-less
Quenya
'al-
thrive
al-
prefix. -less
ala-
plant, grow
ala- (4) vb. "plant, grow" _(the first gloss would suggest that the following one is transitive: to "grow" plants) (PE17:100). _Compare al- "thrive, *grow" (which however seems intransitive).
ala-
not
ala- (2) negative prefix "not", "un-", reduced to al- before a vowel (VT42:33, GALA, VT45:25), though the example Alcorin would suggest that al- can sometimes appear before a consonant as well. In a deleted entry in Etym, al(a)- was defined as "not" and said to be a "pure negative" (VT45:5). In alahasta, Alamanyar, alasaila, Alcorin.
ala-
good
ala- (3), also al-, a prefix expressing "good" or "well" (PE17:146), as in alaquenta (q.v.) Whether Tolkien imagined this ending to coexist with the negative prefix of the same form (#2 above) is unclear and perhaps dubious.
al(a)-
prefix. well, happily
Cognates
- S. al- “well, happily” ✧ PE17/146; PE17/172
Derivations
- √AL(A) “good (physically), blessed, fortunate, prosperous, health(y)” ✧ PE17/146; PE17/172
Element in
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √ALA > ala- [ala-] ✧ PE17/146 √ALA > ala- [ala-] ✧ PE17/172 Variations
- ala- ✧ PE17/146; PE17/172 (ala-)
- al- ✧ PE17/146; PE17/172 (al-)
al(a)-
prefix. in-, un-, not; †-less, without
Cognates
- S. al- “no, not”
Derivations
- √LA “no, not; negative; not to be” ✧ PE22/153; VT42/33
Element in
- ᴺQ. alacénima “invisible”
- ᴺQ. alacestaima “unsearchable”
- ᴺQ. alacestima “unsearchable”
- ᴺQ. alafasta “tidy, orderly”
- Q. alahasta “unmarred”
- ᴺQ. alahastaima “incorruptable”
- ᴺQ. alahastima “incorruptable”
- Q. alahen “eyeless” ✧ PE22/153
- ᴺQ. alahírima “unfindable, impossible to find”
- ᴺQ. alaica “blunt”
- ᴺQ. alairë “unholy”
- ᴺQ. alaloitala “unfailing”
- ᴺQ. alalunga “light, unheavy”
- ᴺQ. alamára “no-good”
- ᴺQ. alanancárima “indestructible”
- ᴺQ. alapálima “unshakable”
- ᴺQ. alapihta “unshrunk”
- ᴺQ. alapulúna “unleavened, unfermented”
- Q. alasaila “unwise”
- ᴺQ. alasóvinë “unwashed”
- ᴺQ. alavahtaina “undefiled”
- ᴺQ. alavistaima “unchangeable”
- ᴺQ. alavistima “unchangeable”
- Q. aleldarin “unelvish” ✧ PE22/156
- Q.
aleldarinwa“unElvish” ✧ PE22/156 (aleldarinwa)- ᴺQ. allumë “never”
- ᴺQ. alquen “nobody, no one”
- ᴺQ. alaquen “nobody, no one”
- Q. lacaraitë “impossible, inactive; impossible” ✧ PE22/156 (
alákăraite*)- Q. lanotoitë “innumerable” ✧ PE22/156 (
alánŏtoite)- ᴺQ. alavéla “different, various [pl.]”
- Q. Alamanyar “(Elves) Not of Aman” ✧ PE22/156
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √ALA > al [al-] ✧ PE22/153 √ala > ala [ala-] ✧ VT42/33 Variations
- al ✧ PE22/153; PE22/153; PE22/153
- ala- ✧ PE22/153
- ala ✧ PE22/153; PE22/156; PE22/160; PE22/160; VT42/33
- al- ✧ VT42/33
ala
not
ala, #ála (1) imperative particle á, a combined with the negation lá, -la "not" to express a prohibition (VT43:22; see lá #1). Also with 1st person suffix -lyë (alalyë and álalyë, VT43:10, 22, VT44:8) and 1st person pl. object suffix -më (alamë and álamë, "do not [do something to] us", as in álamë tulya, "do not lead us", VT43:12, 22). In the essay Quendi and Eldar, negative imperatives are rather indicated by áva, q.v., but this form can well coexist with ala, #ála.
an-
very
an- (2) intensive or superlative prefix carrying the idea of "very" or "most", seen in ancalima "most bright" (cf. calima "bright"), antara "very high, very lofty" and #anyára "very old" or "oldest" (the latter form occurring in the so-called Elaine inscription [VT49:40], there with the dative ending -n). Assimilated to am- before p-, as in amparca ("k") "very dry", and to al-, ar-, as- before words in l-, r-, s- (though Tolkien seems to indicate that before words in l- derived from earlier d, the original quality of the consonant would be preserved so that forms in and- rather than all- would result). See also un-. (Letters:279, VT45:5, 36) Regarding the form of the superlative prefix before certain consonants, another, partially discrepant system was also set down in the Etymologies and first published in VT45:36. The prefix was to appear as um- or un- before labialized consonants like p-, qu-, v- (the consonant v preserving its ancient pronunciation b- following the prefix, thus producing a word in umb-), as in- (technically iñ-) before c- and g- (the latter presumably referring to words that originally had initial g-, later lost in Quenya but evidently preserved following this prefix), and as an- otherwise. However, this system would contradict the canonical example ancalima, which would have been *incalima if Tolkien had maintained this idea. In a post-LotR source, the basic form of the prefix is given as am- instead (see am- #2). In this late conception, the prefix still appears as an- before most consonants, but as ama- before r, l, and the form an- is used even before s- (whether original or from þ), not the assimilated variant as- described above. General principles would suggest that the form am- should also appear before y- (so the form #anyára probably presupposes an- rather than am- as the basic form of the prefix, Tolkien revisiting the earlier concept in the _Elaine inscription). (PE17:92)_
il-
verb. no, *un-
il- (prefix) "no, *un-" (LA); cf. ilfirin "immortal" (vs. firin "dead"). This prefix "denotes the opposite, the reversal, i.e. more than the mere negation" (VT42:32). But il- can also mean "all, every"; see ilaurëa, ilqua, ilquen.
alála-
to continually grow
#alála- vb *"to continually grow" (VT27:20, 25), maybe the frequentative form of a simpler verb al- or ala- "to grow". Cf. 'al- "thrive".
-valta
-less
-valta suffix "-less", also -viltë (evidently endings used to derive adjectives like "lifeless") (GL:23) The ending -lóra appears with the same meaning in Tolkien's later Quenya.
ehtelu-
verb. well, bubble out
la
no, not
la negation "no, not" (see lá); also prefix la- as in lacarë, q.v. (VT45:25)
empanya-
plant
*empanya- vb. "plant" (deduced from the "Qenya" pl. past tense empannen, VT27:20-22)
ita
very, extremely
ita, íta adv. 2) "very, extremely" (PE17:112). Like #1 above, this element emerged as part of Tolkiens efforts to explain the initial element of the name Idril (Q Itaril), so it is questionable if #1 and #2 were ever meant to coexist in the "same" version of Quenya.
lai
very
[lai adverbial particle "very" (VT45:8)]
lá
no, not
lá (1) adv. "no, not" (LA, VT45:25) According to VT42:33, lá is the stressed form, alternating with la when the negation is unstressed. In another conceptual phase of Tolkien's, lá had the opposite meaning "yes" (VT42:32-33), but this idea is contradicted by both earlier and later material: usually lá is conceived as a negation. The negation can receive tense markers and be used as a negative verb "when [another] verb is not expressed" (VT49:13), apparently where the phrase "is not" is followed by a noun or an adjective as a predicate, or where some verb is understood, as in English "I do not" (i.e. "I do not do whatever the context indicates"). With pronominal endings la- in the aorist, e.g. lanyë "I do not, am not" (etc.) (Tolkien abandoned the form lamin.) Exemplified in the sentence melin sé apa lanyë hé *"I love him but I do not [love] him" (another person) (VT49:15). Present tense laia, past lánë, perfect alaië, future lauva.
lá
adverb. no, not
Derivations
- √LA “no, not; negative; not to be” ✧ PE22/153; VT42/33
Element in
- Q. ála “do not”
- Q. alasaila ná lá carë tai mo nave mára “it is unwise not to do what one judges good” ✧ PE22/154; VT42/33
- Q. itas la tuluvanyë “in that case I shan’t come (something will prevent me)” ✧ PE22/162
- Q. lá asanyë “I don’t wish to, I don’t agree” ✧ PE22/166
- Q. lá carita i hamil mára alasaila ná “not to do (in this case) what you judge good (would be) unwise” ✧ PE22/154; VT42/33
- Q. lá caritas alasaila cé nauva “not doing this may be/prove unwise” ✧ PE22/154; VT42/33
- Q. lá caritas, navin, alasaila ná “not doing this would be (I think) unwise” ✧ PE22/154; VT42/33
- Q. la navin caritalyas mára “I do not advise you to do so, (lit.) I don’t judge your doing (it) good” ✧ PE22/154; VT42/33
- Q. láquet- “to deny (fact or accusation); (lit.) to say ‘it is not’”
- Q. lá istan “I suppose so, I don’t know” ✧ PE22/158
- Q. quí(ta) la tuldes, nánë márië (nin) “[if he had not come], it was well to me (I was glad)” ✧ PE22/158
- Q. lasir “rather the reverse” ✧ VT49/18
- ᴺQ. yola “neither, nor”
- ᴺQ. yúla “neither, nor”
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √ALA > lā [lā] ✧ PE22/153 √ala > la [lā] ✧ VT42/33 Variations
- lā ✧ PE22/153; VT49/13
- la ✧ PE22/154; PE22/158 (la); PE22/160; PE22/162; VT42/33; VT49/18
- lá ✧ PE22/154; PE22/158; PE22/160; PE22/161; PE22/166; PE22/166; VT42/33; VT42/33
mai
well
mai (1) adv. "well" (VT47:6), apparently also used as prefix (PE17:17:162, 163, 172)
mai
adverb. well, well; [ᴱQ.] too much
Cognates
- S. mae “well; excellent, admirable” ✧ PE17/162
Derivations
Element in
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √MAY > maie [maje] ✧ PE17/162 √MAG > maie [magje] > [maɣje] > [maije] ✧ PE17/162 √MAG > mai [magje] > [maɣje] > [maije] ✧ VT47/06 Variations
- maie ✧ PE17/162 (maie); PE17/162 (maie)
Mairen
well
Mairen fem. name(UT:210), initial element perhaps related or identical to mai "well". The second element is obscure; the root REN "recall, have in mind" (PM:372) could be related; if so the name may imply "well remembered", "(of) good memory" or something similar. It may also connect with the adj. maira, q.v. and compare the masc. name Mairon (PE18:163).
mandë
well
mandë (2) adv. "well" (VT49:26; this is "Qenya"). Rather mai in Tolkiens later Quenya.
tampo
well
tampo noun "well" (QL:93)
-viltë
-less
-viltë adjectival ending "-less", also -valta (evidently endings used to derive adjectives like "lifeless") (GL:23). Rather -lóra in Tolkien's later Quenya.
laima
plant
laima noun "plant" (PE17:159). Cf. olvar.
laima
noun. plant
A noun for “plant” appearing in Quenya Notes (QN) from 1957 derived from the root √LAY (PE17/159).
Conceptual Development: The Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s had ᴱQ. laute (lausi-) “living thing, (esp.) vegetable” and ᴱQ. lauke (lauki-) “vegetable, plant species”, both derived from the early root ᴱ√LAWA (QL/52). The word lauke also appeared in the contemporaneous Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa with the gloss “plant” (PME/52) and appeared again in Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s with the gloss “vegetable” and an accusative form of lautya (PE16/141), indicating a new stem form lauty-.
Derivations
- √LAY “*be alive, flourish, [ᴱ√] be alive, flourish” ✧ PE17/159
Element in
- ᴺQ. laimamatta “vegetable food, (lit.) plant food”
- ᴺQ. laimamatya “herbivorous, vegetarian, (lit.) plant-eating”
- ᴺQ. nastalaima “thistle, (lit.) spear plant”
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √LAY > laima [laima] ✧ PE17/159
mára
adjective. good
-lóra
-less, without
-lóra ending "-less, without", as in ómalóra "voiceless" (VT45:28)
Amarië
good
Amarië fem. name; perhaps derived from mára "good" with prefixing of the stem-vowel and the feminine ending -ië (Silm)
ui
no
ui interjection "no" (originally an endingless negative verb in the 3rd person aorist: "it is not [so]"; see #u-). Apparently this is the word for "no" used to deny that something is true (compare vá, which is rather used to reject orders, or to issue negative orders). (VT49:28) Compare uito.
lai
adverb. very
Derivations
- √DAY “*great”
tampo
noun. well
Derivations
- √TAM “construct, construct; [ᴹ√] knock, [ᴱ√] beat; smelt, forge”
'al- (1) vb."thrive" (GALA; the 'simply indicates that the original initial G has disappeared and needs not normally be included, PE17:100) Other sources hint at the meaning "grow" (cf. the root GAL meaning "grow, be healthy; to grow [like a plant]", PE17:153). Compare ala- #4 and #alála- (and cf. ol-).