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.
Quenya
ea
verb. be
ea
existing, being
ea
noun. the total created universe
eä
the universe
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).
Derivations
- √EÑ “be, exist” ✧ PE22/147; VT49/28
Element in
- Q. Átaremma i ëa han Eä “our Father who art in Heaven” ✧ VT43/13; VT43/14
- Q. Eämbar “Creation as a Whole”
- Q. Eärambar “Walls of Eä”
- ᴺQ. ëavëa “universal, natural”
Elements
Word Gloss ëa- “to be, exist, to be, exist, [ᴹQ.] have being, be found extant in the real world” Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √EŊE > ëa [eŋa] > [eɣa] > [ea] ✧ PE22/147 Variations
- Ëa ✧ MR/007; VT43/13
- Ea ✧ MR/039; PE22/138
- ëa ✧ PE22/147; VT43/14; VT49/28
ëa
eä
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.
ëa
eagle
ëa (3) "eagle" (LT1:251, LT2:338), a "Qenya" word apparently superseded by soron, sornë in Tolkien's later forms of Quenya.
airen
noun. sea
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)
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.
Cognates
- S. gaear “sea” ✧ PE17/027
Derivations
Element in
- Q. airon “ocean” ✧ PE17/027
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶gaı̯ră > aire [gaira] > [ɣaira] > [aira] ✧ PE17/027 Variations
- aire ✧ PE17/027 (aire)
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)
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.
ëa-
verb. to be, exist, to be, exist, [ᴹQ.] have being, be found extant in the real world
Derivations
Element in
- Q. ar i Eru i or ilyë mahalmar ëa tennoio “and of the One who is above all thrones for ever” ✧ UT/305
- Q. Átaremma i ëa han Eä “our Father who art in Heaven” ✧ VT43/13; VT43/14
- Q. Eä “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”
- Q. ëala “being, spirit (not incarnate)”
- ᴺQ. ëasta “being, existence”
- Q. Eru fai, sî, euva “*Eru (was) before, (is) now, will be (after)” ✧ PE22/147
- Q. tambë engë i et... “as it was [in] the [beginning]...” ✧ VT43/38
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √EŊE > eä [eŋa] > [eɣa] > [ea] ✧ PE22/147 ✶eŋa > ëa [eŋa] > [eɣa] > [ea] ✧ PE22/166 √eŋe > ëa [eŋa] > [eɣa] > [ea] ✧ VT49/28 ✶eŋe > ea [eŋa] > [eɣa] > [ea] ✧ VT49/29 ✶e-ēŋiı̯ē > ēŋie > ēiı̯ē > éye [ēŋijē] > [ēɣijē] > [ēijē] > [ējē] > [ēje] ✧ VT49/29 Variations
- eä ✧ PE22/147
- ëa ✧ PE22/166
- ea ✧ VT49/29
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)
euva
will be, will exist
euva vb. "will be, will exist"; see ëa
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.
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)
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)_
sorno
noun. eagle
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)
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.
Cognates
- S. thoron “eagle” ✧ Let/427; SA/thoron; PE22/159
Derivations
Element in
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶þorono > þorno > sorno [tʰorono] > [tʰorno] > [θorno] > [sorno] ✧ Let/427 Variations
- sorno ✧ Let/427
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.
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.)
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.
engë
was
engë vb. "was", "existed", past tense of ëa, q.v. (VT43:38, VT49:29)
nánë
was
nánë vb. "was", náner "were"; see ná #1
né
verb. was
was
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).
né
was
né vb. in pa.t. "was"; see ná #1.
ná-
verb. to be, to be, [ᴱQ.] exist
Changes
nā→ nāner ✧ VT49/09nār→ năr ✧ VT49/30Cognates
Derivations
- √NĀ “be (the same as another), exist” ✧ PE17/093
Element in
- Q. á hyamë rámen úcarindor “pray for us sinners” ✧ VT43/34
- Q. aistana elyë imíca nísi “blessed art thou amongst women” ✧ VT43/30; VT43/30
- Q. alasaila ná lá carë tai mo nave mára “it is unwise not to do what one judges good” ✧ PE22/154; VT42/33
- Q. alcar mi Tarmenel na Erun “glory [be] to God in the highest” ✧ VT44/34; VT44/34
- Q. A (ná) calima lá B “A is brighter than B; (lit.) A is bright beyond B” ✧ PE17/090; PE17/090
- Q. A anamelda na ar ilyan “A is dearest of all” ✧ PE17/057
- Q. A anamelda na epë B “A is dear before B” ✧ PE17/057
- Q. A anamelda na ep’ ilya “A is dearest of all” ✧ PE17/057
- Q.
A arimelda na epe B“A is (very much) [dearer] than B” ✧ PE17/057 (A arimelda na epe B)- Q. A arimelda na ilyaron “A is dearest of all” ✧ PE17/057
- Q. á na márië “be well” ✧ PE17/162
- Q. aranielya na tuluva “thy kingdom come” ✧ VT43/14; VT43/14
- Q. Átaremma i ëa han Eä “our Father who art in Heaven” ✧ VT43/13
- Q. cemendë tambe Erumandë “on Earth as [it is] in Heaven” ✧ VT43/16
- Q. cé tulis, ní nauva tanomë “*if he/she comes, I will be there” ✧ VT49/19
- Q. cé tulis, tanomë nauvan “*if he/she comes, I will be there” ✧ VT49/19
- Q. eldar ataformaiti “the Elves were ambidexters” ✧ VT49/09; VT49/09; VT49/09; VT49/09
- Q. essë úpa nas “he is dumb” ✧ PE17/126
- Q. i Héru aselyë “the Lord is with thee” ✧ VT43/30
- Q. lá carita i hamil mára alasaila ná “not to do (in this case) what you judge good (would be) unwise” ✧ PE22/154; VT42/33
- Q. lá caritas alasaila cé nauva “not doing this may be/prove unwise” ✧ PE22/154; VT42/34
- Q. lá caritas, navin, alasaila ná “not doing this would be (I think) unwise” ✧ PE22/154; VT42/33
- Q. násië “but deliver us from evil: Amen” ✧ VT43/23
- Q. mára ná “it is good” ✧ PE17/093
- Q. ná “yes, it is so, it is a fact”
- Q. na airë esselya “hallowed be thy name” ✧ VT43/14
- Q. na carë indómelya “thy will be done” ✧ VT43/15
- Q. nai “maybe; be it that, may it be that; perhaps, it may be, there is a chance or possibility, maybe; be it that, may it be that; perhaps, it may be, there is a chance or possibility; [ᴱQ.] remoter possibility” ✧ RGEO/60; VT49/28
- Q. naitë “true” ✧ VT49/28
- ᴺQ. nalumë “sometime(s)”
- Q. namárië “farewell, (lit.) be well, let it be well (to you)” ✧ PE17/058; PE17/059; PE17/059; PE17/074
- Q. námo “person, somebody (unnamed)”
- Q. náner ataformaitë ve fírimor quetir “*were ambidextrous as mortals say” ✧ VT49/10
- ᴺQ. nanomë “someplace, somewhere”
- Q. nanwa “existing, actual (true), existing, actual (true), *real; [️ᴱQ.] being” ✧ VT49/30
- Q. nár (naitië) “they are (indeed = truly)” ✧ PE22/166
- Q. násië “*amen, (lit.) may it be so”
- Q. násan “*amen, (lit.) may it be so”
- Q. nás mára nin “I like it” ✧ VT49/30
- Q. nassë “nature, true-being, *essence; person, individual” ✧ VT49/30
- Q. návë “being”
- Q. nésë nórima rocco “he was a horse strong/swift at running” ✧ VT49/29
- Q. quí(ta) la tuldes, nánë márië (nin) “[if he had not come], it was well to me (I was glad)” ✧ PE22/158
- Q. roccor i Erulingaron márë nár (ma naitë)? “the horses of the Rohirrim are good (are they not, lit. is it true)” ✧ PE22/166
- Q. savin Elessar ar i nánë aran Ondórëo “I believe that E[lessar] really existed and that he was a King of Gondor” ✧ PE22/158; VT49/27
- Q. sínen i·anda nyarnë metta ar taina andaurenya na quanta “*with this the long tale ends and my extended long day is complete” ✧ Minor-Doc/1955-CT
- Q. sí vanwa ná, Rómello vanwa, Valimar! “now lost, lost to those from the east is Valimar!” ✧ LotR/0377; RGEO/58
- Q. sí vanwa ná, Rómello vanwa, Valimar! “now lost is, [to one] from the East lost, Valimar!” ✧ RGEO/59
- Q. umbë nin i hríve nauva urra (si loa) “I have a feeling that winter will be bad (this year)” ✧ PE22/168
- Q. yá hríve menë, ringa ná “when winter comes/arrives/is with us, it is cold” ✧ VT49/23 (
yá hríve tene, ringa ná)- ᴺQ. yonávë “company, *companionship, camaraderie”
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √NĀ > ná [nā] ✧ PE17/093 Variations
- ná ✧ LotR/0377; PE17/090; PE17/093; PE22/154; PE22/167; VT42/33; VT49/09; VT49/23
- na ✧ Minor-Doc/1955-CT; PE17/057; PE17/074; PE17/074; PE17/090; PE17/162; VT43/13; VT43/30
- nā ✧ PE17/058; RGEO/59; VT49/09 (
nā); VT49/28; VT49/30- nā- ✧ PE22/166; VT49/27; VT49/28 (nā-)
- nā̀ ✧ RGEO/58
- Nā ✧ RGEO/60
- nā̆ ✧ VT49/30
- nār ✧ VT49/30 (
nār)
ére
gerund noun. existing, existence
éyë
éyë
éyë, rare perfect of ëa, q.v.
anaië
has been
anaië vb. "has been"; see ná #1.
engië
has been
engië vb. "has been", "has existed", perfect tense of ëa, q.v. (VT49:29)
nanwa
existing, actual (true)
nanwa adj. "existing, actual (true)" (VT49:30). Compare the near-synonym anwa.
nauva
will be
nauva vb. "will be" (VT42:34); nauvan "I will be" (VT49:19); see ná #1
návë
being
návë "being", *"to be", infinitive (or gerund) of ná; see ná #1. (PE17:68)
návë
noun. being
Cognates
- ᴺS. nast “being (abstract); being (creature)”
Element in
- Q. colbanavië “gestation, *(lit.) womb-being”
Elements
Word Gloss ná- “to be, to be, [ᴱQ.] exist” -vë “abstract noun, adverb” Variations
- nāve ✧ PE17/068
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)
eä
Eä
Eä was the word spoken by Eru Ilúvatar by which he brought the universe into actuality.
be