erë

iron

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

erëa

cardinal. one

erëa adj.? "one" or *"single", apparently an adjectival form (see er) (VT44:17)

er

one, alone

er cardinal "one, alone" (ERE, VT48:6, VT49:54), in an early source also adv. "only, but, still" (LT1:269); Eru er "one God" (VT44:17; er was here emended by Tolkien from erëa, which seems to be an adjectival form *"one, single".)

quén

one, (some)body, person, individual, man or woman

quén (quen-, as in pl. queni; as final element in compounds -quen) noun "one, (some)body, person, individual, man or woman", pl. queni = "persons", "(some) people", "they" with the most general meaning (as in "they [= people in general] say that..."). The element is combined with noun and adjective stems in old compounds to denote habitual occupations or functions, or to describe those having some notable (permanent) quality; examples include roquen, ciryaquen, arquen, q.v. Also in aiquen "whoever", ilquen "everybody" (WJ:361 cf. 360, 372).

et

out

et prep. (and adv.?) "out", when followed by ablative "out of" (VT45:13) or literally "out from", as in EO: et Eärello "out of the Great Sea"; cf. also et sillumello "from this hour" in VT44:35. Et i pe/péti, untranslated phrase, perhaps "out of the mouth" (VT47:35). Prefixet- "forth, out" (ET), also in longer form ete- (as in etelehta, eteminya); verb ettuler "are coming forth" (ettul- = et + tul-). (SD:290; read probably *ettulir or continuative *ettúlar in Tolkien's later Quenya). The forms etemmë and etengwë (VT43:36) seem to incorporate pronominal suffixes for "us", hence ?"out of us", inclusive and exclusive respectively. The pronoun -mmë denoted plural inclusive "we" when this was written, though Tolkien would later make it dual exclusive instead (see -mmë). Second person forms are also given: etelyë, etellë ?"out of you", sg. and pl. respectively (Tolkien would later change the ending for pl. "you" from -llë to -ldë).

a

cardinal. one

min

cardinal. one

min numeral "one", also minë (VT45:34, VT48:6)

min

cardinal. one, one, [ᴱQ.] one (in a series), the first

Cognates

• S. min “one, one, [G.] single” ✧ PE17/095; VT48/06
• T. min “one” ✧ VT48/06

Derivations

• ✶min “one”
  • √MIN “one, first of a series, one, first of a series; [ᴹ√] stand alone, stick out”

Element in

• ᴺQ. millumë “once, one time”
• ᴺQ. mindórë “million”
• Q. minya “first; eminent, prominent”

minë

cardinal. one

minë numeral "one", also min (MINI, VT45:34)

mir

cardinal. one

mir (2) cardinal "one" (LT1:260; in LotR-style Quenya rather minë)

anga

iron

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

anga

noun. iron

Cognates

• T. anga “iron” ✧ PM/347
• S. ang “iron” ✧ PM/347; SA/anga

Derivations

• ✶angā “iron” ✧ PM/347
  • √ANGA “iron”

Element in

• Q. Angainor ✧ SA/anga
• Q. Angamaitë “Iron-handed” ✧ PM/347
• Q. Angamando “Iron Prison, Iron-gaol”
• Q. Angaráto “*Iron Champion” ✧ PM/347
• Q. Artanga “*Noble Iron”
• ᴺQ. angaraxa “train”
• ᴺQ. angatië “railway line, railroad track, (lit.) iron-road”
• ᴺQ. angamendar “train station, (lit.) iron way-stop”
• Q. tornanga “hard-iron, iron hard, iron hard; hard-iron, *steel” ✧ PE17/056

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶angā > anga	[aŋgā] > [aŋga]	✧ PM/347

mo

one, someone, anyone

mo, indefinite pronoun "one, someone, anyone" (VT42:34, VT49:19, 20, 26)

angren

adjective. of iron

min

cardinal. one, one, [G.] single

Cognates

• Q. min “one, one, [ᴱQ.] one (in a series), the first” ✧ PE17/095; VT48/06

Element in

• S. Miniel “Vanyar”
• S. minlamad “?alliteration, (lit.) first-echoing”
• S. minui “first” ✧ VT42/25
• S. minuial “(dawn) twilight”

Variations

• min ✧ PE17/095; VT48/06
• mîn ✧ VT42/25

pen

pronoun. one, somebody, anybody

Usually enclitic and mutated as ben.2

ang

noun. iron

ang

noun. iron

Cognates

• Q. anga “iron” ✧ PM/347; SA/anga

Derivations

• ✶angā “iron” ✧ PM/347
  • √ANGA “iron”

Element in

• S. Angband “Iron Prison” ✧ SA/anga
• S. Angbor “*Iron-fist”
• S. Anghabar “Iron-delvings” ✧ SA/anga
• S. Anglachel “*Iron-of-the-flaming-star” ✧ SA/anga
• S. Angmar “*Iron Home” ✧ RC/020
• S. angren “of iron” ✧ SA/anga
• S. Angrist “Iron-cleaver” ✧ SA/anga
• S. Angrod “*Iron Champion” ✧ SA/anga
• S. Angruin “Iron Fire”
• S. Anguirel “*Iron-of-the-fiery-star” ✧ SA/anga
• S. Gurthang “Iron of Death” ✧ SA/anga
• ᴺS. hadang “javelin, (lit.) hurling iron”
• ᴺS. thornang “steel”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶angā > ang	[aŋgā] > [aŋga] > [aŋg] > [aŋ]	✧ PM/347

men-

verb. to go

Derivations

• √MEN “go, move, proceed (in any direction); make for, go towards; have as object, (in)tend; direction, object, point moved toward; region”

Element in

• S. dadwen- “to return, go back”
• S. nidhin mened “I have a mind to go, I intend to go” ✧ PE22/165

min

fraction. one (first of a series)

mîn

fraction. one (first of a series)

eru

the one

isolated from

êr

one

whence the adjectival prefix er- (alone, lone)

e

out

e, ed (away, forth); also as adjectival prefix "outer" and preposition: (WJ:367)

e

out

ed (away, forth); also as adjectival prefix "outer" and preposition:

angren

of iron

(pl. engrin);

min

cardinal. one

1) (number ”one” as the first in a series) min, mîn (VT48:6), Note: homophones include the noun ”peak” and the adjective ”isolated, first, towering”. 2) (number) êr, whence the adjectival prefix er- (alone, lone); 3)

min

one

mîn (VT48:6), Note: homophones include the noun ”peak” and the adjective ”isolated, first, towering”.

pen

cardinal. one

(indefinite pronoun) (= somebody, anybody) pen (WJ:376); lenited ben. According to one interpretation of the phrase caro den i innas lín from the Sindarin Lords Prayer (VT44:23), this could mean *”let one do your will”, with den (perhaps a lenited form of *ten) as the indefinite pronoun ”one”. However, others interpret den as the accusative form of the pronoun ”it”: ”Do it [, that is:] your will”.

pen

one

(WJ:376); lenited ben. According to one interpretation of the phrase caro den i innas lín from the Sindarin Lord’s Prayer (VT44:23), this could mean ✱”let one do your will”, with den (perhaps a lenited form of ✱ten) as the indefinite pronoun ”one”. However, others interpret den as the accusative form of the pronoun ”it”: ”Do it [, that is:] your will”.

ang

iron

ang; adj.

ang

iron

; adj.

angwedh

iron-bond

(pl. engwidh)

er

cardinal. one

Cognates

• Q. er “one, alone, one, alone; [ᴱQ.] only, a single” ✧ VT48/06

min

cardinal. one

Cognates

• Q. min “one, one, [ᴱQ.] one (in a series), the first” ✧ VT48/06

anga

noun. iron

Cognates

• Q. anga “iron” ✧ PM/347

Derivations

• ✶angā “iron” ✧ PM/347
  • √ANGA “iron”

ash

cardinal. one

Element in

• Bs. ash nazg durbatulûk “one ring to rule them all” ✧ LotR/0254; PE17/011
• Bs. ash nazg gimbatul “one ring to find them” ✧ LotR/0254; PE17/011
• Bs. ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul “one ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them” ✧ LotR/0254; PE17/011

ash

cardinal. one

yad-

verb. to go

A verb appearing in the Lament of Akallabêth in the form ayadda “(it) went” (SD/247, VT24/12). Its initial element is the 3rd persons neuter plural suffix a- “it”. This leaves the basic verb form yadda, which is the past tense according to the theories used here.

Conceptual Development: It appeared in the form yadda in the first draft version of the Lament, and this form was also briefly considered as a replacement for unakkha “he-came” in the first sentence of the Lament (SD/312).

Element in

• Ad. adûn izindi batân tâidô ayadda “[the] road west once went straight, (lit.) west straight road once went” ✧ SD/247; SD/312

er

root. one, single, alone, one, single, alone; [ᴹ√] be alone, deprived; [ᴱ√] remain alone

This root, the basis for the word “one”, was established early and retained its meaning throughout Tolkien’s life. It appeared all the way back in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s as ᴱ√ERE “remain alone”, and was the basis for ᴱQ. er “one” and ᴱQ. eressea “lonely” (QL/36). These words retained their forms and meaning for the entirety of Tolkien’s life, most notably in Q. Tol Eressëa “Lonely Isle” whose form and meaning were likewise introduced very early and never changed.

The contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon also had a variety of words derived from this root, such as G. er “one” and G. ereth “solitude” (GL/32). This root appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as ᴹ√ERE “be alone, deprived” with both Quenya and Noldorin derivatives (Ety/ERE). The root continued to appear in Tolkien’s later writings, variously glossed as “one”, “alone” or “single”.

One interesting feature of this root was the limitations of its use as a number. In some 1968 notes on river names Tolkien said:

> [S.] Erui. Though this was the first of the Rivers of Gondor it cannot be used for “first”. In Eldarin er was not used in counting in series: it meant “one, single, alone” (VT42/10).

In accompanying notes, Tolkien gave:

> 1 “single” (non-serial) ER; “one, first of a series” MIN (VT42/24).

Thus the root for “one” when counting the first of a series was √MIN, whereas √ER could only be used of things that were isolated or unique.

Derivatives

• ✶eryā “isolated, lonely”
  • S. air “lonely” ✧ PE17/028; VT50/18
• ✶rē “single item take out of a (long) series” ✧ PE22/158
  • Q. ré “day (period from sunset to sunset)” ✧ PE22/158
  • Q. rëa “single” ✧ PE22/158
  • Q. rië “only” ✧ PE22/158
• Q. er “one, alone, one, alone; [ᴱQ.] only, a single” ✧ SA/er
• ᴺQ. erda “solitary, deserted”
• Q. erdë “singularity”
• ᴺQ. erta- “to unite”
• Q. Eru “The One, God” ✧ SA/er
• S. er “one, alone” ✧ SA/er
• ᴺS. ereth “solitude, oneness, loneliness”
• S. ero “*only, alone”
• S. ertha- “to unite”

Element in

• ✶erikwa “single, alone” ✧ VT42/10

Variations

• ere ✧ PE22/158
• er ✧ SA/er; VT42/10; VT47/16; VT47/16; VT47/17

imin

masculine name. One

Element in

• Q. Imillië “Company of Imin”

min

cardinal. one

Derivations

• √MIN “one, first of a series, one, first of a series; [ᴹ√] stand alone, stick out”

Derivatives

• Q. min “one, one, [ᴱQ.] one (in a series), the first”

Element in

• ✶Imin “One” ✧ WJ/421
• ✶Iminye ✧ WJ/421

Variations

• Min ✧ NM/060

anga

root. iron

The root √ANGA was established as the Primitive Elvish root for “iron” quite early in Tolkien’s writing, with the derivatives Q. anga and S. ang. The form ANGA appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/31) serving as both the root and the Early Qenya form, and G. ang appeared in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon (GL/19). The root ᴹ√ANGĀ reappeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s (Ety/ANGĀ), and it appeared once more in notes associated with The Shibboleth of Fëanor from 1968 (PM/366).

Derivatives

• ✶angā “iron”
  • Q. anga “iron” ✧ PM/347
  • S. ang “iron” ✧ PM/347
  • T. anga “iron” ✧ PM/347

angā

noun. iron

Derivations

• √ANGA “iron”

Derivatives

• Q. anga “iron” ✧ PM/347
• S. ang “iron” ✧ PM/347
• T. anga “iron” ✧ PM/347

angren

adjective. of iron

min

cardinal. one

Cognates

• ᴹQ. min “one” ✧ Ety/MINI

Derivations

• ᴹ√MIN “stand alone, stick out” ✧ Ety/MINI

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√MINI > min	[mini] > [mine] > [min]	✧ Ety/MINI

ang

noun. iron

ang

noun. iron

Cognates

• ᴹQ. anga “iron” ✧ Ety/ANGĀ

Derivations

• ᴹ√ANGA “iron” ✧ Ety/ANGĀ

Element in

• N. Angband “Iron Prison, Hells of Iron”
• N. Angbor
• N. Angmar
• N. angren “of iron” ✧ Ety/ANGĀ
• N. Angrobel “Irongarth”
• N. Angrist “Iron-cleaver”
• N. Angrod
• N. angwedh “chain, fetter, (lit.) iron-bond” ✧ Ety/WED

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√ANGĀ > ang	[aŋgā] > [aŋga] > [aŋg] > [aŋ]	✧ Ety/ANGĀ

ledh-

verb. to go, to go, *travel, journey

@@@ extended meanings suggested by Fiona Jallings

Derivations

• On. led- “to fare”
  • ᴹ√LED “go, fare, travel” ✧ Ety/LED; EtyAC/LED

Element in

• N. neledh- “*to go in, enter” ✧ TAI/150

min

fraction. one (first of a series)