ëa (3) "eagle" (LT1:251, LT2:338), a "Qenya" word apparently superseded by soron, sornë in Tolkien's later forms of Quenya.
Quenya
ea
noun. the total created universe
ëa
eä
ëa
eagle
eä
noun. Creation, the (Material) Universe, Cosmos, World; it is, let it be, Creation, the (Material) Universe, Cosmos, †World; it is, let it be, [ᴹQ.] all that is
A term for all Creation, it is simply the present tense or imperative of the verb Q. ëa- “to exist”, literally meaning “it is” or “let it be” (Let/286; MR/39; NM/231). In various notes from the late 1960s Tolkien clarified its meaning:
ëa ... properly cannot be used of God since ëa refers only to things created by Eru directly or mediately (PE22/147).
ëa, which is all “nature”, but was not held to include [souls?] and spirits (VT39/20 note #20).
Eä “it is” = the total of Ambar: the given material and its processes of change. Outside Eä is the world/sphere of aware purpose and will (NM/231 note #5).
Thus it seems Eä is limited in scope to the material universe, as opposed to other terms like ilu and ilúvë which also include the spiritual realm. Tolkien occasionally translated Eä as “World”, but probably only in a poetic sense. The term Ambar is more proper when referring only to the world itself rather than the entire Cosmos.
Conceptual Development: The term ᴹQ. Ea “all that is, the World” was first introduced in the Quenya Verbal System of the 1940s along with the verb ᴹQ. ea-, but in that document the verb ea- was the general verb for “to be” rather than being limited in sense only to existential statements (PE22/122).
ea
verb. be
be
ea
existing, being
eä
the universe
Eä (2) noun "the universe", so called because Ilúvatar used the command "Eä! Let these things be!" when he gave independent being to the Music of the Ainur (Ainulindalë). See ëa #1 for references.
ëar
noun. sea, great sea, sea, great sea, [ᴹQ.] open sea; water
The most common Quenya word for “sea”, derived from the root √GAYAR (or sometimes √AYAR), where the vowel combination was the result of the frequent Quenya sound change whereby aya > ëa.
Conceptual Development: As an element in the name ᴱQ. Earendel, this word first appeared as ᴱQ. ea or ᴱQ. earen “eagle” (QL/34). But by the 1940s Tolkien changed the form and meaning of this name to ᴹQ. Earendil “Friend of the Sea” (SD/237), and the word ᴹQ. ear “sea” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a derivative of ᴹ√AYAR (Ety/AY). In The Notion Club Papers of the 1940s it had the form eare and the gloss “open sea” (SD/241, 305). The first appearance of the “sea” meaning of this word seems to be in a word-list associated with the Ambarkanta “Shape of the World” from the early 1930s, where ear had the glosses “water, sea” (SM/241), though in later writings only “sea” remained.
vëa
sea
vëa (3) noun "sea" (MC:213, 214, 216; possibly obsoleted by #1 and #2 above, though some argue that the initial element of the late names Vëantur and Vëandur [q.v.] could be vëa #3 rather than #2 (it can hardly be #1) . In any case, the normal word for "sea" in LotR-style Quenya seems to be ëar.) Inflected vëan "sea" (MC:220), vëar "in sea" (a "Qenya" locative in -r, MC:213), vëassë "on sea" (MC:220). Cf. also vëaciryo.
ëar
sea
ëar noun "sea" (AYAR/AIR [gives also dat. sg. ëaren],WJ:413; see Letters:386 for etymology). Not to be confused with the pl. form of the verb ëa "be, exist". Pl. ëari "seas" (FS, LR:47); Eär "the Great Sea" (cf. ëaron "ocean"), ablative Eärello "from the Great Sea", et Eärello "out of the Great Sea" (EO). Eärë noun "the open sea" (SD:305). Compound ëaruilë noun "seaweed" (UY). Found in proper names like Eärendil "Sea-friend", Eärendur masc. name, *"Sea-servant"; in effect a variant of Eärendil(Appendix A). Eärendur was also used ="(professional) mariner" (Letters:386).Fem. name Eärwen "Sea-maiden" (Silm); Eärrámë "Sea-wing", "Wings of the Sea", name of Tuor's ship (RAM, AYAR/AIR, SA)
ëa-
verb. to be, exist, to be, exist, [ᴹQ.] have being, be found extant in the real world
nëa
to be
nëa (2) an optative form of the verb na- "to be"? (nëa = LotR-style Quenya nai?): ya rato nëa "which soon may (it) be" = "which I hope will be soon" (Arct)
ea-
verb. be, exist
ortea
adjective. rising, ascendant
eä
Eä
Eä was the word spoken by Eru Ilúvatar by which he brought the universe into actuality.
ambaróna
place name. Eastern (Land)
An older name of Fangorn forest (LotR/469), translated “Eastern (Land)” (PE17/82). It is an adjectival form of ambarónë “dawn”, so it meant “of the dawn, Eastern” (PE17/82), much as andúnë “sunset” was also used for “West”. The sense of “land” in the name was understood rather than explicit (PE17/91). Perhaps this name referred to the fact that Fangorn was far to the east of the forests of Beleriand, which the Ents also visited (LotR/469).
hlas
noun. ear
The Quenya word for “ear” is derived from primitive √S-LAS, an elaboration of √LAS “listen” (PE17/62, 77). It had a stem form of hlar- because medial s generally became z and then r, but the s was preserved when final.
Conceptual Development: In The Etymologies of the 1930s the word for “ear” was derived directly from ᴹ√LAS “listen”, and had the form lár (Ety/LAS²). This seems to be a brief reversion to Early Qenya phonology of the 1910s, where medial s survived and it was final s that became r (PE12/26); compare to ᴹQ. kár (kas-) “head”, also from The Etymologies (Ety/KAS). In that document, the Noldorin word for “ear” was N. lhewig, a singular form based on the fossilized dual lhaw (Ety/LAS²). The voiceless lh- in this word was the result of the Noldorin sound-change of the 1930s whereby ancient initial r-, l- were unvoiced.
This Noldorin word made it into Lord of the Rings drafts as part of Amon Lhaw “Hill of Hearing, (lit.) Hill of Ears” (TI/364), a form that Tolkien retained in the published version (LotR/393). Since the unvoicing of initial l was no longer a feature of Sindarin of the 1950s and 60s, Tolkien needed to contrive a new derivation from primitive √S-LAS, which also necessitated a change in the Quenya cognate to voiceless initial hl-.
Early Qenya words for “ear” from the 1910s had a completely different basis. They include ᴱQ. ankar (ankas-) “ear (of men)”, ᴱQ. qan (qand-) “ear”, and ᴱQ. unk (unq-) “ear (of animals)” from the Qenya Lexicon, all based on the root ᴱ√ṆQṆ (QL/31, 76, 98). The last of these reappeared as unko “ear” in the Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s and contemporaneous word lists (PE14/52, 76, 117; PE15/71), but seems to have been abandoned by the 1930s.
orrostar
place name. Eastlands
rómen
noun. east, uprising, sunrise
The Quenya word for “east”, cognate of S. rhûn (LotR/1123). In inflected or compounds forms, the final n was usually dropped as was generally the case with Quenya direction words, for example in the ablative from Rómello “from the East” (LotR/377). It was ultimately derived from the root √RŌ/ORO “rise” (PE17/63, Ety/RŌ). It originally meant “rising direction”, that is ro- + men, and was thus connected to the rising sun.
Conceptual Development: In the earliest Lost Tales the word for “East” was ᴱQ. oronto (LT1/85), a word that also appeared in the Qenya Lexicon from the 1910s, with the gloss “rising (of the sun)” (QL/70). On the same page Tolkien gave the word ᴱQ. óre “the dawn, Sunrise, East” (QL/70), so the connection between “East” and “sunrise” was a very early idea.
The word ᴹQ. rómen “east” appeared in The Etymologies from the 1930s along with N. rhûn, both derived from ᴹ√RŌ (Ety/RŌ). At the time, there were no problems with this equivalence, since [[n|initial [r] was unvoiced]] in Noldorin. Tolkien went on to use both these forms in The Lord of the Rings.
Unfortunately, Tolkien later abandoned the unvoicing of initial r in Sindarin, making these two forms problematic. Tolkien considered modifying the Sindarin form to rûn (PE17/88) or the Quenya form to hrómen (PE17/18). The latter was probably derived from an s-strengthened form of the root ᴹ√SRŌ (PE22/127), where the initial sr- would become voiceless [r] in both Quenya and Sindarin. Ultimately, though, he left both forms alone. Perhaps he decided the s-strengthening of the root was a Sindarin-only variant.
rómendacil
masculine name. East-victor, East-slayer
A name assumed by the 8th and 19th kings of Gondor to celebrate their victories in the East (LotR/1038, 1044; Let/425). This name is a combination of rómen “east” and the suffix -(n)dacil “-victor, -slayer”, also seen in Hyarmendacil and Umbardacil.
rómenna
place name. Eastwards
A city on the east coast of Númenor (S/268, UT/165), it was the allative form of rómen “east”, and thus meant “Eastwards”.
Conceptual Development: Christopher Tolkien suggested that the earliest precursor of this name might be ᴹQ. Morionde appearing in the earliest versions of the “Fall of Númenor” (LR/74). In the tales of Númenor associated with “The Notion Club Papers”, this city is named ᴹQ. Rómelónan >> Rómelonde “East-haven” (SD/315), where its second element was ᴹQ. londe.
soron
noun. eagle
The Quenya word for “eagle”, appearing in a number of compounds, derived from primitive ✶thorono and the root ᴹ√THOR(ON) “come swooping down” (PE22/159; Let/427; Ety/THOR; PE21/33). It had couple variants such as sorno (Let/427) and sorne (Ety/THOR), but consistently appeared as soron- in compounds. Its stem form isn’t entirely clear: its most common plural form was sorni (Ety/THOR; SD/290), which is the expected result from the Quenya syncope, but in one place it had the plural soroni and the presence of the variant sorne muddies the waters.
Conceptual Development: This word appeared as ᴱQ. sorne or sor (sorn-) “eagle” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s derived from the early root ᴱ√ŠORO [ÞORO] (QL/86). The form sorn- “eagle” also appeared in the Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa where Tolkien indicated the primitive form was sorni- (PME/86). The form ᴱQ. soron appeared in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s as a cognate of ᴱN. thorn “eagle” (PE13/154), and Tolkien mostly stuck with that form thereafter, though he occasionally used variants like sorne and sorno as noted above.
In the Declension of Nouns from the early 1930s, Tolkien listed a large number of declined forms for ᴹQ. soron “eagle”, and those declensions used soron- (or sorun-) as their base. In The Etymologies of the 1930s, however, Tolkien gave plural sorni and genitive sornen indicating a stem form sorn-, but that document also gave sorne as an alternate form of soron “eagle”. Nevertheless, I think from the 1930s forward, it is more likely that Quenya syncope would have come into play in the declension of this word, so it would have plural sorni, dative sornen, ablative sornello, etc. The only noun case where the primitive stem would be preserved would be possessive soronwa.
sorontil
place name. Eagle-horn
A mountain by the sea in Númenor which was “the abode of many eagles” (UT/167). Christopher Tolkien translated the name as “Eagle-horn” (UTI/Sorontil), and it is likely a compound of the prefixal form soron- of soron “eagle” and the word tildë “point” also seen in Taniquetil. If so, the stem form of this name was probably Sorontild-.
Aláriel
eadwine
[Aláriel, masc. name = "Eadwine", friend of fortune (but this name is elsewhere rendered into Quenya as Herendil, q.v.) (VT45:26)]
Ambalar
east
Ambalar noun "East" (MC:221; this is "Qenya")
Ambaróna
eastern (land)
Ambaróna place-name "Eastern (land)", possibly basically an adjectival form Ambarónë "uprising, sunrise, Orient" _(LotR2:III ch. 4; PE17:82, compare the Etymologies, entry AM2)_
Cemendur
earth-servant
Cemendur masc. name *"Earth-servant" (i.e. farmer?) (Appendix A, UT:210)
Hróatani
eastern men
Hróatani noun *"Eastern Men" (PE17:18), as opposed to the Núnatani (Dúnedain, Westmen).
Kementári
earth-queen
Kementári noun "Earth-queen", title of Yavanna (SA:tar). The Kemen- of this name was at one stage intended as the genitive of kén, kem- "earth", so that Kementári meant "Earth's Queen", but Tolkien later changed the Quenya genitive ending from -(e)n to -o. Apparently so as to maintain the name Kementári, he turned kemen into the nominative form; see cemen.
Orrostar
eastlands
Orrostar place-name, the "Eastlands" of Númenor (UT:165)
Rómë
east
Rómë noun "east", variant of Rómen (PE17:59). Possessive romeva (read rómeva?), genitive rómeö (Ibid.)
Soronto
eagle
Soronto (þ?), masc. name, seems to incorporate soron "eagle"; the ending -to is rare (occurs in suhto, q.v.), here apparently used to derive a masculine name.
Soronúmë
eagle
Soronúmë (prob. þ) (name of a constellation, apparently incorporating soron "eagle") (SA:thoron)
asalastë
easily heard
asalastë (*aþa-) adj. "easily heard" (PE17:148)
asanótë
easily counted
[asanótë] (þ) ?adj. (not glossed, perhaps *"easily counted" (PE17:172)
asië
ease, comfort
asië (þ)noun "ease, comfort" (PE17:148)
cemi
earth, soil, land
cemi noun "earth, soil, land"; Cémi ("k")"Mother Earth" (LT1:257; the "Qenya" word cemi would correspond to cemen in LotR-style Quenya)
hlas
ear
hlas noun "ear", stem hlar- as in the dual form hlaru (PE17:62). Compare lár #2.
hrómen
east
hrómen noun "east", variant of the more common Rómen, q.v. (PE17:18)
hróna
eastern
hróna adj. "eastern" (PE17:18), apparently a variant of róna, q.v. (itself not clearly glossed).
kemen
earth
kemen noun "earth"; see cemen.
lár
ear
lár (2) noun "ear" (?). Tolkien's wording is not clear, but ¤lasū is given as an ancient dual form "(pair of) ears"; Quenya lár could represent the old singular las- (LAS2). In a post-LotR source, Tolkien derives hlas "ear" (dual hlaru) from a stem SLAS(PE17:62). Initial hl- rather than l- reflects the revised form of the stem (LAS becoming SLAS), and in the later version of the phonology, postvocalic -s does not become -r when final. Compare the noun "dream", given as olor in the Etymologies (LOS), but as olos pl. olori in a later source (UT:396)
mar
earth
mar (1) noun "earth" (world), also "home, dwelling, mansion". Stem mard- (VT46:13, PE17:64), also seen in the ablative Mardello "from earth" (FS); the word is used with a more limited sense in oromardi "high halls" (sg. oromar, PM17:64), referring to the dwellings of Manwë and Varda on Mt. Taniquetil (Nam, RGEO:66). The initial element of Mardorunando (q.v.) may be the genitive mardo (distinguish mardo "dweller"). May be more or less identical to már "home, house, dwelling" (of persons or peoples; in names like Val(i)mar, Vinyamar, Mar-nu-Falmar, Mardil) (SA:bar, VT45:33, VT47:6). Már is however unlikely to have the stem-form mard-; a "Qenya" genitive maren appears in the phrase hon-maren, q.v., suggesting that its stem is mar-. A possible convention could therefore be to use már (mar-) for "home, house" (also when = household, family as in Mardil, q.v.), whereas mar (mard-) is used for for "earth, world". Early "Qenya" has mar (mas-) "dwelling of men, the Earth, -land" (LT1:251); notice that in LotR-style Quenya, a word in -r cannot have a stem-form in -s-.
martan
earth-smith
Martan (2), also Martano, noun "Earth-smith", "Earthbuilder", a surname of Aule (TAN, GAWA/GOWO the form _Martan_ō given under MBAR must be understood as a primitive form). LT1:266 refers to a "very late note" where a variant Quenya form "Martamo" is derived from ¤mbartanō**"world-artificer"; the stated primitive form (as well as the Sindarin cognate Barthan) would suggest that the Quenya form should be Martano; on the other hand, tamo (q.v.) does occur as a variant of tano** "smith".
mat-
eat
mat- (1) vb. "eat" (MAT, VT45:32), also given as mata- (VT39:5), pa.t. mantë "ate" (VT39:7). The form matumnë is said to be future-past: "was going to eat", with the "OQ" (Old Quenya?) future-past element umnë (VT48:32; possibly this could function independently as a form of the verb "to be", hence "was to be"). It is not clear if the form matumnë is itself "Old Quenya" as if this is an archaic future-past formation, or it is just umnë (as an independent word) that is archaic. (Note: Tolkien's translation of matumnë is actually "I was going to eat", but the pronoun "I" does not seem to be expressed in the Quenya form.) Adj. or pseudo-participle #matya "eating" in melumatya "honey-eating" (PE17:68)
máca
each, every
máca pron. "each, every" (GL:41); rather ilya in Tolkien's later Quenya
orróna
eastern
orróna adj. "eastern" (PE17:18)
rómen
east
rómen, Rómen noun "east" (RŌ, MEN, SA:men), "uprising, sunrise, east" (SA:rómen); also name of tengwa #25 (Appendix E). Possessive form rómenwa (PE17:59).Variant hrómen, PE17:18. Rómenna, a place in the eastern part of Númenor, is simply the allative "eastward" (SA:rómen), cf. also rómenna in LR:47, 56. Ablative Rómello "from the East" or "[to one] from the East", hence Tolkien's translation "to those from the East" in his rendering of Namárië (Nam, RGEO:67, PE17:59; Romello with a short o in VT49:32). Masc. name Rómendacil "East-victor" (Appendix A; cf. Letters:425). Masc. name Rómestámo, Róme(n)star "East-helper" (PM:384, 391; probably ?Rómenstar must always become Rómestar, but Tolkien cited the form as Róme(n)star to indicate the connection with rómen "east")
rómenya
eastern
rómenya adj. "eastern" (RŌ)
rómestámo
masculine name. East-helper
In some late notes, this was the name of one of the Blue Wizards (S. Ithryn Luin), elsewhere called Alatar and Pallando (PM/385). The name was translated as “East-helper”. Its initial element is probably an assimilated form of rómen “east”, so that its second element -stámo must mean “helper”, though what form it would have taken as an independent word is unclear.
Conceptual Development: J.R.R. Tolkien also gave this name as Róme(n)star, with the same initial element, but its final element seems to be the plural of the suffix -sta “land, ✱part” (PM/391, note #28). How this variant fits with the gloss “East-helper” is unclear.
róna
east
róna adj.? "east" (RŌ). Compare hróna.
sor
eagle
sor, sornë noun "eagle" (LT1:266); rather soron in LotR-style Quenya
sorno
eagle
sorno (þ) noun "eagle" (archaic thorno) _(Letters:427). Also soron. Early "Qenya" has sor, sornë (LT1:266)_
soron
eagle
soron (or sornë) (þ) noun "eagle", before an ending sorn- as in pl. sorni, "gen.sg....sornen"; in LotR-style Quenya this would be the dative singular instead (THOR/THORON). SD:290 has the pl.soroni "eagles", changed to sorni as in the Etymologies. Early "Qenya" has the forms sor, sornë (LT1:266)
ëaren
eagle
ëaren noun "eagle" or "eyrie" (LT1:251; this early "Qenya" word is evidently no more valid than ëa "eagle" in LotR-style Quenya.)
(h)róna
adjective. eastern, east
as(a)-
prefix. easily
asalastë
adjective. easily heard
asië
noun. ease, comfort
hrai(a)
adjective. easy
ancárima
adjective. easy, (lit.) very doable
hró-
prefix. east
hróme(n)
noun. east
mat-
verb. eat
matina
participle. eaten
mátima
adjective. eatable
orróna
adjective. eastern
róme
noun. east
róna
adjective. east
sorno
noun. eagle
eämbar
proper name. Creation as a Whole
eärrámë
proper name. Sea-wing
The ship of Tuor and Idril on which they sailed West to Valinor (S/245). Its name is a compound of ëar “sea” and ráma “wing”.
Conceptual Development: This name dates back to the earliest Lost Tales, where it first appeared as ᴱQ. Alqaráme “Swanwing”, revised to ᴱQ. Earáme with one “r”, translated “Eaglepinion” (LT2/254). The latter name was derived from ᴱQ. ea(r) “eagle” (GL/51), much like the contemporaneous name ᴱQ. Earendel.
The name remained Earáme “Eagle’s Pinion” or “Eagle’s Wing” through Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (SM/149, 308; LR/143), but was sometimes changed to ᴹQ. Earráme “Sea-wing” (SM/155). It also appeared as Earrámë “Sea-wing” in The Etymologies (Ety/AY, RAM), as well as in the versions of The Silmarillion after that point.
airon
noun. ocean
An (archaic) word for “ocean”, an augmentative form of airë mentioned in a couple of later notes (PE17/27, 149). A more modern form is ëaron.
Conceptual Development: The form ᴹQ. airen appeared in parenthesis beside ᴹQ. aire “sea” in The Etymologies of the 1930s (Ety/AY). Helge Fauskanger suggested that it might be a genitive form (QQ/airë), but in notes on The Feanorian Alphabet from the 1930s, aire “sea” >> airen (PE22/23 note #70), suggesting it is an alternate (augmentative?) form. If so, it is probably a precursor to airon.
airë
noun. sea
An archaic word for “sea” which fell out of use to due conflict with “holy” words like aira or airë; it was a noun form of primitive ✶gaı̯ră (PE17/27). The more common modern word for “sea” is ëar.
Conceptual Development: ᴹQ. aire “sea” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a derivative of ᴹ√AYAR (Ety/AY); it appeared beside a form ᴹQ. airen that might be a genitive form, or might be a longer form; see the entry on ᴹQ. airon for discussion.
ambar
noun. The World, Earth, (lit.) Habitation, Settlement
The word Ambar is probably the most common Quenya word for the “World”. Its more literal meaning is “Habitation” (MR/337; NM/226) or “Settlement” (PE17/163) in the sense that it is the realm in which the children of Eru (Elves and Men) live. A clear description of this notion can be found in notes from late 1960s:
> Ambar was thus “the great settlement”. This may be translated “world” — meaning this Earth as the place (by destiny) inhabited by Elves and Men, the Children of Eru. It thus resembles ἡ οἰκουμένη [Greek = “the inhabited world”], but was not limited either to the parts of Earth actually inhabited, or to those inhabited by any special peoples such as the Elves, or among Men the Numenóreans. The decision, the fixing of the dwelling place, was thought of as proceeding from Eru and was so part of his Umbar [Destiny]. Umbar, so used, might be said to be “the history of Ambar”, so far as already accomplished, and its future so far as already arranged and defined (PE17/163).
This specific note was rejected, but similar descriptions appear elsewhere (NM/226-227). As noted by Tolkien here and elsewhere, the term Ambar was also intertwined with the notion of Destiny (Umbar) as willed by Eru.
Another common term for “world” was Q. Arda, more literally “Realm”, but strictly speaking this referred to the regions under the dominion of Manwë, and so included areas outside of the world such as Aman (after its removal from the world) and the remainder of the Solar System (PE17/105; MR/337; NM/227). Tolkien also sometimes used Q. cemen “earth” for “the Earth” (VT44/34; MR/387), particularly in Q. Kementári “Queen of the Earth” as a name for Yavanna (S/28). But that seems to refer more to livable surface of the world rather than the entire world itself.
Etymology: This word was derived from the root √MBAR “settle, dwell”, with a vocalic augment: ✶a-mbar (PE17/105, 124). It is not the result of a syllabic nasal ✶ṃbar, as that would produce Q. umbar, the Elvish word for fate or destiny (PE17/104).
Conceptual Development: The word ᴹQ. Ambar first appeared in a document labeled ᴹQ. Ambarkanta “The Shape of the World” from the early 1930s (SM/235-240). It appeared as ᴹQ. Ambar “Earth” in The Etymologies of the 1930s, already with the same basic meaning and derivation as given above. A possible precursor is the word ᴱQ. irmin “the inhabited world” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, which was similar in form and meaning but derived from a different root ᴱ√IŘI [IÐI] “dwell” (QL/43). There was a variant Imbar of Ambar in Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth from around 1959 (MR/337) which might be a callback to this earlier word.
cas
noun. head, head, [ᴱQ.] top, summit
This is the Quenya word for “head”, with a stem form of car- because medial s generally became z and then r, but the s was preserved when final. This word can refer to the head of people and animals, as well as the metaphorical “head” (or top) of other things, in much the same way that Q. tál “foot” can refer to their base.
Conceptual Development: This word was established very early in Tolkien’s writing, being derived from the root ᴱ√KASA “head” all the way back in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/45), but its exact form varied as Tolkien changed his mind on the phonetic development of s in Quenya. Its form in the Qenya Lexicon was in fact ᴱQ. kar (kas-), since in Early Qenya period medial s survived and it was final s that became r (PE12/26). This kar (kas-) was the usual word for head in the 1910s and 20s, but in the typescript version of the Early Qenya Grammar Tolkien instead revised it to ᴱQ. kas (kast-) “head” (PE14/72 and note #5).
In noun declensions from the late 1920s and early 1930s, Tolkien instead had cas (car-), reflecting a conceptual shift in the phonologic development of s (PE13/112-113; PE21/22). However, for reasons unclear, the form ᴹQ. kár (kas-) was restored in The Etymologies written around 1937 under the root ᴹ√KAS “head” (Ety/KEM), despite s > z > r being the normal medial phonetic development in this period (PE19/33). This abnormal form slipped into The Lord of the Rings itself as part of the name Q. Eldacar “Elfhelm” (LotR/1038).
Tolkien generally used the form cas for “head” in his later writings (PE19/103; VT49/17), but in his notes on Words, Phrases and Passages from the Lord of the Rings from the late 1950s or early 1960s, Tolkien was forced to contrive another explanation for Eldacar:
> What is -kar in names. How could it stand for helm? E.g. as stem ✱kāsā (√KAS, head) would give kāra, but in compound forms -kāsă > -kas. Would not an ă be lost before voicing of s or at least before z > r (PE17/114).
In this note Tolkien considered having Q. carma “helm” < kas-mā, but discarded the idea since he felt karma “tool or weapon” < KAR “do, make” + mā was the more likely meaning. He then said “Eldă|kāzā in compounds to -kār(ă) > -kar” despite its phonological implausibility, and indeed kāza/kára appeared in a discussion of helms within 1964 notes on Dalath Dirnen (DD: PE17/188).
As for the sense “top”, there is better evidence for it among Tolkien’s earlier writings, such as the glosses “head, top” in Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s (PE14/79) and the early-1930s allative form kasta “up (to the top)” (PE21/22). I see no reason to assume this alternate meaning did not survive in Tolkien’s later conception of the language.
cemen
noun. the earth; earth, the earth; earth, [ᴹQ.] soil
Tolkien often used this Quenya word for “the Earth”, but in notes on Words, Phrases and Passages from the Lord of the Rings from the late 1950s or early 1960s, he clarified that “kemen ‘the Earth’ [was] an apparent flat floor under menel [the Heavens]” (PE17/24). In The Etymologies of the 1930s, ᴹQ. kemen was glossed “soil, earth” (Ety/KEM), and ᴱQ. kemen had these same glosses in Early Qenya words lists from the 1910s and 20s (PE16/139; PME/46; QL/46). Thus it seems this term can be used of both “earth” in the ordinary sense of “soil” as well as “the earth”, but in the latter usage it referred more specifically to the habitable surface of the world rather than the entire planet, serving as its “floor” as opposed to the “roof” which was menel. More common terms for the entire world were Ambar and Arda.
Conceptual Development: As indicated above, Tolkien introduced this term in the 1910s, already as a derivative for the root ᴱ√KEME, and it retained this form and meaning thereafter.
eälótë
proper name. *Sea Flower
eämbar
proper name. Sea-dwelling
eärendil
masculine name. Lover of the Sea
The great mariner who took the Silmaril of Beren to Valinórë, thereby instigating the Valar’s liberation of Beleriand and the final defeat of Morgoth (S/246). His name was a compound of ëar “sea” and the suffix -(n)dil “-friend, -lover” (SA/ëar, (n)dil).
Conceptual Development: This was one of the oldest and most important names in Tolkien’s legendarium. Tolkien admitted that the name was inspired by the Anglo-Saxon word éarendel “ray of light” (Let/150, 385). In fact, the first form of this name in the Lost Tales was ᴱQ. Earendel (LT1/13), often spelt Earendl in Tolkien’s early linguistic notes (QL/34, PE13/99). At this stage the name seems to derive from ᴱQ. earen (earend-) “eagle, eyrie” (QL/34), though the “dialectical form” Yarendl was archaically used for “mariner” (QL/105).
The name remained ᴹQ. Earendel in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (LR/326) and up through Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s (RS/215, TI/99, WR/223 note #29). The name’s association with the Sea did not emerge until Tolkien wrote the (unfinished) “Notion Club Papers” story in the mid-1940s, at which point its form changed to ᴹQ. Earendil (SM/237, 241) and so remained thereafter.
eärendur
masculine name. Mariner, *(lit.) Servant of the Sea
Several people had this name in Tolkien’s legendarium: (1) the second son of Tar-Amandil (UT/208, 210), (2) a lord of Andúnië and uncle of lady Inzilbêth (UT/223) and (3) the 10th and final king of the combined kingdom of Arnor (LotR/1038). The name was a compound of ëar “sea” and the suffix -(n)dur “-servant”. Tolkien translated the name as “Mariner” (Let/386), but a more exact translation might be “✱Servant of the Sea”.
eärnil
masculine name. *Lover of the Sea
The name of the 13th and 32nd kings of Gondor (LotR/1038), it is essentially a shorter form of Eärendil, with the same elements (SA/(n)dil).
eärnur
masculine name. *Servant of the Sea
The 33rd and final king of Gondor in the Third Age (LotR/1038). This name is essentially a shorter form of Eärendur, with the same elements.
Conceptual Development: In Lord of the Rings drafts, Tolkien first considered using ᴹQ. Elessar for the name of the last king of Gondor before changing his name to Eärnur (WR/153).
eärwen
feminine name. *Sea-maiden
hrónatani
collective name. *Easterlings
lassë
noun. leaf, leaf; [ᴱQ.] petal
The basic Quenya word for “leaf”, derived from the root √LAS (PE17/62, 153; VT39/9). This word dates all the way back to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s where ᴱQ. lasse “leaf” appeared as its own entry (QL/51). ᴹQ. lasse “leaf” also appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√LAS (Ety/LAS¹). In the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s Tolkien said that lasse meant both “a leaf or petal” (GL/52). After that Tolkien translated it only as “leaf”. In one set of later notes Tolkien said it was even more restricted in meaning, and “only applied to certain kinds of leaves, especially those of trees, and would not e.g. be used of leaf of a hyacinth (linque)” (PE17/62).
Neo-Quenya: Despite Tolkien late declaration, I would use lassë as the general “leaf” word for purposes of Neo-Quenya, though more specialized words may also exist such as linquë “(leaf of a) hyacinth”. I would also use it metaphorically in its Early Qenya sense as the “petal” of a flower where the context is very clear, such as lassi indilo “leaves of a lily” = “lily petals”. But where ambiguous, I would use the neologism ᴺQ. lótelas for “petal”, more literally “flower leaf”.
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.
már
noun. home, dwelling, habitation, home, dwelling, habitation; [ᴹQ.] house; earth
This is the basic Quenya word for a “home” or “dwelling”, derived from the root √MBAR “settle, dwell”.
Conceptual Development: This word dates back all the way to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, where (archaic) ᴱQ. †mar (mas-) was glossed “dwelling of men, -land, the Earth” (QL/60). It appeared under the early root ᴱ√MBARA “dwell, live”, but that root was mingled with many others, and its stem form mas- indicates some unusual developments. The contemporaneous Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa instead has mař “dwelling, -land, †Earth” (PME/60), consistent with an earlier deleted form of the root, ᴱ√MAŘA [MAÐA] (QL/60).
In the Name-list to The Fall of Gondolin from the 1910s Tolkien had mar as a cognate to G. bar “dwelling” (PE15/21). In the Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s it was glossed “house” in the phrase ᴱQ. i·mar tye “that house (of yours)” (PE14/55). In the English-Qenya Dictionary of the 1920s mar was glossed “home”, where its plural form mari indicated a stem form of mar- (PE15/74).
In the Declension of Nouns of the 1930s, ᴹQ. mar “house” had a stem form of mard- (PE21/27), and on the title page of The Etymologies from 1937, Tolkien had mar(d)- “home, dwelling” from the root ᴹ√MBAR (EtyAC/MBAR). It appeared in the form Mardello “from Earth” in Fíriel’s Song from the mid-1930s, along with an uninflected form i-mar “the earth” (LR/72), but as mar- in the (1930s) genitive form hon-maren “heart of the house” (LR/63).
In Outline of Phonetic Development (OP1) from this 1930s, it appeared as már “habitation”, the first time that it had a long á (PE19/36). In Quenya Verbal System from 1948, már “house” appeared with long á in a couple phrases like már karnelya e·tulle “having built a house he came” (PE22/108). The word már “habitation” reappeared in the Outline of Phonology (OP2) of the 1950s (PE19/76).
Tolkien discussed the word már at length in notes from the 1960s on the root √MBAR, first writing:
> The usual word in Eldarin for a “home”, as the established residence of a family consisting of one or more associated buildings, was ✱mbā̆r (stem mbăr-), and ✱mbardā̆ (an adjectival formation). In Q mar (stem mard-), a blending of the two, was used like “residence” usually with a defining genitive, for the “great house” of a family. In place-names -mar (stem mār-) was used for a region settled by a community or group, as Eldamar “Elvenhome” the coastal region of Aman, settled by the Elves (PE17/164).
And then in a later version of the same notes:
> The simplest form of this base ✱mbără became a much used word or element in primitive Eldarin: which may be rendered “dwelling”. This application was probably a development during the period of the Great Journey to the Western Shores, during which many halls of varying duration were made by the Eldar at the choice of their leaders, as a whole, or for separate groups. This element survived in various forms in Quenya and Sindarin with sense changes due to the divergent history of the Eldar that passed over Sea and of those remaining in Beleriand. The principal forms were the primitive simple form PE ✱mbăr(a) > uninflected mbār, inflected mbar-; and the derivative form ✱mbardā ...
The former survived in Quenya in the archaic word már, which was used with a defining genitive or more often in genitival compound: as Ingwemar, Valimar, Eldamar ... This signified, when added to a personal name the “residence” of a family of which the head was the named person; it included not only the permanent buildings, developed by the Eldar in Aman, but also the surrounding attached land ... After the name of a people or “kindred” it referred to the whole area occupied or owned by them, in which their dwellings or “houses” were distributed (PE17/106).
These revised notes indicate that marda was a distinct word:
> The derivative form ✱mbardā became in Quenya marda “a dwelling”. This normally referred to the actual dwelling place, but was not limited to buildings, and could equally well be applied to dwellings of natural origin (such as caves or groves). It was nonetheless the nearest equivalent to “house” in most of its senses ... Not to the use of “house” as the name of a (small) separate building with a function such as bake-house, wood-house; nor to the use of “house” as a family especially of power or authority. The former in Quenya was usually koa. The latter was represented by words for “kindred” [nóre] (PE17/107).
Thus it seems in these notes, már = “residence”, marda = “dwelling” but coa = “house” as in a type of building.
In terms of its use in other words and phrases, mar or már is most notably an element in Eldamar “Elvenhome” (S/59), Val(i)mar “Dwelling of the Valar” (RGEO/62), and Mar Vanwa Tyaliéva “[ᴱQ.] Cottage of the Lost Play; House of Departed Mirth” (LT1/28; PE21/80). As for mard-, its most notable use was in oromardi “lofty halls” from the Namárië poem (LotR/377).
Although always meaning “home” or “dwelling” and always derived from √MBAR “dwell”, the various changes in the stem form between mar, mard- and már make the conceptual development difficult to trace. The rough timeline seems to be:
In the 1910s the stem was mař- >> mas-, becoming mar- in the 1920s.
In the 1930s the stem was mostly mard-, but in OP1 már (mar-) with long á was introduced and became more prevalent in the 1940s and 50s.
In the 1960s Tolkien decided that már (mar-) < ✱mbără and marda (mard-) < ✱mbardā were distinct words of similar meaning.
Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya I would use már mainly in the sense “home, a place dwelled in”, as opposed to marda for “a dwelling” whether inhabited or not. In place names -mar can refer to the dwelling place of an entire people, or of an individual family. The word már might be used as “house” in the sense of the dwelling place of a family, but when referring specifically to the building, the word coa is more appropriate.
soronúmë
proper name. *Eagle of the West
tompë
noun. [unglossed], *pulse, beat
@@@ Neo-meaning “✱pulse, beat” suggested by Röandil on 2023-04-20
ëar-celumessen
in the flowing sea
The eighth line of the Markirya poem (MC/222). The first word is ëar “sea” followed by the locative plural of celumë “stream”, as suggested by Helge Fauskanger (AL/Markirya, QQ/celumë). This is more loosely translated as “flowing” in the poem itself, and fits the adjective/noun usage of the Early Qenya poem. A more literal translation would be “✱in sea-streams”.
Decomposition: Broken into its constituent elements, this phrase would be:
> ëar-celume-sse-n = “✱sea-stream-(locative)-(plural)”
ëar amortala
the seas heaving
ëaren
noun. ocean, great sea
A word appearing as Eären “Great Sea” (PM/363) and eäron “ocean” (PE17/27), possibly also an element in the name Eärenya “Sea-day” (LotR/1110).
Conceptual Development: A form ᴹQ. earen appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a parenthetical form beside ᴹQ. ear “sea”; this might be a genitive form, but I suspect it is an early appearance of earon/earen “ocean” instead.
ëar falastala
the sea surging
Entar
thither lands, middle-earth, outer lands, east
Entar place-name "Thither Lands, Middle-earth, Outer Lands, East" (seen from Aman) (EN)
Entarda
thither lands, middle-earth, outer lands, east
Entarda place-name "Thither Lands, Middle-earth, Outer Lands, East" (seen from Aman) (EN, VT45:12)
Eämbar
dispositions and will of eru, with regard to creation as a whole
Eämbar noun "dispositions and will of Eru, with regard to Creation as a whole" (PE17:105)
Rása
the sea
Rása noun "the Sea" (LT2:347; rather ëar in Tolkien's later Quenya)
airon
ocean
airon noun "ocean" (PE17:27). Also ëaron, q.v.
airë
sea
airë (2) noun "sea" (the form airen is given, intended as a genitive singular when Tolkien wrote this; in LotR-style Quenya it would rather be a dative sg.) (AYAR/AIR; cf. airon)
amaurëa
dawn, early day
†amaurëa noun "dawn, early day" (Markirya)
arda
realm
arda noun "realm" (GAR under 3AR). It is said that arda, when used as a common noun, "meant any more or less bounded or defined place, a region" (WJ:402), or "a particular land or region" (WJ:413). Capitalized Arda "the Realm", name of the Earth as the kingdom of Manwë (Silm), "the name given to our world or earth...within the immensity of Eä"(Letters:283, there again rendered "realm"), "our planet" (MR:39), once translated "Earth" (SD:246). In a wider sense, Arda can refer to the entire Solar System (MR:337). Also name of tengwa #26 (Appendix E). Masc. name Ardamírë "Jewel of the World" (PM:348), shorter form Ardamir (UT:210); Ardaranyë "the Kingdom of Arda" (PE17:105)
artaurë
realm
artaurë noun "realm" (PE17:28). Cf. turmen.
artuilë
dayspring, early morn
artuilë noun "dayspring, early morn" (TUY)
ascenë
visible, easily seen
ascenë, ascénima (þ) adj. "visible, easily seen" (PE17:148)
asya-
to ease, assist, comfort
asya- (þ) vb. "to ease, assist, comfort" (PE17:148)
cas
head
cas ("k")"head" (VT49:17), cf. also deleted [cas] ("k")noun "top, summit" (VT45:19). This noun should evidently have the stem-form car-. See cár.
celu
stream
celu _("k")_noun "stream" (LT1:257; rather celumë in LotR-style Quenya)
celumë
stream, flow
celumë ("k")noun "stream, flow" (KEL, LT1:257); locative pl. celumessen ("k") in Markirya (ëar-celumessen is translated "in the flowing sea", lit. *"in sea-streams").
cemna
of earth, earthen
cemna ("k")adj. "of earth, earthen" (In Etym as printed in LR:363 s.v. KEM, this word is cited as cemina, but according to VT45:19 Tolkien's manuscript actually reads cemna.)
cár
head
cár (cas-) ("k")noun "head" (KAS).The given stem-form appears doubtful within the phonological framework of LotR-style Quenya. Probably we should read cas with stem car- (PE14:69 indeed reads "kas head, pl. kari", and VT49:17 quotes the sg. "kas" from a post-LotR source). Compare other forms found in late sources: hlas "ear" with stem hlar- (PE17:62) and olos "dream", pl. olori (UT:396). In Tolkiens early "Qenya", post-vocalic -s became -r at the end of words but was preserved when another vowel followed. His later scheme either lets -r appear in both positions, or reverses the scenario altogether (hence olos, olor-). It would seem that the forms cár, cas- were distractedly carried over into the Etymologies from the Qenya Lexicon (kar, kas-, QL:45) even though they presuppose an earlier version of the phonology. An apparent variant form in late material, cára from earlier cáza ("k"), however fits the later phonology since intervocalic s would become z > r (PE17:188).
cén
soil, earth
cén (cem-) ("k")noun "soil, earth"; see cemen (KEM)
harda
realm, region
harda noun "realm, region" _(VT45:12, 16, 17; the word also occurs, unglossed, in the entry EN in the Etymologies)_. Changed to arda later?
lassë
leaf
lassë noun "leaf"; pl. lassi is attested (Nam, RGEO:66, Letters:283, LAS1, LT1:254, VT39:9, Narqelion); gen. lassëo "of a leaf", gen. pl. lassion "of leaves" (earlier lassio) (WJ:407). The word lassë was only applied to certain kinds of leaves, especially those of trees (PE17:62), perhaps particularly _ear-shaped _leaves (cf. the entry _LAS1 _in the Etymologies, where Tolkien comments on the pointed or leaf-shaped Elvish ears and suggests an etymological connection between words for "ear" and "leaf"); see also linquë #3. Compound lasselanta "leaf-fall", used (as was quellë) for the latter part of autumn and the beginning of winter (Appendix D, Letters:428); hence Lasselanta alternative name of October (PM:135). Cf. also lassemista "leaf-grey, grey-leaved" (LotR2:III ch. 4, translated in Letters:224, PE17:62), lassewinta a variant of lasselanta (PM:376). Adj. laicalassë "green as leaves" (PE17:56). See also lillassëa, lantalasselingëa.
linda
fair, beautiful
linda adj. "fair, beautiful" (of sound) (SLIN, LIND; VT45:27), "soft, gentle, light" (PE16:96), "beautiful, sweet, melodious of sound" (PE17:150); for Linda as a noun, see Lindar.
mína
desiring to start, eager to go
mína adj. "desiring to start, eager to go", also verb mína- "desire to go in some direction, to wish to go to a place, make for it, have some end in view" (VT39:11)
orró-
uprising, sunrise, east
orró-, hró- "uprising, sunrise, east" (PE17:18), element underlying words like the following, and also hróna (q.v.)
taniquelassë
leaf
taniquelassë noun name of tree (UT:167), perhaps Tanique(til) + lassë "leaf"
tiutalë
comfort, consolation, easement
tiutalë noun "comfort, consolation, easement" (QL:93)
turmen
realm
turmen noun "realm" (PE17:28). Turmen Follondiéva "Realm of the North-harbourage", old name for Arnor, TurmenHallondiéva "Realm of the South-harbourage", old name for Gondor (PE17:28)
váya
sea
váya noun "sea" (considered as "waters, motion"). The wording of the source indicates that Tolkien only tentatively considered such a word (PE17:33)
ëaron
ocean
ëaron noun "ocean" (PE17:27), also airon. Cf. ëar.
ó
the sea
†Ó noun "the sea" (poetic word, hardly valid in Tolkien's later Quenya) (LT1:263, there spelt Ô)
órëa
of the dawn, eastern
órëa adj. "of the dawn, Eastern" (LT1:264)
asanótë
adjective. *easily counted
ascénima
adjective. visible, easily seen
asya-
verb. to ease, assist, comfort
coirë
noun. stirring, early spring, stirring, early spring; [ᴱQ.] life
eärenya
noun. Sea-day, *Thursday
ilya
adjective. every, each, all (of a particular group of things), every, each, all (of a particular group of things), [ᴹQ.] the whole
mína
adjective. desiring to start, eager to go
orró-
prefix. uprising, sunrise, east
ro-
prefix. uprising, sunrise, east
turmen
noun. realm
ëarendur
noun. (professional) mariner, *(lit.) servant of the sea
airen
noun. sea
amaurëa
adjective. dawn, early day, morning
ancárima
adjective. very doable, easy
ascenë
adjective. visible, easily seen
cára
noun. head
eäron
noun. ocean, great sea
waya
noun. ocean
eärambar
proper name. Walls of Eä
A term for the boundaries of Creation, appearing in Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s (MR/63), but omitted from the published version. It is a compound of Eä “Creation” and the plural of ramba “wall”.
Conceptual Development: In the Lost Tales these walls were called the “Wall of Things” (LT1/214). In Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s they were called the “Walls of Night” (LR/12) or ᴹQ. Ilurambar (SM/235; Ety/IL, RAMBĀ) “Walls of the World”.
These walls were important in earlier versions of Tolkien’s cosmology, but as discussed by Christopher Tolkien (MR/63), this concept no longer fit well with the idea that Eä was all of creation. Only hints of this concept remain in the published version of The Silmarillion, such as when Morgoth snuck back into the world over the “Wall of the Night” (S/36-7), and after his defeated he was “thrust through the Door of Night beyond the Walls of the World, into the Timeless Void” (S/254).
cemenquasië
noun. earthquake
A neologism for created by Paul Strack in 2018 specifically for Eldamo, a compound of cemen “earth” and quasië “shaking”. I prefer this over Helge Fauskanger’s neologism cempalië which he coined for the NQNT (NQNT), because Fauskanger’s used the 1920s verb ᴱQ. pal- for “to shake”, but I find this verb problematic because in later writings the meaning of the root √PAL changed to “wide (open)” (Ety/PAL; PE17/65; VT47/8). I think the 1910s verb ᴱQ. qasa- is a better choice for “shake”, as it does not conflict with later words.
ascarë
adjective. easily done
ascárima
adjective. easy [to do]
asquétima
adjective. easy to say
cemnassë
noun. earthenware, pottery
cempalië
noun. earthquake
hlarma
noun. earpiece, receiver
@@@ Discord 2023-02-24
matina
adjective. eaten
caira
adjective. eager [to do]
ëarel
noun. starfish, (lit.) sea-star
ëarina
adjective. of the sea
A neologism for “of the sea” appearing in ABNW (ABNW) from the early 2000’s. It is simply an adjectival form of ëar “sea”.
ëarsil
noun. pearl, (lit.) sea-sheen
A neologism for a “pearl” coined by Paul Strack on 2022-04-10 on the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS) as a combination of ëar “sea” and √SIL “shine”, so literally “sea-sheen”. It replaced an earlier neologism ëassar by Elaran where the second element was sar “(small) stone”, because “sea-stone” is a bit too prosaic.
amaurë Reconstructed
noun. dawn, early day, morning
hlarindo
noun. hearer
namoia-
verb. to work (hard) for; to earn
tiutaila
adjective. comforting, consoling, easing
tiutalë
noun. confirmation; comfort, consolation, easement; strengthening, reinforcement
ëarra
noun. seal, sea lion
@@@ Discord 2023-01-29
ëassar
noun. pearl, (lit.) sea-pebble/stone
pampinë
noun. tremor, earthquake
venë
noun. dish, [eating] vessel, small boat
alqua
noun. swan
The Quenya noun for “swan” derived from primitive ✶alkwā (NM/378; PE18/100; UT/265; Ety/ÁLAK).
Conceptual Development: The word ᴱQ. alqa dates all the way back to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, where it was a derivative of the early root ᴱ√ḶKḶ (QL/30), though it had a variant form alqe in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon (GL/18). Other than this one exception, Tolkien stuck with alqua throughout his life. In The Etymologies of the 1930s, ᴹQ. alqa “swan” appeared under the root ᴹ√ALAK “rushing” (Ety/ÁLAK).
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”.
mátima
adjective. edible
An adjective “edible” = “able to be eaten”, a combination of Q. mat- “eat” with the suffix -ima “able” which induces lengthening of the base vowel: á (PE17/68; PE22/155).
Conceptual Development: The suffix -ima “able” dates all the way back to the Early Qenya of the 1910s, but the way it interacted with the verb evolved over time. In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s the form was ᴱQ. matsima (QL/59) with the usual Early Qenya sound change of ti to tsi (PE12/23). In the Quenya Verbal System of 1948 it was ᴹQ. mattima with consonant-doubling instead of vowel lengthening (PE22/111). In Common Eldarin: Verb Structure of the early 1950s it was Q. mastima with a variant suffix -tima and the usual sound change whereby t+t became st (PE22/137). The form mátima appeared in various notes from the 1960s (PE17/68; PE22/155).
ráma
noun. wing, wing; [ᴱQ.] arm
The Quenya word for “wing”, derived from the root ᴹ√RAM (PE17/63; Ety/RAM).
Conceptual Development: This word dates all the way back to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, where ᴱQ. ráma “wing” was derived from the early root ᴱ√RAHA “stretch forward” (QL/78). The word appeared regularly in Tolkien’s writings with the gloss “wing”, though at one point in the 1920s it was glossed both “arm, wing” (PE16/137), and in the English-Qenya Dictionary of the 1920s it was given as the Qenya word meaning “arm”, but this was revised to ᴱQ. ranko (PE15/79). The use of ráma for “arm” was a brief and rejected idea, and in The Etymologies of the 1930s, ᴹQ. ráma “wing” was transferred to a new root ᴹ√RAM, while ᴹQ. ranko “arm” remained under ᴹ√RAK “stretch out” (Ety/RAK, RAM).
-ima
fair
-ima adjectival suffix. Sometimes it is used to derive simple adjectives, like vanima "fair" or calima "bright"; it can also take on the meaning "-able" (PE17:68), as in mátima "edible" (mat- "eat"), nótima "countable" (not- "count") and (with a negative prefix) úquétima "unspeakable" (from quet- "speak"). Note that the stem-vowel is normally lengthened in the derivatives where -ima means "-able", though this fails to occur in cenima "visible" (q.v., but contrast hraicénima, q.v.) and also before a consonant cluster as in úfantima "not concealable" (PE17:176). "X-ima" may mean "apt to X" (when the ending is added to an intransitive verbal stem), as in Fírimar "mortals", literally "those apt to die" (WJ:387). The adj. úfantima "not concealable" (PE17:176) also appears as úfantuma (PE17:180), indicating the existence of a variant ending -uma (possibly used to derive adjectives with a "bad" meaning; compare the ending *-unqua next to -inqua, 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.
-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)
-nil
-wine
-nil, final element in compounds, similar in meaning to Old English "-wine", sc. "-friend" as an element in names (NIL/NDIL). Also long -nildo (VT46:4). Variant of -ndil. In Eärnil, contraction of Earendil.
-wen
maiden
-wen "maiden" as suffix, a frequent ending in feminine names like Eärwen "Sea-maiden" (SA:wen). Early "Qenya" also has -wen, feminine patronymic "daughter of" (LT1:271, 273), but the patronymic ending seems to be -iel "-daughter" in Tolkien's later Quenya.
-ya
elvish
-ya (5) adjectival ending, as in the word Quenya "Elvish" itself; when added to a verbal stem it may derive a kind of short active participle, as in melumatya "honey-eating" (mat- "eat"), saucarya "evil-doing" (car- "do"). (PE17:68)
Mardorunando
redeemer of the world
Mardorunando noun "Redeemer of the world" (VT44:17). Unless the initial element mardo- is a distinct and otherwise unattested word for "world", it may be the genitive form of mar (mard-) "earth", q.v.
Vëandur
vigorous servant
Vëandur, masc. name (PM:191), either "Vigorous servant" or "Sea-servant" (= mariner; compare ëarendur, etymologically very similar if the Qenya form vëa "sea" was maintained in later Quenya). See vëa #1 and 2 and compare Vëantur.
alqua
swan
alqua noun "swan" _(ÁLAK [there spelt _alqa, as in LT1:249/LT2:335], SA:alqua, UT:265, VT42:7). The alternative form alquë ("q") mentioned in early material (LT1:249) may or may not be valid in LotR-style Quenya.
ambar
a-mbar
ambar (1) ("a-mbar") noun "oikumenē [Greek: the earth as the human habitation], Earth, world" (MBAR), stem ambar- (PE17:66), related to and associated with mar "home, dwelling" (VT45:33); in VT46:13 the latter glosses are possibly also ascribed to the word ambar itself (the wording is not clear). The form ambaren also listed in the Etymologies was presumably intended as the genitive singular at the time of writing (in LotR-style Quenya it would rather be the dative singular); in the printed version in LR, the misreading "ambaron" appears (see VT45:33). Ambar-metta noun "the end of the world" (EO); spelt ambarmetta in VT44:36. The element #umbar in Tarumbar "King of the World" (q.v.) would seem to be a variant of ambar, just like ambar #2 "doom" also alternates with umbar (see below).
arinya
morning
arinya adj. "morning" in the adjectival sense (e.g. *arinya árë "morning sun") and hence "early" (AR1, VT45:6)
cemen
kemen
cemen (cén) (spelt "kemen" in some sources, "cemen" in others)noun "earth" (VT44:34), Cemenyë ("k") "and Earth" (VT47:11). Cemen refers to the earth as a flat floor beneath menel, the heavens (SA:kemen); "soil, earth"_ (KEM,__LT1:257). At one stage, Tolkien intended cemen to be the genitive of cén; later cemen became the nominative, and the status of cén is uncertain. See Kementári. Locative cemessë, cemenzë (really spelt with c rather than k in one version, but also kemenze) in the Quenya Lord's Prayer; later changed to kemendë, cemendë (VT43:17)_
cenima
visible
cenima ("k") adj. "visible" (PE17:175); cf. cen- "see". Read possibly *cénima; see -ima and cf. hraicénima "scarcely visible" (PE17:154).
ciryamo
mariner
ciryamo noun "mariner", nominative and genitive are identical since the noun already ends in -o, cf. Indis i-Ciryamo "the Mariner's Wife" (UT:8)
coirë
stirring
coirë noun "stirring", in the calendar of Imladris a precisely defined period of 54 days (Appendix D), but translated "the first day of Spring" in the Silmarillion Appendix (SA:cuivië). Early "Qenya" has coirë ("k")"life" (LT1:257; in Tolkien's later Quenya, the word for "life" is cuilë or coivië; however, cf. the adj. coirëa from a late source).
hraia
awkward, difficult
hraia adj. "awkward, difficult" (PE17:154), ephemerally meant "easy" (PE17:172)
illi
all
illi noun "all" (as independent noun, apparently treated as a plural form). Imb' illi "among all" (VT47:30)
ilya
all
ilya adj. and noun "all" (LR:47, 56; SD:310), "all, the whole" (IL); "each, every, all of a particular group of things" (VT39:20); ilyë before a plural noun, "all" being inflected like an adjective (Nam, RGEO:67): ilyë tier "all paths" (Namárië, VT39:20), ilyë mahalmar "all thrones" (CO), ilya raxellor "from all dangers" (VT44:9; we might expect *ilyë raxellor here), ilyárëa (older ilyázëa) "daily, of every day" (evidently ilya "every" + árë, ázë "day" + -a adjectival ending) (VT43:18). Tolkien apparently abandoned ilyárëa in favour of ilaurëa, q.v.
indo
house
indo (2) noun "house" (LT2:343), probably obsoleted by #1 above (in Tolkiens later Quenya, the word for "house" appears as coa).
lasta-
listen
lasta- vb. "listen", also lasta adj. "listening, hearing" (LAS2, PE17:56); cf. adj. asalastë (*aþa-) adj. "easily heard" (PE17:148)
na
to be
na (1) form of the verb "to be", evidently the imperative (or subjunctive): Tolkien stated that na airë would mean "be holy" (VT43:14), and san na (q.v.) must mean "thus be" = "let it be so"; see ná #1 Cf. also the sentence alcar mi tarmenel na Erun "glory in high heaven be to God" (VT44:32/34). Inserted in front of a verb, na expresses a wish: aranielya na tuluva "may thy kingdom come" (ibid).
nanwa
existing, actual (true)
nanwa adj. "existing, actual (true)" (VT49:30). Compare the near-synonym anwa.
né
was
né vb. "was"; see ná #1. Also used as interjection "yes" when the meaning is "it was so, it was as you say/ask" (VT49:31). Pl. nér "were", dual nét (VT49:30). Nésë "he was" (VT49:29), though Tolkien elsewhere stated that né did not "take any inflection of person" (VT49:31), pronominal endings rather being added to ane- (the form anes *he was" is attested). Anda né "long ago" (VT49:31).
oaris
mermaid
oaris (oarits-), also oarwen, noun "mermaid" (LT1:263; read perhaps ëar- for oar- in LotR-style Quenya)
quanta
full
quanta (1) ("q") adj. "full" (KWAT, Narqelion, VT39:8, VT43:28), "filled, full" (PE17:68); the gloss "filled" would suggest that quanta can be regarded as a passive participle of quat- (q.v.) In these phrases: quanta sarmë "full writing", writing with separate letters for vowels (VT39:8); #quanta tengwë "full sign" (only pl. quantë tengwi is attested), in early Elvish analysis of Quenya the term for a consonant + a vowel (then analyzed as a kind of unitary phoneme rather than two phonemes); hence a stem like mata- "eat" was analyzed as two quantë tengwi, namely ma + ta. (VT39:5)
sámo
helper
#sámo (þ) noun "helper", tentatively isolated from Rómestámo "East-helper", q.v. When initial, st- would normally simplify as s-, for archaic þ-.
tiuta-
comfort, console
tiuta- vb. "comfort, console" (QL:93; as for an obsolete meaning of tiuta-, see tiuya-)
tuilë
spring, spring-time
tuilë noun "spring, spring-time", also used = "dayspring, early morn" (VT39:7, TUY), in the calendar of Imladris a precisely defined period of 54 days, but also used without any exact definition. Cf. tuilérë, q.v. (Appendix D) - In early "Qenya", the word tuilë is glossed "Spring", but it is said that it literally refers to a "budding", also used collectively for "buds, new shoots, fresh green" (LT1:269). Cf. tuima in Tolkien's later Quenya.
vanya
fair
vanya (1) adj. "fair" (FS), "beautiful" (BAN), a word referring to beauty that is "due to lack of fault, or blemish" (PE17:150), hence Arda Vanya as an alternative to Arda Alahasta for "Arda Unmarred" (ibid., compare MR:254). Nominal pl. Vanyar "the Fair", the first clan of the Eldar; the original meaning of this stem was "pale, light-coloured, not brown or dark" (WJ:382, 383, stem given as WAN), "properly = white complexion and blonde hair" (PE17:154, stem given as GWAN); stems BAN vs. WAN discussed, see PE17:150.
órë
rising
órë (2) noun "rising", anarórë "sunrise" (ORO). Cf. early "Qenya" órë "the dawn, Sunrise, East" (LT1:264). See under Melkor concerning the final element of Melkórë.
úruva
fiery
úruva adj. "fiery" (from UR; this stem was struck out in Etym, but several words that must be derived from it occur in LotR, so it seems that Tolkien restored it. The word úruva also occurred in early "Qenya"; in LT1:271 it is glossed "like fire".)
-dil
-wine
-dil, -ndil, ending that Tolkien likened to Old English "-wine", sc. "-friend" as part of names, e.g. Elendil, Eärendil (NIL/NDIL); see the entry -ndil. Also long -dildo (VT46:4), and possibly -(n)dilmë as the corresponding feminine form (see Vardilmë).
Eärendil
son of eärendel
Eärendil, masc. name; see ëar. Eärendilyon noun "son of Eärendel" ("used of any mariner") (LT1:251)
Eärnil
eärnil
Eärnil masc. name, contraction of Eärendil (Appendix A)
Eärnur
eärnur
Eärnur masc.name, contraction of Eärendur (Appendix A)
Ilu
(the) world
Ilu noun "(the) world" (FS, LR:47, 56), "universe" (IL); ilu "everything, all, the whole" (of the universe also including God and all souls and spirits, which are not properly included in the term Eä; see VT39:20, also referenced in VT49:36)
engië
has been
engië vb. "has been", "has existed", perfect tense of ëa, q.v. (VT49:29)
engë
was
engë vb. "was", "existed", past tense of ëa, q.v. (VT43:38, VT49:29)
euva
will be, will exist
euva vb. "will be, will exist"; see ëa
ráma
wing
ráma noun "wing", pl. rámar (RAM, Nam, RGEO:66, LT2:335); Markirya has both nominative pl. rámar "wings" and instrumental pl. rámainen *"with wings" (translated "on wings" by Tolkien); rámali "wings" in MC:213 would be a partitive pl. in LotR-style Quenya. Variant rámë in the names Eärrámë, Alquarámë, q.v.
wingilot
foamflower, eärendel's boat
wingilot noun "foamflower, Eärendel's boat" (LT1:273; in Tolkien's later Quenya Wingelot, Wingelóte)
éyë
éyë
éyë, rare perfect of ëa, q.v.
ëala
being, spirit
ëala noun "being, spirit" (pl. ëalar is attested), spirits whose natural state it is to exist without a physical body, like Balrogs (MR:165). The word apparently originates from the participle of ëa, q.v.
ëavëa
adjective. universal, natural
Eämbar
Eämbar
"Sea Home" in Quenya (from eär = "sea" and bar = "home").
Eärendur (King of Arnor)
Eärendur (King of Arnor)
Eärendur is a Quenya name meaning "Servant of the Sea", and is a combination of the word ëar meaning "sea", and the suffix -ndur meaning "devotion to, friend of". It is unlikely that Eärendur himself was devoted to the sea: it is more likely that he was named after one of the two previous Eärendurs.
Eärendur (Lord of Andúnië)
Eärendur (Lord of Andúnië)
Eärendur (son of Tar-Amandil)
Eärendur (son of Tar-Amandil)
Eärnur
Eärnur
eärwen
Eärwen
Her name means "Maiden of the Sea" in Quenya (from eär = "sea" and -wen = "maiden").
ëalar
ëalar
The word is related to Quenya ëala ("being"), and seems to be related to the Quenya verb ëa "be, exist". It has been suggested that -la is the present participle ending of verbs (cf. "-ing"; but Quenya -la only forms adjectival participles)
aiya eärendil elenion ancalima
hail Eärendil, brightest of stars
ambarónë
noun. dawn, dawn; [ᴹQ.] uprising, sunrise, Orient
amya-
verb. [unglossed]
arra
adjective. [unglossed]
cairë
?. [unglossed]
ciryamo
noun. mariner
conta-
verb. [unglossed]
cénima
adjective. visible, visible, [ᴹQ.] able to be seen
cúma
noun. [unglossed]
felca
adjective. [unglossed]
finca
noun. [unglossed]
hindo
noun. [unglossed]
hindë
noun. [unglossed]
holdë
noun. [unglossed]
háro
?. [unglossed]
malsa
?. [unglossed]
mastima
adjective. edible
naue
?. [unglossed]
ná-
verb. to be, to be, [ᴱQ.] exist
návë
noun. being
sal-
verb. [unglossed]
sélo
?. [unglossed]
sóla
?. [unglossed]
thar-
verb. [unglossed]
tomba
noun. [unglossed]
tuilë
noun. spring, spring, [ᴹQ.] spring-time, [ᴱQ.] (lit.) a budding; buds, new shoots, fresh green
um(ba)-
prefix. [unglossed]
vanë
adjective. fair, fair, [ᴱQ.] lovely
éna
?. [unglossed]
ëala
noun. being, spirit (not incarnate)
írë
noun. desire, desire, [ᴹQ.] longing
þúna
?. [unglossed]
hyano
adverb. rather
sornion
noun. eyrie
sámo Reconstructed
noun. helper
@@@ sámo suggested by Helge Fauskanger (QQ/sámo).
ëasta
noun. being, existence
-ser
friend
-ser noun "friend" (SER)
Ambarónë
uprising, sunrise, orient
Ambarónë noun "uprising, sunrise, Orient" (AM2)
alima
fair, good
alima adj. "fair, good" (also alya) (PE17:146)
alqua
noun. swan
swan
alya
fair, good
alya (1) adj. "fair, good" (PE17:146), "prosperous, rich, abundant, blessed" (GALA). In a deleted entry in Etym, the glosses provided were "rich, blessed"; another deleted entry defined alya as "rich, prosperous, blessed". (GALA, [ÁLAM], VT42:32, 45:5, 14)
ammat-
verb. devour
devour
ammat-
devour
ammat- vb. "devour" (PE18:85)
amuntë
sunrise
amuntë noun "sunrise" (LT2:335; Tolkien's later Quenya has anarórë)
anaië
has been
anaië vb. "has been"; see ná #1.
anarórë
sunrise
anarórë noun "sunrise" (ORO)
ane-
was
#ane-, form of copula "was" when pronominal endings follow: anen "I was", anel "you were", anes "(s)he/it was" (VT49:28, 29); see ná #1.
antoryamë
strengthening
antoryamë noun "strengthening", used of various manipulations of a stem, such as lengthening vowels or consonants or turning a consonant or a vowel into a "blend" (see ostimë) (VT39:9)
antoryamë
noun. strengthening
arin
morning
arin noun "morning" (AR1)
cénima
adjective. visible
ettelë
outer lands, foreign parts
ettelë noun "outer lands, foreign parts" (ET, VT45:13)
farnë
dwelling
#farnë (2) noun "dwelling", in orofarnë (as translated in Letters:224, but in other notes of Tolkiens the word was interpreted "any growing thing or plant", PE17:83)
heldo
friend
[heldo, also helmo, fem. heldë, noun "friend" (VT46:3)]
hendas
?. [unglossed]
hranga
awkward, hard
hranga (2) adj. "awkward, hard" (PE17:154), "stiff, awkward, difficult" (PE17:185)
illi
noun. all
ilyë
adjective. all
irmin
the world, all the regions inhabited by men
irmin noun "the world, all the regions inhabited by Men" (LT2:343; hardly a valid word in Tolkien's later Quenya)
lingi-
verb. [unglossed]
maitya
?. [unglossed]
marda
dwelling
marda noun "dwelling" (PE17:107)
mastima
adjective. edible
mattima
verb. edible
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.
melya-
verb. [unglossed], *to be in love
milmë
desire, greed
milmë noun "desire, greed" (MIL-IK)
málo
noun. friend
friend, comrade
málo
friend
málo noun "friend" (MEL, VT49:22)
már
home, house, dwelling
már (mar-) (2) noun "home, house, dwelling" (also "house" in the sense of family as in Mardil, q.v.). See mar above for references. In Mar-nu-Falmar, Mardil, and as final element in Eldamar, Fanyamar, Valimar, Vinyamar..
mátima
edible
mátima adj. "edible" (PE17:68), cf. mat-.
mélamar
home
mélamar noun "home", Exilic Quenya word of emotional sense: place of ones birth or the familiar places from which one has been separated (PE17:109). Mélamarimma noun "Our Home", an expression used by Exilic Noldor for Aman.
nauva
will be
nauva vb. "will be" (VT42:34); nauvan "I will be" (VT49:19); see ná #1
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)
nánë
was
nánë vb. "was", náner "were"; see ná #1
návë
being
návë "being", *"to be", infinitive (or gerund) of ná; see ná #1. (PE17:68)
né
verb. was
was
né
was
né vb. in pa.t. "was"; see ná #1.
orontë
sunrise
orontë, oronto noun "Sunrise" (LT1:264). Notice that in Tolkiens later Quenya, orontë is also the intransitive pa.t. ("rose") of the verb orta- "rise/raise" (q.v.)
os
house, cottage
os (ost-) noun "house, cottage" (LT2:336; hardly valid in LotR-style Quenya writers may use coa or már)
passa
smooth, glabrous
passa adj. "smooth, glabrous" (PE17:171)
pasta
smooth
pasta (2) adj. "smooth" (PATH), variant of passa
rato
soon
rato adv. "soon" (Arct)
ron(go)
adverb. soon
ron (rongo)
adverb. soon
runda
smooth, polished
runda (1) adj. "smooth, polished" (PE17:89)
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)]
sornion
eyrie
sornion noun "eyrie" (LT1:266)
sára
fiery
sára (2) adj. "fiery" (LT1:248; this "Qenya" word may have been obsoleted by # 1 above)
turyande
verb. strengthening, fortification
umbacarin
noun. [unglossed]
uruitë
fiery
uruitë adj. "fiery" (UR; thisstem was struck out in Etym, but several words that must be derived from it occur in LotR, so it seems that Tolkien restored it.)
uruvoitë
fiery
uruvoitë adj. "fiery" (LT1:271)
vanë
fair
vanë adj. "fair" (LT1:272; in Tolkien's later Quenya rather vanya)
vendë
maiden
vendë < wendë noun "maiden" (WEN/WENED, VT45:16), "virgin" (in Tolkien's translations of Catholic prayers where the reference is to Mary; see VT44:10, 18). The form Véndë in VT44:10 seems abnormal; normally Quenya does not have a long vowel in front of a consonant cluster.
wendë
noun. maiden
wilin
bird
wilin noun "bird" (LT1:273; if this "Qenya" word is to be used in LotR-style Quenya, it must not be confused with the 1st pers. aorist of the verb wil-.)
yesta-
desire
yesta- (1) vb. "desire" (YES, VT46:23; the latter source indicates that Tolkien did write yesta- with a final hyphen, indicating that this is "desire" as a verbal stem, not as a noun).
yéva
will be
yéva vb. "will be" (also "there will be"), apparently the future tense of ye (#2). Once translated "is" (írë ilqua yéva nótina, "when all is counted"), but this event belongs to the future; hence literally *"when all will be counted" (FS; VT46:22). In Tolkien's later Quenya, yéva was apparently replaced by nauva.
ára
dawn
ára noun "dawn" (AR1). According to VT45:6, ára is also the name of the long vowel carrier of the Tengwar system; it would be the first letter of the word ára if spelt in Tengwar.
ére
gerund noun. existing, existence
írissë
desire
Írissë fem. name (PM:345), evidently connected to írë "desire".
írë
desire
írë (1) noun "desire". (ID). In the pre-classical Tengwar system presupposed in the Etymologies, írë was also the name of a long carrier with an i-tehta above it, denoting long í. (VT45:17).
úpa-
verb. [unglossed]
ëa (1) (sometimes "eä")vb. "is" (CO), in a more absolute sense ("exists", VT39:7/VT49:28-29) than the copula ná. Eä "it is" (VT39:6) or "let it be". The verb is also used in connection with prepositional phrases denoting a position, as in the relative sentences i or ilyë mahalmar ëa "who is above all thrones" (CO) and i ëa han ëa "who is beyond [the universe of] Eä" (VT43:14). Eä is said to the be "pres[ent] & aorist" tense (VT49:29). The past tense of ëa is engë (VT43:38, VT49:29; Tolkien struck out the form ëanë, VT49:30), the historically correct perfect should be éyë, but the analogical form engië was more common; the future tense is euva (VT49:29). See also ëala. Eä is also used as a noun denoting "All Creation", the universe (WJ:402; Letters:284, footnote), but this term for the universe "was not held to include [souls?] and spirits" (VT39:20); contrast ilu. One version of Tolkien's Quenya Lord's Prayer includes the words i ëa han ëa, taken to mean "who is beyond Eä" (VT43:14). Tolkien noted that ëa "properly cannot be used of God since ëa refers only to all things created by Eru directly or mediately", hence he deleted the example Eru ëa "God exists" (VT49:28, 36). However, ëa is indeed used of Eru in CO (i Eru i or ilyë mahalmar ëa** "the One who is** above all thrones") as well as in various Átaremma versions (see VT49:36), so such a distinction may belong to the refined language of the "loremasters" rather than to everyday useage.