óla-

verb. to dream (impersonal)

An impersonal verb for “to dream” based on the root √OLO-S, so that presumably the putative subject would be in the dative: óla nin “[it] dreams to me = I dream”. This verb says something interesting about Elvish psychology, in that dreams are seen as things that happen to a dreamer rather than an action of the dreamer themselves. This may be related to the Elvish experience of receiving telepathic visions through dreams, from other Elves or from greater powers.

Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s has a verb G. oltha- that could likewise be used in an impersonal construction with the dative to mean “I dream” (GL/62).

nosta-

verb. to beget, be begotten, to beget, [ᴱQ.] give birth to; [Q.] to be begotten, *be born [impersonal]; [ᴱQ.] to cause

A verb in Tolkien’s later writings glossed as either “to beget” (PE17/111) or “be begotten” (PE17/170), appearing in The Lord of the Rings as an element in the word nostar “parent” (LotR/981) and derived from the root √NŌ/ONO “beget, be born”. The word ᴱQ. nosta- dates all the way back to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s where it was glossed “give birth to; cause” under the early root ᴱ√NŌ “become, be born” (QL/66), but then vanished for several decades where it was either replaced by or in competition with Q. onta- “beget” (PE17/170; Ety/ONO).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would use this verb primarily in the sense “beget” = “give birth to”, as opposed to onta- “to beget” = “✱to conceive”. It might be used impersonally to have the sense “to be born”, as in nostane ni loar canquain né “[it] birthed me forty years ago = I was born forty years ago”.

hrisya-

verb. to snow (impersonal)

tyav-

verb. to taste, to taste; [ᴱQ.] (impersonal) to taste of, reminds one of

@@@ as derivative of KYAW perhaps past †tyaune > tyáve

möa

verb. must (impersonal)

A neologism for “must” coined by Raccoon, derived from the root ᴹ√MBAW “compel, force” and equivalent to impersonal N. bui “must” (ᴺS. boe). Like its (Neo) Sindarin equivalent, it is an impersonal verb with the putative subject in the dative, as in moa nin cares “I must do it, (lit.) it is required for me to do it”. Its conjugation is patterned after the verb öa-. This neologism provides an alternative to the somewhat dated Neo-Quenya construction based on the verb mauya- “compel”, such as mauya nin cares or mauya ni cares; see that entry for discusion.

i eru i or ilyë mahalmar ëa

(the one/they) who; (that) which

i (2) relative pronoun "(the one/they) who; (that) which" (both article and relative pronoun in CO: i Eru i or ilyë mahalmar ëa: the One who is above all thrones", i hárar "(they) who are sitting"); cf. also the phrase i hamil mára "(that) which you deem good" (VT42:33). Notice that before a verb, i means "the one who", or, in the case of a plural verb, "those who"; e.g. i carir quettar ómainen "those who form words with voices" (WJ:391). According to VT47:21, i as a relative pronoun is the personal plural form (corresponding to the personal sg. ye and the impersonal sg. ya). This agrees with the example i carir..., but as is evident from the other examples listed above, Tolkien in certain texts also used i as a singular relative pronoun, both personal (Eru i...) and impersonal (i hamil). In the sense of a plural personal relative pronoun, i is also attested in the genitive (ion) and ablative (illon) cases, demonstrating that unlike the indeclinable article i, the relative pronoun i can receive case endings. Both are translated "from whom": ion / illon camnelyes "from whom you received it" (referring to several persons) (VT47:21).

ta

they, them

ta (3) pron. "they, them", an "impersonal" 3rd person pl. stem, referring "only to 'abstracts' or to things (such as inanimates) not by the Eldar regarded as persons" (VT43:20, cf. ta as an inanimate Common Eldarin plural pronoun, VT49:52). Compare te, q.v. The word ta occurring in some versions of Tolkien's Quenya Lord's Prayer may exemplify this use of ta as an "impersonal" plural pronoun: emmë avatyarir ta** "we forgive them" (VT43:8, 9; this refers to trespasses, not the trespassers). However, since Tolkien also wanted ta to mean "that" (see #1 above), he may seem to be somewhat dissatisfied with ta "they, them", introducing variant forms like tai (VT49:32) to free up ta as a sg. pronoun. In one document, tai was in turn altered to te (VT49:33), which could suggest that the distinction between animate and inanimate "they, them" was abandoned and the form te (q.v.) could be used for both. In some documents, Tolkien seems to use tar as the plural form (VT49:56 mentions this as an uncertain reading in a source where the word was struck out; compare ótar under ó**-).

óla-

verb. to dream

óla- vb. "to dream" (said to be "impersonal", probably meaning that the dreamer is mentioned in the dative rather than the nominative) (UT:396)

-lto

they

-lto, "Qenya" pronominal ending "they"; see -ltë

-ltë

they

-ltë, 3rd person pl. pronominal suffix, "they" (VT49:51; cariltë "they do", VT49:16, 17). It alternates with -ntë in Tolkiens manuscripts (VT49:17, 57). In his early material, the ending also appears as -lto, occurring in Fíriel's Song (meldielto "they are beloved" and cárielto "they made"), also in LT1:114: tulielto "they have come" (cf. VT49:57). Compare -lta, -ltya as the ending for "their".

-ntë

they

-ntë "they", pronomimal ending, inflexion of 3rd person plural when no subject is previously mentioned (CO; see also VT49:49). This ending competes with -ltë (q.v.) in Tolkiens conception (VT49:57; for "they do", both carintë and cariltë are attested, VT49:16 vs. 17). The corresponding pronominal possessive suffix appears as -ntya or -nta in various sources.

-ro

he

-ro pronominal ending "he", in antaváro, q.v. In Tolkiens later Quenya, the ending -s covers both "he", "she" and "it".

-ttë

they

-ttë (1) "they", dual 3rd person pronominal ending ("the two of them") (VT49:51), replacing (also within the legendarium) the older ending -stë (which was later used for the second person only). This older ending -stë corresponds to a possessive ending -sta "their" (VT49:16), but this was presumably likewise altered to *-tta as the new ending for dual "their" = "of the two of them".

essë

he

essë (2) pron? "he" (and also "she, it"?), possible emphatic 3rd sg. emphatic pronoun, attested in the sentence essë úpa nas "he is dumb" (PE17:126)

moia-

verb. labour, be afflicted

moia- vb. "labour, be afflicted" (VT43:31)

mol-

verb. labour

mol- vb. "labour" (a form mólë also listed is presumably the pa.t. though it could also be "labour" as a noun) (PE17:115)

móta-

labour, toil

móta- noun "labour, toil" (MŌ)

se

he, she, it

se (1) pron. "he, she, it" also object "him, her, it", 3rd person sg. Used "of living things including plants" (VT49:37; the corresponding inaimate pronoun is sa). The pronoun comes directly from se as the original stem-form (VT49:50). Stressed form sé, VT49:51, attested in object position in melin sé "I love him" (VT49:21). Ósë "with him/her", VT43:29; see ó-. Long dative/allative sena "[to/for] him" or "at him", VT49:14, allative senna "to him/her" (VT49:45, 46). Compare the reflexive pronoun insë *"himself, herself".

tai

they, them

tai (2) pron. "they, them", 3rd person pl., used with reference to inanimates rather than persons or living things (VT49:32, see ta #3 above). Perhaps to avoid the clash with tai "that which", the pronoun tai "they, them" was altered to te in at least one manuscript (VT49:33), so that it would merge with the pronoun used of living beings and the distinction between animate and inanimate would be abandoned (see te).

te

they, them

te pron. "they, them", 3rd person pl. (VT49:51, LotR3:VI ch. 4, translated in Letters:308). The pronoun te represents an original stem-form (VT49:50). Dative ten, téna or tien "for them, to them" (q.v.) Stressed té (VT49:51). Ótë "with them", q.v. VT43:20 connects te "them" with a discussion of Common Eldarin pronominal stems (ca. 1940s), where te is the "personal" 3rd person pl. stem, referring to persons rather than abstracts or inanimates (which are denoted by ta instead; see, however, the entry ta #3 regarding the problems with this form, and the hints that te may possibly be used with reference to inanimates as well)). Also consider the reflexive pronoun intë "themselves", the final element of which is apparently this pronoun te; see also tú for the dual form.

toi

they

toi pron. "they" (FS; replaced by te in LotR-style Quenya?)

tú

they, them

tú pron. "they, them", 3rd person dual ("the two of them"), both "personal and neuter" (the pronoun can be used of persons and things alike). (VT49:51) Tolkien also considered tet for the same meaning, listing it alongside tú in one source (VT49:56), but this form was apparently abandoned.

-ltë

suffix. they

-ntë

suffix. they

-r

suffix. plural suffix

-t

suffix. dual ending

-u

suffix. dual ending

mol-

verb. to labour

onta-

verb. to beget, to beget, *conceive (a child); [ᴹQ.] to create

A verb in Tolkien’s writings glossed “beget” and derived from the root √NŌ/ONO (PE17/170; Ety/ONO). In The Etymologies of the 1930s it had a second gloss “create” (Ety/ONO).

Conceptual Development: The Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s had the word ᴱQ. puita- “beget” (PE14/77), likely based on the early root ᴱ√PU(HU) “generate” (QL/75).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya I’d use this verb primarily with the sense “beget = ✱conceive (a child)”, as opposed to nosta- “to beget = give birth to”. I’d use this verb irrespective of the gender of the parent. When used of non-living or abstract things, it would have the sense “create”: ontanen vinya parma lírion “I begat [= created] a new book of songs”.

tarassë

noun. labour