markirya

The Last Ark

A Quenya poem that appears in The Monsters and the Critics (MC/221-2). It is a late revision of an earlier poem, Oilima Markirya “The Last Ark”, written prior to 1931. Over three decades later, Tolkien wrote the later version, after the linguistic concepts of his languages had developed considerably. There are two Late Quenya drafts of the poem, but both are very similar, as noted by Christopher Tolkien (MC/222).

The Late Quenya version of the poem had no title, but in the literature it is usually referred to as the Markirya poem, since the word ᴱQ. oilima “last” is unlikely to be valid in later Quenya, but Markirya could be (“home-ship?”). The Quenya words in the text presented here are from the second Late Quenya draft of the poem on MC/221-2, with the revisions noted by Christopher Tolkien (MC/222). In the first line, I editorially changed the words men >> man and fáne >> fána for consistency with the rest of the poem.

As noted by Christopher Tolkien (MC/223), while the Elvish text was almost completely revised from the Early Qenya poem, its meaning was nearly identical to the version from three decades earlier. The English glosses here are from the translation of the Early Qenya version of the poem on MC/214, with the modifications in lines 33-34 as indicated by Christopher Tolkien in note #8, MC/220 (“green rocks” >> “dark rocks”, “red skies” >> “ruined skies”).

The text is divided into phrases for each line of the poem, except for lines 29-30 (elenillor pella talta-taltala) which are combined to make a more complete phrase. Other modifications and textual history are discussed in the entries for individual phrases.

I consulted Helge Fauskanger’s article on the poem (AL/Markirya) when working on my own analysis, and agree with him on essentially all points.

Conceptual Development: See the discussion in the entry for ᴱQ. Oilima Markirya for the conceptual development of the earlier versions of the poem.

lanya-

bound, enclose, separate from, mark the limit of

lanya- (1) vb. "bound, enclose, separate from, mark the limit of" (VT42:8)

talca

post, mark

#talca ("k")noun "post, mark" isolated from lantalca "boundary post or mark" (VT42:28)

tehta

mark, sign

tehta noun "mark, sign" (TEK, VT39:17, Appendix E), especially diacritics denoting vowels in Fëanorian writing (pl. tehtar is attested); these diacritics are explicitly called ómatehtar "vowel-marks", q.v.

talca

noun. post, mark

lanya-

verb. to bound, enclose, separate from, mark the limit of

mehtë

noun. mark, aim, object

nyas

noun. scratch, score, line, mark

ripta-

verb. to cut in strips, tear up; to stripe, mark in parallel lines; to flay, flog

sar-

verb. to mark (i.e. by incision), notch, score; (by later extension) †to write [on]

mancamen

noun. market, (lit.) trade-place

mancanómë

noun. market, market-place

tanwa

sign, token

tanwa noun "sign, token" (Tolkien marked this word with a query, but it is not clearly rejected). Also tanna (#1). (PE17:186)

as

with

as prep. "with" (together with), also attested with a pronominal suffix: aselyë "with thee" (VT47:31, VT43:29). The conjunction ar "and" may also appear in assimilated form as before s; see ar #1.

as

with

o (2) prep. "with" (MC:216; this is "Qenya"; WJ:367 states that no independent preposition o was used in Quenya. Writers may rather use as.) See ó- below.

as

preposition. with

car-

with

#car- (2) prep. "with" (carelyë "with thee"), prepositional element (evidently an ephemeral form abandoned by Tolkien) (VT43:29)

hana

noun. post

lenu-

stretch

lenu- vb. "stretch" (LT2:341)

lé

with

lé (2) prep. "with" (PE17:95)

lé

preposition. with, with, [ᴹQ.] by, [ᴱQ.] with (accompaniment)

narwë

sign, token

[narwë (and short nar, unless this is an incomplete form) noun "sign, token"] (VT45:37)

nauta

bound, obliged

nauta adj. "bound, obliged" (NUT)

taina

sign

#taina (2) noun "sign", isolated from Tainacolli *"Sign-bearer" MR:385

tanna

sign, token

tanna (1) noun "sign, token" (MR:385, PE17:186), also tanwa (PE17:186)

tengwa

noun. sign

sign, indicator, letter

ó

with, accompanying

ó

preposition. with

maxa-

verb. to cook

maxar

noun. cook

rimpë

noun. scratch

teith

noun. mark

teith

noun. mark, stroke

andeith

noun. long-mark, sign used in writing alphabetic tengwar over a vowel, to indicate that it is lengthened.

gammas

noun. s-sign (special sign used to mark a final -s in Tengwar)

tê

noun. line, way, line, way, [G.] track, path; mark

an

preposition. of

an-

prefix. with, by

lhand

adjective. open space, level

na

preposition. with, by (also used as a genitive sign)

na

preposition. to, towards, at

nan

preposition. of

naud

adjective. bound

naud

adjective. bound

peg

noun. small spot, dot

thafn

noun. post, wooden pillar

thrib-

verb. to scratch

tê

noun. line, way

tî

noun. line, row

taith

noun. mark

tagol

noun. post, mark

taith

noun. sign, symbol, mark, sign, symbol; mark, [N.] stroke; [G.] letter

andaith

noun. long-mark, sign used in writing alphabetic tengwar over a vowel, to indicate that it is lengthened.

glandagol

noun. boundary mark

tagol

noun. post, mark

na

preposition. of; with, along with, accompanied by, provided with or by, associated with, marked with, of; with, along with, accompanied by, provided with or by, associated with, marked with; [N.] by

na(n)

preposition. of; with, along with, accompanied by, provided with or by, associated with, marked with, of; provided with or by, associated with, marked with, with, along with, accompanied by; [N.] by

taith

mark

(noun) taith (i daith, o thaith), no distinct pl. form except with article (i thaith). Archaic teith.

taith

mark

(i daith, o thaith), no distinct pl. form except with article (i thaith). Archaic teith.

tagol

marker

#tagol (i dagol, o thagol), pl. tegyl (i thegyl). Isolated from glandagol ”boundary mark” (VT42:8).

tagol

marker

(i dagol, o thagol), pl. tegyl (i thegyl). Isolated from glandagol ”boundary mark” (VT42:8).

bangath

noun. market

taig

marking (a boundary)

#taig (lenited daig, no distinct pl. form). This is a hypothetical interpretation of the initial element of the river-name Teiglin, since taig would represent older teig.

taig

adjective. marking (a boundary)

glandagol

boundary marker

(i ’landagol), pl. glendegyl (in glendegyl).

di

preposition. with

_ prep. _with. Q. lé.

di

preposition. with

gleina-

verb. to bound, enclose, limit

This entry should perhaps read gleinia-, cf. VT/42:28, note 13

land

adjective. open space, level

lîr

noun. line, line, [N.] row

na

preposition. with, by (also used as a genitive sign)

na

preposition. to, towards, at

nan

preposition. of

rhib-

verb. to scratch

taen

noun. sign

uin

preposition. of the

*rhib

scratch

*rhib- (?i thrîb or ?i rîb the lenition product of rh- is uncertain; pl. ”those who scratch” ?i ribir).

brath-

verb. to cook

en

of the

e- (sg. genitival article)

falas

line of surf

(pl. felais) (beach, shore, coast, strand, foaming shore; the word was especially used of the western seaboard of Beleriand). *(VT42:15)*****

glenia

bound

(verb) *glenia- (enclose, limit) (i **lenia, in gleniar**) (VT42:8; the spelling ”gleina-” in the primary source may be an error)

glenia

bound

(enclose, limit) (i ’lenia, in gleniar) (VT42:8; the spelling ”gleina-” in the primary source may be an error)

land

space

(open space) land (level), pl. laind, coll. pl. lannath. Also used as adj. ”wide, plain”.

land

space

(level), pl. laind, coll. pl. lannath. Also used as adj. ”wide, plain”.

lîr

line

1) lîr (row), no distinct pl. form, but coll. pl. líriath. 2) tê (i dê, o thê) (way), pl. tî (i thî), coll. pl. ?teath, 3) tî (i dî, o thî) (row), no distinct pl. form except with article (i thî), coll. pl. tíath.

lîr

line

(row), no distinct pl. form, but coll. pl. líriath.

na

with

(in instrumental sense?) na (followed by lenition), with article nan (followed by ”mixed mutation”, according to David Salos reconstruction). The preposition has various meanings: ”with, by, near” and also ”to, toward, at; of”

na

with

(followed by lenition), with article nan (followed by ”mixed mutation”, according to David Salo’s reconstruction). The preposition has various meanings: ”with, by, near” and also ”to, toward, at; of”

naud

bound

(adj.) naud, pl. noed

naud

bound

pl. noed

nothlir

family line

(family tree); no distinct pl. form; coll. pl. nothliriath.

o

from

(od), followed by hard mutation; with article uin ”from the, of the” (followed by mixed mutation according to David Salo’s reconstuctuons). (WJ:366) Not to be confused with o ”about, concerning” (q.v. for this meaning of ”of”). 2) na (followed by lenition), with article nan (followed by ”mixed mutation”, according to David Salo’s reconstruction). The preposition has various meanings: ”with, by, near” and also ”to, toward, at; of” 3)

pêg

small spot

(i bêg, construct peg) (dot), pl. pîg (i phîg)

rhib

scratch

(?i thrîb or ?i rîb – *the lenition product of rh- is uncertain*;  pl. ”those who scratch” ?i ribir).

sâd

spot

sâd (-had; i hâd, o sâd, construct sad) (place, limited area naturally or artificially defined), pl. said (i said) (UT:314, VT42:20)

sâd

spot

(-had; i hâd, o sâd, construct sad) (place, limited area naturally or artificially defined), pl. said (i said) (UT:314, VT42:20)

taeg

boundary line

(i daeg, o thaeg) (limit, boundary), no distinct pl. form except with article (i thaeg).

taig

boundary

(lenited daig, no distinct pl. form). *This is a hypothetical interpretation of the initial element of the river-name Teiglin, since taig would represent older teig. *

tann

sign

1) (etymologically ”something shown/indicated”) tann (i dann), construct tan, pl. tain (i thain) (MR:185); 2) têw (i dêw, o thêw, construct tew) (letter, tengwa), pl. tîw (i **thîw), coll. pl. téwath**;

tann

sign

(i dann), construct tan, pl. tain (i thain)** **(MR:185)

thafn

post

(= wooden pillar) thafn, pl. ?thefn, coll. pl. thavnath

thafn

post

pl. ?thefn, coll. pl. thavnath

tilias

line of peaks

(i** dilias, o thilias), pl. tiliais (i** thiliais), coll. pl. tiliassath.

tê

line

(i dê, o thê) (way), pl. tî (i thî), coll. pl. ?teath

têw

sign

(i dêw, o thêw, construct tew) (letter, tengwa), pl. tîw (i thîw), coll. pl. téwath

tî

line

(i** dî, o thî) (row), no distinct pl. form except with article (i** thî), coll. pl. tíath.

tay

root. mark, line, limit; stretch, [ᴹ√] extend, make long(er), stretch, [ᴹ√] extend, make long(er); [√] mark, line, limit

The root ᴹ√TAY first appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s with the gloss “extend, make long(er)” and derivatives like ᴹQ. taile “lengthening, extension”, ᴹQ. taina “lengthened, extended” and N. taen “long (and thin)” (Ety/TAY). Tolkien considered making it a variant of ᴹ√TAƷ (EtyAC/TAY), perhaps intending ᴹ√TAY to refer to horizontal length as opposed to vertical ᴹ√TAƷ. The root ᴹ√TAY “stretch” also appeared in the first version of Tengwesta Qenderinwa (TQ1) from the 1930s as the basis for ᴹ✶tainā “long”, and there were various related linguistic terms like Q. ómataima “vocalic extension” and Q. ómatailë “vowel lengthening” that appeared in both the first and second version of Tengwesta Qenderinwa (TQ1: PE18/34, 45; TQ2: PE18/86, 95).

The root √TAJA “stretch” appeared in notes associated with the Quendi and Eldar essay of 1959-60 (VT39/7), and √TAY “stretch” appeared in a list of sound roots from around this same time (PE17/138). However, in notes on the origin of the river name S. Taeglin “✱Boundary Singer”, Tolkien glossed √taya “mark, line, limit” with extension tayak as the basis for ✶taika “boundary, limit, boundary line” > S. taeg (WJ/309). Perhaps it was Tolkien’s intent that the sense “mark, line, limit” only applied to the extended form tayak.

teñ

root. indicate, signify, show, represent, betoken, mark, to point at, indicate, signify, show, represent, betoken, mark, to point at; [ᴱ√] know, understand

The first mention of this root was as ᴱ√TEŊE “know, understand” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s where it had derivatives like ᴱQ. tenge- “know, understand, grasp” and ᴱQ. tengwe “knowledge, understanding” (QL/91). In The Etymologies of the 1930s, Tolkien instead gave {ᴹ√TEƷ >>} ᴹ√TEÑ “line, direction” with derivatives like ᴹQ. tie/N. tê “line, way” and ᴹQ. téra/N. tîr “straight, right” (Ety/TEƷ, TEÑ). However, in the original layer of composition for the Outline of Phonology (OP2) from the early 1950s, Tolkien gave √TEG for “line” and gave √TEÑ as the basis for Q. tenna “thought, notion, idea”, perhaps a restoration of its meaning from the 1910s (PE19/97).

In another entry in The Etymologies of the 1930s, Tolkien derived ᴹQ. tengwa from ᴹ✶tekmā = ᴹ√TEK “write” + the instrumental suffix ᴹ✶-mā (Ety/TEK). The foundation of this derivation is the sound change whereby voiceless stops were voiced before nasals in Ancient Quenya, thereafter nasalizing so that ᴹ✶tekmā > tegmā > teñmā > teñgwā (PE19/43). This sound change was still in effect when Tolkien wrote the initial draft of Outline of Phonology (OP2) in the early 1950s (PE19/85-66 note #79), but at some later point Tolkien revised this rule so that the nasal instead unvoiced, so that km > kʰm̌ > kƕ > kw (PE19/85), making the derivation of tengwa from the root √TEK invalid.

As pointed out by Christopher Gilson (ibid., note #79), earlier signs of this new phonetic rule can be seen Tolkien’s notes on Words, Phrases and Passages in the Lord of the Rings from the late 1950s, where he gave √TEÑ “show, sign, indicate” instead of √TEK “[written] sign” as the new root for Q. tengwa, now derived from ✶teñwā or ✶teñmā, though Tolkien briefly considered √TEWE as a possible root in drafts to these notes (PE17/44). From this point forward, Tolkien regularly mentioned √TEÑ with glosses like “indicate, signify” (WJ/394), “represent, betoken, indicate (by sign)” (VT39/15) and “indicate, mark, signify” (PE22/149). Finally, in green-ink revisions to OP2 from 1970, Tolkien added tengwa as another derivative of √TEÑ alongside Q. tenna “thought, notion, idea” as mentioned above (PE19/97 and note #139).

See the entries on √TEG “line” and √TEK “write” for parallel developments in similar roots.

tektā

noun. sign, symbol, mark

sat

root. space, place; divide, apportion, mark off

The root √SAT appeared in notes on The Rivers and Beacon-hills of Gondor from the late 1960s glossed “space, place, a limited area naturally or artificially defined” with various derivatives like Q. sati-/S. seidia- “set aside, appropriate to a special purpose or owner”, Q. satya/S. said “private, separate, not common, excluded”, and S. sad “place, spot” (VT42/19-20). The same root appeared in notes on fractions from 1968 with the gloss “divide, apportion”. It was likely also connected to the primitive suffix ✶-stā ( PE18/35; PE21/57, 82) that was the basis for the Sindarin/Noldorin collective suffix -ath, as well as the Quenya suffix Q. -sta often seen in place names like the regions of Númenor, and apparently meaning “any particular arrangement, grouping or collection [of things]” (VT39/16, 20 note #27).

A possible early precursor is the (hypothetical) root ᴱ√SATA needed to explain words in Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s such as G. sad- “reck, care, value, esteem, show respect for, consider” and G. sâd “riches, wealth” (GL/66), but the apparent meaning “✱value” is far removed from the later meaning of the root √SAT = “space; apportion”. There was, however, another root √SAT(AR) Quenya Notes (QN) from 1957 with the gloss “faithful, trust, loyal, rely, steadfast” and derivatives like Q. astar/S. astor “faith, loyalty” and Q. satar/S. sadron “trusty follower, loyal companion” (PE17/183), the last appearing as an element in the name S. Echad i Sedryn “Camp of the Faithful” (UT/153). This 1957 root is a bit closer in meaning to ᴱ√SATA “✱value”, though still not an exact match.

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I would assume √SAT = “space; apportion” and unrelated √SATAR = “faithful, loyal”.

takala Reconstructed

noun. post, mark

teg

root. line

Tolkien used a number of similar roots as the basis for “line” words throughout his life. The earliest of these appeared in the Qenya Lexicon as ᴱ√TEHE [teχe] “pull” (gloss marked with a “?” by Tolkien) with derivatives like ᴱQ. tea “straight”, ᴱQ. telya “attractive; importunate”, and ᴱQ. tie “line, direction, route, road” (QL/90), the last of these surviving more or less unchanged all the way into the published version of The Lord of the Rings (LotR/377). The early root ᴱ√TEHE also had derivatives in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon such as G. tê “mark, line; track; path”, G. tî or tion “straight”, and G. tîr “honest; esteem, regard, honour”, originally “straight, upright” (GL/69, 71). Primitive ᴱ✶tegna > ᴱQ. tína/ᴱN. tain “straight” from Early Noldorin Word-lists from the 1920s may represent a shift in the form of the root to ✱ᴱ√TEGE (PE13/153, 165).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s the root appeared as {ᴹ√TEƷ >>} ᴹ√TEÑ “line, direction” with derivatives like ᴹQ. tie/N. tê “line, way” and ᴹQ. téra/N. tîr “straight, right” (Ety/TEƷ, TEÑ). In the Outline of Phonology Tolkien gave √TEG “line”, whereas √TEÑ was given as the basis for Q. tenna “a thought, notion, idea” and thus clearly with a different meaning; see the entry √TEÑ for further discussion. In any case it is clear that Tolkien considered various ancient velar consonants for the second consonant of this root, all ultimately vanishing in the child languages with similar vocalic effects: 1910s teχ-, 1920s teg-, 1930s {teʒ- >>} teñ- and 1950s teg-.

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I would assume this root was √TEƷ in order to preserve the validity of the word téma “series”. This is because Tolkien kept vacillating on the development of gm, but usually had gm > ngw, so that teg-mā > tengwa, not téma.

dē

preposition. with

brath

root. cook

A hypothetical Sindarin-only Neo-Root, used to salvage G. brath- “cook” and related words from the Gnomish Lexicon, possibly originally related to √MBAS “bake”.

sha

preposition. with

-mâ

preposition. with

A prepositional suffix translated “with” (SD/247, 429).

Conceptual Development: At an earlier conceptual stage, it was the grammatical inflection -ma used for the draft-instrumental (SD/438).

-ul

suffix. of

-o

suffix. of