quén (quen-, as in pl. queni; as final element in compounds -quen) noun "one, (some)body, person, individual, man or woman", pl. queni = "persons", "(some) people", "they" with the most general meaning (as in "they [= people in general] say that..."). The element is combined with noun and adjective stems in old compounds to denote habitual occupations or functions, or to describe those having some notable (permanent) quality; examples include roquen, ciryaquen, arquen, q.v. Also in aiquen "whoever", ilquen "everybody" (WJ:361 cf. 360, 372).
Quenya
quén
person, individual, man or woman; one, somebody
quén
one, (some)body, person, individual, man or woman
turinqui
queen
turinqui ("q") noun "queen" (LT1:260; apparently the fem. of tur. In Tolkien's later Quenya, "queen" is tári.)
tári
queen
tári noun "queen", used especially of Varda (TĀ/TA3, LT1:264), etymologically "she that is high" (SA:tar). Dative tárin in the Elaine inscription (VT49:40), genitive tário in Namárië. Elentári "Starqueen", a title of Varda. (Nam, RGEO:67). Tarinya "my queen" (UT:179; sic, not *tárinya). Táris or tárissë "queenship" (PE17:155)
varni
queen
varni noun "queen" (LT1:273; rather tári in Tolkien's later Quenya)
tári
noun. queen, queen, [ᴱQ.] mistress, lady
elentári
feminine name. Queen of the Stars, Star-queen
A title of Varda as the maker of the stars (LotR/377, S/48), a compound elen “star” and tári “queen”.
Conceptual Development: In the first name list of the Valar from the 1910s, Varda’s title was ᴱQ. Tinwetári beside the variant Tinwevarni (PE14/14), using the earlier word tinwe for “star” (LT1A/Tinwetári). It was the first of these forms, Tinwetári, that appeared in the earliest Lost Tales along with the gloss “Queen of Stars” (LT1/100), and it also appeared in the Qenya and Gnomish Lexicons from the 1910s (QL/102; GL/18).
The name retained the form ᴹQ. Tinwetári in the first Silmarillion drafts from the beginning of the 1930s (SM/82, SM/286) and this name also appeared in The Etymologies (Ety/TĀ). In Silmarillion drafts from the mid-30s, the name was changed to ᴹQ. Tinwerontar (LR/200, 216) and the same change was made in The Etymologies (Ety/TIN), perhaps with the genitive plural tinweron of tinwe “star”. The name was soon revised to ᴹQ. Elentári (LR/216, Ety/EL), and the name retained this form thereafter.
kementári
feminine name. Queen of the Earth
One of the names of Yavanna, a compound of cemen “earth” and tári “queen”, that is: “Queen of the Earth” (S/28). Normally, the [k]-sound in Quenya is written with a “c”, but Tolkien consistently wrote this name with a “k”, as he did with the names Melkor and Tulkas.
Conceptual Development: In the earliest Lost Tales, Yavanna’s second name was ᴱQ. Palúrien (LT1/66), glossed “Wide World” and given as a derivative of the root ᴱ√PALA “flatness” in the Qenya Lexicon from the 1910s (LT1A/Palúrien, QL/71). The name ᴹQ. Palúrien “Bosom of the Earth, Lady of the Wide Earth” also appeared in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (SM/78, LR/205), and in The Etymologies it was given as a compound of palúre “surface, bosom” and the feminine suffix -ien (Ety/PAL).
In Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s, Tolkien replaced this name with Kementári (MR/157, 202). This was a partial restoration of one of her earliest names in the legendarium: ᴱQ. Kémi “Earth-lady, Mother Earth” (LT1/79, GL26), which may also be the reason for its unusual spelling.
Elentári
star-queen
Elentári noun "Star-queen", title of Varda (EL, SA:tar)
Kementári
earth-queen
Kementári noun "Earth-queen", title of Yavanna (SA:tar). The Kemen- of this name was at one stage intended as the genitive of kén, kem- "earth", so that Kementári meant "Earth's Queen", but Tolkien later changed the Quenya genitive ending from -(e)n to -o. Apparently so as to maintain the name Kementári, he turned kemen into the nominative form; see cemen.
Tinwerontar
star-queen, title of varda
[Tinwerontar] noun "star-queen, title of Varda" (TIN, TĀ/TA3)
Tinwetar
star-queen, queen of stars
[Tinwetar] noun "star-queen, Queen of Stars", title of Varda (TIN, TĀ/TA3)
Valatári
vala-queen
Valatári noun "Vala-queen" (BAL; this entry of the Etymologies states that Vala has no feminine form except this compound, but Silm gives Valië as a feminine form). The word Valatári is apparently also the unchanged plural form, so used in this quote: "The Valatári were Varda, Yavanna, Nienna, Vana, Vaire, Este, Nessa, Uinen" (BAL; Tolkien later reclassified Uinen as a Maia, not a Valatári/Valië). Notice that the plural form of Valatar would apparently also be *Valatári.
an sí varda, tintallë, elentári ortanë máryat oiolossëo ve fanyar
for now Varda, Star-kindler, Star-queen [has] lifted up her (two) hands from Mount Everwhite like (white) clouds
The 9th and 10th phrases of the prose Namárië, corresponding to the 9th and 10th lines of the poem. They are combined here for purposes of discussion because Tolkien moved words between the two lines. Tolkien dramatically reorganized the text from the poetic version as follows:
> an sí Tintallë Varda Oiolossëo ve fanyar máryat Elentári ortanë >>
an sí Varda, Tintallë, Elentári ortanë máryat Oiolossëo ve fanyar
Tolkien grouped together the three names of Varda (Varda, Tintallë, Elentári) as the subject of the phrase. He moved the object máryat “her (two) hands” immediately after the verb, which is the usual Quenya word order. He also moved the two modifying clauses, Oiolossëo “from Mount Everwhite” and ve fanyar “like (white) clouds”, to the end.
The revised Quenya ordering would match the poetic English translation quite closely if the phrase “from Mount Everwhite” were moved closer to the end:
> “for now the Kindler, Varda, the Queen of the Stars from Mount Everwhite has uplifted her hands like clouds” »»»
“✱for now Varda, the Kindler, the Queen of the Stars has uplifted her hands from Mount Everwhite like clouds”
ómaryo lírinen airetário
in [by means of] her voice’s song, of the holy-queen
The 7th phrase of the prose Namárië. Tolkien altered the text from the poetic version as follows:
> ómaryo airetári-lírinen >> ómaryo lírinen airetário
Tolkien removed the element airetári “holy queen” from the compound and turned it into a separate genitive element airetário “holy queen’s, of [the] holy queen”. Presumably it modifies the noun lírë “song” in the instrumental phrase ómaryo lírinen “in [by means of] her voice’s song”.
The preceding genitive ómaryo “her voice’s” also modifies the noun lírë. The placement of the two genitives before and after the noun help clarify that they modify the same noun. In English, there isn’t a natural way of having two such distinct modifications of the same noun. This could help explain why the English poetic translation of this phrase is so different from the Elvish: “in the song of her voice, holy and queenly”.
On the other hand, it could be that this phrase is still semi-poetic, since Tolkien gave different “prose” translations of the phrase elsewhere (P17/76, PM/364).
tar-
affix. high, high; [ᴹQ.] king or queen (in compounds)
airë tári
proper name. Holy Queen
an sí tintallë varda oiolossëo ve fanyar máryat elentári ortanë
for now the Kindler, Varda, the Queen of the Stars from Mount Everwhite has uplifted her hands like clouds
Ninth and tenth lines @@@
arcas i arano, lá i tário
the king’s crown, not the queen’s
elainen tárin periandion ar meldenya anyáran
*to Elaine, queen of Hobbits and my very old friend
(Lambengolmor/640)
lírinen ómo i·aire tário
by the song of the voice of the holy queen
lírinen ómo i·aire táríva
by the song of the voice of the holy queen
rianna
noun. queen
-li
the elves
-li partitive pl. ending (simply called a plural suffix in the Etymologies, stem LI). The ending is used to indicate a plural that is neither generic (e.g. Eldar "the Elves" as a race) nor definite (preceded by article); hence Eldali is used for "some Elves" (a particular group of Elves, when they are first mentioned in a narrative, VT49:8). Sometimes Tolkien also lets -li imply a great number; in PE17:129, the form falmalinnar from _Namárië _is broken down as falma-li-nnar "foam wave-many-towards-pl. ending", and falmali by itself Tolkien translated "many waves" (PE17:73). A distinct accusative in -lī seems to occur in the phrase an i falmalī (PE17:127, apparently meaning the same as i falmalinnar, but replacing the allative ending with a preposition). Genitive -lion in vanimálion, malinornélion (q.v. for reference), allative -linna and -linnar in falmalinnar, q.v. The endings for other cases are only known from the Plotz letter: possessive -líva, dative -lin, locative -lissë or -lissen, ablative -lillo or -lillon, instrumental -línen, "short locative" -lis. When the noun ends in a consonant, r and n is assimilated before l, e.g. Casalli as the partitive pl. of Casar "Dwarf" (WJ:402), or elelli as the partitive pl. of elen "star" (PE17:127). It is unclear whether the same happens in monosyllabic words, or whether a connecting vowel would be slipped in before -li (e.g. ?queneli or ?quelli as the partitive pl. of quén, quen- "person").
Námo
person, somebody
námo (2) noun "a person, somebody" (PM:340 writers may prefer the synonym quén to avoid confusion with # 1)
airë
holy
airë (1) adj. "holy", #Airefëa "the Holy Spirit" (VT43:37, dative airefëan on the previous page), airetári or Airë Tári "holy queen" (a title of Varda, PM:363), genitive aire-tário "holy-queen's" (Nam, RGEO:67). However, according to PM:363, airë is the noun "sanctity", while aira is the adjective "holy". VT43:14 refers to an etymological note of "Sept.-Oct. 1957" where airë is said to be a noun "sanctity, holiness", and the adjective "holy" is given as airëa. However, the verb #airita- "hallow" seems to be formed from an adjective airë, airi- "holy". Evidently airë can function as both adjective ("holy") and noun ("holiness"); if so airë as adj. could represent a primitive adjective gaisi, whereas airë as noun may descend from gaisē. The former but not the latter would have the stem airi- (as observed in the derived verb #airita-), and compounds like airetári (rather than *airitári) would seem to contain properly the noun "holiness".
-wë
person
-wë a suffix occurring in many personal names, generally but not exclusively masculine (Elenwë is the sole certain example of a fem. name with this ending); it is derived from a stem simply meaning "person" (PM:340, WJ:399). In Etym, -wë is simply defined as an element that is frequent in masculine names, and it is there derived from a stem (WEG) having to do with "(manly) vigour".
aina
holy
aina (2) adj "holy" (AYAN), derived from Ainu. Adopted and adapted from Valarin. According to VT43:32, the word is "obsolete, except in Ainur", apparently suggesting that airë or airëa (q.v.) was the normal term for "holy" in later Quenya. However, Tolkien repeatedly used aina in his translation of the Litany of Loreto: Aina Fairë "Holy Spirit", Aina Neldië "Holy Trinity", Aina Maria "Holy Mary", Aina Wendë "Holy Virgin". He also used Aina Eruontari for "holy Mother" in his rendering of the Sub Tuum Praesidium(WJ:399, FS, SA, VT43:32, VT44:5, 12, 17-18)
mir
cardinal. one
mir (2) cardinal "one" (LT1:260; in LotR-style Quenya rather minë)
tá
high
tá 2) adj. "high" (LT1:264; there spelt tâ. This is hardly a valid word in Tolkien's later Quenya, but cf. tára "lofty".)
-o
person, somebody
-o (2), also -ó, "a person, somebody", pronominal suffix (PM:340)
aira
holy
aira (2) adj. "holy"; see airë #1
airëa
holy
airëa adj. "holy"; see airë.
aista
holy
aista (1) adj. "holy" (VT43:37)
aranel
princess
aranel noun "princess" (likely *aranell-) (UT:434)
arata
high, lofty, noble
arata adj. "high, lofty, noble" (PE17:49, 186). Also used as a a noun with nominal pl. form Aratar "the Supreme", the chief Valar, translation of the foreign word Máhani adopted and adapted from Valarin (WJ:402). Aratarya "her sublimity"; Varda Aratarya "Varda the lofty, Varda in her sublimity" (WJ:369). In one source, Aratar is translated as a singular: "High One" (PE17:186)
er
one, alone
er cardinal "one, alone" (ERE, VT48:6, VT49:54), in an early source also adv. "only, but, still" (LT1:269); Eru er "one God" (VT44:17; er was here emended by Tolkien from erëa, which seems to be an adjectival form *"one, single".)
erëa
cardinal. one
erëa adj.? "one" or *"single", apparently an adjectival form (see er) (VT44:17)
heri
lady
heri noun "lady" (KHER, LT1:272)
min
cardinal. one
min numeral "one", also minë (VT45:34, VT48:6)
minë
cardinal. one
minë numeral "one", also min (MINI, VT45:34)
mo
one, someone, anyone
mo, indefinite pronoun "one, someone, anyone" (VT42:34, VT49:19, 20, 26)
nassë
person, an individual
nassë (1) "a person, an individual" (VT49:30). Also translated "true-being" (pl. nasser is attested), the inner "true" being of a person. With a pronominal suffix in the form nassentar "their true-being" (PE17:175, cf. -nta #2), in the source referring to the "true" spiritual nature of the Valar, as hidden within their visible shapes. The word nassentar would seem to be plural, *"their true-beings". Not to be confused with the verb nassë/násë "he/she is"; see ná #1.
quimellë
lady
quimellë noun "lady" (GL:45)
rína
crowned
rína adj. "crowned" (RIG), also used as a suffix "garlanded, crowned" (PE17:182)
tána
high, lofty, noble
tána (meaning unclear, probably adj. "high, lofty, noble") (TĀ/TA3). Compare tára.
arata
high, lofty, noble
arata adj. "high, lofty, noble" (PE17:49, 186). Also used as a a noun with nominal pl. form Aratar "the Supreme", the chief Valar, translation of the foreign word Máhani adopted and adapted from Valarin (WJ:402). Aratarya "her sublimity"; Varda Aratarya "Varda the lofty, Varda in her sublimity" (WJ:369). In one source, Aratar is translated as a singular: "High One" (PE17:186)
a
cardinal. one
aranel
noun. princess
halda
adjective. high, tall
heri
noun. lady
min
cardinal. one, one, [ᴱQ.] one (in a series), the first
A general word for “person”, any individual independent of their gender and species, since the term was “freely applied to other Incarnates, such as Men or Dwarves, when the Eldar became acquainted with them” (WJ/372). In unstressed form quen, it was sometimes used as a pronoun “one, somebody”, and was also used as the second element in compounds such as ilquen “everyone” and roquen “horseman” (WJ/363, 372).
Most likely the Elves had a bias towards themselves as the main category of persons, since they used the term Quendi “(lit.) Speakers” to refer the Elves as species, and quén seems to have originally have been a variant of that term, derived from the same root √KWEN “speak”. This word was primarily discussed in the Quendi and Eldar essay from 1959-60, which may be where the term was introduced, but it appears in other late notes as well (PE19/93).