant arya- “to possess” under the entry for ᴹ√GAR, but this was deleted (EtyAC/GAR). The verb harya- reappeared in the Merin sentence merin sa haryalyë alassë nó vanyalyë Ambarello “I hope that you have happiness before you pass from the world”, probably from the 1950s.

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would mainly use harya- for “have” as in currently have ahold of or possess something which can be lost or given up. For more abstract senses of “have”, including possession of inalienable traits or relationships that do no imply ownership, I would use sam-.

ier

as

ier prep. "as" (VT43:16, probably rejected in favour of sívë, q.v.). In an abandoned version of the Quenya Lord's Prayer, Tolkien used ier...ter for "as...so" (VT43:17).

ier

preposition. *as

Quenya [VT43/16; VT43/20] Group: Eldamo. Published by

i eru i or ilyë mahalmar ëa

(the one/they) who; (that) which

i (2) relative pronoun "(the one/they) who; (that) which" (both article and relative pronoun in CO: i Eru i or ilyë mahalmar ëa: the One who is above all thrones", i hárar "(they) who are sitting"); cf. also the phrase i hamil mára "(that) which you deem good" (VT42:33). Notice that before a verb, i means "the one who", or, in the case of a plural verb, "those who"; e.g. i carir quettar ómainen "those who form words with voices" (WJ:391). According to VT47:21, i as a relative pronoun is the personal plural form (corresponding to the personal sg. ye and the impersonal sg. ya). This agrees with the example i carir..., but as is evident from the other examples listed above, Tolkien in certain texts also used i as a singular relative pronoun, both personal (Eru i...) and impersonal (i hamil). In the sense of a plural personal relative pronoun, i is also attested in the genitive (ion) and ablative (illon) cases, demonstrating that unlike the indeclinable article i, the relative pronoun i can receive case endings. Both are translated "from whom": ion / illon camnelyes "from whom you received it" (referring to several persons) (VT47:21).

illon

from whom

illon pl. relative pron. in ablative: "from whom", pl. (VT47:11). See i #2 (relative pronoun).

imi

in

imi prep. "in"; see mi (VT43:30)

imi

preposition. in, in, [ᴱQ.] inside

inyë

i, too

inyë emphatic independent 1st person sg. pronoun, "I" with emphasis, translated "I, too" in LR:61 (and, according to one reading of Tolkiens manuscript, in VT49:49).

ion

from whom, *of whom

ion pl. relative pron. in genitive "from whom, *of whom", pl. (VT47:21). See i #2 (relative pronoun).

le

pronoun. you (plural)

Quenya [Minor-Doc/1955-CT; PE22/162; PE23/069; VT49/51] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lye

pronoun. you (polite)

Quenya [Minor-Doc/1963-12-18; PE17/026; PE17/074; PE19/080; VT43/30; VT49/41; VT49/51; VT49/56] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lá-

verb. to not be

Quenya [PE22/153; PE22/154; PE22/156; PE22/160; VT42/33; VT43/22; VT49/13; VT49/15] Group: Eldamo. Published by

mai-

verb. to have, possess

An irregular verb for “have, possessive” in Late Notes on Verb Structure (LVS) from 1969 (PE22/148). The section where it appeared was struck through (PE22/148 note #24). It may have been supplanted by öa- “possess, own, keep” from the same bundle of documents (PE22/151).

mamil

noun. *mummy

An affectionate address from 4-year old Ancalimë to her mother Erendis (UT/191). It appears nowhere else, and I recommend using Q. amya instead for as an affectionate word for “mother”.

man

who

man pron. "who" (Nam, RGEO:67, FS, LR:59, Markirya, MC:213, 214); cf. PM:357 note 18, where a reference is made to the Eldarin interrogative element ma, man). However, man is translated "what" in LR:59: man-ië? "what is it?" (LR:59; the stative-verb suffix -_ is hardly valid in LotR-style Quenya) _Either Tolkien later adjusted the meaning of the word, or man covers both "who" and "what". Cf. also mana, manen.

man

pronoun. who, who; [ᴹQ.] what

The most common Quenya word for “who”, most notably appearing in the Namárië poem in the phrase sí man i yulma nin enquantuva? “who now shall refill the cup for me?” (LotR/377). It is based on the interrogative element ma (PE17/68). Man might be a general interrogative element “who, what, which”; at one point Tolkien said man was a reduction of mana before vowels (PE23/135). However, in the Markirya, man was used for “who” before consonants, such as man tiruva fána cirya “Who shall heed a white ship?” (MC/222).

In writings from the 1930s and 40s, man was used for “what” (LR/59, 72) or as a general interrogative marker (PE23/99). However, it was used for “who” in the versions of the Oilima Markirya from around 1930 (MC/213-214).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would mostly use man in the sense “who”, before both consonants and vowels. For “what” I would use mana, and as a general interrogative marker I’d use ma. In cases where you want an unambiguous word for “who = what person”, I would use mamo.

Quenya [LotR/0377; MC/221; MC/222; Minor-Doc/2013-05-13; PE17/067; PE17/068; PE22/161; PM/357; RGEO/58; RGEO/59; VT21/06] Group: Eldamo. Published by

men

who

men (3) pron. "who", evidently a misreading or miswriting for man (MC:221, in Markirya)

mi

in, within

mi prep. "in, within" (MI, VT27:20, VT44:18, 34, VT43:30; the latter source also mentions the variant imi); "in the" (Nam, RGEO:66; CO gives mi; the correct forms should evidently be mi = "in" and = mi i "in the"; VT49:35 also has with a long vowel, though the gloss is simply "in"). Used in PE17:71 (cf. 70) of people clad "in" various colours, e.g. mi mísë "in grey". Allative minna "to the inside, into" (MI), also mina (VT43:30). The forms mimmë and mingwë seem to incorporate pronominal suffixes for "us", hence ?"in us", inclusive and exclusive respectively. The pronoun -mmë denoted plural inclusive "we" when this was written, though Tolkien would later make it dual instead (see -mmë). Second person forms are also given: mil or milyë *"in you" (sg.), millë "in you" (pl.) (VT43:36). A special use of mi appears in the phrase Wendë mi Wenderon "Virgin of Virgins" (VT44:18); here mi appears superfluous to achieve the desired meaning, but this combination of singular noun + mi + plural genitive noun may be seen as a fixed idiom expressing that the initial noun represents the most prominent member of a class.

mi

preposition. in, in, [ᴹQ.] within

The Quenya preposition for “in”, very well attested. It was derived from the root √MI of the same meaning (PE17/92; VT43/30; VT47/30). In The Etymologies of the 1930s ᴹQ. mi was glossed “in, within” under the root ᴹ√MI “inside” (Ety/MI).

Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, the preposition mi appeared (untranslated) in the phrase ᴱQ. Uole·mi·Kūme “Moon King” = “✱Uole in the Moon” (QL/48). The main dictionary had the adverb ᴱQ. imi “in, inside” under the early root ᴱ√IMI (QL/42). In one place in Tolkien’s later writings from the 1950s, the preposition mi “in” had the variant form imi as well (VT43/30).

Quenya [LotR/0377; PE17/063; PE17/071; PE17/092; PE23/133; RGEO/58; UT/305; UT/317; VT43/13; VT43/30; VT43/36; VT44/18; VT44/34; VT47/30; VT49/35] Group: Eldamo. Published by

nauva

will be

nauva vb. "will be" (VT42:34); nauvan "I will be" (VT49:19); see #1

is

(1) vb. "is" (am). (Nam, RGEO:67). This is the copula used to join adjectives, nouns or pronouns "in statements (or wishes) asserting (or desiring) a thing to have certain quality, or to be the same as another" (VT49:28). Also in impersonal constructions: ringa ná "it is cold" (VT49:23). The copula may however be omitted "where the meaning is clear" without it (VT49:9). is also used as an interjection "yes" or "it is so" (VT49:28). Short na in airë [] na, "[] is holy" (VT43:14; some subject can evidently be inserted in the place of [].) Short na also functions as imperative: alcar mi tarmenel na Erun "glory in high heaven be to God" (VT44:32/34), also na airë "be holy" (VT43:14); also cf. nai "be it that" (see nai #1). The imperative participle á may be prefixed (á na, PE17:58). However, VT49:28 cites as the imperative form. Pl. nar or nár "are" (PE15:36, VT49:27, 9, 30); dual nát (VT49:30). With pronominal endings: nányë/nanyë "I am", nalyë or natyë "you (sg.) are" (polite and familiar, respectively), nás "it is", násë "(s)he is", nalmë "we are" (VT49:27, 30). Some forms listed in VT49:27 are perhaps to be taken as representing the aorist: nain, naityë, nailyë (1st person sg, and 2nd person familiar/polite, respectively); does a following na represent the aorist with no pronominal ending? However, the forms nanyë, nalyë, , nassë, nalme, nar (changed from nár) are elsewhere said to be "aorist", without the extra vowel i (e.g. nalyë rather than nailyë); also notice that *"(s)he is" is here nassë rather than násë (VT49:30).Pa.t. nánë or "was", pl. náner/nér and dual nét "were" (VT49:6, 9, 10, 27, 28, 30, 36). According to VT49:31, "was" cannot receive pronominal endings (though nésë "he was" is attested elsewhere, VT49:28-29), and such endings are rather added to the form ane-, e.g. anen "I was", anel "you were", anes "(s)he/it was" (VT49:28-29). Future tense nauva "will be" (VT42:34, VT49:19, 27; another version however gives the future tense as uva, VT49:30). Nauva with a pronominal ending occurs in tanomë nauvan "I will be there" (VT49:19), this example indicating that forms of the verb may also be used to indicate position. Perfect anaië "has been" (VT49:27, first written as anáyë). Infinitive (or gerund) návë "being", PE17:68. See also nai #1.

ná-

verb. to be, to be, [ᴱQ.] exist

The basic Quenya verb for “to be”, based on the root √ (PE17/93). It was typically used as the copula equating a noun to another noun or an adjective:

> √NA joining adjs./nouns/pronouns in statements (or wishes) asserting (or desiring) a thing to have a certain quality, or to be the same as another (PE22/147).

In many circumstances this verb was optional:

> As a copula “be, is” is not usually expressed in Quenya where the meaning is clear: sc. in such expressions as “A is good” where the adjective (contrary to the usual order in Quenya of a qualifying adjective) follows: the normal Quenya for this is A mára (PE17/93).

For further discussion see the entry on the Quenya copula.

Conceptual Development: This verb dates back all the way to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, where it was given as the early root ᴱ√ “be, exist” (QL/64). This verb and its root appeared regularly throughout Tolkien’s writings thereafter, but at times Tolkien considered alternative verbs for “to be”; see the entry ëa- for further discussion.

Quenya [LotR/0377; Minor-Doc/1955-CT; PE17/057; PE17/058; PE17/059; PE17/074; PE17/090; PE17/093; PE17/126; PE17/162; PE22/154; PE22/158; PE22/166; PE22/167; PE22/168; RGEO/58; RGEO/59; RGEO/60; VT42/33; VT42/34; VT43/13; VT43/14; VT43/15; VT43/16; VT43/23; VT43/30; VT43/34; VT44/34; VT49/09; VT49/10; VT49/19; VT49/23; VT49/27; VT49/28; VT49/29; VT49/30] Group: Eldamo. Published by

oromë valaron minya omennë ye eldar

Orome first of (the) Valar met the Elves

sam-

verb. to have

A verb for “to have” in Definitive Linguistic Notes (DLN) from 1959, derived from the root √SAM of the same meaning. It was the opposite of pen- “to lack, have not”.

se

at, in

se (2), also long , preposition "at, in" (VT43:30; compare the "locative prefix" se- possibly occurring in an early "Qenya" text, VT27:25)

sívë

as

sívë (1) prep. "as", apparently ve of similar meaning with the prefix - "this, here, now"; sívë therefore makes a comparison with something close, whereas tambë (q.v.) refers to something remote. Sívë...tambë "as...so" (VT43:17). Elided sív' in VT43:12, since the next word begins in the vowel e-.

sívë

preposition. *as

Quenya [VT43/17; VT43/20] Group: Eldamo. Published by

u-

verb. not do, not be

#u- vb. "not do, not be" (1st pers. aorist uin "I do not, am not"), pa.t. úmë (UGU/UMU). A late (ca. 1968) source gives the forms uin, uin() "I am not", uil() "you are not", uis "it is not", uilmë "we are not", uir "are not" and endingless ui *"is not" (VT49:29, 36); these forms were however struck out. The example uin carë "I dont" (PE17:68) combines this negative verb with a following verb in the "simplest aorist infinitive". Compare ua in another late source. See also ui, which (despite its use as an interjection "no") seems to be the endingless 3rd person aorist.

ua-

not do, not be

ua- negative verb "not do, not be". If a verb is to be negated, ua (coming before the verb) receives any pronominal endings (and presumably also any endings for plurality or duality, -r or -t), whereas the uninflected tense-stem of the verb follows: With the ending -n for "I", one can thus have constructions like uan carë "I do not" (aorist), uan carnë "I did not" (past), uan cára "I am not doing" (present), uan caruva "I shall not do" (future). The verb ua- can itself be fully conjugated: #ua aorist (or present?), únë (past), úva "(future), #uië (perfect) (the aorist and perfect are attested only with the ending -n "I"). In "archaic Quenya" these tense-forms could be combined with an uninflected aorist stem, e.g. future *úvan carë = later Quenya uan caruva, "I shall not do". In later Quenya, only the forms ua (present or aorist) and "occasionally" the past tense form #únë were used in normal prose (únen* "I did not, was not"). (PE17:144; compare FS for úva** as a future-tense negative verb "will not")

ua-

verb. to not be, to not do

Quenya [PE17/144; VT43/21] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ui-

verb. to not be, to not do

Quenya [PE17/068; PE22/152; VT49/29] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ve

as, like

ve (1) prep. "as, like" (Nam, RGEO:66, Markirya, MC:213, 214, VT27:20, 27, VT49:22); in Narqelion ve may mean either "in" or "as". Ve fírimor quetir *"as mortals say" (VT49:10), ve senwa (or senya) "as usual" (VT49:10). Followed by genitive, ve apparently expresses "after the manner of": ve quenderinwë coaron ("k") "after the manner of bodies of Elven-kind" (PE17:174). Tolkien variously derived Quenya ve from older , or vai(VT49:10, 32, PE17:189)

ya

as

ya (2) or yan, prep. "as" (VT43:16, probably abandoned in favour of sívë)

ya

which, what

ya (1) relative pronoun "which, what" (attested in VT43:28, 34 and in the Arctic sentence), with locative suffix in Namárië: see #yassë. According to VT47:21, ya is impersonal, "which" rather than "who(m)" (compare the personal form ye). The dative form yan (q.v.) is however used for "to whom" (rather than "to which") in one text, indicating that Tolkien did not always distinguish between personal and impersonal forms. In the phrase lúmessë ya [variant: **] firuvammë, "in [the] hour that we shall die", the relative pronoun is not explicitly marked for case and is evidently understood to share the case of the preceding noun (hence not lúmessë yassë**... "in [the] hour in which"...) (VT43:27-28) Presumably, ya has the plural form *yar* (e.g. i nati yar hirnen** "the things that/which I found").

yan

for/to which

yan relative pronoun in dative "for/to which" or "for/to whom" (PE16:90, 92, 96). Used for "to whom" in the poem Nieninque; according to the system described elsewhere, which distinguishes personal ye "who" from impersonal ya "which", "to whom" would be *yen instead. A wholly distinct ya(n) seems to appear as an ephemeral word for "as" in one version of the Quenya Lord's Prayer; see ya #2 (VT43:16, VT49:18)

yan

adverb/conjunction. *as

@@@ possibly modal adverb

Quenya [VT43/16; VT43/20] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ye

is

ye (2) copula "is" (FS, VT46:22); both earlier and later sources rather point to (q.v.) as the copula "is", so ye may have been an experiment Tolkien later abandoned. Future tense yéva, q.v.

ye

as

[ye (3), also , prep. "as" (VT43:16, struck out; in the text in question Tolkien finally settled on sívë, q.v.)]

ye

who

ye (1) singular personal relative pronoun "who", maybe also object "whom" (plural form i). Compare the impersonal form ya. Also attested in the genitive and the ablative cases: yëo and yello, both translated "from whom" (though the former would also mean *"whose, of whom"). (VT47:21)

ye

pronoun. who

yello

from whom

yello (1) relative pronoun in ablative: "from whom"; see ye #1.

yo

and

yo conj. "and", "often used between _two _items (of any part of speech) that were by nature or custom clearly associated, like the names of spouses (Manwë yo Varda), or "sword and sheath" (*macil yo vainë*), "bow and arrows" (quinga yo pilindi), or groups like "Elves and Men" (Eldar yo Fírimor but contrast eldain a fírimoin [dative forms] in FS, where Tolkien joins the words with a, seemingly simply a variant of the common conjunction ar). In one source, yo is apparently a preposition "with" (yo hildinyar* = "with my heirs", SD:56).

yo

conjunction. both ... and

A conjunction meaning “both ... and” in notes from around 1964 used to join two words (but not two sentences), as seen in the phrase: sanome tarne Olórin, Aracorno, Eomer, Imrahil, mi míse, mi telepta yo morna, mi laiqua yo ninquë, mi luinë ... “There stood Gandalf, Aragorn, Eomer and Imrahil in grey, in silver and black, in green and white, [and] in blue” (PE17/71). In the same document Tolkien described this conjunction in some detail:

> yo, a reduced form of < “both”: this was often used between two items (of any part of speech) that were by nature or custom closely associated, but were not “pairs” (as e.g. were hands, feet, eyes, etc.). These might be names of persons: as Beren and Luthien, Manwe yo Varda; or of things as sword and sheath, bow and arrows; or of groups as Elves and Men (Eldar yo Firimar); or adjectives, as wine white and red; long and thin; or adverbs, as far and away; also verbs, especially those with related meanings, as hear and obey, see and consider.

Tolkien further specified that yo was not used in repetitions for emphasis (“through and through”) or synonyms like alternative names. But it could be used for words that were contrasting opposites such as “head and foot, top and bottom, up and down, young and old, men and women”.

Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s ᴱQ. ya(n) was the usual word for “and” (QL/104), but by the end of the 1920s this was replaced by ar “and” which Tolkien mostly used thereafter. However, in a number documents from the late 1940s Tolkien used ye (PE23/91-92, 95), yu (PE22/125; PE23/110), or yo (PE23/97) for “and”, with yo “and” also appearing in drafts of The Lord of the Rings (SD/56). By the 1950s ar “and” was restored, but Tolkien seems to have retained yo in a more limited dual sense, as described above.

Quenya [PE17/070; PE17/071] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lo!

(1) interjection "lo!" (VT47:31), also occurring in Aragorn's exclamation when he found the sapling of the White Tree. (Compare yéta-.) Also in the ejaculation yé mána (ma) = "what a blessing" or "what a good thing!" (VT49:41). The more literal meaning would seem to be *"behold the blessing!"

[ (3) = ye #3, q.v.]

interjection. lo!, what a ..., what is more

Quenya [LotR/0971; PE17/110; PE17/162; VT47/31] Group: Eldamo. Published by

yéva

will be

yéva vb. "will be" (also "there will be"), apparently the future tense of ye (#2). Once translated "is" (írë ilqua yéva nótina, "when all is counted"), but this event belongs to the future; hence literally *"when all will be counted" (FS; VT46:22). In Tolkien's later Quenya, yéva was apparently replaced by nauva.

yëo

from whom

yëo relative pronoun in genitive "from whom" (could also mean *"of whom"); see ye # 1.

úyë

is

úyë vb., a form occurring in Fíriel's Song (cf. VT46:22), apparently ye "is" with the negative prefix ú-, hence "is not" (úyë sérë indo-ninya símen, translated "my hearth resteth not here", literally evidently *"[there] is not rest [for] my heart here")

firta-

verb. to kill

Quenya Group: Eldamo - neologism/reconstructions. Published by

maryë

adverb. at home, at home, *indoors