ni (1) 1st person sg. pron. "I" (according to PE17:68 also "me" as object), with long vowel (ní) when stressed (VT49:51), cf. ní nauva next to nauvan for "I will be" (VT49:19), the former wording emphasizing the pronoun. The pronoun ni represents the original stem-form (VT49:50). Dative nin "for me, to me" (Arct, Nam, RGEO:67, VT41:11/15). Compare the reflexive pronoun imni, imnë "myself" and the emphatic pronoun inyë, q.v. The ancient element ni is said to have implied, originally, "this by me, of my [?concern]" (VT49:37)
Quenya
me
we, us
me
pronoun. us (exclusive)
Derivations
Element in
- Q. a Aina Fairë, Eru órava (o)messë “God, the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us” ✧ VT44/15
- Q. a Aina Maria arca atarmë “Holy Mary, pray for us” ✧ VT44/18
- Q. a Aina Neldië Eru Er órava (o)messë “Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us” ✧ VT44/15
- Q. a Eruion Mardorunando, Eru órava (o)messë “God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us” ✧ VT44/15
- Q. a Hrísto órava ómessë “Christ, have mercy on us” ✧ VT44/15
- Q. á hyamë rámen úcarindor “pray for us sinners” ✧ VT43/33; VT43/33
- Q. álamë tulya úsahtienna “[and] lead us not into temptation” ✧ VT43/22; VT43/22; VT43/22
- Q. ámen anta síra ilaurëa massamma “give us this day our daily bread” ✧ VT43/18; VT43/18
- Q. ar ámen apsenë úcaremmar “and forgive us our trespasses” ✧ VT43/19; VT43/19
- Q. Atar meneldëa Eru órava (o)messë “God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us” ✧ VT44/15
- Q. Heru órava omessë “Lord, have mercy on us” ✧ VT44/15
- Q. i falmalinnar imbë met “on the foaming waves between us” ✧ LotR/0377; RGEO/58
- Q. i falmalinnar imbë met “upon the (many) foaming waves between us (two)” ✧ RGEO/59
- Q. imbë met “between you and me” ✧ VT47/11
- Q. immë “ourselves (exclusive)”
- Q. násië “but deliver us from evil: Amen” ✧ VT43/23; VT43/23; VT43/23
- Q. menya “*our (exclusive), our (exclusive); [ᴺQ.] ours”
- Q. ono alyë eterúna me illumë ilya raxellor “but deliver us always from all dangers” ✧ VT44/09
- Q. sí man i yulmar men enquantuva? “*who now shall refill the cups for us?” ✧ Minor-Doc/2013-05-13
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶mē̆ > me [me] ✧ PE17/130 ✶me > mé [mē] ✧ VT49/50 Variations
- mé ✧ VT49/51
ni
me
men
(for) us
men (1) pron. "(for) us", dative form of me, q.v.
met
us (two)
met dual 1st person pronoun "us (two)", including the dual ending -t (Nam, VT47:11; VT49:51, 56). See me.
-lmë
we
-lmë 1st person pl. pronominal ending: "we" (VT49:38; 51 carilmë *"we do", VT49:16). It was originally intended to be inclusive "we" (VT49:48), including the person(s) spoken to, but by 1965 Tolkien made this the ending for exclusive "we" instead (cf. the changed definition of the corresponding possessive ending -lma, see above). _(VT49:38) Exemplified in laituvalmet "we shall bless them" (lait-uva-lme-t "bless-shall-we-them") (the meaning apparently changed from inclusive to exclusive "we", VT49:55), see also nalmë under ná# 1. (LotR3:VI ch. 4, translated in Letters:308_)
-lmë
suffix. we (exclusive)
Derivations
- ✶me “1st-pl-exclusive pronoun” ✧ VT49/50
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶me > -lme [-lme] ✧ VT49/50 Variations
- -lme ✧ PE17/013; PE17/075; PE17/075; PE17/129; VT49/16; VT49/51
- l+me ✧ PE17/014
- lme ✧ PE17/130
-lmë
suffix. we (inclusive)
Variations
- -lme ✧ PE17/057; PE17/190; VT49/38; VT49/48
- -lbe ✧ PE17/129 (-lbe)
-mmë
we
-mmë "we", 1st person dual exclusive pronominal ending: "I and one other" (compare the inclusive dual form -ngwë or -nquë). First written -immë in one source (VT49:57). Carimmë, "the two of us do" (VT49:16, cf. VT43:6). At an earlier conceptual stage, the ending was already exclusive, but plural rather than dual: vammë "we won't" (WJ:371), firuvammë "we will die" (VT43:34), etemmë ?"out of us" (VT43:36); see also VT49:48, 49, 55. Also compare the corresponding emphatic pronoun emmë (q.v.). The ending -lmë replaced -mmë in its former (plural exclusive) sense. In some early material, -mmë was apparently used as an ending for plural inclusive "we" (VT49:55).
-mmë
suffix. we (exclusive)
Variations
- -mme ✧ PE17/057; PE17/075; PE17/075; PE17/190; VT49/38; VT49/48
emmë
we
emmë (2) pron. "we", emphatic pronoun; dative emmen (VT43:12, 20). In the source this pronoun is intended as the 1st person plural exclusive; later Tolkien changed the corresponding pronominal ending from -mmë to -lmë, and the plural emphatic pronoun would likewise change from emmë to *elmë. Since the ending -mmë was redefined as a dualexclusive pronoun, the form emmë may still be valid as such, as a dual emphatic pronoun "we" = "(s)he and I".
ménë
on us
ménë pronoun in locative? "on us" (SD:310; compare me "us") The form is somewhat obscure.
ni
pronoun. me, I
Cognates
Derivations
- ✶ni “I, me” ✧ PE17/068; VT49/50
Element in
- Q. antanë ninna “*he gave (it) to me” ✧ PE17/147
- Q. cé tulis, ní nauva tanomë “*if he/she comes, I will be there” ✧ VT49/19
- Q. ecë nin? “please, may I?” ✧ VT49/20
- Q. ecë nin care sa “I can do that” ✧ VT49/20
- Q. ecuva nin carë sa nöa “I ‘may’ do that tomorrow, I have a chance of doing that [tomorrow]” ✧ VT49/20
- Q. imni “myself”
- Q. ma Varda enquantuva i yulma nin sí “will Varda now refill the cup for me?” ✧ PE22/161
- Q. nai nin híres “it may well chance for me to find it” ✧ PE22/151
- Q. nás mára nin “I like it” ✧ VT49/30
- Q. ora nin “it warns me” ✧ VT41/15
- Q. orë nin caritas “I feel an urge/wish/desire to do it” ✧ VT41/13
- Q. orë nin caritas nó namin alasaila “I would like / feel moved to do so but judge it unwise” ✧ VT41/13
- Q. órenya quéta nin “my heart is saying to me” ✧ VT41/13
- Q. órenya quetë nin “my heart tells me” ✧ VT41/11
- Q. quenten tulil márië nin “I said: you come happily (for me)” ✧ PE22/158
- Q. quí(ta) la tuldes, nánë márië (nin) “[if he had not come], it was well to me (I was glad)” ✧ PE22/158
- Q. sí man i yulma nin enquantuva? “who now shall refill the cup for me?” ✧ LotR/0377; RGEO/58
- Q. sí man i yulma nin enquantuva? “now who the cup for me will refill?” ✧ RGEO/59
- Q. tultauvas sa nin “he will send it to me” ✧ PE22/156
- Q. umbë nin i hríve nauva urra (si loa) “I have a feeling that winter will be bad (this year)” ✧ PE22/168
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶NI > ni [ni] ✧ PE17/068 ✶ni > ní [ni] ✧ VT49/50 Variations
- nī ✧ VT49/19
- ní ✧ VT49/51
ámen
ámen
ámen, see me
-lwë
we
-lwë, later -lvë, pronominal ending "we" (VT49:51), 1st person pl. inclusive ending, occurring in the verbs carilwë "we do" (VT49:16) and navilwë (see #nav-). The ending became -lvë in later, Exilic Quenya (VT49:51). See -lv-.
-ngwë
we
-ngwë "we", 1st person dual inclusive pronominal ending: "thou and I" (compare the exclusive dual form -mmë). Caringwë, "the two of us do" (VT49:16). One source lists the ending as "-inke > -inque" instead (VT49:51, 53, 57; "inke" was apparently Old Quenya). In an earlier pronoun table reproduced in VT49:48, the ending -ngwë is listed as an alternative to -lmë, which Tolkien at the time used as the plural inclusive ending (a later revision made it plural exclusive).
omessë
omessë
omessë, ómessë, see me
ve
we
ve (2) pron. "we", 1st person pl. inclusive (corresponding to exclusive me), derived from an original stem-form we (VT49:50, PE17:130). Variant vi, q.v. Stressed wé, later vé (VT49:51). Dative (*wéna >) véna, VT49:14. Dual wet*, later vet "the two of us" (inclusive; cf. exclusive met) (VT49:51). Also compare the dative form ngwin or ngwen (q.v.), but this would apparently be wen > ven** according to Tolkiens later ideas.
vi
we
vi pron. "we", 1st person inclusive (PE17:130), variant of ve #2.
we
we
we, wé, see ve #2
álamë
álamë
álamë, see me
-ma
suffix. instrumental
Derivations
- ✶-mā “instrumental suffix”
Element in
-nyë
i am come
-n (2), also -nyë, pronominal ending, 1st person sg. "I" (VT49:51), as in utúlien "I am come" (EO), cainen "I lay" (VT48:12-13), carin or carinyë "I do" (VT49:16), veryanen *"I married" (VT49:45). See also VT49:48. Long form -nye- with object ending -s "it" following in utúvienyes (see tuv-). A possible attestation of -n in object position ("me") is provided by the untranslated verbal form tankassen (PE17:76), where -n may be preceded by -sse- as a longer form of the 3rd person sg. ending -s (see -s #1).
-lvë
suffix. we (inclusive)
The suffix -lvë is the first person plural inclusive inflection: “we (including you)” (PE17/130; VT49/16, 51). The corresponding possessive form -lva “our (inclusive)” appears in its genitive form -lvo in the famous phrase elen síla lúmenn’ omentielvo.
Possible Etymology: Tolkien indicated that this inflection was ultimately derived from the primitive pronoun ✶we, with the same plural marker l as other plural inflections such as -l(yë) and -ltë, and that its oldest form was ✶-lwe (PE17/130; VT49/50-51). At one point Tolkien indicated that the change of lw > lv was the normal phonetic development in Quenya (PE17/129). There little evidence that Tolkien carried through with the phonetic rule, however, and there are plenty of examples of unmodified lw in later Quenya. A better explanation might be that -lwe changed to -lve under the influence of the independent pronoun ve. These ideas came out of a discussion with Shihali on the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS) on Jan 28, 2018.
Conceptual Development: @@@
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶-lwe > -lve [-lwe] > [-lve] ✧ PE17/130 ✶we > -lwe > -lve [-lwe] > [-lve] ✧ VT49/50 Variations
- -lve ✧ PE17/130; VT49/51
- -lwe ✧ VT49/16
-lwë
suffix. we (inclusive)
-nen
suffix. instrumental
Derivations
- ✶-mē̆n “instrumental, with (which)” ✧ PE21/79
inyë
i, too
inyë emphatic independent 1st person sg. pronoun, "I" with emphasis, translated "I, too" in LR:61 (and, according to one reading of Tolkiens manuscript, in VT49:49).
nin
to me, for me
nin pron. "to me, for me", dative of ni (FS, Nam). Sí man i yulma nin enquantuva? "Now who will refill the cup for me?" (Nam), nás mara nin *"it is good to me" = "I like it" (VT49:30), ecë nin carë sa* "it-is-open for me to do it" = "I can do it" (VT49:34). See also ninya**.
-n(yë)
suffix. I
Derivations
- ✶ni “I, me” ✧ VT49/50
Element in
- Q. Mettanyë “?I End”
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶ni > -n [-ne] > [-n] ✧ VT49/50 Variations
- -n(ye) ✧ PE17/057; PE17/190
- -nye ✧ PE17/075; PE17/075; PE22/161; VT49/16; VT49/48; VT49/51
- -n ✧ PE17/075; PE17/075; VT49/16; VT49/48; VT49/51
attat
2 fathers or neighbours
-t (1) dual ending, on nouns denoting a _pair of something: attat "2 fathers or neighbours" (VT48:19; see _atto), máryat "her (pair of) hands" (Nam), siryat "two rivers" (VT47:11), ciriat "2 ships" (Letters:427 read ciryat as in the Plotz Letter?), maquat "group of ten" (from maqua, meaning among other things "group of five") (VT47:7), nápat "thumb and index as a pair" (VT48:5), also compare met "us two" as the dual form of me "us" (Nam, VT47:11). Other dual endings known from the Plotz letter: genitive -to, possessive -twa, dative -nt, locative -tsë, allative -nta, ablative -lto, instrumental -nten, plus -tes as a possible short locative. It may be that these endings only apply to nouns that would have nominative dual forms in -t, and that nouns preferring the alternative dual ending -u would simply add the otherwise "singular" case endings to this vowel, e.g. *Alduo rather than ?Alduto as the genitive form of "Two Trees" (Aldu). The ending -t is also used as a verbal inflection, corresponding to pl. -r (elen atta siluvat**, "two stars shall shine", VT49:45; the verb carit** "do" would also be used with a dual subject, VT49:16; cf. also the endings listed in VT49:48, 50).
caris
he/him, she/her, it
-s (1) 3rd person sg. pronominal ending "he/him, she/her, it" (VT49:48, 51), occurring in caris "he/she/it does" (VT49:16, PE17:129), caitas "it lies" (PE17:65), tentanes "it pointed" (VT49:26), tulis "(s)he comes" (VT49:19), eques (q.v.), anes (see ná #1), also (in object position) in camnelyes, caritas, caritalya(s), melinyes, tiruvantes, and utúvienyes, q.v. (Tolkien mentions -s as an "objective" ending for the 3rd person sg. in PE17:110.) The longer form -së (perhaps with personal meaning "he, she" only) is said to be "rare" (VT49:51); cf. násë "he is", nésë "he was" (see ná #1). In nésë the ending is suggested to be shortened from -sse (VT49:28), an ending that may also be attested in the untranslated verbal form tankassen (PE17:76), where it is perhaps followed by a second pronominal ending -n "me". According to PE17:129, the 3rd person sg. ending at one stage appeared as -ze "when pronominal affixes followed" (Tolkien citing the form carize-, e.g. apparently *carizet for "he makes them"); normally z would later become r, but it actually became (historically: reverted to) s by analogy with the short form caris as well as the independent pronoun se*. Exilic Quenya would then evidently have (e.g.) cariset for "he makes them", with a rare example of intervocalic s that is not derived from older þ**.
-n
suffix. I
me (1) 1st person pl. exclusive pronoun "we, us" (VT49:51; VT43:23, VT44:9). This pronoun preserves the original stem-form (VT49:50). Stressed mé (VT49:51). Cf. also mel-lumna "us-is-heavy", sc. *"is heavy for us" (LR:47, mel- is evidently an assimilated form of men "for us", dative of me; the form men is attested by itself, VT43:21). For me as object, cf. álamë** "do not [do something to] us", negative imperative particle with object pronoun suffixed (VT43:19: álamë tulya, "do not lead us"), ámen** "do [something for] us", imperative particle with dative pronoun suffixed (ámen apsenë "forgive us", VT43:12, 18). Dual exclusive met "we/us (two)" (Nam, VT49:51), "you and me" (VT47:11; the latter translation would make met an inclusive pronoun, though it is elsewhere suggested that it is rather exclusive: "him/her and me", corresponding to wet [q.v.] as the true inclusive dual form). Rá men or rámen "for us/on our behalf", see rá. Locative messë "on us", VT44:12 (also with prefix o, ó- ?"with" in the same source). See also ménë, ómë.