mai (2) conj. "if" (PE14:59 cf. VT49:20; possibly obsoleted by #1 above; for "if", Tolkien later used qui)
Quenya
mai
well
mai
if
mai
adverb. well, well; [ᴱQ.] too much
mairen
feminine name. Mairen
Mairen
well
Mairen fem. name(UT:210), initial element perhaps related or identical to mai "well". The second element is obscure; the root REN "recall, have in mind" (PM:372) could be related; if so the name may imply "well remembered", "(of) good memory" or something similar. It may also connect with the adj. maira, q.v. and compare the masc. name Mairon (PE18:163).
maitë
adjective. handy, skillful; having a hand, handed; shapely, handy, skillful, [ᴹQ.] skilled; [Q.] shapely, well-shaped; (as suffix) having a hand, handed
An adjective for “handy, skilful” in notes on Eldarin Hands, Fingers and Numerals from the late 1960s (VT47/6). ᴹQ. maite had a similar gloss “handy, skilled” in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√MAƷ “hand” (Ety/MAƷ). Tolkien gave its primitive form as ✶magiti in the 1960s (VT41/10) and as ᴹ✶maʒiti in the 1930s (Ety/MAƷ). Either way, it seems to be a combination of Q. má “hand” and the adjective suffix -itë, with a stem form of maiti-.
As a suffix in compounds, it has the sense “handed” as in Q. formaitë “righthanded” (Ety/PHOR) and Q. morimaitë “black-handed” (PE17/110). As prefix, however, it seems to have meant “shapely, well shaped” as in Maitimo “Well-shaped One” (PM/353). It seems likely the same would be true if the adjective were applied to an object, such as maitë macil “a well-shaped [skillfully made] sword”, as opposed to maitë ohtar “a handy/skillful warrior”.
Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, ᴱQ. maqa or maqalea meant “handy, skilled (with hands)” while ᴱQ. mavoite (mavoisi-) meant “having hands”, both under the early root ᴱ√MAHA (QL/57). The Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s Tolkien had ᴱQ. maite “handed” as an element in ᴱQ. erumaite “one handed” (PE14/51, 84; PE16/140). ᴹQ. maite appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as noted above, but with the abnormal plural form maisi (Ety/MAƷ) that seems to be remnant of Early Qenya phonetic developments from the 1910s.
maica
noun. blade of a cutting tool or weapon (especially sword-blade)
A noun appearing in notes associated with the Quendi and Eldar essay of 1959-60, glossed “blade of a cutting tool or weapon, especially sword-blade” derived from the root √MAK “cut, hew” (VT39/11). The Elves were somewhat uncertain of the ancient origin of this noun and Tolkien said:
> By some loremasters it was brought into relation with a small group of supposed ancient “desiderative” formations with intruded i ... Maika would [in ancient Elvish] thus be interpretted as “eager, fit, ready to cut”, and it might well be brought into relation with the idea often found in ancient tales that swords were greedy and thirsty (VT39/11).
Conceptual Development: Earlier “blade” words in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s include ᴱQ. valke (valki-) “edge, sharp blade” under the early root ᴱ√VḶKḶ (QL/101) and ᴱQ. hyanda “blade, share” under the early root ᴱ√HYAŘA [HYAÐA] “plough through” (QL/41). Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s had ᴱQ. tále as a cognate to ᴱN. dail “axe-blade”, both derived from primitive ᴱ✶daglé (PE13/141). The Early Qenya Phonology of the 1920s had the similar noun ᴱQ. taila “blade” derived from primitive ᴱ✶dagla (PE14/66).
maina
noun. thing of excellence, treasure
A noun for “a thing of excellence, a treasure”, equivalent to Old English máþum of similar meaning, appearing in Definitive Linguistic Notes (DLN) from 1959 and based on the root √MAY “excellent, admirable” (PE17/163). There was a faint letter written over the n, possibly k according to Christopher Gilson and thus indicating a revision to maika, but its Sindarin cognate S. maen “a treasure” was not altered.
mairon
masculine name. Admirable
The original name of Sauron before his corruption by Melkor (PE17/183). Even after his corruption, he still called himself Mairon or Tar-Mairon sometimes, at least until he lost his beautiful form after the fall of Númenor (PE17/183). This name seems to be a masculinized form of the adjective maira “admirable”.
mairëa
adjective. beautiful (of things made by art), *artistic
An word meaning “beautiful (of things made by art)” in Quenya Notes (QN) from 1957, an adjective form of mairë “work of art” (PE17/163). It was followed by ia indicating a variant form [mair]ia.
maitalë
noun. act of doing [artistic] work
A noun form of maita- “to make art” in Quenya Notes (QN) from 1957, with the meaning “the act (not result) of doing such work” (PE17/163), hence meaning the “the act of doing [artistic] work”.
maitar
noun. artist; poet
A noun for “artist” in Quenya Notes (QN) from 1957, an agental form of maita- “to make art” (PE17/163). By itself it either meant a general “artist” or implied a “poet”, but it could be combined with other words for more specific types of artists: lindimaitar “composer, musician”, ondomaitar “sculptor”, etc.
maitimo
masculine name. Well-shaped One
maiwë
noun. gull
A noun for “gull” appearing in its plural form maiwi in the Q. Markirya poem of the 1960s (MC/222). In The Etymologies of the 1930s, ᴹQ. maiwe “gull” was derived from the root ᴹ√MIW “whine” (Ety/MIW).
Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s the word was ᴱQ. māwe (māwi-) “gull” under the early root ᴱ√MAWA “cry, bleat” (QL/60), also mentioned in the Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME/60). In Early Qenya Word-lists from the 1920s Tolkien instead had vaiya or {maiwe >>} waiwe “seamew” (PE16/138), but in the version of the ᴱQ. Oilima Markirya poem from circa 1930, Tolkien used maiwe in its nominative plural form maiwin “gulls” (MC/213).
Maia
the beautiful
Maia pl. Maiar noun "the Beautiful" (MR:49), the lesser (= non-Vala) Ainur that entered Eä. Variant Máya in VT42:13/VT47:18, pl. Máyar in PM:363, 364 and VT47:18 (possibly, Máya is to be understood as the older form of Maia). With negative prefix ú- also Úmaiar, Maiar who became evil and followed Melkor, such as Balrogs (MR:79, "Umaiar", MR:165).
Mairon
the admirable
Mairon, masc. name "the Admirable" (cf. adj. maira), said to be the original name of Sauron, changed when he was suborned by Melkor, "but he continued to call himself Mairon the Admirable, or Tar-mairon King Excellent, until after the downfall of Númenor" (PE17:183). Since Sauron had joined Melkor before the Elves came to Valinor and developed the Quenya language, we are perhaps to understand that Mairon is a translation by sense of Saurons original Valarin name, though Sauron himself may seem to have used the Elvish form in Middle-earth and on Númenor.
Maitimo
well-shaped one
Maitimo noun "well-shaped one", mother-name (never used in narrative) of Nelyafinwë = Maedhros (PM:353)
maica
sharp, piercing
maica (1) ("k")adj. "sharp, piercing" (SA:maeg), cf. hendumaica and the noun maica below.
maica
blade of a cutting tool or weapon, especially sword-blade
maica (2) ("k") noun "blade of a cutting tool or weapon, especially sword-blade" (VT39:11)
mailë
lust
mailë noun "lust" (MIL-IK)
mailëa
lustful
mailëa adj. "lustful" (MIL-IK)
maira
admirable, excellent, precious
maira adj. "admirable, excellent, precious"; "splendid, sublime" ("only of great, august or splendid things") (PE17:163, 172). Cf. Mairon.
mairo
horse
mairo noun "horse" (GL:56; later sources have rocco, olombo)
mairë
work of high and beautiful art
mairë noun "work of high and beautiful art" (or the process of producing a work) (PE17:163)
mairëa
beautiful
mairëa adj. "beautiful" (of things made by art) (PE17:163). An alternative (and peculiar) form "mairia" is also implied in the source.
maita
hungry
maita (1) adj. "hungry" (VT39:11)
maita-
to make with art, design, compose
maita- (2) transitive vb. "to make with art, design, compose" _(PE17:163). _Cf. maitar, maitalë.
maitalë
the act (not the result) of doing work of art
maitalë noun "the act (not the result) of doing work of art" (PE17:163)
maitar
artist
maitar noun "artist" (by itself usually: a poet), also compounded in lindimaitar "composer, musician", nyarnamaitar "storyteller", ondomaitar "sculptor in stone", (PE17:163)
maitë
handed
maitë (stem *maiti-, given the primitive form ¤ma3iti) adj. "handed" or "handy, skillful" (VT49:32, 42) in Angamaitë, hyarmaitë, lungumaitë, morimaitë, Telemmaitë, q.v. Etym gives maitë pl. maisi "handy, skilled" (MA3), but Tolkien later eliminated the variation t/s (compare ataformaitë "ambidextrous", pl. ataformaiti).
maivoinë
great longing
maivoinë noun "great longing" (LT2:345)
maiwë
gull
maiwë noun "gull" (MIW), pl. maiwi in _Markirya. Cf. also the "Qenya" pl. maiwin "gulls" (MC:213)_
mai-
verb. to have, possess
An irregular verb for “have, possessive” in Late Notes on Verb Structure (LVS) from 1969 (PE22/148). The section where it appeared was struck through (PE22/148 note #24). It may have been supplanted by öa- “possess, own, keep” from the same bundle of documents (PE22/151).
mai-
prefix. excellent, admirable, excellent, admirable; *well, happily
maia
noun. (angelic) spirit, the Beautiful
maica
adjective. sharp, piercing
maira
adjective. admirable, excellent, precious, splendid, sublime
mairë
noun. art, work of high and beautiful art, process of producing an art work
A word in Quenya Notes (QN) from 1957 that Tolkien described as meaning “a work (or the process of producing a work) of high and beautiful art” based on the root √MAY “make (in artistic sense)” (PE17/163). It thus has most of the same meanings as English “art”.
maita
adjective. hungry
An adjective for “hungry” in notes from around 1960 derived from the root √MAT “eat” via i-infixion (VT39/11), which produced a small class of desiderative words in Quenya, as in “desiring to eat”.
maita-
verb. to make with art, design, compose
A transitive verb meaning “to make with art, design, compose” in Quenya Notes (QN) from 1957 based on the root √MAY “make (in artistic sense)” (PE17/163).
ma
adverb. interrogative particle
The base element for Quenya interrogatives, used to form questions. Add ma at the beginning of a declarative statement turns it into a question: carnelyes “you did it” becomes ma carnelyes “did you do it?”. See the entry on interrogative pronouns for more details.
mairia
adjective. beautiful (of things made by art)
maita-
verb. feed
feed
maitya
?. [unglossed]
maiya
noun. (angelic) spirit
úmaiar
úmaiar
Úmaiar pl. noun, Maiar (see Maia) who became evil and followed Melkor, like the Balrogs (MR:79). Sg. #Úmaia.
lindimaitar
composer, musician
lindimaitar noun "composer, musician" _(PE17:163). _Compare lindë, maitar.
Mairen
Mairen
Mairen's name is not translated, but probably means "the Good". Cf. Sauron's original name, Mairon, which means "admirable" or "excellent."
maiar
Maiar
The Quenya name Maiar means "the Beautiful".
maitilë
noun. skill, handicraft; legerdemain, sleight
maicarindo
noun. benefactor, (lit.) well-doer
mailengaitë
adjective. well-mannered
maicahausta
noun. truce, (lit.) blade-resting
maicata-
verb. to sharpen
A neologism coined by Paul Strack posted in 2018 specifically for Eldamo, a transitive and intransitive verb based on maica “sharp”. It has a transitive weak past maicatáne (maicatane-) “sharpened [something]” and intransitive half-strong past maicante “[became] sharpened”; hat-tip to Vyacheslav Stepanov for these past forms. Petri Tikka instead suggested [ᴺQ.] laiceta- “to sharpen” in PPQ (PPQ) based on [ᴹQ.] laika “keen, sharp, acute”, but that is the wrong kind of “sharp”: sharp senses not sharp swords.
maicatan
noun. weaponsmith
mailitya
adjective. (greedily) wealthy, avaricious
maitië
noun. hunger
A neologism coined by Helge Fauskanger for his NQNT (NQNT), an abstract noun form of Q. maita “hungry”.
maicámima
adjective. acceptable, (lit.) well-receivable
maisinwa
adjective. well-known, notable, famous
maitulië
noun. welcome thing, happy arrival
maitulya
adjective. welcome
maicëa
adjective. edged
mairië
noun. excellence, splendor, sublimity, ‘perfection’
@@@ Discord 2023-02-24
maimun
noun. monkey, ape
A neologism for “monkey, ape” coined by Dírheron on the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS) in 2019-10-08, as a loan word from classical Arabic.
mainenta-
verb. to brag, (lit.) make seem excellent
vendelë
noun. maidenhood
A word appearing as wendele “maidenhood” in Definitive Linguistic Notes (DLN) from 1959, an abstract noun formation from wendë “maiden” (PE17/191). In modern Quenya spelling and pronunciation it would be ✱vendelë.
Conceptual Development: ᴱQ. ’wendele had the same form and meaning in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, the only difference being the ’ indicating the loss of initial g from the early root ᴱ√GWENE (QL/103).
vendë
noun. maiden, *virgin
The usual Quenya word for “maiden” derived from the root √WEN(ED) (Ety/WEN; PE17/191; VT47/17). Tolkien usually wrote this word as wende but it would be pronounced and written vende in modern Quenya.
Conceptual Development: This word was fairly stable in Tolkien’s mind. In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s this word was ᴱQ. ’wen (wend-) “maid, girl” with longer variant wendi “maiden” derived from the early root {ᴱ√WENE >>} ᴱ√GWENE (QL/103). The form wendi was also mentioned in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon, but there the root was {ᴱ√gw̯ene >>} ᴱ√gu̯eđe (GL/45). In the Nieninqe poem written around 1930 it was ᴱQ. wende “maiden” (MC/215), a form that reappeared in the version of the poem from the 1950s as well (PE16/96).
In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien gave this word as ᴹQ. wende, vende “maiden” under the root ᴹ√WEN-ED of the same meaning (Ety/WEN), In a marginal note Tolkien said that derivatives of ᴹ√WEN-ED should be transferred to ᴹ√GWEN, and under that root Tolkien indicated there was blending with ᴹQ. wende “maid” (Ety/GWEN).
In later writings Tolkien mostly used the form wende, but in Quenya prayers from the 1950s he once wrote Vénde, where the long é was probably a slip (VT44/5, 10). Likewise in later writings Tolkien mostly gave the root as √WEN(ED), but in one place considered deriving wende from √GWEN “fair” (PE17/191). Finally he generally translated this word as “maiden”, but in Quenya Prayers from the 1950s used it with the sense “virgin” in reference to the Virgin Mary (VT44/5, 12).
Neo-Quenya: It is tricky to reconcile Tolkien’s regular use of the form wende with the root √WEN(ED), since ancient w became v in Quenya, making the expected form vende. To retain wende, the most straightforward explanation is that it was derived from strengthened ✱gwendē, since this initial cluster survived as w at least into Classical Quenya and possibly beyond. However, the strengthening of ✶wendē > ✱gwendē must have occurred after the Common Eldarin period, otherwise the Sindarin form would have been ✱✱bend, whereas Tolkien consistently used S. gwen(d).
Many Neo-Quenya writers avoid this question simply by revising the form to vende, a practice I recommend as well, though its suffixal form would (mostly) remain -wen. I also prefer to use vende mainly for “maiden, ✱young woman” and for “virgin” (of any gender) I recommend vénë.
-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.
arien
feminine name. Maiden of the Sun
The Maiden of the Sun who guided the solar orb through the heavens after it was created (S/99). Her name is likely a compound of árë “sunlight” and the feminine suffix -ien.
Conceptual Development: When she first appeared, this character’s name was ᴱQ. Urwen(di) “Sun-maiden” (LT1/179, LT1A/Urwen), combining the early name of the Sun, ᴱQ. Ûr, with ᴱQ. wen(di) “maiden”. Her name was later revised to ᴹQ. Úrien (SM/97, SM/170) >> ᴹQ. Árien (SM/99, 168) >> ᴹQ. Arien (LR/243, Ety/AR¹).
In later writings, the name sometimes appeared with the long Á (PE17/148, MR/376) but usually had a short A, and this is the form appearing in the later drafts and published versions of The Silmarillion (MR/136, 198; S/99). In his late notes on the cosmology of Middle-earth, Tolkien consider numerous variant forms for this name: Áren, Ār(i), Ārië, Āzië and even a (rejected) masculine form Auron (MR/376, 380), but none of these variants appeared in the narratives. The early form Úrien also briefly reappeared in some linguistic note from the 1950s (PE21/86).
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.
vénëa
maidenly, virginal
*vénëa* adj. "maidenly, virginal" (VT44:10; the source has véne' alcarë "virginal glory", the first word possibly representing an adjective vénëa** the final vowel of which has been elided since the next word begins in the same vowel.)
wen
maid, girl
wen noun "maid, girl" (*wend-), in early "Qenya" also wendi (Tolkien's later Quenya form wendë occurs in MC:215 and in Etym, stems GWEN, WEN/WENED). (LT1:271, 273)
wendelë
maidenhood
wendelë noun "maidenhood" (LT1:271, PE17:191)
wendi
maid, girl
wendi noun "maid, girl" (LT1:271), "young or small woman, girl" (VT48:18); see wendë
wendë
maid
wendë noun "maid" (GWEN), wendë > vendë "maiden" (WEN/WENED, VT45:16, VT47:17). Sana wendë "that maiden" (PE16:96 cf. 90). According to VT47:17, this word for "maiden" is "applied to all stages up to the fully adult (until marriage)".Early "Qenya" also had wendi "maid, girl" (LT1:271); this may look like a plural form in Tolkiens later Quenya. On the other hand, VT48:18 lists a word wendi "young or small woman, girl". It is unclear whether this is Quenya or a Common Eldarin form, but probably the former: PE17:191 displays the word for "maiden" as wendē, so the Quenya stem form is probably *wende- rather than wendi*-, the stem-form that would result from Common Eldarin wendi). In his Quenya translation of the Sub Tuum Praesidium, Tolkien used Wendë/Vendë to translate "virgin" with reference to the Virgin Mary. Here the plural genitive Wenderon appears in the phrase Wendë mi Wenderon "Virgin of Virgins"; we might have expected Wendion instead (VT44:18).If the pl. form of wendë is wender rather than wendi, as the gen.pl. wenderon suggests, this may be to avoid confusion with the sg. wendi** "girl".
yavannildi
collective name. Maidens of Yavanna
Elvish women who were devotees of Yavanna and learned the secret of crafting lembas (PM/404). The initial element of this name is Yavanna and the second element may be a feminized form of the suffix -(n)dil “friend”, as in [ᴹQ.] nilde “female friend”, or perhaps the plural of the feminine agental suffix -ldë.
wendelë
noun. maidenhood
wendë
noun. maiden
riel
garlanded maiden
riel (*riell-) noun "garlanded maiden" (SA:kal-), full form riellë noun "a maiden crowned with a festival garland" _(PM:347). _In Altariel, Altariellë. Compare rië.
riel(lë)
noun. garlanded maiden, maiden crowned with a festive garland
solma
noun. hall, chamber, [main or entry] hall, chamber
A word in 1965 notes on the Lives of the Númenóreans, glossed as “hall” (NM/326) and “chamber” (NM/337). Based on the context where it appeared, it may not simply be an arbitrary chamber, but rather the main or entry chamber to a house. As Tolkien described it: “they were often welcomed to the central solma or hall, where the chief fire burned” (NM/326). For purposes of Neo-Quenya, this is my preferred reading, to make this word more distinct from [ᴹQ.] sambe “room, chamber” (Ety/STAB).
wenci
woman, maiden
wenci ("k") noun, apparently a diminutive form of the stem wēn- "woman, maiden". It is possible that this is meant to be Common Eldarin rather than Quenya; if so the Quenya form would be *wencë (compare nercë "little man") (VT48:18)
má
noun. hand
The most common Quenya word for “hand”, which Tolkien usually derived from a root √MAH or √MAƷ “hand; handle, wield”. The weak consonant h or ʒ in the root was lost very early, so that primitive ✶mā was one of a rare set of ancient monosyllabic nouns ending in a vowel. Tolkien said that of the various hand words, má was “the oldest (probably) and the one that retained a general and unspecialized sense - referring to the entire hand (including wrist) in any attitude or function” (VT47/6).
As a part of the body, má “hand” was usually referred to in the singular (má) or dual (mát). This was true when referring to the hands of groups of people as well. For example, to say that “the Elves raised their hands”, you would say either i Eldar ortaner mánta (singular, one hand each) or i Eldar ortaner mántat (dual, both hands each), with the possessive suffix -nta “their”.
The plural form már “hands” (or archaic †mai) was almost never used, in part because it conflicted with Q. már “dwelling”. The singular form was also used in general statements and proverbs: “hand is cleverer than foot” má anfinya epe tál (ná). A collection of otherwise unrelated hands would likely use the partitive-plural form: máli “some hands”, which in this case could also serve as the general plural (VT47/12 Note 2). See the discussions on PE17/161 and VT47/6 for more information.
This word is also unusual in that it retains its long vowel before consonant clusters in inflected forms such as mánta “their hand” (PE17/161) or márya “his/her hand” (PE17/69). As Tolkien described it:
> Lá is usually shortened to la before 2 consonants, according to the usual Q. procedure, but the long vowel can be retained, especially for additional emphasis, as in other cases where pronominal affixes follow a long vowel, as in márya “his hand” (PE22/160).
Conceptual Development: This word dates all the way back to ᴱQ. mā “hand” from Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, derived from the early root ᴱ√MAHA “grasp” (QL/57). ᴹQ. má “hand” also appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√MAƷ “hand” (Ety/MAƷ). Tolkien mentioned this word with great frequency, usually derived from √MAH or √MAƷ (as noted above) though he sometimes considered deriving it from √MAG instead.
amya-
verb. amya-
amya- (2) evidently a prefix corresponding to mai- (q.v.) in meaning (PE17:163, 172)
mandë
well
mandë (2) adv. "well" (VT49:26; this is "Qenya"). Rather mai in Tolkiens later Quenya.
Arien
Maiden of Sunlight
Arien means "Maiden of Sunlight" in Quenya, from árë "sunlight" and -ien feminine suffix.
Since Arien is connected to the "daisy" (corruption of day's eye), it is possible that the name comes from árë + hen "eye"
máhis
noun. maize, either sweet corn or field corn
A neologism for a “maize [corn]” appearing in the VQP (VQP) as a loan word from native american “mahis”. If you prefer a native Quenya word, see the neologism [ᴺQ.] porisalquë instead.
héramat
noun. main course, (lit.) chief meal
eldafindë
noun. maidenhair fern, (lit.) elf tress
núrë
noun. maid servant, servant-woman
ambahep-
verb. to maintain, (lit.) upkeep
(cirya)talan
noun. deck (of a ship), main deck
vortalë
noun. preservation, maintenance
A neologism coined by Tamas Ferencz on the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS) posted at 2023-06-18, a noun form of [ᴺQ.] vorta- “to preserve”.
naltariel
feminine name. Galadriel
What the Quenya name of Altáriel (S. Galadriel) would have been if it had been coined in Quenya instead of adapted from Telerin (PM/347). This name is a compound of nalta “radiance, glittering reflection” and riel(lë) “garlanded maiden”. See S. Galadriel and ✶Ñ(g)alatā-rigelle for further discussion.
seldë
noun. daughter, daughter; [ᴹQ.] child [f.], *girl
This seems to be the word that Tolkien favored for “daughter” in his later writings (PE17/170; VT47/10; PE19/73), though it had competition from other forms like Q. yeldë.
Conceptual Development: The earliest word resembling this form was ᴱQ. sui “daughter” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√SUẈU (QL/87), a word also mentioned in the Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME/87). This became ᴱQ. silde “daughter” in Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s (PE16/135).
In The Etymologies of the 1930s, Tolkien experimented with several different forms. He had ᴹQ. yelde “daughter” under the root ᴹ√YEL, but this entry was deleted (Ety/YEL). Tolkien also had a root ᴹ√SEL(D) “daughter” with a derivative ᴹQ. selde, but the meaning of this root was changed to “child”, and masculine and neuter forms ᴹQ. seldo and ᴹQ. selda were added to the entry (Ety/SEL-D). Finally, under the entry for ᴹ√YŌ or YON “son”, Tolkien added a primitive feminine variant ᴹ✶yēn or yend “daughter”, producing ᴹQ. yende and (suffixal?) yen (Ety/YŌ).
These vacillations continued in later writings, where at one point Tolkien wrote “Q[uenya] Wanted: Son, Daughter” (PE17/170). In Notes on Names (NN) from 1957 Tolkien wrote Q. sel-de for “daughter”, but above it he wrote a variant form anel. In rough notes from around 1959 Tolkien explored a large number of masculine and feminine suffixes, and on the page he had yeldë “daughter”, though at the end of the sentence he wrote “also yen” (PE17/190). In notes on Eldarin Hands, Fingers and Numerals from the late 1960s, Tolkien wrote selyë as a diminutive/affectionate word for “daughter”, with seltil as a play name for the fourth finger representing a daughter (VT47/10, 27).
Also of note is Tolkien’s Quenya name for S. Tinúviel “Daughter of Twilight”, which he generally represented as something like Q. Tindómerel < ✶Tindōmiselde. Tolkien was fairly consistent in this Quenya form starting in the 1930s (Ety/SEL-D; PE19/33), with examples in the 1950s (PE19/73) and 1960s (VT47/37) as well. Indeed, in a couple cases he used this name to illustrate how medial s generally became z and eventually r in Quenya (PE19/33, 73), so it seems that for this name Tolkien consistently imagined the primitive form for “daughter” as ✶selde.
Neo-Quenya: I’d assume selde is the main word for “daughter” for purposes of Neo-Quenya, but I’d assume a variant form yeldë, especially since -iel was the most common suffix for “daughter of”. This variant probably arose very early under the influence of √YON “son”.
Altariel
galadriel
Altariel fem. name "Galadriel", "maiden crowned with a radiant garland" (SA:kal; the form Alatáriel is Telerin; see PM:347) Stem Altariell- seen in the genitive Altariello, occurring in the superscript of the Tengwar transcription of Namárië in RGEO.
Máya
máya
#Máya pl. Máyar, see Maia
Sauro
the abhorred
Sauro (þ) (1), usually in longer form Sauron (þ), masc. name "the Abhorred", name of a Maia, the second Dark Lord (said to be the name by which he was "afterwards called", MR:147; according to PE17:183, his original name was Mairon, q.v.). Earlier Thauron (SA:thaur, THUS), archaic *Θaurond- (Letters:380, where the initial Greek letter represents th). The stem of Sauron* would then be Saurond-. Another form of the name is Súro**.
harya-
verb. to have, to have, *hold, [ᴹQ.] possess
A verb in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “possess” under the root ᴹ√ƷAR “have, hold” (Ety/ƷAR). There was another variant arya- “to possess” under the entry for ᴹ√GAR, but this was deleted (EtyAC/GAR). The verb harya- reappeared in the Merin sentence merin sa haryalyë alassë nó vanyalyë Ambarello “I hope that you have happiness before you pass from the world”, probably from the 1950s.
Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would mainly use harya- for “have” as in currently have ahold of or possess something which can be lost or given up. For more abstract senses of “have”, including possession of inalienable traits or relationships that do no imply ownership, I would use sam-.
má
hand
má noun "hand" (MA3, LT2:339, Narqelion, VT39:10, [VT45:30], VT47:6, 18, 19); the dual "a pair of hands" is attested both by itself as mát (VT47:6) and with a pronominal suffix as máryat "his/her (pair of) hands" (see -rya, -t) (Nam, RGEO:67). The nominative plural form was only máli, not **már (VT47:6), though plurals in -r may occur in some of the cases, as indicated by the pl. allative mannar "into hands" (FS). Mánta "their hand", dual mántat "their hands" (two hands each) (PE17:161). Cf. also the compounds mátengwië "language of the hands" (VT47:9) and Lungumá "Heavyhand" (VT47:19); also compare the adj. -maitë "-handed". See also málimë.
nyarna
tale, saga
nyarna noun "tale, saga" (NAR2), compounded in nyarmamaitar noun "storyteller" (PE17:163), literally *"tale-artist" (see maitar).
wén
greenness, youth, freshness
wén noun "greenness, youth, freshness" (GWEN), blended with wendë "maid"
yeldë
noun. daughter
A less common Quenya word for “daughter”, an analog of Q. yondo “son”.
Conceptual Development: In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien had ᴹQ. yelde “daughter” under the root ᴹ√YEL of the same meaning, but the meaning of the root was first changed to “friend”, and then the root was then deleted (Ety/YEL). Meanwhile, under the root ᴹ√YŌ or YON, Tolkien introduced a feminine variant ᴹQ. yende “daughter” along with (suffixal?) yen, derived from primitive ᴹ√yēn or yend (Ety/YŌ). Previously this yende/yendi form was a feminine agent, but Tolkien rejected that meaning (EtyAC/ƷAN).
In between yelde >> yende for “daughter” in The Etymologies, Tolkien considered using the form ᴹQ. selde, and in later writings this seems to be his preferred Quenya word for “daughter”. However, yeldë “daughter” was mentioned again briefly in rough notes from around 1959 (PE17/190), and -iel remained Tolkien’s preferred suffix for “daughter of”.
Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I recommend seldë as the more common word for “daughter”, but assume yeldë also exists as variant due to the influence of yondo “son”; see the entries on seldë and the root √YE(L) for further discussion.
Arien
Arien
Arien means "Maiden of Sunlight" in Quenya. It is derived from the root as-, seen also in árë "sunlight" and -ien feminine suffix.
altáriel
feminine name. Galadriel
The Quenya name of Galadriel, an adaptation of the Telerin name Alatáriel (UT/266, PM/347). See the entry on Galadriel for further discussion of this name’s history, and ✶Ñ(g)alatā-rigelle for a discussion of the conceptual development of its etymology.
#turco
chief
#turco (1) noun "chief" (isolated from Turcomund "chief bull", Letters:423). Turco, masc. name, see Turcafinwë.
-iel
daughter
-iel patronymic/matronymic ending -"daughter" (YEL, VT46:22-23) In the Etymologies, Tolkien struck out this ending and the corresponding independent word yeldë "daughter", changing them to -ien, yendë. However, the ending -iel later turns up in later forms: Uinéniel "Daughter of Uinen" in UT:182 and Elerondiel "daughter of Elrond" (Elerondo) in PE17:56. Hence it would seem that Tolkien changed his mind again and restored this ending, and perhaps the noun yeldë along with it. The form Elerondiel (from Elerondo) demonstrates that a final vowel is omitted before -iel.
-ien
daughter
-ien fem. ending in certain names like Yávien, Silmarien (q.v.) At one point -ien implied "daughter", see -iel above.
-ndor
land
-ndor, final element in compounds: "land" (Letters:308, UT:253)
Amarië
good
Amarië fem. name; perhaps derived from mára "good" with prefixing of the stem-vowel and the feminine ending -ië (Silm)
Ingwë
chief
Ingwë masc. name, "chief", name of the "prince of Elves" _(PM:340, ING, WEG, VT45:18). Pl. Ingwer "Chieftains", what the Vanyar called themselves (so in PM:340, but in PM:332 the plural has the more regular form Ingwi). Ingwë Ingweron "chief of the chieftains", proper title of Ingwë as high king (PM:340)_. In the Etymologies, Ingwë is also said to be the name of a symbol used in writing: a short carrier with an i-tehta above it, denoting short i (VT45:18).
Lindissë
woman
Lindissë fem.name, perhaps lin- (root of words having to do with song/music) + (n)dissë "woman" (see nís). (UT:210)
Quende#
noun. Elf
Elf
Tar-culu
gold
Tar-culu ("k"), name listed in the Etymologies but not elsewhere attested. The second element is apparently culu "gold" (a word Tolkien seems to have abandoned); Hostetter and Wynne suggest that this may be an alternative name of Tar-Calion (= Ar-Pharazôn "the Golden"); see VT45:24.
Vanimo
the beautiful
Vanimo (pl. Vanimor given), noun "the beautiful", children of the Valar (BAN), or "fair folk" = (men and) elves (UGU/UMU, VT45:17). Negated úvanimor = "monsters".
aica
sharp
aica (1) ("k") adj. "sharp" _(AYAK) or "fell, terrible, dire" (PM:347; according to PM:363 seldom applied to evil things)_. In Aicanáro, q.v.
ala-
good
ala- (3), also al-, a prefix expressing "good" or "well" (PE17:146), as in alaquenta (q.v.) Whether Tolkien imagined this ending to coexist with the negative prefix of the same form (#2 above) is unclear and perhaps dubious.
alatulya
welcome
[alatulya adj./interjection "welcome" (PE17:172)]
alatulya
adjective. welcome
alatúlië
welcome
[alatúlië ?noun/?interjection "welcome" (PE17:172)]
alatúlië
noun. welcome
amya-
verb. [unglossed]
amya-
prefix. excellent, admirable
anel
daughter
anel noun "daughter" (PE17:170), possibly intended by Tolkien as a replacement for seldë (q.v.). Compare anon.
anel
noun. daughter
A transient word for “daughter” in Notes on Names (NN) from 1957, written of above the more common sel-de (PE17/170).
arra
adjective. [unglossed]
ausië
wealth
ausië noun "wealth" (LT2:336; rather lar or alma in Tolkiens later Quenya)
cairë
?. [unglossed]
calwa
beautiful
calwa ("k") adj. "beautiful" (LT1:254)
cambë
noun. hand, (hollow of) hand
conta-
verb. [unglossed]
culo
gold
[culo, culu ("k")noun "gold" (substance)] (KUL, VT49:47; the word culu_ also occurred in early "Qenya" [LT1:258], but in the Etymologies it was struck out; the regular Quenya word for "gold" is apparently _malta. In another version, culo meant "flame" [VT45:24], but this is apparently also a word Tolkien abandoned.)
cunta-
verb. to rule
cunya-
verb. to rule
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”.
cé
conjunction. if
cúma
noun. [unglossed]
ecya
sharp
#ecya adj. "sharp" in Ecyanáro ("k") "Sharp Flame", masc. name, Sindarin Aegnor(VT41:14, 19). The Quenya form of Aegnor is elsewhere given as Aicanáro instead.
ehtelu-
verb. well, bubble out
enna
first
[enna adj. "first" (VT45:12)]
esta
first
esta (2) adj. "first" (ESE/ESET); this entry was marked with a query. The word Yestarë (q.v.) "Beginning-day" in LotR suggests that Tolkien decided to change the stem in question to _YESE/YESET_. We could then read *yesta for esta (but later this became a noun "beginning" rather than an adj. "first", PE17:120) and also prefix a y to the other words derived from ESE/ESET (essë* > yessë, essëa > yessëa). Estanossë noun "the firstborn", read likewise Yestanossë** (*Yestanessi?) but in a later text, Tolkien used Minnónar (q.v.) for "the Firstborn" as a name of the Elves, and this form may be preferred. _(In the Etymologies as printed in LR, the word _Estanossë is cited as "Estanesse", but according to VT45:12, the second-to-last vowel is actually o in Tolkien's manuscript.)
eteminya
prominent
eteminya adj. "prominent" (VT42:24)
eteminya
adjective. prominent
fauca
thirsty
fauca ("k") adj. "thirsty" (PHAU; original glosses "thirsty, parched; lit. open-mouthed", VT46:9)
felca
adjective. [unglossed]
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”.
finca
noun. [unglossed]
hendas
?. [unglossed]
heru-
to rule
heru- vb. "to rule" (LT1:272; rather tur- in LotR-style Quenya)
hindo
noun. [unglossed]
hindë
noun. [unglossed]
holdë
noun. [unglossed]
hríva
place name. [unglossed]
háro
?. [unglossed]
héra
chief, principal
héra adj. "chief, principal" (KHER)
húmë
cardinal. thousand
húmë (1) numeral "thousand" (PE13:50). Pl. húmi is attested (used in connection with other numbers, as in "two thousand", i.e. "two thousands").
inga
first
inga (2) adj. "first" (ING)
ingwë
masculine name. Chief
Lord of the first tribe of the Elves and the high king of Elvenkind (S/52, 62). His name is ancient and its original meaning is unclear, but it is sometimes translated as “Chief”, and is interpreted as a combination of the root √ING “first, foremost” and the suffix -wë common in ancient names (PM/340).
Conceptual Development: In the earliest Lost Tales, this character was first named ᴱQ. Ing, but this was soon changed to ᴱQ. Inwe (LT1/22). The form become ᴹQ. Ingwe in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (SM/13, LR/214), and the derivation for Ingwë discussed above had already emerged in The Etymologies (Ety/ING, WEG).
iqui
conjunction. if
iqui
conjunction. if
isca
pale
isca ("k") adj."pale" (LT1:256)
ista-
verb. to know, to know, [ᴹQ.] learn
laiquassë
greenness
laiquassë ("q")noun "greenness" (LT1:267)
laurë
gold
†laurë noun "gold", but of golden light and colour, not of the metal: "golden light" (according to PE17:61 a poetic word). Nai laurë lantuva parmastanna lúmissen tengwiesto "may (a) golden light fall on your book at the times of your reading" (VT49:47). In Etym defined as "light of the golden Tree Laurelin, gold", not properly used of the metal gold (LÁWAR/GLÁWAR, GLAW(-R), VT27:20, 27, PE17:159). In early "Qenya", however, laurë was defined as "(the mystic name of) gold" (LT1:255, 258) or simply "gold" (LT1:248, 268). In Laurelin and Laurefindil, q.v., Laurenandë "Gold-valley" = Lórien (the land, not the Vala) (UT:253) and laurinquë name of a tree, possibly *"Gold-full one" (UT:168). Laurendon "like gold" or "in gold fashion" (but after citing this form, Tolkien decided to abandon the similative ending -ndon, PE17:58).
lingi-
verb. [unglossed]
luina
pale
[luina] adj. "pale" (VT45:30)
malda
yellow, of golden colour
malda adj. "yellow, of golden colour" (PE17:51), variant of malina. An earlier source (the Etymologies, entry SMAL) has malda as the noun "gold" but LotR gives malta, q.v., and according to VT46:14 the form malta originally appeared in the Etymologies as well. Since Quenya sometimes uses adjectives as nouns (see for instance fanya), malda could still be regarded as a valid side-form of the noun malta "gold".
malina
yellow
malina adj. "yellow" (SMAL, Letters:308), "yellow, of golden colour" (PE17:51). Malinalda *"Yellow-tree", a name of Laurelin (SA:mal-; evidently malina + alda), translated "Tree of Gold" in the Silmarillion index. Cf. also malinornë.
malo
pollen, yellow powder
malo (1) (stem *malu-, given the primitive form ¤smalu) noun "pollen, yellow powder" (SMAL)
malsa
?. [unglossed]
malta
gold
malta noun "gold", also name of tengwa #18 (Appendix E). The Etymologies (entry SMAL) instead has malda, q.v. for discussion, but according to VT46:14, the form malta originally appeared in the Etymologies as well. Also compare the root MALAT listed in PM:366.
malwa
fallow, pale
malwa adj. "fallow, pale" (SMAL)
maptalë
ravishment, rape, seizure
maptalë noun "ravishment, rape, seizure" (PE13:163)
marya
pale, fallow, fawn
marya adj. "pale, fallow, fawn" (MAD)
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.
matl
food
matl noun "food"; read *matil in LotR-style Quenya (in which language final syllabic -l becomes -il) (QL:59); however, the word matso from a later source may be preferred.
matso
food
matso noun "food" (PE16:141)
matta
noun. food
matta
noun. food
A noun for “food” from the Common Eldarin: Verb Structure (EVS2) of the early 1950s, derived from primitive ✶matnā, originally an ancient adjective meaning “eaten” (PE22/136).
Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s the word for “food” was ᴱQ. matl under the early root ᴱ√MATA (QL/59). This became ᴱQ. {masta} >> matso in Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s (PE16/141). In EVS2 the word was originally manna “food”, but this was struck through and replaced by matta (PE22/136 note #36), which likely reflects Tolkien’s shift in the phonetic developments of primitive tn, so that tn became tt rather than nn as it did in Tolkien’s earlier writings (PE19/85 and note #79).
Neo-Quenya: I find the phonetic developments associated with the above sound change to be problematic for various reasons. Therefore, I prefer to assume the primitive form of this word was an ancient noun: ✱mattā.
maxë
dough
maxë ("ks") noun "dough" (MASAG, VT45:32)
melehta
mighty
melehta adj. "mighty" (PE17:115), cf. meletya
melehta
adjective. mighty
An adjective for “mighty” derived from the root √MBELEK in a page of notes having to do with “large & small” words, probably from the late 1960s (PE17/115), apparently from the primitive form ✱✶mbelektā (with [kt] > [ht]). A variant form meletya appears with the 2nd-plural possessive suffix -lda as Meletyalda “your mighty” in the Quendi and Eldar essay of 1959-60 (WJ/369), likely from the primitive form ✱✶mbelekya (with [kj] > [tj]). This variant form has a more typical primitive adjective suffix ✶-ya, but is inconsistent with the attested Sindarin cognate S. belaith, so I’d stick with melehta for purposes of Neo-Quenya.
meletya
mighty
#meletya adj. "mighty", isolated from meletyalda adjective with suffix "your mighty" = "your majesty" (see -lda; meletya = *"mighty"). In full Aran Meletyalda "king your mighty" = "your majesty" (WJ:369). Compare melehta.
meletya
adjective. mighty
melin
dear
melin adj. "dear" (MEL)
melya-
verb. [unglossed], *to be in love
milya
soft, gentle, weak
milya (1) adj. "soft, gentle, weak" (VT45:34)
milyar
noun. soft
soft [sonants]
minda
prominent, conspicuous
minda adj. "prominent, conspicuous" (MINI)
minya
first
minya adj. "first" (MINI) (cf. Minyatur, Minyon); "eminent, prominent" (VT42:24, 25). Minyar "Firsts", the original name of the Vanyar (or rather the direct Quenya descendant of the original Primitive Quendian name) (WJ:380)
miquelis
soft, sweet kiss
miquelis (miquelis(s)-) noun "soft, sweet kiss" (PE16:96)
mirwa
precious, valuable
mirwa adj. "precious, valuable" (PE17:37)
mussë
soft
mussë adj. "soft" (VT:39:17), also used as a noun (perhaps primarily in the pl. form mussi) with the same meaning as mussë tengwi, see below. (VT39:17)
mussë
adjective. soft
má
noun. hand
hand
má
noun. hand
mára
adjective. good
máriel
feminine name. [unglossed]
mëar
gore
mëar noun "gore" (LT1:260)
mírya
beautiful
mírya adj. "beautiful" (of work of art only) (PE17:165)
naicea
adjective. cruel
naue
?. [unglossed]
nerca
sharp, angular
nerca adj. "sharp, angular" (PE17:55), variant nexa (reading uncertain).
nettë
girl, daughter
nettë (stem *netti-, given the primitive form listed in VT47:17) noun "girl, daughter" (but also "sister", see below), also used as a play-name of the "fourth finger" or "fourth toe" (VT47:10, VT48:6), in two-hand play also used for the numeral "nine" (nettë is conceived as being related to nertë, q.v.) Nettë is also defined as "sister" or "girl approaching the adult" (VT47:16, VT49:25), "girl/daughter" (VT47:15-16); it may be that "sister" was Tolkien's final decision on the meaning (VT48:4, 22) - The related word nésa seems like a less ambiguous translation of "sister".
nexa
sharp, angular
nexa adj. "sharp, angular" (PE17:55; the editor indicates that the reading is uncertain, so the variant nerca may be preferred.)
nissë
woman
nissë noun "woman" (NDIS-SĒ/SĀ, NI1, NIS, VT47:33); see nís. Note: nissë could apparently also mean "in me", the locative form of the 1st person pronoun ni, q.v.
nissë
noun. woman
nonda
hand, especially in [?clutching]
nonda noun "hand, especially in [?clutching]" (VT47:23; Tolkien's gloss was not certainly legible)
nwalca
cruel
nwalca ("k")adj. "cruel" (ÑGWAL; this must represent earlier *ñwalca = *ngwalca; these forms are not given in Etym, but compare nwalmë_ below. In Tengwar writing, the initial NW would be represented by the letter nwalmë.)_
nyárë
tale, saga, history
nyárë noun "tale, saga, history". Compounded in Eldanyárë "History of the Elves", lumenyárë "history, chronological account" (NAR2, LR:199). Compare nyarië, nyarna.
néca
pale, vague, faint, dim to see
néca ("k") adj "pale, vague, faint, dim to see", pl. nécë ("k") in Markirya
ní
woman, female
†ní (2) noun "woman, female" (NI1, INI (NĒR ) ). Not to be confused with ní as a stressed form of the pronoun ni "I".
nína
woman
#nína (gen.pl. nínaron attested) noun "woman" (VT43:31; this word, as well as some other experimental forms listed in the same source, seem ephemeral: several sources agree that the Quenya word for "woman" is nís, nis [q.v.])
nís
woman
nís (niss-, as in pl. nissi) noun "woman" _(MR:213. The Etymologies gives _nis (or nissë), pl. nissi: see the stems NDIS-SĒ/SĀ, NI1, NIS (NĒR), VT46:4; compare VT47:33. In Tolkien's Quenya rendering of Hail Mary, the plural nísi occurs instead of nissi; this form is curious, since nísi would be expected to turn into *nízi, *_níri** (VT43:31). VT47:33 suggests that Tolkien at one point considered _niþ- as the older form of the stem, which etymology would solve this problem (since s from older þ does not become z > r). Even so, the MR forms, nís with stem niss-, may be preferred. - Compare †ní, #nína, nisto, Lindissë.
níva
?. [unglossed]
nívë
pale
nívë adj."pale" (MC:213; this is "Qenya" Tolkien's later Quenya has néca)
nór
land
nór noun "land" (stem nor-, PE17:106) this is land as opposed to water and sea (nor in Letters:308). Cf. nórë.
nór
noun. land
A term for “land” as in “(dry) land as opposed to the sea”, mentioned in the Quendi and Eldar essay of 1959-60 (WJ/413) and again in notes from around 1968 (PE17/106-107).
Possible Etymology: In the Quendi and Eldar essay this term was derived from primitive ✶ndōro, but in the aforementioned 1968 notes Tolkien clarified that its stem form was nŏr-. This means it was probably derived from ancient ✱ndŏr-, where the long vowel in the uninflected form was inherited from the Common Eldarin subjective form ✱ndōr, a phenomenon also seen in words like nér (ner-) “man”. I prefer this second derivation, as it makes the independent word more distinct from the suffixal form -ndor or -nóre used in the names of countries.
nóre
noun. land
nórë
land
nórë noun "land" (associated with a particular people) (WJ:413), "country, land, dwelling-place, region where certain people live, race, clan" (NŌ, NDOR, BAL), also used = "race, tribe, people" (SA:dôr, PE17:169; however, the normal word for "people" is lië). Early "Qenya" hasnórë "native land, nation, family, country" (in compounds -nor) (LT1:272)
olombo
horse
olombo noun "horse" (derived from a base LOB which Tolkien later changed to LOP; hence read *olompo for olombo?)
parca
adjective. thirsty
porë
flour, meal
porë (stem *pori-, given the primitive form ¤pori) noun "flour, meal" (POR). See polë.
que
conjunction. if
quendë
elf
quendë noun "Elf", the little-used analogical sg. of Quendi, q.v. (KWEN(ED), WJ:361)
quenta
tale
quenta ("q")noun "tale" (KWET), "narrative, story" (VT39:16); Quenta Silmarillion "the Story/Tale of the Silmarils", also Quenta Eldalien "History of the Elves" (SD:303), notice "Qenya" genitive in -n in the latter title. Quenta is also translated "account", as in Valaquenta "Account of the Valar".
qui
if
qui conj. "if" (VT49:19)
qui
conjunction. if, when
qui
conjunction. if
quí(ta)
conjunction. if
rocco
horse
rocco ("k")noun "horse" (ROK, SA:roch; Letters:382; cf. 282 where the spelling really is rocco, not rokko_). _In Letters:382 the word is defined as "swift horse for riding". VT46:12 refers to an alternative form of the entry ROK that was inserted into the Etymologies; here rocco, which Tolkien revised from ronco ("k"), was similarly glossed "swift horse". Nésë nórima rocco ("k") "he was a horse strong/swift at running" (VT49:29)
rocco
noun. horse
rocco
noun. horse
The usual word for “horse” in Quenya, a derivative of ✶rokkō (Let/282, 382; WJ/407) and very well attested. There are indications that this word was more specifically a “swift horse” (Let/382; EtyAC/ROK), but in most cases Tolkien used it generically.
Conceptual Development: ᴹQ. rokko “horse” first appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√ROK, already with the derivation given above (Ety/ROK). The relevant entry appeared twice; in one rokko was first written as rokka “wheel”, and in the other the form was first written ronko, but in both cases Tolkien revised the word to rokko “horse”.
sal-
verb. [unglossed]
sam-
verb. to have
selyë
daughter
[selyë noun "daughter", used in children's play for "fourth finger" or "fourth toe" _(VT47:10, 15, VT48:4) _It is unclear whether it was the word selyë "daughter" itself that was rejected, or just its use as a play-name of a digit. Compare yeldë, yendë.]
setta
first
[setta, setya adj. "first" (possibly also "primary", but Tolkien's gloss was not certainly legible) (VT46:13)]
soica
thirsty
soica ("k") adj. "thirsty" (VT39:11)
soica
adjective. thirsty
An adjective for “thirsty” in notes from around 1960 derived from the root √SOK “drink” via i-infixion (VT39/11), a process which produced a small class of desiderative words in Quenya, as in “desiring to drink”. See the entry ᴹQ. fauka for earlier and alternate words for “thirsty”.
sonda
dear, fond
[sonda adj. "dear, fond" (VT46:15)]
sélo
?. [unglossed]
sóla
?. [unglossed]
tampo
well
tampo noun "well" (QL:93)
taura
mighty, masterful
taura adj. "mighty, masterful" (TUR, PE17:115), "very mighty, vast, of unmeasured might or size" (VT39:10). Cf. túrëa.
thar-
verb. [unglossed]
tomba
noun. [unglossed]
tompë
noun. [unglossed], *pulse, beat
@@@ Neo-meaning “✱pulse, beat” suggested by Röandil on 2023-04-20
tulca
yellow
tulca (3) ("k") adj. "yellow". Adopted and adapted from Valarin; the normal Quenya word for "yellow" is rather malina (WJ:399)
turco
noun. chief
um(ba)-
prefix. [unglossed]
umbacarin
noun. [unglossed]
vala-
to rule
vala- (2) vb. "to rule", only with reference to the Valar (see Vala). Future tense valuva is attested (WJ:404)
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
yeldë
daughter
yeldë noun "daughter" (YEL) This word was struck out in Etym, but it may have been restored together with the ending -iel, q.v.
yen
daughter
yen, yendë noun "daughter" (YŌ/YON). This word replaced another form, but this form may have been restored; see yeldë. In VT45:16, yendë is said to refer to a female "agent", a word changed by Tolkien from yendi, but Tolkien deleted all of this.
éna
?. [unglossed]
úpa-
verb. [unglossed]
þúna
?. [unglossed]
cávima
adjective. acceptable
cílëa
adjective. edged
címëa
adjective. edged
it(ë) Speculative
adverb. if
laiceta-
verb. to sharpen
matya-
verb. to feed
A neologism for “to feed” coin by Damien Bador as a straightforward derivative of the attested primitive verb ✶matyā- of the same meaning (PE22/135). I would distinguish it from ᴺQ. nesta- “to graze, pasture, (give to) feed” used for feeding farm animals, whereas matya- can be used for feeding anyone.
mehar
noun. gore
mencë
cardinal. thousand
milcin
noun. wealth
saicë
noun. hunger
saiqua
adjective. hungry
soicië
noun. thirst
A neologism coined by Helge Fauskanger for his NQNT (NQNT), a noun form of Q. soica “thirsty”.
tampo
noun. well
tolya Reconstructed
adjective. prominent
tuxainen
cardinal. thousand
tuxainenëa
ordinal. thousandth
mai (1) adv. "well" (VT47:6), apparently also used as prefix (PE17:17:162, 163, 172)