aman adj. "blessed, free from evil". Adopted and adapted from Valarin (WJ:399), though in other versions Tolkien cited an Elvish etymology (cf. VT49:26-27). Place-name Aman the Blessed Realm, from the stem mān- "good, blessed, unmarred" (SA:mān), translated "Unmarred State" (VT49:26). Allative Amanna (VT49:26). Adj. amanya "of Aman, Amanian" (WJ:411), nominal pl. Amanyar "those of Aman", Elves dwelling there (with negations Úamanyar, Alamanyar "those not of Aman"). Also fuller Amaneldi noun "Aman-elves" (WJ:373).Masc. name Amandil *"Aman-friend" (Appendix A, SA:mān), the father of Elendil; also name of the Númenorean king Tar-Amandil (UT:210).
Quenya
aman
place name. Blessed Realm
aman
blessed, free from evil
amandil
masculine name. Lover of Aman
Tar-Amandil was the third ruler of Númenor (UTI/219). Many centuries later a second, more famous, Amandil was the last lord of Andúnië and the father of Elendil, and was therefore ancestor of the kings of Gondor and Arnor (LotR/1035-6, S/271-3). This name is a compound of Aman and the suffix -(n)dil “lover”, and thus means “Lover of Aman”.
Conceptual Development: When this character first appeared in the “Lost Road”, his name was ᴹQ. Elendil “Elf-friend”, while his son was called ᴹQ. Herendil (LR/57). In “The Notion Club Papers”, the character was given the Adûnaic name Ad. Arbazân >> Aphanuzîr, while his son was named Ad. Nimruzân >> Nimruzîr “Elf-friend” (SD/389-90), so the meaning of the father’s name shifted to his son. The contemporaneous Quenya names for the characters also shifted to ᴹQ. Amardil and ᴹQ. Elendil (SD/356). The final form Amandil did not appear until quite late in the development of the Akallabêth (SD/382).
amaneldi
collective name. *Elves of Aman
amanyar
collective name. Those of Aman
A collective term referring to the Elves who reached Aman (SI/Úmanyar). It included the Noldorin Exiles who left to war against Morgoth, but excluded the Sindarin who never left Beleriand (WJ/373). It is a combination of the name Aman with the adjectival suffix -ya. It seems unlikely that the term Amanya would be used for a single Elf of the Amanyar, but it could be used as an adjective, for example Amanya Telerin referring to the Telerin elves that reach Aman (WJ/411).
amandi
amandi
?amandi pl. of óman, q.v. (amandi is evidently a misreading for *omandi, VT46:7) (OM)
amanya
blessed
amanya adj. "blessed" (VT49:39, 41)
amanar
proper name. Yule
amanya
adjective. *blessed
amal
mother
amal noun "mother"; also emel (VT48:22, 49:22); the form amil (emil) seems more usual.
aman
Aman
The Quenya name Aman is glossed as "Blessed Land", or "blessed, free from evil". The etymology of the name Aman changed over time in Tolkien's writings. In early linguistic writings, Aman was intended to be a "native Quenya form", derived from the root MAN ("good"). However, in later writings (such as Quendi and Eldar), the name is said to derive from a Valarin word.
amanar
`Ct56 noun. winter solstice
-nna
to, at, upon
-nna "to, at, upon", allative ending, originating from -na "to" with fortified n, VT49:14. Attested in cilyanna, coraryanna, Endorenna, Elendilenna, númenórenna, parma-restalyanna, rénna, senna, tielyanna, q.v. If a noun ends in -n already, the ending -nna merges with it, as in Amanna, formenna, Elenna, númenna, rómenna as the allative forms of Aman, formen, elen, númen, rómen (q.v.). Plural -nnar in mannar, valannar, q.v.
-ndil
friend
-ndil (also -dil) ending occurring in many names, like Amandil, Eärendil; it implies devotion or disinterested love and may be translated "friend" (SA:(noun)dil); this ending is "describing the attitude of one to a person, thing, course or occupation to which one is devoted for its own sake" (Letters:386). Compare -ndur. It is unclear whether the names derived with the ending -ndil are necessarily masculine, though we have no certain example of a woman's name in -ndil; the name Vardilmë (q.v.) may suggest that the corresponding feminine ending is -(n)dilmë.
óman
vowel
óman noun "vowel" (stem omand- as in the pl. omandi, which form was misread as "amandi" in the Etymologies as printed in LR, entry OM; see VT46:7). The terms óma-tengwë, ómëa from a later source are probably to be preferred.
-ndur
friend
-ndur (also -dur), ending in some names, like Eärendur; as noted by Christopher Tolkien in the Silmarillion Appendix it has much the same meaning as -ndil "friend"; yet -ndur properly means "servant of" (SA:(noun)dil), "as one serves a legitimate master: cf. Q. arandil king's friend, royalist, beside arandur 'king's servant, minister'. But these often coincide: e.g. Sam's relation to Frodo can be viewed either as in status -ndur, in spirit -ndil." (Letters:286)
-nna
to
-n (1) dative ending, originating as a reduced form of -nă "to", related to the allative ending -nna (VT49:14). Attested in nin, men, ten, enyalien, Erun, airefëan, tárin, yondon (q.v.) and also added to the English name Elaine (Elainen) in a book dedication to Elaine Griffiths (VT49:40). The longer dative ending -na is also attested in connection with some pronouns, such as sena, téna, véna (q.v.), also in the noun mariéna from márië "goodness" (PE17:59). Pl. -in (as in hínin, see hína), partitive pl. -lin, dual -nt (Plotz). The preposition ana (#1) is said to be used "when purely dative formula is required" (PE17:147), perhaps meaning that it can replace the dative ending, e.g. *ana Eru instead of Erun for "to God". In some of Tolkiens earlier material, the ending -n (or -en) expressed genitive rather than dative, but he later decided that the genitive ending was to be -o (cf. such a revision as Yénië Valinóren becoming Yénië Valinórëo, MR:200).
-ser
friend
-ser noun "friend" (SER)
Amarië
good
Amarië fem. name; perhaps derived from mára "good" with prefixing of the stem-vowel and the feminine ending -ië (Silm)
ainima
blessed, holy (of things)
ainima adj. "blessed, holy (of things)" (PE17:149)
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.
almárëa
blessed
almárëa adj. "blessed". In a deleted entry in Etym, the gloss provided was "bless", but this would seem to be a mistake, since the word does not look like a verb. Another deleted entry agrees with the retained entry GALA that almárëa means "blessed" (GALA, VT45:5, 14)
amil
mother
amil noun "mother" (AM1), also emil (q.v.) Longer variant amillë (VT44:18-19), compounded Eruamillë "Mother of God" in Tolkien's translation of the Hail Mary (VT43:32). If amil is a shortened form of amillë, it should probably have the stem-form amill-. Also compare amilyë, amya, emya. Compounded amil- in amilessë noun "mothername" (cf. essë "name"), name given to a child by its mother, sometimes with prophetic implications (amilessi tercenyë "mother-names of insight"). (MR:217).
ammë
mother
ammë noun "mother" (AM1)
ana
to
ana (1) prep. "to" (VT49:35), "as preposition _ana _is used when purely _dative formula is required" (PE17:147), perhaps meaning that the preposition ana can be used instead of the dative ending -n (#1, q.v.) Also as prefix: ana- "to, towards" (NĀ1); an (q.v.) is used with this meaning in one source (PE17:127)_
emel
mother
emel noun "mother"; also amal (VT48:22, 49:22); the form amil (emil) seems more usual.
emil
mother
emil noun "mother", emilinya "my mother" (also reduced to emya) the terms a child would use in addressing his or her mother (VT47:26). Emil would seem to be a variant of amil. Also compare emel.
heldo
friend
[heldo, also helmo, fem. heldë, noun "friend" (VT46:3)]
lára
blessed
[lára (3) adj. "blessed", also lárëa (VT45:26)]
mamil
mother, mummy
mamil noun *"mother, mummy" (UT:191)
manaitë
blessed
manaitë adj. "blessed" (VT49:41, 42)
manaquenta
blessed
manaquenta adj. "blessed" (VT44:10; see manquë, manquenta)
manna
blessed
manna adj. "blessed" (also mána, q.v.) (VT43:30, VT45:32, VT49:41)
manquë
blessed
manquë, manquenta adj. "blessed" (VT44:10-11; it cannot be ruled out that manquë spelt manque in the source is simply an uncompleted form of manquenta. Whatever the case, Tolkien decided to use the form manaquenta instead, q.v.)
meldo
friend, lover
meldo noun "friend, lover". _(VT45:34, quoting a deleted entry in the Etymologies, but cf. the pl. #_meldor in Eldameldor "Elf-lovers", WJ:412) **Meldonya *"my friend" (VT49:38, 40). It may be that meldo is the distinctly masculine form, corresponding to feminine #meldë** (q.v.)
meldë
friend
#meldë noun "friend", feminine (meldenya "my friend" in the Elaine inscription [VT49:40], Tolkien referring to Elaine Griffiths). Compare meldo.
málo
friend
málo noun "friend" (MEL, VT49:22)
mána
blessed
mána 1) adj. "blessed" (FS); also manna, q.v. 2) noun "any good thing or fortunate thing; a boon or blessing, a grace, being esp. used of some thing/person/event that helps or amends an evil or difficulty. (Cf. frequent ejaculation on receiving aid in trouble: yé mána (ma) = what a blessing, what a good thing!)" (VT49:41)
na
to, towards
na (2) prep. "to, towards", possibly obsoleted by #1 above; for clarity writers may use the synonym ana instead (NĀ1). Originally, Tolkien glossed na as "at, by, near"; the new meaning entered together with the synonyms an, ana (VT45:36).
nildo
friend
nildo noun "friend" (apparently masc.; contrast nildë) (NIL/NDIL)
nildë
friend
nildë noun "friend" (fem.) (NIL/NDIL)
nilmo
friend
nilmo noun "friend" (apparently masc.) (NIL/NDIL)
nútë
bond, knot
nútë noun "bond, knot" (NUT)
ontari
mother
ontari noun "mother" or etymologically "begetter, parent" (fem.); clashing with the plural ontari "parents", this was apparently an emphemeral form (see ontarë, ontaril, ontarië for other feminine forms of "begetter, parent") (VT44:7)
ontaril
mother
ontaril noun "mother", female *"begetter" (cf. onta-). Variant of ontarë. (VT43:32)
penna
vowel
#penna noun "vowel" (only pl. pennar is attested) (VT39:16)
sermo
friend
sermo noun "friend" (evidently masc., since sermë is stated to be fem.) (SER)
sermë
friend
sermë noun "friend" (fem.) (SER)
seron
friend
seron noun "friend" (SER)
sondo
friend
[sondo noun "friend" (VT46:15)]
vérë
bond, troth, compact, oath
vérë (1) noun "bond, troth, compact, oath" (WED)
óma-tengwë
vowel
#óma-tengwë noun "vowel" (only pl. óma-tengwi attested); this refers to vowels considered as independent phonemes, according to Fëanor's new insights on phonemics. Also #ómëa. (VT39:8; ómatengwi ["ñ"] with no hyphen in VT39:16)
ómëa
vowel
#ómëa noun "vowel" (only pl. ómëar attested); this refers to vowels considered as independent phonemes, according to Fëanor's new insights on phonemics. Also #óma-tengwë. (VT39:8)
aistana
adjective. *blessed
amil(lë)
noun. mother
Tolkien used a number of similar forms for “mother” for most of his life. The earliest of these are ᴱQ. amis (amits-) “mother” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s along with variants ᴱQ. ambi, âmi, amaimi under the root ᴱ√AMA (QL/30). An additional variant ammi appeared in the Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME/30). In Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s Tolkien had ᴱQ. ambe or mambe “mother” (PE16/135). This became ᴹQ. amil “mother” in The Etymologies under the root ᴹ√AM “mother” (Ety/AM¹).
This 1930s form amil appears to have survived for some time. It appeared in a longer form Amille in Quenya Prayers of the 1950s (VT43/26; VT44/12, 18), and as an element in the term amilessi “mother-names” in a late essay on Elvish naming (MR/217). In the initial drafts of Elvish Hands, Fingers and Numerals from the late 1960s Tolkien used the form amilye or amye as an affectionate word for “mother”, and amaltil as the finger name for the second finger (VT47/26-27 note #34 and #35).
However, in those documents Tolkien seems to have revised the root for “mother” from √AM to √EM and the affectionate forms from amye to emya or emme (VT47/10; VT48/6, 19). The revised word for “mother” appears to be emil based on the 1st person possessive form emil(inya) (VT47/26).
Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I prefer to retain the root √AM for “mother”, since that is what Tolkien used for 50 years, and ignore the very late change to √EM. As such, I would recommend amil(le) for “mother” and affectionate forms amme “mommy” and amya. However, if you prefer to use Tolkien’s “final” forms, then emil(le), emme and emya seem to be what Tolkien adopted in the late 1960s.
amya-
verb. [unglossed]
arra
adjective. [unglossed]
cairë
?. [unglossed]
conta-
verb. [unglossed]
cúma
noun. [unglossed]
emil
noun. mother
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]
háro
?. [unglossed]
lingi-
verb. [unglossed]
maitya
?. [unglossed]
malsa
?. [unglossed]
manaquenta
adjective. *blessed
manna
adjective. *blessed
mat-
verb. to eat
The verb for “to eat” derived from the root √MAT of the same meaning (VT39/7).
Conceptual Development: This verb and root are quite well established, dating all the way back to ᴱQ. mat- and ᴱ√MATA of the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/59) and appearing as ᴹQ. mat- and ᴹ√MAT in The Etymologies of the 1930s (Ety/MAT), as well as numerous other places albeit with occasional variants like mata- (PE12/26). This verb was one Tolkien often used in examples of verb conjugations and as such its inflected forms changed considerably over time, but that is more a topic of the evolution of the Quenya verb system itself.
melya-
verb. [unglossed], *to be in love
málo
noun. friend
friend, comrade
mára
adjective. good
naue
?. [unglossed]
naxa
noun. bond
bond, fetter
sal-
verb. [unglossed]
sélo
?. [unglossed]
sóla
?. [unglossed]
thar-
verb. [unglossed]
tomba
noun. [unglossed]
tompë
noun. [unglossed], *pulse, beat
@@@ Neo-meaning “✱pulse, beat” suggested by Röandil on 2023-04-20
um(ba)-
prefix. [unglossed]
umbacarin
noun. [unglossed]
éna
?. [unglossed]
óman
noun. vowel
ómëa
noun/adjective. vowel, vowel; [ᴹQ.] voiced
úpa-
verb. [unglossed]
þúna
?. [unglossed]
hristonosta
proper name. Christmas
The continent in the Uttermost West where the Valar dwelled after the first wars with Morgoth destroyed the world as it was initially created (S/37). Its name is derived from the same root √MAN “blessed, unmarred” as the name of Manwë (PE17/162). The most common translation of this name was the “Blessed Realm” (S/62), though more precisely it describes the “unmarred” state of this land, free from the influence of Morgoth (PE17/162).
Tolkien elsewhere said that Aman was adapted from an (unknown) word from Valarin, meaning “at peace, in accord (with Eru)”, much as Manwë was an adaptation of Val. Mānawenūz (WJ/399). This is not incompatible with its derivation from the root √MAN, which itself may have been adopted into Primitive Elvish from Valarin.
Conceptual Development: According to Christopher Tolkien, the idea for this name first emerged from Ad. Amân, the Adûnaic name for Manwë (SD/376). In Tolkien’s earliest writings, the name for the Land of the Valar was simply ᴱQ. Valinor (LT1/70), but in later writings this became the Elvish name for this land, whereas Aman was its “proper” name (PE17/106).