atta

atta

[atta, (3) variant of atto (VT48:19). The dual form attat was retained.]

atta

cardinal. two

This is the usual Quenya counting number for “two”, derived from √ATATA (VT42/27; VT48/19), which in turn is based on √AT “bi-, double, again (a second time)” (PE17/148, 166). It may be contrasted with yúyo “both” referring to both elements of a pair.

Conceptual Development: There was no word for “two” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s. In the Early Qenya Grammar (EQG) of the 1920s, ᴱQ. yúyo meant “two” and ᴱQ. {satta >>} satto meant “both” (PE14/49, 82). By The Etymologies of the 1930s, these meanings were reversed with ᴹQ. atta “two” appearing under ᴹ√ATTA and ᴹQ. yúyo “both” appearing under ᴹ√YŪ (Ety/ATTA, YŪ).

atta

cardinal. two

atta (1) cardinal "two" (AT(AT), Letters:427, VT42:26, 27, VT48:6, 19). Elen atta "two stars" (VT49:44); notice how a noun is indeclinable before this numeral, and any case endings are "singular" and added to the numeral rather than the noun, e.g. genitive elen atto "of two stars" (VT49:45). Attalyar "Bipeds" (sg. *Attalya) = Petty-dwarves (from Sindarin Tad-dail) (WJ:389). A word atta_ "again" was struck out; see the entry _TAT in Etym and cf. ata in this list.

atta

across, over, lying from side to side

atta (ata-) (4) prep. "across, over, lying from side to side" (VT49:32; it is not quite clear whether this is a Quenya word or not)

atta-

verb. back again, re-

[atta- (prefix) (2) "back again, re-" (TAT)]

atto

noun. daddy, father (familiar/family)

A family or familiar word for a father, roughly equivalent to English words like “daddy” (VT47/10, 26; VT48/19), a simplified form based on the root √AT(AR) (VT48/19).

Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s the familiar form was ᴱQ. atta, as opposed to the normal form for “father” which was ᴱQ. attu (QL/33), and likewise in the Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME/33). In Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s, ᴱQ. atto or tatto was the ordinary word for “father” (PE16/135). In The Etymologies of the 1930s, ᴹQ. atto was a hypocoristic (familiar or pet name) for “father” derived from the root ᴹ√ATA “father” (Ety/ATA). Atto seems to be generally used as a familiar word in later writings, most notably in Tolkien’s notes on Elvish Hands, Fingers and Numerals from the late 1960s (see above).

atto

father, daddy

atto noun "father, daddy" (hypocoristic)(ATA, LR:49), supposedly a word in "actual 'family' use" (VT47:26), also used in children's play for "thumb" and "big toe" (VT47:10, 26, VT48:4, 6). The dual form attat listed in VT48:19 seems to be formed from the alternative form atta, though attat was changed by Tolkien from attot. - Compare atya.

atar

noun. father

The Quenya word for “father”, derived from the root √AT(AR) (PM/324; WJ/402; VT48/19).

Conceptual Development: ᴱQ. atar “father” dates all the way back to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, though in that document it was “a more solemn word ... usually to 1st Person of the Blessed Trinity”, as opposed to more ordinary ᴱQ. attu “father” (QL/33). In the English-Qenya Dictionary of the 1920s, ᴱQ. atar was the ordinary word for “father”, but with variant archaic form †attar (PE15/72). ᴹQ. atar “father” reappeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a derivative of the root ᴹ√ATA of the same meaning (Ety/ATA). It appeared again in the Quenya Verbal System (QVS) from 1948 in various inflected forms (PE22/118-119). It continued to appear regularly in Tolkien’s later writings. Thus this word was established early and retained its form throughout Tolkien’s life with only minor variations.

arta

across, athwart

arta (4) prep. "across, athwart" (LT2:335), perhaps rather olla in Tolkiens later Quenya.

atar

father

atar noun "father" (SA; WJ:402, UT:193, LT1:255, VT43:37, VT44:12). According to the Etymologies (ATA) the pl. is atari, but contrast #atári in Atanatári "Fathers of Men" (q.v.); possibly the word behaves differently when compounded. Atarinya "my father" (LR:70), atar(inya) the form a child would use addressing his or her father, also reduced to atya (VT47:26). Diminutive masc. name Atarincë ("k") "Little father", amilessë (never used in narrative) of Curufinwë = Curufin (PM:353). Átaremma, Ataremma "our Father" as the first word of the Quenya translation of the Lord's Prayer, written before Tolkien changed -mm- as the marker of 1st person pl. exclusive to -lm-; notice -e- as a connecting vowel before the ending -mma "our". In some versions of the Lord's Prayer, including the final version, the initial a of atar "father" is lengthened, producing #átar. This may be a contraction of *a atar "o Father", or the vowel may be lengthened to give special emphasis to #Átar "Father" as a religious title (VT43:13). However, in VT44:12 Atar is also a vocative form referring to God, and yet the initial vowel remains short.

atar

noun. father

nai elen atta siluvat aurenna veryanwesto

*may two stars shine upon the day of your wedding

elen atta

two stars

satto

cardinal. two

satto, "Qenya" numeral "two" (in Tolkiens later Quenya atta) (VT49:54)

Návatar

father

Návatar noun a title of Aulë referring to his position as the immediate author of the Dwarvish race, apparently including atar "father", but the first element cannot be related to any known term for "Dwarf" (PM:391 cf. 381)

or

preposition. above, above, [ᴱQ.] upon; on

A preposition for “above” in the phrase ar i Eru i __or__ ilyë mahalmar ëa tennoio “and of the One who is above all thrones for ever” (UT/305), clearly the Quenya equivalent of N. or “above” and thus based on the root √ORO “rise” (Ety/ORO).

Conceptual Development: The Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s gave ᴱQ. or the gloss “on”, though it was already derived from the root ᴱ√ORO at this early stage (QL/70). It was glossed “above” in English-Qenya Dictionary of the 1920s (PE15/68), but was translated “upon” in Earendel Poem from around 1930 (MC/216). It has what appears to be an inverted form ro in a sentence in Early Qenya Word-lists from around this period: ᴱQ. sinda nekka ui sara __ro__ sinda hyalin me sinda móro, untranslated but probably something like “✱this pen is not writing [up]on this paper with this ink” (PE16/146).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would use the word or for both “above [but not touching]” and “upon = above and touching”.