ah

preposition/conjunction. and, with

The title Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth is translated as "converse of Finrod and Andreth", but some scholars actually believe this word to be unrelated with the conjunction a.1 , ar "and", and they render it as "with". Other scholars consider that "and" and "with" (in the comitative sense) are not exclusive of each other, and regard ah as the form taken by this conjunction before a vowel. That a, ar and ah are etymologically related has finally been confirmed in VT/43:29-30. Compare also with Welsh, where the coordination "and" also takes different forms whether it occurs before a vowel or a consonant (respectively ac and a). In written Welsh, a often triggers the aspirate mutation: bara a chaws "bread and cheese". This usage is seldom applied in colloquial Welsh (Modern Welsh §510)

ah

conjunction. and

adh

conjunction. and

ahamar

noun. neighbour

ahamar

noun. *neighbor

ai

interjection. ah!

Though attested in LotR, this word might relate to ae.1 , with the regular change from ai to ae between Noldorin and Sindarin

ai na vedui dúnadan

Ah! at last, Dúnadan!

alae!

ah

! (interjection) alae!

alae!

ah

a

conjunction. and; †by, near, beside

In The Lord of the Rings, the Sindarin conjuction for “and” was a, as seen in the famous phrase from the Moria Gate Inscription: pedo mellon a minno “speak, friend, and enter” (LotR/305).

Conceptual Development: In Tolkien’s earlier writings, the word for “and” was usually ar, consistent with the usual Quenya form of this word: Q. ar. The first appearance of this form of the word was in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, which had G. ar “and, too” (GL/20). This version of “and” appeared in numerous phrases from the 1920s-50s, that latest being the Sindarin version of the Lord’s Prayer: Ae Adar Nín from the mid-1950s (VT44/21).

In Lord of the Rings drafts of the 1940s, however, Tolkien introduced a “and” in the initial versions of the gate inscription (TI/182). He gradually transitioned to the a version over the next few years.

Possible Etymologies: It is not obvious what Tolkien intended the etymology of S. a “and” to be when he first introduced it. He did revisit the question in notes on Words, Phrases and Passages from the Lord of the Rings (WPP) from the late 1950s or early 1960s, where he considered two primitive forms: ✶as(a) and ✶ad(a) (PE17/41). In both cases, the consonant of the primitive word would vanish if the following word began with a consonant, either as > ah > a or ad > að > a. However, there would be remnants of the primitive consonant before words beginning with a vowel, such as ah Edhel or að Edhel “and an Elf”. This is similar to how the English indefinite article “a” is “a” before a consonant but “an” before a vowel.

In the previously mentioned note Tolkien eventually settled on a(ð), and this was also the etymology of “and” in Quenya Notes (QN) from 1957 (PE17/145). In writings elsewhere Tolkien seems to have used a(h). For example, ah appeared in the phrase Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth “The Debate of Finrod and Andreth” written around 1959 (MR/329). In notes from 1968, Tolkien had Common Eldarin as “and” producing S. ah which became a before consonants (VT43/30).

Possible Mutations: In notes from 1969, Tolkien said that conjunctions like “and, or” induced mutation in Sindarin (PE23/142). The exact mutation would depend on the etymology of the word. The a(ð)-variant would induce stop mutation and the a(h)-variant would induce sibilant mutation, as described in Tolkien’s notes on the etymology of this word mentioned above (PE17/41).

One complication for the etymology of a was the phrase Daur a Berhael, Conin en Annûn “Frodo and Sam, princes of the west” (LotR/953). Here the name Perhael “Samwise” clearly undergoes soft mutation. Tolkien noticed this in his notes on the phrase, saying: “a·Berhael. ‘And’ cannot therefore be [derived from] arĭ! aŋa. ā̆. {an >>} ŋ̃a [and later in the same context] ‘And’ ad(a). Q ar. N [sic., should be S] a(ð). a, að before vowel. with soft mutation” (PE17/102).

However, there are no signs of soft mutation after a in other phrases like pedo mellon a minno [rather than vinno] (LotR/305) or si loth a galadh lasto dîn [rather than ’aladh] (LB/354). The earlier ar-variant also seems not to have induced mutation in some documents, such as the King’s Letter [ar Hîr; ar Meril] (SD/128) or Ae Adar Nín [ar díheno] (VT44/21, 28-29).

In the previously mentioned notes on Daur a Berhael, Tolkien seems to have considered another explanation where Daur “Frodo” was also a mutation, with an unmutated form Taur (PE17/102). If so, it may be that the mutations in Daur a Berhael are the result of some other grammatical operation rather than the normal mutation of a “and”.

Other than Daur a Berhael, the only clear example of consonant mutation after the conjunction “and” is ar·phent Rían... “✱and Rían said” from the Túrin Wrapper from the early 1950s (VT50/5). This seems to be an example of liquid mutation for the ar-version of this word.

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I prefer the a(h)-variant for Sindarin “and”, with sibilant mutation before consonants and ah before vowels. This variant appears in notes from 1968 (VT43/30) and the sibilant mutation occurs only before words beginning with p, t, c, h (→ ph, th, ch, ch) and l, r (→ lh, rh). That means conflict with unmutated examples is minimized. In earlier versions of Eldamo I recommended ignoring mutation entirely for a(h), but since PE23 made it clear that conjunctions induce mutation I now recommend the “least disruptive” mutation: sibilant mutation.

This means a separate explanation is required for Daur a Berhael. For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I assume that soft mutation is used as a marker for Sindarin direct objects, even when those objects do not immediately follow the verb. Thus I assume Daur a Berhael are soft mutations of Taur “Frodo” and Perhael “Samwise” because they are the objects of the verb eglorio “glorify” in the phrase Daur a Berhael, Conin en Annûn, eglerio “Frodo and Sam, princes of the west, glorify (them)”.

Bear in mind that this system is based on a very small number of examples, and could be overturned by new publications.

a

conjunction. and

See ah for the form that this conjunction might take before a vowel

ar

conjunction. and

See ah for the form that this conjunction might take before a vowel

a

and

a, or ah when the next word begins in a vowel: Finrod ah Andreth, Finrod and Andreth. In some sources, Tolkien uses ar as the conjunction "and", but a(h) would seem to be the proper Sindarin form.

a

and

or ah when the next word begins in a vowel: Finrod ah Andreth, Finrod and Andreth. In some sources, Tolkien uses ar as the conjunction "and", but a(h) would seem to be the proper Sindarin form.

sammar

neighbour

sammar (i hammar, o sammar), pl. semmair (i semmair). Also ahamar (pl. ehemair). Dual samarad, 2 neighbours (VT48:20)

sammar

noun. *neighbor

ceredir

maker

ceredir (i geredir, o cheredir) (doer), no distinct pl. form except with article (i cheredir)

hîth

mist

hîth (i chîth) (fog), no distinct pl. form, not even with article (i chîth).

mîr

treasure

mîr (i vîr, construct mir) (precious thing, jewel), no distinct pl. form except with article (i mîr), coll. pl. míriath.

thavron

wright

thavron (carpenter, builder), pl. thevryn, coll. pl. thavronnath.

tân

maker

1) ?tân (i dân, o thân), only attested as -dan or -than as the final element of compounds, e.g. Círdan ”Ship-maker”). Construct tan, pl. tain (i thain), 2)

a

and

conj. and.Form of ad/ada before vowel, with soft mutation. Q. ar. >> ad, ada, adh

a

and

conj. and. About his mutation, see PE17:145.

a

conjunction. and

conj. and. Pedo mellon a minno! 'Say friend and enter'. Q. ar

ad

conjunction. and

conj. and. a/adh before vowel, with soft mutation. Q. ar. >> a, ada, adh

ada

conjunction. and

conj. and. a/adh before vowel, with soft mutation. Q. ar. >> a, ad, adh

anor

noun. Sun

The most common Sindarin name for the Sun derived from primitive ✶Anār, an augmented form of the root √NAR “fire” (PE17/38; Ety/ANÁR; SD/302-303, 306). The o is the result of ancient ā becoming au and then this au becoming o in polysyllables.

Conceptual Development: The term Anor was first mentioned in conjunction with early tales of Númenor (LR/41). It briefly appeared as N. {ánar >>} Anar “sun” in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the entry for ᴹ√NAR (Ety/NAR¹; EtyAC/NAR¹), but as Anor under ᴹ√ANÁR (Ety/ANÁR). In The Notion Club Papers of the 1940s it was Anor, archaic †Anaur (SD/302-303, 306) and it retained this form thereafter.

ar

conjunction. and, and, [G.] too, besides

hithlain

noun. mist-thread (a substance used by the Elves of Lothlórien to make strong ropes)

hîth

noun. mist, fog

hîth

noun. mist

The Sindarin word for “mist”, an element in many names, derived from the root √KHITH of the same meaning (SA/hîth; PE17/73).

Conceptual Development: N. hîth “mist” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s, already with the derivation given above (Ety/KHIS), though when Tolkien first defined the word, he first wrote (and then deleted) the gloss “fog” (EtyAC/KHIS). In The Etymologies as published in The Lost Road, Christopher Tolkien wrote hith (LR/364), but Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynne confirmed that the actual form was hîth in their Addenda and Corrigenda to the Etymologies (VT45/22).

oroth

noun. rage

_n. _rage, anger. rage, anger << wrath. Q. _ursa _rage. >> rûth, ruthra-

samarad

noun. two neighbours

sammar

noun. neighbour

Ídh

and

{ð}_ conj. _and. It was not mutated before vowels. >> a

Ídh

and

{ð} conj. and.Form of ad/ada before vowel, with soft mutation. Q. ar. >> a, ad, ada

Ídh

and

{ð} conj. and. About his mutation, see PE17:145.

anor

sun

(pl. Anoer if there is a pl.) Archaic Anaur (SD:306).

ceredir

maker

(i geredir, o cheredir) (doer), no distinct pl. form except with article (i cheredir)

círdan

shipwright

(i gírdan, o chírdan) (shipbuilder), pl. círdain (i chírdain). Compare Círdan as a proper name.****

gwist

noun. change

hithlain

mist-thread

name of a fiber made in Lórien.

hîth

mist

(i chîth) (fog), no distinct pl. form, not even with article (i chîth).

mith

wet mist

(i vith) (white fog), no distinct pl. form except with article (i mith). David Salo would read mîth with a long vowel. Note: a homophone is the adjective ”pale grey”. ✱

mîr

treasure

(i vîr, construct mir) (precious thing, jewel), no distinct pl. form except with article (i mîr), coll. pl. míriath.

naur

sun

(mainly in compounds as nar-, -nor) (flame, fire), pl. noer, coll. pl. norath.

thavron

wright

(carpenter, builder), pl. thevryn, coll. pl. thavronnath.

tân

maker

(i dân, o thân), only attested as -dan or -than as the final element of compounds, e.g. Círdan ”Ship-maker”). Construct tan, pl. tain (i thain)

ahtar-

verb. to do back, react; to requite, avenge

In notes from around 1959 Tolkien had a verb akkar- or ahtar-, cognate to S. achar- “do back, react; requite; avenge” as combination of √AT “back” (related to √AT-TA “two”) and √KAR “do” (PE17/166). This etymology was rejected when Tolkien decided that, as a prefix, at- meant “re- of the same or other agent in repeating (more or less similarly) a previous action” and in Q. “only in literal sense of second time, double”. It was thus not suitable for “avenge”.

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I think ᴺQ. ahtar- can be salvaged in the more limited sense “to do back, react”.

ahto

noun. wright, maker

A word for “maker, wright” used as a suffix in the first version of Tengwesta Qenderinwa (TQ1) from the 1930s, derived from ᴹ✶(a)k’tō as an abnormal vocalization of the root ᴹ√KAT “make” (PE18/62). The word ahto reappeared in the second version of Tengwesta Qenderinwa (TQ2) from around 1950 as an independent word with the same meaning and derivation (PE18/85). The section in TQ2 containing this word was marked through, but the logic for its derivation remains valid.

Neo-Quenya: I would retain ᴺQ. ahto “wright, maker” for purposes of Neo-Quenya, but would use it for lesser or subordinate craftsmen than a tamo, which I would use to refer to the primary (or only) builder on a project. In other words, I think tamo implies a greater degree of mastery than ahto [though I have direct evidence of this from Tolkien’s writing].

aha

rage

aha noun "rage", also name of tengwa #11, earlier called harma (Appendix E)

ahosta

verb. assemble, gather

A verb occurring in the Markirya poem, consists of prefix a- and verb hosta- (gather).

Tolkien noted: "When the bare stem of the verb is used (as after 'see' and 'hear') as infinitive na- [changed to a-] is prefixed if the noun is the object not the subject". In man cenuva lumbor ahosta (changed from na-hosta), "who shall see the clouds gather"

ahtar-

do back; react; requite, avenge

ahtar- "do back; react; requite, avenge" (PE17:166). Also accar-. (The note containing this form was struck out, but the related Sindarin word acharn "vengeance" appears in the narratives.)

ahya-

change

#ahya- vb. "change" (intransitive), only attested in the past tense: ahyanë (PM:395)

ahya-

verb. to change

aha

noun. rage

ahto

noun. maker

maker, wright

ai!

ah!

ai! interjection "Ah!", "Alas!" (Nam, RGEO:66; also twice in Narqelion, untranslated.) In one (abandoned) version of the Quenya Lord's Prayer, Tolkien may seem to use ai as a vocative particle: ai Ataremma ?"o our Father" (VT43:10, 13)

ahta-

verb. to narrow (tr. and intr.); to besiege [with os]

A neologism coined by Ellanto posted on 2024-05-15 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), a verb based on ᴹ√AK “narrow”, with transitive past tense ahtane “made narrow” (< ✱aktā-nē) and intransitive past acante “became narrow” (< ✱ak-a-n-t-ē). Ellanto further proposed that when used with os “around” it can have the sense “besiege”, as in i hotse acante i osto “the army besieged the city, (lit.) became narrow around the city”. However, Ellanto also proposed a similar paradigm for Neo-Sindarin [ᴺS.] aetha-, and it seems unlikely to me both languages would share the same idiom. As such, I prefer Neo-Quenya [ᴺQ.] ostap- for “to besiege”, but would retain ahta- for “to narrow”.

ahtarië

noun. reaction; vengeance

A neologism appearing in both the NQW with the sense “reaction” and Helge Fauskanger’s NQNT (NQNT) with the sense “vengeance”, in both cases based on the verb ahtar- “react; avenge”. Since I use [ᴺQ.] ahtar- only in the sense “react”, I would use its noun form only in the sense “reaction”.

ahtassë

noun. narrowing, siege

A neologism coined by Ellanto for “seige”, posted on 2024-05-15 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS) as a noun form of [ᴺQ.] ahta- “narrow” in its more specialized meaning “besiege”. I would use the less opaque noun ostampë for “siege”, but would retain ahtassë for the more general sense “narrowing”.

ahtar-

verb. to do back, react; to requite, avenge

ahtarulas(së)

noun. responsibility, (lit.) aptitude to react

ahto

noun. wright, maker, *[lesser] craftsman

ai

interjection. ah, alas

ai! lassi lantar laurië súrinen

ah! leaves fall golden in [by means of] the wind

The 1st phrase of the prose Namárië. Tolkien altered the text from the poetic version as follows:

> ai! laurië lantar lassi súrinen >> ai! lassi lantar laurië súrinen

Tolkien moved the subject lassi “leaves” to be before the verb lantar “fall (pl.)”, consistent with the usual subject-verb word order of Quenya. However, for reasons unclear, he also moved the adjective laurië “golden (pl.)” after the verb, keeping it separate from the noun it modifies. Ordinally, adjectives in Quenya preceed the noun they modify (PE17/93, PM/346). It seems to me to be more natural to keep the adjective back in its original position.

> ai! lassi lantar laurië súrinen »»» ✱ai! laurië lassi lantar súrinen

One possible explanation for this unusual placement is that Tolkien may have considered laurië to be an adverb (“like gold”) instead of an adjective (“golden”). This is consistent with English translation of this phrase in the poetic Namárië: “like gold fall the leaves in the wind”.

There are several places in the corpus where Tolkien designated the word laurië as an adverb (PE17/58, 61, 62). However, in the commentary on the Namárië poem (RGEO/62), Tolkien explicitly states that the word laurië is the plural form of the adjective laurëa. Since laurië is the form of both the plural adjective and the adverb derived from the noun laurë “gold (light or colour)”, perhaps Tolkien was playing with this ambiguity in his choice of word order.

ai! löar yassen palantírienyë andavanwë yárier

ah years in which looking far away I saw ages long-passed

ai! laurië lantar lassi súrinen

ah! like gold fall the leaves in the wind

First line @@@

opo

before, ahead, in front of

accar-

do back; react; requite, avenge

accar- vb. "do back; react; requite, avenge" (PE17:166). Also ahtar-. (The note containing this form was struck out, but the related Sindarin word acharn "vengeance" appears in the narratives.)

harma

treasure, a treasured thing

harma (1) noun "treasure, a treasured thing" (3AR), also name of tengwa #11, later (MET) called aha (Appendix E).

hísë

mist, fog

hísë (þ) (stem #hísi- because of the primitive form ¤khīthi, cf. hísilanya, Hísilómë) (1) noun "mist, fog" (KHIS/KHITH). According to VT45:22, hísë is also the name of Tengwa #11 in the pre-classical Tengwar system presupposed in the Etymologies, but Tolkien would later call #11 harma/aha instead.

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). Of the two, Tolkien appears to have settled on √AS, which appeared in a few different notes from 1968 (VT47/31; VT48/25).

Assimilations: In the notes written between both the 1st and 2nd edition of The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien consider 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.

hosta-

verb. to gather (hastily together), collect, assemble, pile up

This was the Quenya verb for “gather” for most of Tolkien’s life. It appeared in notes associated with the Markirya poem from the 1960s with the glosses “gather, collect, assemble” (MC/223). It also appeared in Words, Phrases and Passages from the Lord of the Rings (WPP) from the late 1950s or early 1960s with the glosses “gather hastily together, pile up” and derived from √KHOT “gather, together in confusion, jumble” (PE17/39). ᴹQ. hosta- “to collect” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√KHOTH “gather” (Ety/KHOTH). ᴱQ. hosta- appeared in the Qenya Verb Forms of the 1910s as the basis for ᴱQ. hostalka “able to gather” (PE14/33-34).

-yë

conjunction. and

-yë (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).

accar-

verb. to do back, react; to requite, avenge

anar

noun. Sun

Anar is the most common Quenya name for the Sun and was derived from primitive ✶Anār, an augmented form of the root √NAR “fire” (Let/425; PE17/38; Ety/ANÁR; SD/302, 306). In the uninflected form the long vowel shortens as usual in final syllables, but its stem form is probably Anár- as with the name Anárion (LotR/1044) and the plural coranári of coranar “sun-round” (PM/126). When suffixes with consonant clusters are added, however, the á shortens such as with Anarinya “my Sun” (LR/72).

Conceptual Development: This term appeared in Silmarillion drafts of the 1930s with the gloss “Heart of Flame” (LR/240) and as ᴹQ. Anar “sun” in The Etymologies of the 1930s, already with the derivation given above (Ety/ANÁR, NAR¹).

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.

armaro

neighbour

armaro noun "neighbour"; also asambar, asambaro (VT48:20, VT49:25)

armaro

noun. *neighbor

arë

and

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

asambar

neighbour

asambar, asambaro noun "neighbour"; also armaro (VT48:20). Since the ending -o is associated with the masculine gender, the form asambar may be gender-neutral whereas the other forms are gender-marked as masculine.

asambar(o)

noun. *neighbor

az

and

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

epeni

adverb. before

epë

before

epë prep. "before" ("in all relations but time", VT49:32), though the word was glossed "after" when first published (VT42:32; Bill Welden, the writer of the article in question, later presented this correction in VT44:38). The preposition can indeed express "after" when used of time, since the Eldar imagined future time (time that comes after the present) as being "before" them (VT49:12, 32); epë is in this respect a variant of apa, q.v. (Cf. VT49:22.) Compare epessë, q.v. Epë "before" may also be used in comparison (PE17:56, 57), apparently in much the same way as lá #2 (q.v.) (VT42:32)

harma

noun. treasure, treasure, [ᴹQ.] treasured thing

A word for “treasure” and name of tengwa #11 [d] in The Lord of the Rings Appendix E (LotR/1123).

Conceptual Development: In notes on The Feanorian Alphabet from the 1930s, harma “treasure” was the name of the tengwar ½ (later called halla) while ohta was the name of d (PE22/22). By the 1940s harma had become the name of d (PE22/51). In The Etymologies of the 1930s ᴹQ. harma was glossed “treasure, a treasured thing” and derived from the root ᴹ√ƷAR “have, hold” (Ety/ƷAR).

harwë

treasure, treasury

harwë (2) noun "treasure, treasury" (3AR)(For clarity, harma may be used for "treasure")

hísië

mist, mistiness

hísië (þ) noun "mist, mistiness" (Nam, SA:hîth, PE17:73), also hísë.

hísë

noun. mist, mist, [ᴹQ.] fog, [ᴱQ.] haze; dusk; bleared

A word for “mist” appearing as an element in several names. It is not directly attested in Tolkien’s later writings, but ᴹQ. híse “mist, fog” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from primitive ᴹ✶khīthi, indicating a stem form of hísi- [†híþi-] (Ety/KHIS). Its continued appearance in words like Q. Hísilómë “Land of Mist” (S/118) and Q. hísilanya “mist thread” (PE17/60) indicates its ongoing validity.

Conceptual Development: ᴱQ. hīse appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s as a derivative of the early root ᴱ√HISI alongside a variant ᴱQ. histe, but there it was glossed “dusk” (QL/40). In drafts of the Oilima Markirya written circa 1930 it was glossed “haze” (PE16/62) or “mist” (PE16/75; MC/221), but in the final 1931 iteration of the poem it appeared only in the very-loosely translated phrase ᴱQ. úri nienaite híse “a bleared sun”, perhaps literally “✱sun [with a] tearful mist” (MC/214). In the Declension of Nouns from the early 1930s it was “mist” (PE21/32) and in The Etymologies of the late 1930s “mist, fog” as noted above, so Tolkien seems to have stuck with the meaning “mist” thereafter.

ista

verb. know

ista-

know

ista- (2) vb. "know", pa.t. sintë (IS, LT2:339, VT48:25). This past tense Tolkien called "certainly irregular" (VT48:25, where an alternative pa.t. isintë is also mentioned, but sintë is said to be the older form; compare editorial notes in VT48:32. Ista- is also used for "can" in the sense of "know how to", as in istan quetë "I can speak (because I have learned (a) language)" (VT41:6) Passive participle sinwa "known, certain, ascertained" (VT49:68)

lasta-

verb. to listen, to listen; [ᴹQ.] to hear

nó

before

nó (3) prep. "before" (of time, compare nóvo), "at back" (of spatial relationships). In other conceptual phases, Tolkien also let the word have the opposite meaning "after" (of time) or "in front" (of space). (VT49:32).

opo

before, in front of

opo prep. "before, in front of" (of spatial relationships); "after" (of time), also pó, po or pono, poto (VT49:12, VT44:36, evidently a variant of apa).

po

before, in front of

po, pó prep. "before, in front of" (of spatial relationships) "after" (of time), also opo or pono, poto- (VT49:12, 32, VT44:36; evidently a variant of apa)

ursa

rage

ursa (þ) noun "rage" (PE17:188)

ursa

noun. rage

virya-

change, alter(nate)

virya- (2) vb. "change, alter(nate)" (intransitive), pa.t. virnë/virinyë, cf. transitive vista-, q.v. (PE17:189, 191)

vista-

change

vista- (2) vb. "change" (transitive), pa.t. vistanë, cf. intransitive virya-, q.v. (PE17:189, 191)

wirnë

change

wirnë noun? "change" (PE17:191)

wirnë

noun. change

@@@ Despite its gloss, wirnë might be the archaic strong past tense of virya-: it is almost identical to the strong past tense form on PE17/189. For a noun form, vistë may be preferable.

wistë

noun. change

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).

úr(in)

proper name. Sun

A late remnant of earlier names for the Sun: ᴱQ. Ûr and ᴹQ. Úrin. In Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s, this name was changed from Úrin >> Naira >> Vása (MR/198), but the form Úr(in) occasionally appeared in some later writings (PE17/148, MR/377). This name was a derivative of the root √UR “heat, be hot” (PE17/148).

Conceptual Development: In the earliest Lost Tales, this name was ᴱQ. Ûr, Ur or Úri “Sun”, but literally meaning “Fire” (LT1/187, QL/98). The name became ᴹQ. Úrin in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (LR/240). It was rejected in The Etymologies along with the root form ᴹ√UR, but reappeared sometimes in later writing as noted above.

vistë Reconstructed

noun. change

This word is unattested, but there is indirect evidence for it as an element of walwistë “change of mind” (PE17/189). This word likely contains the archaic form †wistë from before the change of w- to v-. Its modern form would be ✱vistë. If you accept inwist- as the stem form of inwis “change of mind”, it likely contains †wistë as well.

There is another attested word wirne with the gloss “change” (PE17/191), but I think it is likelier to be the archaic form of the strong-past tense of the verb virya- instead of a noun.

agh

conjunction. and

opo

root. before of place, ahead, in front

This primitive form was noted in the margins and rough notes from Late Notes on Verbs from 1969, glossed “before of place” (PE22/167) and “before, ahead, in front of place” (PE22/168). Primitive or Quenya forms opo/pō “before, in front of” and pōna/ompa “forward” appear in other late notes from this period associated with the Q. Ambidexters Sentence, as part of an explanation for Q. potai “therefore” (VT49/12), though this word was eventually revised to Q. epetai (VT49/8). Quenya or primitive forms opo, po, pono, poto “in front, of place” appeared in notes from the mid-1950s (VT49/32 note #12), and as suggested by Patrick H. Wynne might be a reemergence of the early root ᴱ√POT-I “after, behind (of place)” with a reversal in its meaning (QL/75). Other similar roots in the same semantic space are √APA and √EPE.

Neo-Eldarin: Tolkien’s treatment of “before” and “after” words was wildly inconsistent, but I generally prefer ✶epe for “after (of time); before (of space)” and ✶nō for its opposite. However, I think √APA and √OPO can serve as variants of √EPE, with √OPO more specifically referring to the front of things, especially given Tolkien’s use of √OP as a root referring to the front of the (open) mouth (PE17/126).

anār

noun. Sun

as(a)

preposition. and

asmarō

noun. *neighbor

is

root. know

The root √IS was the basis for words having to do with “knowledge” for all of Tolkien’s life, as represented by the verb Q. ista- “to know” which likewise retained the same form and meaning for decades. The root first appeared as ᴱ√ISI in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, where somewhat cryptically Tolkien said its Gnomish form was GIS or IS (QL/43). This is mysterious because there were no such Gnomish words beginning with gis- in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon, but there is an Early Noldorin word ᴱN. gist- “to know” from the 1920s, probably derived from ᴱ✶ʒist- (PE13/144, 146); in this early period initial ʒ- &gt; g- in Gnomish (PE12/17).

Tolkien seems to have abandoned this Noldorin variant, giving the root only as ᴹ√IS in The Etymologies of the 1930s (Ety/IS). In this form it continued to appear in Tolkien’s later writings (PE17/155; PE22/129; VT41/6; VT48/25). In one place Tolkien gave the root in inverted form √SI (PE22/134), and such an inversion appeared in some of its derivatives, such as Q. síma “imagination, mind” (VT49/16) and sinte the irregular past tense of Q. ista-. However, the majority of its derivatives are from √IS.

khith

root. mist, mist, [ᴹ√] fog

This root and its variants were the basis for “mist” words for much of Tolkien’s life. It first appeared as ᴱ√HISI with derivatives like ᴱQ. híse “dusk” and ᴱQ. hiswa “dim, fading” (QL/40), and as an element in ᴱQ. Hisilóme which was glossed “Shadowy Twilights” in the earliest Lost Tales (LT1/112). Thus the early root might have meant “✱dusk, dimness, shadow”. The root was probably also an element in the Gnomish equivalent Hithlum from this period (GL/20), perhaps the result of the sound change whereby [[g|[s] became [θ] before [l]]] in Gnomish.

The sense “haze” and “mist” for ᴱQ. híse first appeared in drafts of the Oilima Markirya poem (PE16/62, 75). In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien gave this root as ᴹ√KHITH with variant ᴹ√KHIS and the gloss “mist, fog”; ᴹ√KHIS was listed first but all the actual derivatives were from ᴹ√KHITH (Ety/KHIS). The root appeared again in Notes on Galadriel’s Song from the late 1950s or early 1960s as √KHIΘ “mist” (NGS, PE17/73).

Tolkien’s continued use of Q. Hísilómë and (Northern) S. Hithlum throughout his life testifies to the enduring nature of this root, though it seems to have shifted in sense from 1910s “✱shadow” to 1930s “mist”, and from s to th.

si

root. know

a

conjunction. and

anaur

noun. Sun

anor

noun. Sun

ar

conjunction. and

hith

noun. mist, fog

hîth

noun. mist

ûri

noun. sun

A noun translated “sun” (SD/306, 428). This word appears in the forms ûrê, ûri and ûrî, but Tolkien declared that the form with long î is actually the personified form Ûrî “Lady of the Sun” (SD/426), perhaps the Adûnaic name of Q. Arien. The form ûrê only appears once (SD/426), so ûri is probably to be preferred as the ordinary word for Sun, especially since it is a neuter noun, which ordinarily cannot end in a long -ê (SD/427). Tolkien lists the “later forms Uir, Ŷr” (SD/306), one of which may be the Westron word for “sun”, most likely Wes. uir. As suggested by several authors (AAD/24, EotAL/UR), ûri is probably derived from the Elvish root ᴹ√UR.

ûrinîluwat

Sun and Moon

A phrase demonstrating a dual compound with two different elements. It contains the related pair ûri “sun” and nîlu “moon (SD/428).

ûriyat nîlô

sun and moon

An example of a dual phrase with two different words. The first word of the pair is declined as a dual. It contains the related pair ûri “sun” and nîlu “moon” (SD/428).