men (3) pron. "who", evidently a misreading or miswriting for man (MC:221, in Markirya)
Quenya
men
way
men
who
men
(for) us
men (1) pron. "(for) us", dative form of me, q.v.
men
noun. way, way; [ᴹQ.] place, spot
Cognates
- S. men “road, way, road, way; [N.] *place”
Derivations
- √MEN “go, move, proceed (in any direction); make for, go towards; have as object, (in)tend; direction, object, point moved toward; region”
Element in
- ᴺQ. catamen “background, milieu”
- Q. formen “north, north, [ᴹQ.] right-hand [direction]” ✧ SA/men
- Q. hyarmen “south, (lit.) left-hand direction” ✧ SA/men
- Q. Ilmen “*Place of Starlight”
- ᴺQ. mancamen “market, (lit.) trade-place”
- ᴺQ. menessë “instead, (lit.) in place”
- Q. mentië “passage, journey, direction of travel”
- ᴺQ. mótamen “office”
- ᴺQ. natsemen “website, (lit.) web-spot”
- Q. númen “west, direction or region of the sunset, occident, (lit.) going down” ✧ SA/men
- ᴺQ. parmen “school, place of study”
- ᴺQ. quermen “a turning, turn, corner (of a street)”
- Q. rómen “east, uprising, sunrise” ✧ SA/men
- ᴺQ. tirmen “theater”
- ᴺQ. tungwemen “tax-office”
me
we, us
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.
men-
go
#men- (4) vb. "go" (VT47:11, cf. VT42:30, VT49:23), attested in the aorist (menë) in the sentence imbi Menel Cemenyë menë Ráno tië "between Heaven and Earth goes the path of the Moon". In the verb nanwen- "return" (or go/come back), -men- is changed to -wen- following nan- "back" (etymological form cited as nan-men-, PE17:166). In examples from VT49:23, 24, Tolkien used men- in the sense of "go as far as": 1st person sg. aorist menin (menin coaryanna "I arrive at [or come/get to] his house"), endingless aorist menë, present tense ména- "is on point of arrival, is just coming to an end", past tense mennë "arrived, reached", in this tense usually with locative rather than allative (mennen sís "I arrive[d] here"), perfect eménië "has just arrived", future menuva "will arrive". All of these examples were first written with the verb as ten- rather than men-, Tolkien then emending the initial consonant.
menya
our
menya (pl. menyë is attested) possessive pron. "our", 1st person pl. exclusive independent possessive pronoun (VT43:19, 35). Evidently derived from the dative form men "for us" by adding the adjectival ending -ya. Compare ninya, q.v.
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
ómen
on/for us
ómen prep. + pron. ?"on/for us" (órava ómen "have mercy on us", VT44:12, changed by Tolkien from the simple dative form men "for us", then replaced by (o)messë)
hildor
collective name. Men, Aftercomers, (lit.) Followers
A name for Men as the second-born children of Ilúvatar, following the elves (S/99). This name is a derivative of the root √KHIL (WJ/386-7) and is related to the word hildë “heir, follower”. This term is only attested in the plural, and it isn’t clear whether the singular term ✱Hildo can be used for a single Man (normally Atan). This name was sometimes glossed “Aftercomers” (S/99), but its other gloss “Followers” (S/103) is a better translation. The gloss “Aftercomers” probably alludes to Apanónar “After-born”, another name for Men.
Conceptual Development: In Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, this term appeared as ᴹQ. Hildi (LR/245). In The Etymologies, the word hildi “followers, mortal men” appeared as a derivative of ᴹ√KHIL (Ety/KHIL), implying a singular form of ✱hilde.
In The Lord of the Rings, the plural term Q. Hildinyar was translated as “my heirs” (LotR/967). When it was written, Tolkien probably intended it to be the same word as Hildi “Men, Followers” (PE17/101, 103). In Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s, this term was first written Hildi (MR/130) but in the late-50s was changed to Hildor (WJ/219). Perhaps Tolkien split these terms, so that Hildor (singular ✱Hildo) was the proper name for Men, while hildi (singular ✱hildë) was the ordinary word for “follower” or “heir”.
Cognates
Derivations
- √KHIL “follow (behind)” ✧ PE17/018; PE17/101; SA/khil; WJ/387
Element in
Elements
Word Gloss hildë “heir, follower, heir, follower; [ᴱQ.] child” Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √KHIL > hildi [kʰildi] > [xildi] > [hildi] ✧ PE17/018 √KHIL > hildi [kʰildi] > [xildi] > [hildi] ✧ PE17/101 √khil- > Hildor [kʰildor] > [xildor] > [hildor] ✧ SA/khil √KHILI > Hildor [kʰildor] > [xildor] > [hildor] ✧ WJ/387 Variations
- Hildi ✧ MR/130; MRI/Hildi
- hildi ✧ PE17/018; PE17/101; PE17/103
engwar
collective name. Men, (lit.) The Sickly
A somewhat insulting Elvish term for Men (S/103), the plural of the adjective engwa “sickly”.
Conceptual Development: The name ᴹQ. Engwar first appeared in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (LR/245). It also appeared in The Etymologies (Ety/GENG-WĀ).
Elements
Word Gloss engwa “sickly”
lér
man
**lér noun "man" (NI1; hypothetical Q form of PQ dēr; the form actually used in Quenya was nér)
nér
man
nér (1) (ner-, as in pl. neri) noun "man" (adult male elf, mortal, or of other speaking race) (MR:213, VT49:17, DER, NDER, NI1, VT45:9; see also WJ:393)
nér
noun. man
vëo
man
†vëo noun "man" (WEG; etymologically connected to vëa "manly, vigorous"; the more neutral word for "man" is nér. According to VT46:21, Tolkien indicated that vëo is an archaic or poetic word.) Tolkien at a later point defined the word as "living creature" (PE17:189). Cf. variant wëo, q.v.
-nen
suffix. instrumental
Derivations
- ✶-mē̆n “instrumental, with (which)” ✧ PE21/79
-ma
suffix. instrumental
Derivations
- ✶-mā “instrumental suffix”
Element in
-nna
to
-n (1) dative ending, originating as a reduced form of -nă "to", related to the allative ending -nna (VT49:14). Attested in nin, men, ten, enyalien, Erun, airefëan, tárin, yondon (q.v.) and also added to the English name Elaine (Elainen) in a book dedication to Elaine Griffiths (VT49:40). The longer dative ending -na is also attested in connection with some pronouns, such as sena, téna, véna (q.v.), also in the noun mariéna from márië "goodness" (PE17:59). Pl. -in (as in hínin, see hína), partitive pl. -lin, dual -nt (Plotz). The preposition ana (#1) is said to be used "when purely dative formula is required" (PE17:147), perhaps meaning that it can replace the dative ending, e.g. *ana Eru instead of Erun for "to God". In some of Tolkiens earlier material, the ending -n (or -en) expressed genitive rather than dative, but he later decided that the genitive ending was to be -o (cf. such a revision as Yénië Valinóren becoming Yénië Valinórëo, MR:200).
-nna
to, at, upon
-nna "to, at, upon", allative ending, originating from -na "to" with fortified n, VT49:14. Attested in cilyanna, coraryanna, Endorenna, Elendilenna, númenórenna, parma-restalyanna, rénna, senna, tielyanna, q.v. If a noun ends in -n already, the ending -nna merges with it, as in Amanna, formenna, Elenna, númenna, rómenna as the allative forms of Aman, formen, elen, númen, rómen (q.v.). Plural -nnar in mannar, valannar, q.v.
hildi
followers
hildi, -hildi noun "followers" (used = mortal men, the Second-born of Ilúvatar) (KHIL) (also Hildor, q.v.). Dat. pl. hildin "for men", a dative pl. occurring in Fíriel's Song. Cf. hildinyar "my heirs", evidently *hildë, hildo "follower, heir" + -inya "my" + -r plural ending (EO)
-lma
our
-lma pronominal ending "our", 1st person pl. exclusive (VT49:16), also attested (with the genitive ending -o that displaces final -a) in the word omentielmo "of our meeting" (nominative omentielma, PE17:58). Tolkien emended omentielmo to omentielvo in the Second Edition of LotR, reflecting a revision of the Quenya pronominal system (cf. VT49:38, 49, Letters:447). The cluster -lm- in the endings for inclusive "we/our" was altered to -lv- (VT43:14). In the revised system, -lma should apparently signify exclusive "our".
-lwa
our
-lwa, possessive pronominal ending, 1st person pl. inclusive "our" (VT49:16), later (in exilic Quenya) used in the form #-lva, genitive -lvo in omentielvo (see -lv-).
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".
man
who
man pron. "who" (Nam, RGEO:67, FS, LR:59, Markirya, MC:213, 214); cf. PM:357 note 18, where a reference is made to the Eldarin interrogative element ma, man). However, man is translated "what" in LR:59: man-ië? "what is it?" (LR:59; the stative-verb suffix -ië_ is hardly valid in LotR-style Quenya) _Either Tolkien later adjusted the meaning of the word, or man covers both "who" and "what". Cf. also mana, manen.
man
pronoun. who, who; [ᴹQ.] what
Element in
- Q. man cenuva fána cirya? “Who shall see a white ship?” ✧ MC/221
- Q. man cenuva lumbor ahosta? “Who shall see the clouds gather?” ✧ MC/222; MC/222
- Q. man cenuva métim’ andúnë? “Who shall see the last evening?” ✧ MC/222; MC/222
- Q. man hlaruva rávëa súrë? “Who shall hear the wind roaring?” ✧ MC/222
- Q. man tiruva fána cirya? “Who shall heed a white ship?” ✧ MC/222
- Q. man tiruva rácina cirya? “Who shall heed a broken ship?” ✧ MC/222
- ᴺQ. manwa “whose”
- 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. sí man i yulmar men enquantuva? “*who now shall refill the cups for us?” ✧ Minor-Doc/2013-05-13
- Q. sí man i yulmar n(g)wen enquantuva “*who now will refill the cups for us (dual)” ✧ VT21/06
Elements
Word Gloss ma “interrogative particle” Variations
- Men ✧ MC/221
- Man ✧ MC/222; MC/222; MC/222; MC/222; MC/222
- man- ✧ PE17/068
- mán ✧ RGEO/58
-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_)
-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-.
-mma
our
-mma "our", 1st person dual exlusive possessive ending: *"my and one others" (VT49:16). At an earlier conceptual phase, Tolkien apparently intended the same ending to be plural inclusive "our" (VT49:55, RS:324), cf. Mélamarimma "Our Home" (q.v.) In the latter word, Tolkien slips in i as a connecting vowel before this ending; elsewhere he used e, as in Átaremma "our Father" (see atar).
-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).
-ngwa
our
-ngwa "our", 1st person dual inclusive possessive pronominal ending: *"thy and my", corresponding to the ending -ngwë for dual inclusive "we" (VT49:16)
-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).
aicalë
peak
aicalë ("k")noun "a peak" (AYAK)
ana
to
ana (1) prep. "to" (VT49:35), "as preposition _ana _is used when purely _dative formula is required" (PE17:147), perhaps meaning that the preposition ana can be used instead of the dative ending -n (#1, q.v.) Also as prefix: ana- "to, towards" (NĀ1); an (q.v.) is used with this meaning in one source (PE17:127)_
lelya-
go, proceed (in any direction), travel
lelya- (1) vb. "go, proceed (in any direction), travel", pa.t. lendë / elendë (WJ:363, VT14:5, PE17:139) At one point Tolkien assigned a more specific meaning to the underlying root LED: "go away from the speaker or the point in mind, depart" (PE17:52), which would make lelya- a near synonym of auta-. The same source denies that the derivatives of _LED _were used simply for "go, move, travel", but elsewhere Tolkien assigns precisely that meaning to lelya-.
lenna-
go
lenna- vb. "go", pa.t. lendë "went" (LED; cf. lelya-). In the Etymologies as printed in LR, the word lenna- wrongly appears as **linna-; see VT45:27.
lie
noun. people
lië
people
lië noun "people" (LI, Narqelion, VT39:6), in Eldalië, losselië, Ornelië (q.v.); possessive #liéva in Mindon Eldaliéva (q.v.); maybe also compounded in #rohtalië, #ruhtalië (q.v.)
lé
way
lé (1) noun "way" = "method, manner" ("as in that is not As way"). Not to be confused with lé as a stressed form of le = plural "you"; Tolkien was himself dissatisfied with this clash (PE17:74).
na
to, towards
na (2) prep. "to, towards", possibly obsoleted by #1 above; for clarity writers may use the synonym ana instead (NĀ1). Originally, Tolkien glossed na as "at, by, near"; the new meaning entered together with the synonyms an, ana (VT45:36).
nómë
place
#nómë noun "place", isolated from Nómesseron, q.v. Cf. also sinomë.
nómë
noun. place
Derivations
- √NOM “place”
Element in
- ᴺQ. ainomë “anyplace, anywhere”
- ᴺQ. ilinomë “everywhere”
- ᴺQ. istanómë “school, academy”
- ᴺQ. mancanómë “market, market-place”
- ᴺQ. minomë “instead, in place of, in exchange of”
- ᴺQ. nanomë “someplace, somewhere”
- ᴺQ. nómëa “local”
- ᴺQ. nómessëa “local”
- Q. nómessë “place-name” ✧ VT42/17
- ᴺQ. -non “-place, -spot (forms place-names, area nouns)”
- Q. Quentalë Ardanómion “*History of the Places of Arda” ✧ WJ/206
- Q. sinomë “here, (lit.) in this place”
- Q. tanomë “there, (lit.) in the place (referred to)”
Variations
- Nóme ✧ VT42/17 (Nóme)
vand-
way, path
vand- noun "way, path" (LT1:264; a final vowel would seem to be required, but in Tolkien's later Quenya, the words tië or mallë are to be preferred)
vanya-
go, depart, disappear
vanya- (2) vb. "go, depart, disappear", pa.t. vannë (WAN). The verb auta- may have replaced this word in Tolkien's later conception.
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
ye
who
ye (1) singular personal relative pronoun "who", maybe also object "whom" (plural form i). Compare the impersonal form ya. Also attested in the genitive and the ablative cases: yëo and yello, both translated "from whom" (though the former would also mean *"whose, of whom"). (VT47:21)
ye
pronoun. who
Derivations
- √YA “*there, over there; (of time) back, ago, [ᴹ√] there, over there; (of time) back, ago”
Element in
- Q. yello camnelyes “from whom you received him” ✧ VT47/21
- Q. yenna leltanelyes “to whom you sent him” ✧ VT47/21
men (2) noun "way" (SA) or "place, spot" (MEN)