anga

noun. iron

This was the Quenya word for “iron” for much of Tolkien’s life, derived from primitive ✶angā of the same meaning (PM/347).

Conceptual Development: ᴱQ. anga “iron” dates back to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/31). In this document it had some competing alternatives: ᴱQ. yere(n) “pig iron” under the early root ᴱ√DYEÐE (QL/105) and {ᴱQ. tongo “iron”} under the early root ᴱ√TOŊO “to hammer” (QL/94), though this second form was deleted. Neither of these alternatives survived in Tolkien’s later writings, and The Etymologies of the 1930s had only ᴹQ. anga “iron” under the root ᴹ√ANGĀ (Ety/ANGĀ). Tolkien stuck with this form thereafter.

anga

iron

anga noun "iron", also name of tengwa #7 (ANGĀ, Appendix E, SA, PM:347, LT1:249, 268). In the pre-classical Tengwar system presupposed in the Etymologies, anga was the name of letter #19, which tengwa Tolkien would later call noldo instead (VT45:6). Masc. names Angamaitë "Iron-handed" (Letters:347), Angaráto "Iron-champion", Sindarin Angrod(SA:ar(a) ). See also Angamando, tornanga and cf. Angainor as the name of the chain with which Melkor was bound (Silm)

angainor

proper name. Angainor

The great chain that bound Melkor after his defeat by the Valar (S/252).

Conceptual Development: This name had a long history in Tolkien’s legendarium, appearing in the earliest Lost Tales in various forms, most commonly ᴱQ. Angaino (LT1/103). In the Qenya Lexicon from the 1910s, it was glossed “Tormentor” and given as a derivative of the root ᴱ√ŊAHYA “hurt, grieve” (QL/34). The form Engainor >> ᴹQ. Angainor emerged in The Lays of Beleriand (LB/205, 208) and remained the same thereafter.

Possible Etymology: The later meaning of this name is unclear. Christopher Tolkien connected it with Q. anga “iron” in The Silmarillion appendix (SA/anga). However, the earlier name ᴱQ. Angaino was glossed “Oppressor” or “Tormentor”, and J.R.R. Tolkien was quite emphatic that it was not etymologically related to “iron” (GL/37, G. Gainu). He derived it instead from the root ᴱ√ŊAHYA (or NAẎA) “hurt, grieve” (QL/34).

This early root survived into Tolkien’s later writings as √NAY “cause pain, lament” (Ety/NAY, PE17/166). An intriguing possibility is that the older etymology of Angainor and its resulting glosses could have remained valid as well. The initial element of Angainor might have developed from a strengthened etymological variant of this root, perhaps √NAY > √ÑAY > ✶ṇ̃gay- > Q. Angai-.

As enticing as this idea is, it does not fit the phonology of later Quenya very well. A syllabic initial nasal ✶ṇ̃g- ordinarily developed into Q. ing- (PE19/77), such as ✶ñgōlē > ingolë “lore, science” (PM/360). Furthermore, N/Ñ is not a standard etymological-variation, since these variations did not usually cross homorganic grades (PE18/90). There is no evidence that Tolkien considered such a scenario in any of his later writings.

angamaitë

masculine name. Iron-handed

A descendant of Castamir, who warred against Gondor from Umbar in the middle of the Third Age (LotR/1048). The name was also the epessë (adopted name) of Angrod (PM/347). This name is a compound of anga “iron” (PM/347) and maitë “handed” (PE17/162).

Conceptual Development: In the drafts of the Lord of the Rings appendices Castamir’s descendant was named Angomaitë (PM/199) and in the 1st edition of The Lord of the Rings as well, but this was changed in the 2nd edition to Angamaitë (PM/215).

angamando

place name. Iron Prison, Iron-gaol

The Quenya form of S. Angband (MR/350), a compound of anga “iron” and mando “prison”.

Conceptual Development: This name first appeared as ᴱQ. Eremandu and (plural) Angamandi “Hells of Iron”, the first of these using another word for “iron”: ᴱQ. ere(n) (QL/36, LT1/77). At this early stage, the second element was ᴱQ. mandu “hell” (QL/58). In The Etymologies from the 1930s, it was replaced by the singular form ᴹQ. Angamanda “Iron Prison” (Ety/MBAD), eventually altered to Angamando in Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s (MR/350).

angaráto

masculine name. *Iron Champion

The father-name of S. Angrod, from which his Sindarin name was derived (PM/346). It seems to be a compound of anga “iron” and aráto “champion” (SA/ar(a)), though the second element may actually be a masculinized form of the adjective arata “noble”. Like his brother Findaráto, his name is “Telerin in form” to honour their mother, with the adjectival element arata second. A more natural Quenya form of the name would be Artanga (PM/346).

angalailin

place name. Mirrormere

A Quenya name for Mirrormere (S. Nen Cenedril) appearing in notes from 1968 (NM/353). It is a compound of angal “mirror” and ailin “lake”. In earlier iterations these notes, Tolkien gave the name as {Angal-mille >>} Angal-limpe (NM/350, 353).

Angamando

iron-gaol

Angamando place-name "Iron-gaol", Sindarin Angband(MR:350). The Etymologies gives Angamanda "Angband, Hell", lit. "Iron-prison" (MBAD, VT45:33). In deleted material in the Etymologies, the Quenya name of Angband was Angavanda (VT45:6); cf. vanda #2. Older "Qenya" has Angamandu "Hells of Iron" (or pl. Angamandi) (LT1:249).

angaina

of iron

angaina adj. "of iron" (ANGĀ)

angaitya

torment

angaitya noun "torment" (LT1:249); rather nwalmë in Tolkien's later Quenya

angayanda

miserable

angayanda adj. "miserable" (QL:34)

angayassë

misery

angayassë noun "misery" (LT1:249, QL:34)

angal

noun. mirror, mirror, *reflective surface

A noun for “mirror” in notes from the late 1960s, derived from primitive ✶aññala based on the root √ñal- (NM/350, 353). Another derivative of this root was ✶ñalatā “a glitter (of reflected light)” (NM/349), so perhaps this word meant “mirror” in the sense “✱reflective surface”.

nangwa

jaw

nangwa noun "jaw" (NAK)

anta

noun. jaw

A noun appearing as ᴹQ. anta “face” in The Etymologies written around 1937 under the root ᴹ√ANA “to, towards” (Ety/ANA¹), based on an extension of this root: ᴹ√ANAT (EtyAC/ANA¹).

Conceptual Development: The earliest appearance of this word was as ᴱQ. anta “jaw” in The Qenya Phonology of the 1910s, where it was derived from ᴱ✶mtā, related to ᴱ√MATA “eat” (PE12/26). It was mentioned again in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon as a cognate to G. ant “cheek” (GL/19), but in the contemporaneous Qenya Lexicon and Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa it was ᴱQ. anto “jaw” (QL/31; PME/31). ᴱQ. anta reappeared in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s, but there it had the gloss “cheek” and its Gnomish cognate G. ant was “face” (PE13/137, 160). In Early Qenya Word-lists from the 1920s, however, anta retained the gloss “jaw” (PE16/136).

As noted above, in The Etymologies ᴹQ. anta had the gloss “face” and a new derivation from ᴹ√ANA “to, towards” (Ety/ANA¹), perhaps meaning “✱front of the head”. In that document Tolkien introduced ᴹQ. anka for “jaw” based on ᴹ√NAK “bite” (Ety/NAK). In notes on The Feanorian Alphabet from around this time, he revised the gloss of ᴹQ. anta from “jaw” to “face” (PE22/21 note #64), which was followed by a chart that had both anta “face” and anka “jaw” (PE22/22). However, he then wrote “jaw” faintly above anta and marked through the gloss of anka (PE22/22 note #67).

In version of these notes on The Feanorian Alphabet from the 1940s, Tolkien had anta “jaws”, but there it was revised to ᴹQ. anto “mouth” (PE22/50 and note #185). In the version of Tengwesta Qenderinwa from around 1950 (TQ2) Tolkien again had Q. anta “jaw” < ✶amtā based on the root √MAT, but he revised the primitive form to ✶ankā and then marked through the entire paragraph (PE18/85 note #72). In the tengwar charts from Appendix E of The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien had Q. anca “jaw” and Q. anto “mouth” (LotR/1123).

To summarize, it seems Tolkien revised the meaning of word anta from “jaw” >> “cheek” >> “face” in the 1910s through 1930s; then in the 1940s and 50s he considered restoring anta “jaw” but ultimately settled on Q. anca “jaw” and Q. anto “mouth”.

Neo-Quenya: Given the ultimate result above, I think it is possible that the sense ᴹQ. anta “face” < √ANA “to(wards)” from The Etymologies remains viable, and I would use the word anta with that meaning for purposes of Neo-Quenya. I would also let it retain its ᴱQ. meaning “cheek”, as we have no other Quenya words with this sense.

angaraxa

noun. train

A neologism for “train” coined by Tamas Ferencz as a combination of anga “iron” and raxa “wagon”. In a post to the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS) on 2020-02-26, Luinyelle instead suggested [ᴺQ.] raxasta as an elaboration of raxa, meaning “✱collection of wagons” = “train” [compare Q. tengwesta]. I prefer Ferencz’s neologism.

angatië

noun. railway line, railroad track, (lit.) iron-road

A neologism coined by Orondil posted on 2020-02-26 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), as a combination of anga “iron” and tië “path, road”.

angamendar

noun. train station, (lit.) iron way-stop

anta

noun. jaw, [ᴹQ.] face, *front of the head, [ᴱQ.] cheek; [Q.] jaw

#manda

#manda

#manda, variant of mando (q.v.), only attested as part of the name Angamanda (q.v.)

Ancalë

radiant one

Ancalë noun("k") "radiant one" or "radiance" = Sun (KAL, VT45:5, 18). In the pre-classical Tengwar system presupposed in the Etymologies, Ancalë was the name of letter #7 (VT45:18), which tengwa Tolkien would later call anga instead changing its Quenya value from nc to ng. - Another source (VT45:36) cites the word for "radiance, Sun" as incalë ("k"), but the form Ancalë is probably to be preferred.

erë

iron

erë, eren noun "iron" or "steel"; Eremandu variant of Angamandu (Angband) (LT1:252; "iron" should be anga in LotR-style Quenya, but erë, eren may still be used for "steel". See also yaisa.)

maitë

handed

maitë (stem *maiti-, given the primitive form ¤ma3iti) adj. "handed" or "handy, skillful" (VT49:32, 42) in Angamaitë, hyarmaitë, lungumaitë, morimaitë, Telemmaitë, q.v. Etym gives maitë pl. maisi "handy, skilled" (MA3), but Tolkien later eliminated the variation t/s (compare ataformaitë "ambidextrous", pl. ataformaiti).

mando

custody, safe keeping

mando noun "custody, safe keeping" (MR:350) or "prison, duress" (in Mandos, see below, also compare Angamando being translated 'Iron-Gaol') (SA:band). A variant #manda occurs in the place-name Angamanda (see Angamando). Personal name Mando "the Imprisoner or Binder", usually lengthened Mandos. In a deleted version of the entry MBAD of the Etymologies, Tolkien gave mando the meaning "doomsman, judge" instead of "custody" (MBAD (ÑGUR, GOS/GOTH, SPAN), VT45:33)

vanda

prison, hell

[vanda] (2) noun "prison, Hell" (cf. Angavanda). (VT45:6; this word was apparently rejected in favour of mando)

ehtë

spear

ehtë (stem *ehti-, given the primitive form ekti) noun "spear" (EK/EKTE). Another word for "spear" is hatal.

hatal

spear

hatal noun "spear" (VT49:14, 33). Another word for "spear" is ehtë.

hatal

noun. spear, spear, *javelin

nwalmë

torment

nwalmë noun "torment", also name of tengwa #20. Originally pronounced ngwalmë; initial ng had become n in Third Age pronunciation (Appendix E). In Tengwar writing, the initial NW would be represented by the letter nwalmë.

nwalmë

noun. torment

téma

row, series, line

téma noun "row, series, line" (pl. témar attested) (TEÑ, Appendix E)

ceniril(lë)

noun. mirror

A neologism for “mirror” appearing in ABNW (ABNW) from the early 2000s as the cognate of S. cenedril “looking-glass” (RS/456), but in notes published in 2007 Tolkien said this word had no direct cognate in Quenya, and that its equivalent was Q. cilintilla (PE17/37).

raxasta

noun. train