finë

noun. (single) hair, filament

A word for “a hair” appearing in The Shibboleth of Fëanor from 1968 (PM/340). In notes from around 1965 Tolkien also had fine (fini-) for “a hair” (PE17/17). In the 1965 notes derived Tolkien derived it from the root √SPIN, but in the 1968 notes from √PHIN. On a torn half-sheet from the late 1950s or early 1960s, Tolkien had Q. phin- derived from the root √SPIN “a single hair, filament”, though the ph indicates it was probably an archaic form (PE17/17). See the entry for findë for more suggestions on the application (Neo) Quenya hair words.

Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, Tolkien had ᴱQ. filma “fine hair, line” under the early root ᴱ√FILI “fine, thin” (QL/38), as well as ᴱQ. {tilme >>} til (tiln-) “a hair” under the early root ᴱ√TILI, with a variant form tila (QL/92). A similar word tile “a single hair” (pl. tili) appeared in a list of body parts from the 1920s (PE14/117).

finë

hair

finë (1) (stem *fini-, given the primitive form ¤phini) noun "a hair" _(PM:340, PE17:17) or "larch" (SPIN)_

finë

dexterity

finë (2) noun "dexterity" _(PE17:119, related to words for skill)_

fínë

noun. dexterity

findë

hair

findë (1) noun "hair" (especially of the head) (PM:340), "a tress or plait of hair" (PM:345), "tress, braid of hair, lock of hair" (SPIN)

fínëa

dexterous

fínëa adj. "dexterous" (PE17:119), also finwa, q.v.

fínëa

adjective. dexterous

findilë

noun. head of hair

findilë

head of hair

findilë noun "a head of hair". Compare findessë. (PE17:17)

finëa

adjective. downy, hairy [specifically fine, light hair]

A neologism for “downy, hairy” (more specifically referring fine, light hair) coined by Paul Strack in 2018 for Eldamo as a replacement for ᴱQ. tilinya of the same meaning. This Early Qenya word was based on ᴱQ. til (tiln-) “single hair”, and finëa is likewise an adjectival form of finë “single hair”.

finya-

verb. to do/make a thing (with fine work)

A verb in Notes on Names (NN) from 1957 glossed “to do a thing / make a thing (with fine work)”, derived from the root √PHIN “clever, fine, delicate” (PE17/181).

ipsin

noun. fine thread

A word for “fine thread” derived from the root √SPIN- in notes from the mid-1960s (PE17/17).

mistë

noun. drizzle, drizzle, [ᴹQ.] fine rain

A word for “drizzle” (PE19/101) or “light rain” (Ety/MIZD) from primitive ✶mizdē, illustrating how ancient zd became st in Quenya.

Conceptual Development: The earliest precursor of this word was ᴱQ. mirde “mist” derived from primitive ᴱ✶mẓđē in the Early Qenya Phonology of the 1910s (PE12/14). In Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s, this became ᴱQ. mie derived from primitive ✶míye as a cognate to ᴱN. midh “mist, drizzle” (PE13/150). In The Etymologies of the 1930s it was ᴹQ. miste “fine rain”, already with the derivation given above and with cognate N. mîdh “dew” (Ety/MIZD). The form miste reappeared in the Outline of Phonology from the early 1950s with the same derivation and Sindarin cognate S. míð but with gloss “drizzle” (PE19/101).

Ipsin

fine thread

Ipsin noun "fine thread" (PE17:17)

finda

fine & delicately made

finda (2) adj. "fine & delicately made" (PE17:181)

finwa

dexterous; clever, fine, delicate

finwa adj. "dexterous; clever, fine, delicate" (PE17:119, 181), a similar word is glossed "sagacious" in very early material (LT1:253)

finya-

verb. to do a thing / make a thing (with fine work)

finya- (2) vb. "to do a thing / make a thing (with fine work)" (PE17:181)

lelya

delicate, beautiful & fine, slender; lovely

lelya (2) adj. "delicate, beautiful & fine, slender; lovely" (PE17:139, 151)

lia

fine thread, spider filament

lia noun "fine thread, spider filament" (SLIG).

mistë

fine rain

mistë noun "fine rain" (MIZD, VT45:35)

mulma

fine flour

mulma noun "fine flour" (QL:63). Compare mulë from a post-LotR source.

rossë

fine rain, dew

rossë noun "fine rain, dew" (ROS1, PM:371)

rossë

noun. rain; foam, (fine) rain; [ᴹQ.] dew; *spray, shower; [Q.] foam

An element meaning “foam” (or perhaps “✱spray”) in the name Q. Elerossë “Star Foam” cognate of S. Elros in notes from the late 1960s (PM/349), or “rain” in the name of the waterfall Q. Raurossë “Roaring-rain” cognate of S. Rauros in notes probably from the 1950s (PE19/99). A form rosse “rain” appeared in Eldarin Pronouns, Demonstratives, and Correlatives (EP2) from the early 1950s (PE23/123); in context this form seems to be Primitive Eldarin, but it could be Quenya since the expected primitive form would be ✶rossē (Let/282). In The Etymologies of the 1930s, Tolkien gave ᴹQ. rosse “fine rain, dew” as a derivative of the root ᴹ√ROS “distil, drip” (Ety/ROS¹).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would assume this word means a light rain or a continuous spray of water, or the remnants of such water in the form of dew, in other words any persistent collection of small droplets of water either in the air or on the ground, for example from light rain, morning dew or falling mist off a waterfall. This seems to be in keeping with most of its attested glosses.

For more ordinary or heavier rain, I’d use ulo instead, or for a drizzle I’d use mistë, and would reserve rossë only for a light mist-like rain. For a floating mist or fog, I’d use hísë or (if thicker) hiswe. Thus of precipitation, I’d have ulo > mistë > rossë > hísë in decreasing ranks of density, where hísë “mist” is light and/or cold enough not to longer fall. But I think rossë can also refer to “already fallen” droplets in the form of dew.

Raccoon suggested this word may also have the extended meaning “shower”, as posted on 2024-05-03 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), including the sense “instance of taking a shower”.

tereva

fine, acute

tereva adj. "fine, acute" (TER/TERES), "piercing"_ (LT1:255; though glossed "fine, acute" in the Etymologies, the stem _TER is defined as "pierce")

terra

fine pierced hole

terra noun "fine pierced hole" (VT46:18)

timpë

fine rain

timpë noun "fine rain" (LT1:268, Narqelion)

finda

adjective. fine and delicately made

finwa

adjective. clever, fine, delicate; dexterous, dexterous, clever; fine, delicate; [ᴱQ.] acute, sagacious

lelya

adjective. delicate, beautiful and fine, slender, lovely

tildë

noun. a fine sharp point, fine sharp point, [ᴹQ.] spike; (mountain) horn, [ᴱQ.] tip, peak

mulma

noun. fine flour

phin-

single hair, filament

phin- noun "a single hair, filament" (PE17:17); this is may be seen as an "element" rather than a regular word; the spelling ph rather than f is unusual for Quenya. See fine.

finca

clever

finca adj. "clever" (in petty ways) (PE17:119). A distinct form finca is also mentioned as the cognate of Sindarin fineg, but neither form is clearly glossed. The word-group under consideration has to do with hair(PE17:17).

finya

adjective. clever

-úmë

large

-úmë (3) suffix "large" (of quantity)", as in liyúmë "host" (VT48:32)

alat-

large, great in size

alat- prefix "large, great in size". (ÁLAT, cf. VT45:5). In Alatairë.

alta

large, great in size

alta (1) adj. *"large, great in size" (root meaning)(ÁLAT). Alat- in Alatairë, q.v.

assa

hole, perforation, opening, mouth

assa "hole, perforation, opening, mouth" (GAS)

asto

dust

asto noun "dust" (ÁS-AT). According to VT45:6, asto was the name of tengwa #13 in the pre-classical system presupposed in the Etymologies, but Tolkien would later change the name of this letter to anto (its Quenya value changing from st to nt).

calwa

beautiful

calwa ("k") adj. "beautiful" (LT1:254)

curu

skill

curu noun "skill" in names like Curufinwë (q.v.) and Sindarin Curufin, Curunir. (SA; possibly the same as curo, curu- above but there was a word curu ["k"] in Tolkien's early "Qenya", glossed "magic, wizardry" [LT1:269]).

curu

noun. skill, skill; [ᴱQ.] magic, wizardry

In Tolkien’s later writing, this word mostly functions as a reduced form of Q. curwë “skill” used as an element in some Quenya names such as Q. Curufinwë and Q. Curumo.

Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon and Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa of the 1910s ᴱQ. kuru was glossed “magic, wizardry”, and Tolkien further specified that it was used “of the good magic” (QL/49; PME/49). See S. curu for a discussion of the applicability of this word to “magic”.

ecca

hole

ecca ("k")noun "hole", apparently associated with Sindarin torech "secret hole, lair" (PE17:188)

findessë

head of hair, a person's hair as a whole

findessë noun "a head of hair, a person's hair as a whole" (PM:345). Compare findilë.

fána

white

fána, fánë (1) adj. "white" (Markirya - fánë as a sg. form in may be a misreading). Compare fanya.

fána

adjective. white, white; [ᴹQ.] cloud

@@@ as suggested by Helge Fauskanger, the form fánë “white” in the Markirya poem may be a slip or misreading

fánë

adjective. white

höa

adjective. big, large

@@@ used in NQNT

lanya

thread

#lanya (3) noun "thread", isolated from hísilanya "mist thread" (PE17:60)

latta

hole, pit

latta (1) noun "hole, pit" (DAT/DANT, VT45:8)

loxë

hair

loxë (1) ("ks")noun "hair" (LOK). In later sources Tolkien uses findë, findessë, findilë for "hair", leaving the conceptual status of loxë uncertain.

mairëa

beautiful

mairëa adj. "beautiful" (of things made by art) (PE17:163). An alternative (and peculiar) form "mairia" is also implied in the source.

melwa

lovely

melwa adj. "lovely" (LT1:262); compare melda in Tolkiens later Quenya.

miste

noun. drizzle

drizzle

molda

adjective. big, large

mírya

beautiful

mírya adj. "beautiful" (of work of art only) (PE17:165)

nerdo

large, strong man

nerdo noun "large, strong man" (compare nér) (VT47:33)

ninquë

white, chill, cold, palid

ninquë adj. "white, chill, cold, palid" (WJ:417, SA:nim, PE17:168, NIK-W - spelt "ninqe" in Etym and in LT1:266, MC:213, MC:220, GL:60), pl. ninqui in Markirya. Compounded in Ninquelótë noun "White-Flower" (SA:nim), = Sindarin Nimloth, the White Tree of Númenor; ninqueruvissë ("q") "white-horse-on" _(MC:216; this is "Qenya", read _ninqueroccossë or *ninquiroccossë in LotR-style Quenya). Normally ninquë would be expected to have the stem-form ninqui-, given the primitive form ¤ninkwi; Ninquelótë rather than *Ninquilótë must be seen as an analogical form.

pol

large, big (strong)

pol (2) adj. "large, big (strong)". Since this would be the sole example of a monosyllabic Quenya adjective, it may be that Tolkien is here citing the root POL rather than a complete word. Cf. polda.

polda

big

polda adj. "big" (PE17:115), "strong, burly" (POL/POLOD)

polda

adjective. big, big; [ᴹQ.] strong, burly; [ᴱQ.] mighty, powerful

rin

dew

rin noun "dew" (LT1:265; rather rossë in LotR-style Quenya)

tára

lofty

tára (1) adj. "lofty". (SA:tar, LT1:264, TĀ/TA3 (AYAK, TÁWAR), VT45:6), "tall, high" (WJ:417). Compare antara. Adverb táro in an early "Qenya" text (VT27:20, 26). The adj. tára is not to be confused with the continuative form of the verb #tar- "stand".

túra

big, great

túra adj. "big, great" (PE17:115), related to words for power and apparently referring to a more abstract greatness than words like haura "huge". Cf. taura, túrëa. Apparently initial element of Túrosto.

ulo

noun. rain

ulo

noun. rain

A noun for “rain” in Late Notes on Verbs from 1969 given as {ulla >>} ulo in the phrase ulo úva “rain (unwelcome) is coming”, clearly related to the impersonal verb ul- “to rain” appearing in its future form on the same page: uluva “it will rain” (PE22/167).

Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, the noun for “rain” was ᴱQ. úqil, likewise related to the contemporaneous verb ᴱQ. uqin “it rains” (QL/98).

unquë

hole, hollow

unquë noun "hole, hollow" (VT46:20, UNUK), also name of tengwa #16 _(Appendix E; there spelt unque, while the Etymologies has unqe)_

vanima

beautiful, fair

vanima adj. "beautiful, fair" (BAN, VT39:14) (glossed "proper, right, fair" in early "Qenya", LT1:272, though a later source says the word is used "only of living things, especially Elves and Men", PE17:150); nominal pl. vanimar "beautiful ones", partitive pl. genitive vanimálion, translated "of beautiful children", but literally meaning *"of [some] beautiful ones") (LotR3:VI ch. 6, translated in Letters:308). Arwen vanimalda "Beautiful Arwen", literally "Arwen your beauty" (see -lda for reference; changed to Arwen vanimelda in the second edition of LotR; see vanimelda).

vanima

adjective. beautiful

írima

lovely, beautiful, desirable

írima adj. "lovely, beautiful, desirable" (ID, FS, PE17:155), in FS also pl. írimar; in the "Qenya" of Fíriel's Song, adjectives in -a form their plurals in -ar instead of -ë as in LotR-style Quenya.

úra

large

úra (2) adj. "large" (UR), probably obsoleted by #1 above