Tar-Telperien was the 10th ruler of Númenor and the second ruling queen (LotR/1035, UT/220). The first element of her name is likely to be telpë “silver”. The second element is less clear: it could be a variant of the feminine suffix -ien, or some later iteration of ᴹ✶rīʒende “queen = crowned lady” (hat-tip to Vyacheslav Stepanov for the second suggestion).
Quenya
tel
roof
telperien
feminine name. Telperien
Telellië
teler-folk
Telellië noun "Teler-folk" (TELES); this is Teler + lië
Telerin
telerian
Telerin adj. "Telerian" (TELES). Also telerinwa.
telella
telella
telella adj. corresponding to Telellë (LT1:267)
telep-
verb. telep-
telep- see telpë
telerëa
telerëa
telerëa adj. corresponding to Teler (LT1:267; perhaps rather Telerin, telerinwa in Tolkien's later Quenya)
telqui
telqui
telqui ("q")noun (analogical) pl. of telco (TÉLEK)
telperinquar
masculine name. Telperinquar
telerin
proper name. of the Teleri
Adjectival form of Teler, the third tribe of Elves, also used as a name for their language (UT/229; WJ/21), a combination of their tribal name with the language/adjective suffix -rin.
Conceptual Development: The similar adjectival forms ᴱQ. Telellin and ᴱQ. Telerin appeared in Tolkien’s earliest writings (LT1A/Telelli), though at this stage they referred to other groups of Elves (see the entry on Teler). By the 1930s, however, ᴹQ. Telerin referred to the third tribe and its language (Ety/TELES; LR/171; PE18/26).
tyel
end
tyel (1) noun "end", stem tyeld- as in the pl. form tyeldi (FS, KYEL; the pl. form tyeldi_ was misread as "tyelde" in the Etymologies as printed in LR; cf. VT45:25 for this correction)_. Cf. tyelma.
telumë
noun. roof, canopy; heaven, sky, roof, canopy, [ᴹQ.] vault, dome (of heaven); [Q.] heaven, sky, [ᴱQ.] firmament
A word for “roof, canopy” appearing in the Quendi and Eldar essay from 1959-60 derived from √TELU “roof in, put the crown on a building” (WJ/399, 411). Tolkien said it “was probably one of the earliest Quendian words for the heavens, the firmament, before the increase of their knowledge, and the invention of the Eldarin word Menel” (WJ/411). As such, it was only used for “heavens” metaphorically, in mythical names like Telumehtar “Warrior of the Sky”, the Quenya name of the Orion constellation (LotR/1113; WJ/411).
Conceptual Development: The first precursor to this word seems to be ᴱQ. telimbo “canopy, often used = sky” under the early root ᴱ√TELE “cover in” (QL/90). This became ᴱQ. telume “heavens, vault of heaven, firmament” in Qenya poems written around 1930 (MC/214, 221; PE16/142). In the Declension of Nouns of the early 1930s it was ᴹQ. telume “vault, heaven” (PE21/16) and in The Etymologies of the 1930s it was glossed “dome, (especially) dome of heaven” under the root ᴹ√TEL(U) (Ety/TEL).
telumehtar
proper name. Orion, (lit.) Warrior of the Sky
The name of the constellation Orion (LotR/1113). The initial element of this name is telumë “roof, canopy” = “sky” (WJ/411). The second element might be mehtar “warrior” (a possible late variant of ᴹQ. mahtar; see QQ/mehtar), but I think it could instead be ohtar “warrior”.
Conceptual Development: In the earliest Lost Tales, this name appeared as ᴱQ. Telimektar “Swordsman of Heaven”, the son of Tulkas who would become Orion (LT1/101, 200). At this stage, the first element of this name was ᴱQ. telimbo “canopy; sky” (QL/90). Christopher Tolkien suggested its second element may be an otherwise unattested ᴱQ. mektar derived from the root ᴱ√MAKA “slay” (LT1A/Telimektar), but I think it is likelier that the second element was the attested ᴱQ. ektar “swordsman” (QL/35).
In The Etymologies from the 1930s, this name appeared as ᴹQ. Telumehtar “Warrior of the Sky” (Ety/TEL). At this stage, its initial element was ᴹQ. telume “dome of heaven”, and its final element might be ᴹQ. mahtar “warrior” from ᴹ√MAK “sword; fight (with a sword), cleave” (Ety/MAK), though it could have been just a remnant of the Early Qenya form of the name.
The later meaning of the root √MAK shifted so that it meant either “cut, hew with a sharp edge” (VT39/11) or “forge metal” (VT41/10). The form mahtar “warrior” does not appear in later writing; it seems to have been replaced by macar “swordsman; †forger” (VT39/11, VT41/10). In later writings, the word for “warrior” seems to be ohtar (UT/282), which might be the second element in the later form of this name. However, it may be that Tolkien simply copied forward the older name without working out (or writing down) a proper etymology for it.
Teler
sea-elf
Teler noun "sea-elf", pl. Teleri, general (partitive) pl. Telelli, the third tribe of the Eldar (TELES (MIS) ), also called Lindar.Teleri means "those at the end of the line, the hindmost", (WJ:382 cf. 371), derived from the stem tel- "finish, end, be last" (SA:tel-). The Lindar were so called because they lagged behind on the march from Cuiviénen. In early "Qenya", Teler, also Telellë, was defined "little elf" (LT1:267), but this is hardly a valid gloss in Tolkien's later Quenya.
telma
conclusion, anything used to finish off a work or affair
telma noun "a conclusion, anything used to finish off a work or affair", often applied to the last item in a structure, such as a coping-stone, or a topmost pinnacle (WJ:411). Notice that the form telmanna in the entry TEL/TELU in the Etymologies is a misreading for talmanna (VT46:18) and therefore not the same word as telma.
telmë
hood, covering
telmë noun "hood, covering" (apparently emended from telma, VT46:18); ablative in the phrase telmello talmanna "from hood to base, from crown to foot, top to bottom" (TEL/TELU; the form _telmello t__e_lmanna_ occurring in the Etymologies as printed in LR is a typo, VT46:18)_
telta-
to canopy, overshadow, screen
telta- vb. "to canopy, overshadow, screen" (TEL/TELU)
telumë
dome, roof, canopy
telumë noun "dome, roof, canopy" (TEL/TELU, WJ:411 cf. 399; see also telluma); "firmament" (MC:214), inflected telumen in MC:221 (the latter is "Qenya"). Telumehtar "warrior of the sky", older name of Menelmacar = Orion (Appendix E, TEL/TELU, WJ:411); Telumendil *"Sky-friend", name of a constellation (Silm)
telë-
finish, end
telë- vb. "finish, end" (intransitive), also "be the last thing or person in a series or sequence of events" (WJ:411; telë may be taken as the 3rd person aorist of a stem tel-, though it may also be interpreted as an example of an E-stem verb, as suggested by the final hyphen)soleted by # 1 above)
teler
proper name. Last-comer, Hindmost
Quenya name for the third tribe of Elves (PM/318), usually appearing in the plural form Teleri (S/40; WJ/382). It was derived from the root √TELES “come at rear” (PE18/84; Ety/TELES), because “they tarried on the road and were not wholly of a mind to pass from the dusk to the light of Valinor” (S/53).
Conceptual Development: A similar name ᴱQ. Telelli appeared in the earliest Lost Tales, and its singular form ᴱQ. Telelle was glossed “little elf” in the Qenya Lexicon (QL/91). This early term applied to young Elves of all tribes, especially those talented in song (PE13/99; PE14/9). The related term ᴱQ. Teleri, however, referred specifically to the first tribe of Elves (LT1/50; PE14/9).
By the earliest drafts of the Silmarillion, however, Tolkien began to use ᴹQ. Teler as the term for the “Sea-elves”, the third tribe (SM/13). In The Etymologies from the 1930s, the name was given the derivation above (Ety/TELES), though initially it was because the third tribe “were the latest to awaken” (LR/168), not because they tarried on the march.
telluma
noun. dome, cupola, vault
A word for a “vault” or “dome” in the Namárië poem (LotR/377; RGEO/58). In the Quendi and Eldar essay from 1959-60, Tolkien said telluma “dome, cupola” was an alteration of telumë under the influence of the Valarin word Val. delgūmā “dome”, used “especially the ‘Dome of Varda’ over Valinor, but also applied to the domes of the mansion of Manwe and Varda upon Taniquetil” (WJ/399, 411). As such, this word may not have been in common use, being applicable only to the “holy domes” of the Valar.
telu
adjective. last, last; end (fate), close
An apparently adjectival element in the name Telufinwë meaning “last”.
Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, ᴱQ. telu was a noun meaning “end, close” (QL/91). In the contemporaneous Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa it was glossed “end (fate)” (PME/91).
Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would use this element only in compounds since it is not clear what its independent singular or plural forms would be (telo, telwi?). For the ordinary adjective, I’d use métima or telda.
telcontar
masculine name. Strider
The name of Aragorn’s lineage after he became king of Gondor, a Quenya translation of “Strider” (LotR/863). As suggested by Hammond and Scull, this name appears to contain telco “leg” (RC/580). If its translation is accurate, it is probably a compound of an otherwise unattested verb ✱telconta- “to stride” (“leg it”) and the archaic agental suffix -r(o).
Conceptual Development: In Lord of the Rings drafts, Tolkien first gave this name as ᴹQ. Tarakil “Trotter” >> Tarakon >> Tarantar, before settling on the final form Telkontar >> Telcontar (WR/390, 395).
telemmaitë
masculine name. Silver-handed
Tar-Telemmaitë was the 15th ruler of Númenor (LotR/1035), so called because of his love of silver (UT/221). Christopher Tolkien translated his name as “Silver-handed” (UTI/Tar-Telemmaitë). His name seems to be a compound of an assimilated form of telpë (telep-) “silver” and the adjective element maitë “-handed”.
telemnar
masculine name. *Silver Fire
telperion
proper name. ?Silver Tree
The common name of the White Tree of Valinor, the one of the Two Trees which shone with silver light (S/38). The exact meaning of this name is unclear, but its initial element is the word telpë “silver” (SA/celeb, UT/266). The original Quenya name of this tree was †Tyelperion, but it became Telperion when Quenya speakers adapted older †tyelpë into telpë under the influence of Telerin telpe (UT/266, Let/426).
Conceptual Development: In the earliest Lost Tales, this tree was usually called ᴱQ. Silpion (LT1/73). The name ᴹQ. Telperion first appeared in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s as an alternate name of Silpion (LR/209, 211). In Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s, Telperion became its primary name and while Silpion became a secondary name (MR/59, note §5).
Possible Translations: This name is glossed “Silver Tree” in the index of the 50th anniversary edition of The Lord of the Rings (LotRI/Silver Tree), but I cannot find this translation anywhere else. In their Reader’s Companion, Hammond and Scull tentatively translate Telperion as “?silver-white” (RC/637), and in a 1964 interview (www.bbc.co.uk), Tolkien also described Telperion as “White Silver” as opposed to Laurelin “Golden Song” (hat-tip to Vyacheslav Stepanov for the reference to the interview). In English the tree is usually referred to as the “White Tree”, but this was also applied to the earlier name Silpion and is perhaps a better translation of that name (given its incorporation of the root √SIL “shine white or silver”). Absent any other information, “Silver Tree” seems to be the most straightforward translation, although probably not strictly correct.
telumendil
proper name. *Sky-lover
telco
noun. leg; stem
The most common Quenya word for “leg” (PE17/122), also used of the “stem” of a tengwar symbol (LotR/1118) and probably the stem of plants as well. Based on the verb telconta-, its noun stem is telco- and hence it is probably derived from primitive ✱telekō, an elaboration of the root ᴹ√TELEK (Ety/TÉLEK). In The Etymologies of the 1930s it had an “analogical plural” telqui; such plurals generally appear with noun stems ending in cu- such as urqui plural of urco (urcu-). However, since the plural of telco was “analogical” it is clear that Tolkien intended its plural to be borrowed from other similar nouns rather than being the result of its historical phonological development. Whether this was true only for the plural or for other nouns cases as well is unclear.
Conceptual Development: The earliest iteration of this word was ᴱQ. pelko (pelko-) “leg” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√PELE that was also the basis for “pivot” words (QL/73). This word reappeared in the Early Qenya Grammar and English-Qenya Dictionary of the 1920s, with plural form pelqi, perhaps adapted from its (Early Qenya) dual which was also pelqi (PE14/76; PE15/74). However, noun declensions from the late 1920s had ᴱQ. telko with the gloss “stem” (PE16/112-113).
This late 1920s ᴱQ. telko “stem” may initially have been a distinct word, since ᴹQ. pelko “leg” appeared in declensions from the early 1930s (PE21/48-49), but in a slightly later declension telko was glossed “leg” (PE21/53), and in the Declension of Nouns, telko was glossed “stem, leg” as an example of -u̯ǝ nouns (PE21/12). ᴹQ. telko was “leg” in The Etymologies written around the 1937, and Tolkien seems to have stuck with it thereafter (Ety/TÉLEK). Furthermore, in notes on The Feanorian Alphabet from the 1930s and 40s, telko was glossed “stem” as both the stem of a tengwar symbol and the name of vowel carriers: (short) telko ` and (long) anda-telko ~ (PE22/20, 22, 51).
Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I assume that telco “leg; stem” has aligned with the noun class of [ᴹQ.] ranco (rancu-) “arm” for all noun cases.
telconta-
verb. to stride, *(lit.) to leg it
telepta
adjective. silver, silver, *silver-coloured
An adjective for “silver” appearing in the phrase Sanome tarne Olórin, Arakorno, Eomer, Imrahil, mi mīse, mi telepta yo morna, mi laiqua yo ninque, mi luini, ta Gimli mi losseä “There stood Gandalf, Aragorn, Eomer and Imrahil in grey, in silver and black, in green and white, and in blue, and also Gimli in white” in notes from the mid-1960s (PE17/71).
Conceptual Development: The Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s had unglossed ᴱQ. telepta under the early root ᴱ√TELEPE whose derivatives had to do with silver (QL/91). A similar form ᴹQ. telepsa “of silver” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√KYELEP “silver”, which Tolkien equated to ᴹQ. telpina (Ety/KYELEP). This form telepsa may reflect the 1930s sound change whereby pt became ps; compare ᴹQ. lepse “finger” from ᴹ√LEPET (Ety/LEPET). Tolkien revised the entry for ᴹ√KYELEP, replacing telepsa with (unglossed) ᴹQ. telemna (Ety/KYELEP). The adjective telepta “silver” was restored in the 1960s (see above) after Tolkien abandoned the ps > pt sound change.
Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya I would use this word primarily for silver as a color.
telpina
adjective. like silver (in hue or worth), like silver (in hue or worth), [ᴹQ.] of silver
An adjective implied by the name Q. Telpinquar “Silver-fist”, the Quenya equivalent of S. Celebrimbor in notes from the mid-1960s (PE17/42). In other writings Tolkien gave this name as (archaic) Tyelpinquar (PM/318; VT47/8). It is conceivable that this adjective is t(y)elpin, but both The Etymologies of the 1930s and the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, Tolkien had ᴹQ. telpina (Ety/KYELEP) and ᴱQ. telpina “of silver” (QL/91), so I think the late form of this adjective is more likely telpina as a combination of telpë “silver” with the adjective suffix -ina “silver”.
Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon, ᴱQ. telpina was glossed “of silver” and had variants ᴱQ. telpea, telpia and {telpeksa}, the last of which was deleted (QL/91). In The Etymologies of the 1930s ᴹQ. telpina was equated to ᴹQ. telepsa “of silver”, but telepsa was deleted and no gloss was provided after these revisions (Ety/KYELEP). In the mid-1960s note mentioned above, Tolkien said of S. celebrin that it was “not implying ‘made of silver’ but ‘like silver’ in hue, or worth” (PE17/42), but it is not clear whether the same applies to Q. telpin[a].
Finally, there was a longer Quenya name Telperinquar for S. Celebrimbor in the mid-1960s note (PE17/42), implying a variant Quenya adjective telperin that was a more direct equivalent of S. celebrin. This alterate adjective form may be a loan for Telerin telperin since Quenya mostly uses -rin as a language suffix and not a general adjective suffix as in Telerin/Sindarin; hat-tip to Parmandil for this suggestion.
Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would assume telpina is a general adjective “silver” than can mean either “made of silver” or “like silver”, while longer telperin more specifically means “like silver in hue or worth”.
telpinquar
masculine name. Silver-fist
Quenya name of Celebrimbor appearing as Telpinquar and longer Telperinquar (PE17/42). In the Silmarillion Appendix, Christopher Tolkien gave only longer Telperinquar, which is a more direct equivalent of Celebrimbor (SA/celeb). In private writings Tolkien most often use the (archaic) short form Tyelpinquar (PM/318; VT47/8). As such, this name seems to be a compound of the adjective telpina “like silver” and quár(ë) “fist” (SA/celeb, PE17/42).
telporno
masculine name. *Silver Tall
telpë
noun. silver, silver; [ᴱQ.] money
This was the Quenya word for “silver” throughout Tolkien’s life. The word was derived from the root √KYELEP, which became †tyelpë in Quenya and S. celeb in Sindarin. However, the Quenya form of the word was influenced by Telerin telpë “because the Teleri in their lands, to the north of the Noldor, found a great wealth of silver, and became the chief silversmiths among the Eldar” (Let/426). The archaic Quenya form †tyelpë was retained for the name of the palatal series of tengwar consonants, the tyelpetéma (LotR/1120), but in ordinary use (and most names) the forms telpë or telep- (in compounds) were used.
Conceptual Development: The Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s had ᴱQ. telpe based on the early root ᴱ√TELEPE, but its Gnomish cognate was G. celeb (QL/91). Tolkien did not explain this difference in these early documents from the 1910s. In Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s he had ᴱQ. telqe and ᴱN. celeb “silver” derived from primitive ᴱ✶kelekwé, explaining initial t in the Qenya form as the result of dissimilation away the kw (PE13/140).
In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien introduced a root ᴹ√KYELEP “silver” as an alternate to ᴹ√TELEP, with derivatives ᴹQ. telpe or tyelpe, N. celeb and ᴹT. telpe (Ety/KYELEP). He then said “Q telpe may be Telerin form (Teleri specially fond of silver, as Lindar of gold), in which case all forms may refer to KYELEP”. It seems that he stuck with this idea thereafter and abandoned ᴹ√TELEP.
Note that in the Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s Tolkien used ᴱQ. telpe for “money” (PE14/54), and I would give telpë this meaning for purposes of Neo-Quenya as well, much like the French word argent means both “silver” and “money”.
telufinwë
masculine name. Last Finwë
Telcontar
strider
Telcontar masc. name "Strider" (MR:216). This word may suggest a verb *telconta- "to stride".
Telellë
little elf
Telellë noun "little elf" (also Teler); the Telelli are said to be "young Elves of all clans who dwelt in Kôr to perfect their arts of singing and poetry" (LT1:267; see Teler)
Telemmaitë
silver-handed
Telemmaitë masc. name, *"Silver-handed" (Appendix A)
Telemnar
silver-flame
Telemnar masc.name, "Silver-flame" (Appendix A; for *Telep-nar)
Telimbectar
orion
Telimbectar ("k") noun,name of constellation:"Orion", lit. "Swordsman of Heaven". Also Telimectar ("k"). (LT1:268; in Tolkien's later Quenya Telumehtar, q.v. The combination ct is not found in LotR-style Quenya.)
Telimectar
orion
Telimectar ("k")noun, name of constellation,"Orion", lit. "Swordsman of Heaven". Also Telimbectar ("k"). (LT1:268; in Tolkien's later Quenya Telumehtar)
Telufinwë
last finwë
Telufinwë noun "Last Finwë", masc. name; he was called Amras in Sindarin. Short Quenya name Telvo. (PM:353)
telar
brick
telar noun "brick" (PE13:153, PE16:138)
telco
stem
telco noun "stem" of a Tengwa symbol (Appendix E). The Etymologies gives telco ("k") pl. telqui ("q") "leg" (the pl. form is said to be analogical) (TÉLEK). It seems, then, that the word can refer to a "stem" or "leg" in general as well as the stem of a Tengwa. In the pre-classical Tengwar system presupposed in the Etymologies, telco is used to refer to a carrier symbol (VT46:18, 33)
telda
last, final
telda (1) adj. "last, final" (WJ:407)
telda
having a roof
telda (2) adj. "having a roof" (LT1:268, LT2:348; this "Qenya" word is perhaps obsoleted by #1 above)
telemna
of silver
telemna adj. "of silver" (KYELEP/TELEP). Possibly this (like telpina and perhaps telepsa) describes something actually made of the metal silver, whereas telepta (q.v.) only refers to silver colour.%
telempë
silver
telempë noun "silver" (LT1:268; in Tolkien's later Quenya telpë, which is actually also found in early "Qenya")
telepsa
of silver
telepsa adj. "of silver" (KYELEP/TELEP).
telepta
silver
telepta adj. "silver" (as adj.: silvery) (LT2:347), used as noun in the phrase mi telepta of someone clad "in silver", where the context (involving other colour-words) shows that this adj. describes something of silver colour(PE17:71). Compare telemna, telepsa, telpina.
telerinwa
of the shores of elfland
telerinwa adj. Telerin (paraphrased "of the Shores of Elfland" in MC:215, since the Teleri dwelt on the shores of the Blessed Realm.) (PE16:96, MC:216)
telimbo
canopy, sky
telimbo noun "canopy, sky" (LT1:268)
tella
hindmost, last
tella adj. "hindmost, last" (TELES)
telluma
dome, copula
telluma noun "dome, copula", especially the "Dome of Varda" over Valinor, but also applied to the domes of the mansion of Manwë and Varda upon Taniquetil. Adopted from Valarin _delgūmā under the influence of pure Quenya telumë (WJ:399, 411). Pl. tellumar is attested (Nam, RGEO:66)_.
tellë
rear
tellë noun "rear" (TELES)
telpina
of silver
telpina adj. "of silver" (KYELEP/TELEP). Compare telemna, telepta.
telpë
silver
telpë noun "silver" (in one example with generalized meaning "money", PE14:54), telep- in some compounds like Teleporno; assimilated telem- in Telemnar and the adj. telemna (KYELEP/TELEP, SA:celeb, LT1:255, 268; also tyelpë, telep-, UT:266). The true Quenya descendant of primitive ¤kyelepē is tyelpë, but the Telerin form telpë was more common, "for the Teleri prized silver above gold, and their skill as silversmiths was esteemed even by the Noldor" (UT:266). In various names: Telperion the White Tree of Valinor; Telperien ("Telperiën"), fem. name including telp- "silver" (Appendix A); Telperinquar "Silver-fist, Celebrimbor" (SA:celeb - also Tyelperinquar); Telporno, Teleporno "Silver-high" = Sindarin _Celeborn(Letters:347, UT:266). _It seems that Teleporno is properly Telerin, Quenyarized as Telporno. Compare adjectives telemna, telpina, telepsa, telepta (q.v.)
teltassë
awning
teltassë noun "awning" (GL:70)
telya-
finish, wind up, conclude
telya- vb. "finish, wind up, conclude" (transitive) (WJ:411)
tel-
verb. to end, finish (intr.)
telda
adjective. last, final
telma
noun. conclusion, anything used to finish off a work or affair, conclusion, anything used to finish off a work or affair; [ᴹQ.] ending
telya-
verb. to finish, wind up, conclude (trans.)
Teleri
noun. Last-comers
Last-comers, Enders
tele
verb. mean, intend
telperin
adjective. like silver (in hue or worth)
telu-
verb. roof in
tyel-
end, cease
tyel- (2) vb. "end, cease" (KYEL)
tel
noun. end
Teleri
Teleri
telperion
Telperion
tellúmë
noun. deadline, (lit.) finish-time
telcohan
noun. trousers, pants, (lit.) leg-clothing
telpetan
noun. silversmith
telpevistando
noun. money-changer
telima
adjective. final
telwa
adjective. late, last
teldavë
adverb. finally
telmëa
adjective. conclusive, final, end, last; extreme
telpilin
noun. silver piece, *silver coin
telpingwë
noun. silverfish
telumbë
noun. mushroom
telusta
adjective. outer, extreme, ultimate
telustë
noun. extremity
telwina
adjective. later
telyanta-
verb. to allure, *attract
@@@ later etymology unclear
telyantalya
adjective. alluring, attractive
telyantassë
noun. allurement, attraction
palanyantië
noun. telepathy
palantímië
noun. telepathy
nyar-
to tell
nyar- vb. "to tell" (1st pers. aorist nyarin "I tell") (NAR2, VT45:36). Compare nyárë, nyarië, nyarna.
Quende#
noun. Elf
Elf
quendë
elf
quendë noun "Elf", the little-used analogical sg. of Quendi, q.v. (KWEN(ED), WJ:361)
quet-
verb. to say, speak, tell, to say, speak, tell, [ᴹQ.] mention, [ᴱQ.] talk
talma
base, foundation, root
talma noun "base, foundation, root" (TALAM), also translated "bottom" in the expression "top to bottom", see below.% Talmar Ambaren (place-name, *"Foundations of the World" - this is pre-classical "Qenya" with genitive in -en instead of -o as in LotR-style Quenya) (TALAM). Allative talmanna in the phrase telmello talmanna** "from hood to base**, top to bottom" _(VT46:18; notice misreading "telmanna" in the Etymologies as printed in LR, entry TEL-, TELU-)_
palancenta
noun. telecommunication
A neologism in the NQW, an elaboration of [ᴺQ.] palancen “television”.
palancen
noun. television, (lit.) far-sight
palallon
noun. telephone, (lit.) far-sound
palantilla
noun. telescope
A neologism coined by Tamas Ferencz, a combination of palan “far” with primitive ✶tirlā, as with cilintilla “looking-glass”.
linda
proper name. Singer
The name that the Teleri used to refer to themselves, usually appearing in the plural form Lindar and glossed “The Singers” (SI/Teleri, UT/286). They were so called because in legend, they sang before they could speak with words (WJ/382). The name was derived from the root √LIN “sing” (SA/lin, WJ/382).
Conceptual Development: In Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, this name was used for the first tribe, with the gloss “The Fair” (LR/168). It usually appeared as a collective noun, but sometimes appeared in the singular (PE22/51). In The Etymologies, it is given as ᴹQ. linda “fair, beautiful (of sound)” used as a name (Ety/LIND). In later writings, the name of the first tribe became the Vanyar, and Tolkien repurposed this name as another name of the third tribe with a slightly different derivation and meaning.
tyelperion
proper name. ?Silver Tree
Ambarussa
top-russet
Ambarussa masc. name "top-russet", alternation of Umbarto, mother-name (never used in narrative) of Telufinwë = Amras (PM:353-354)
Taimavar
shepherd of the sky
Taimavar masc. name "Shepherd of the Sky", Orion (LT1:268; Orion is called Telumehtar or Menelmacar in Tolkien's later Quenya)
Taimondo
orion
Taimondo, also Taimordo masc. name "Orion" (LT1:268; Orion is rather called Telumehtar or Menelmacar in Tolkien's later Quenya)
Tyelperinquar
silver-fist, celebrimbor
Tyelperinquar masc. name, "Silver-fist, Celebrimbor" (PM:318; also Telperinqar, q.v.)
Tyelperion
tyelperion
Tyelperion less common name of Telperion (UT:266).
Umbarto
fated
Umbarto masc. name, "Fated", mother-name (never used in narrative) of Telufinwë = Amras. The ominous name was altered to Ambarto by Fëanor. (PM:353-354)
caita-
lie
caita- vb. "lie" (= lie down, not "tell something untrue"), aorist tense "lies" in the sentences sindanóriello caita mornië "out of a grey land darkness lies" (Nam, RGEO:67), caitas lá/palla i sír "it is [lit. lies] (far) beyond the river" (PE17:65); the latter example demonstrates that caita can also be used of a geographical feature that "lies" in a certain place. According to PE17:72 and VT48:12-13, the pa.t. is cainë or cëantë rather than **caitanë. The "Qenya" form kakainen, translated "were lying", may seem to be related (VT27:7, 21)
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).
mectar
swordsman
mectar _("k")_noun"Swordsman". In Telimectar ("k"). (LT1:268; in LotR-style Quenya mehtar, also macar)
menelmacar
proper name. Swordsman of the Sky
A name of the constellation Orion, also called Telumehtar (LotR/1038). This name is a compound of menel “the heavens” and macar “swordsman”, and was translated “Swordsman of the Sky” (MR/71).
Conceptual Development: In the Early Quenya from the 1920s, another name for Orion was ᴱQ. Taimordo (QL/62), though in the narratives he appeared as ᴱQ. Telimektar (LT1/101), precursor to Q. Telumehtar. In the Quendi and Eldar essay from 1959-60, there is a variant form of this name: Q. Menelmacil “✱Sword of the Sky”.
quet-
say, speak
quet- vb. "say, speak" (SA:quen-/quet-, LT2:348), sg. aorist quetë in VT41:11 and VT49:19 (spelt "qete" in the latter source), not to be confused with the infinitival aorist stem in the example polin quetë "I can speak" (VT41:6); pl. aorist quetir in VT49:10-11, present tense quéta in VT41:13, pa.t. quentë in PM:401, 404, apparent gerund quetië in VT49:28 (by Tolkien translated as "words", but more literally evidently *"speaking"). Imperative in the command queta Quenya! "speak Quenya!" (PE17:138), see Quenya regarding the meaning of this phrase. The same verb is translated "tell" in the sentence órenya quetë nin "my heart tells me" (VT41:15). Cf. also #maquet-
tyelpë
silver
tyelpë noun "silver" (KYELEP/TELEP), etymology also in Letters:426 and UT:266. Tyelpë is the true Quenya descendant of primitive ¤kyelepē, but the Telerin form telpë was more common, "for the Teleri prized silver above gold, and their skill as silversmiths was esteemed even by the Noldor" (UT:266). In the Etymologies, tyelpë is also the name of Tengwa #1 with overposed dots, this symbol having the value ty (VT45:25). Cf. tyelpetéma as the name of the entire palatal series of the Tengwar system.
tyelpë
noun. silver
Nando
valley, wide valley
nando (2) "valley, wide valley", variant of nandë #1, q.v. (PE17:80)
ambarussa
masculine name. Top-russet
amya-
verb. [unglossed]
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)
arra
adjective. [unglossed]
cairë
?. [unglossed]
calca
glass
calca noun "glass" (VT47:35); compare hyellë, cilin.
calca
noun. glass
A word for “glass” appearing in notes from around 1968 as a derivative of √KALAK (VT47/35).
Conceptual Development: There was a similar form ᴱQ. talqe (talqi-) “glass” in the Qenya Lexicon and Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa of the 1910s (PME/88; QL/88). It also appeared in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon with a Gnomish cognate G. celc, both words being based on variant early roots ᴱ√kail(i)k and ᴱ√tail(i)k (GL/25).
In The Etymologies of the 1930s, the word for “glass” was ᴹQ. hyelle from the root ᴹ√KHYEL(ES) “glass” with Noldorin cognate N. hele (Ety/KHYEL(ES)). In notes on Words, Phrases and Passages in the Lord of the Rings from the late 1950s or early 1960s, Tolkien instead said that “there was no common Eldarin word for glass”, and that the Sindarin word for “glass” was borrowed from Khuzdul while the Quenya word was cilin (PE17/37). Tolkien’s last published word for “glass” was calca as noted above (VT47/35), which seems to be a restoration of the early root ᴱ√kail(i)k.
Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would use calca as the main Quenya for “[clear] glass”, but would retain cilin as another word for transluscent or reflective glass.
cilin
glass
cilin noun "glass" ("often used as in English ("often used as in English for any thing or implement made of glass") (PE17:37). Compare calca, hyellë.
cilin
noun. glass, glass [transluscent or reflective]
conta-
verb. [unglossed]
cúma
noun. [unglossed]
erúmëa
outer, outermost
erúmëa adj. "outer, outermost" (LT1:262)
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]
furu
lie
furu noun "a lie" _(LT2:340, GL:36) _Read perhaps *huru in a LotR-compatible form of Quenya, since Tolkien decided that fu- tended to become hu-.
halda
adjective. high, tall
hellë
sky
hellë noun "sky" (3EL; a distinct word hellë "frost" was struck out, see KHEL.)
hendas
?. [unglossed]
hindo
noun. [unglossed]
hindë
noun. [unglossed]
holdë
noun. [unglossed]
hríva
place name. [unglossed]
hyellë
glass
hyellë noun "glass" (KHYEL(ES), VT45:23; the later source also provides the unglossed form hyelma, which may be a synonym of hyellë; alternatively hyellë could be "glass" as a substance, whereas hyelma_ rather refers to "a glass" as a drinking vessel). _In later sources, cilin or calca is given as the word for "glass".
háro
?. [unglossed]
ilwë
sky, heavens
ilwë noun "sky, heavens" (LT1:255), "the middle air among the stars" (LT1:273). VT49:51, 53 also mentions an obscure prononominal element ilwë.
lantë
falling
lantë (2) adj.? participle? "falling" (MC:214; this is "Qenya" - in Tolkien's later Quenya lantala)
lenna-
verb. to come, to come; [ᴹQ.] to go, depart
lindo
singer, singing bird
lindo noun "singer, singing bird" (LIN2)
lingi-
verb. [unglossed]
londa
path
[londa noun "path"], changed by Tolkien to londë noun "road (in sea)" (VT45:28)
lára
flat
lára (1) adj. "flat" (DAL, VT45:25)
macar
swordsman
macar ("k") (1) noun "swordsman" (VT39:11). In Menelmacar (see menel). According to VT41:10, macar is literally "forger" (derived from maca-, q.v.), "often used in later use of a warrior".
maitya
?. [unglossed]
malsa
?. [unglossed]
maril
glass, crystal
maril noun "glass, crystal" (VT46:13; if this is to be the same word as the second element of Silmaril, the stem-form would be marill-, cf. pl. Silmarilli)
melya-
verb. [unglossed], *to be in love
menel acúna
the heavens bending
The twenty-fourth line of the Markirya poem (MC/222). It consists of another subordinate clause menel acúna “heavens bending”, with the noun menel “heavens” followed by the infinitive of the verb cúna- “to bend”. The prefix a- in acúna marks the infinitive as an object of the primary verb, which is the verb “see” of the previous phrase.
Decomposition: Broken into its constituent elements, this phrase would be:
> menel a-cúna = “✱heavens (object)-bending”
Conceptual Development: In the first draft, Tolkien used na- for the object-prefix, which he first retained in the second draft before changing it to a- (MC/222).
metta
end
metta noun "end"; Ambar-metta "world-end, the end of the world" (EO); mettarë *"end-day" = New Years' Eve in the Númenórean calendar and the Steward's Reckoning, not belonging to any month (Appendix D). The word Mettanyë, heading the final part of the poem The Trees of Kortirion, would seem to be related (LT1:43)
máriel
feminine name. [unglossed]
métima
last
métima adj. "last" (Markirya), in Markirya also twice métim', since the following words (auressë, andúnë) begin in an a.
nalda
valley
nalda adj. "valley" (used as an adjective), also "lowly" (LT1:261, QL:66)$
nandaro
harper
nandaro ("ñ")noun "harper" (ÑGAN/ÑGÁNAD)
nandë
valley
nandë (1) noun "valley" in Laurenandë (UT:253), elided nand in the name Nand Ondoluncava (k") "Stonewain Valley" (PE17:28). Possibly the complete word is here meant to be the variant nando (PE17:80), as suggested by the alternative form Ondoluncanan(do) ("k") "Stonewain Valley". Also nan, nand- noun "valley" (Letters:308); Nan-Tasarion "Vale of Willows" (LotR2:III ch. 4) (Note that this and the next nandë would be spelt differently in Tengwar writing, and originally they were also pronounced differently, since nandë "harp" was ñandë in First Age Quenya.)
nandë
noun. valley
naue
?. [unglossed]
nyar-
verb. relate
relate
nyello
singer
nyello noun "singer" (NYEL). Compare the final element of Falanyel, #Solonyel, q.v
níva
?. [unglossed]
oilima
last
oilima adj."last" (MC:213, 214; this is "Qenya"), inflected or lengthened form oilimain "last (pl.)" (MC:221), oilimaisen "(MC:221), oilimaite "last" (MC:214, 221)
palmë
surface
palmë noun "surface" (PAL)
palúrë
surface, bosom, bosom of earth
palúrë noun "surface, bosom, bosom of Earth" (= Old English folde) (PAL); cf. Palúrien.
sac-
verb. close
sac-
verb. to close
A verb for “close” in the phrase á þak’ i fende, mekin “close the door, please” in Late Notes on Verb Structure (LVS) from 1969 (PE22/166). It might be a later iteration of √PAK “close, shut” from 1959-60 (VT41/5; PE17/159).
sal-
verb. [unglossed]
silma
silver, shining white
silma adj. "silver, shining white" (SIL), "crystal (white)" (PE17:23)
sirpë
stem, stalk
sirpë noun "stem, stalk" (QL:84)
sundo
noun. base
base
sundo
base, root, root-word
sundo (þ) noun "base, root, root-word" (SUD), sc. a Quendian consonantal "base". According to VT46:16, Tolkien changed the root to STUD, thereby implying that sundo was earlier þundo (compare Sindarin thond "root"). PE18:95 gives the pl. form as sundur, seemingly implying a stem-form sundu-. It is not, however, used in the compound sundocarmë "base-structure" (PE18:84 not **sunducarmë), a term used in the description of the structure of the various Quendian "bases" or roots.
sélo
?. [unglossed]
sóla
?. [unglossed]
talan
floor, base, ground
talan (talam-, e.g. pl. talami) noun "floor, base, ground" (TALAM)
talas
sole
talas noun "sole" (LT2:347; Tolkien's later Quenya has tallunë)
talat-
slipping, sliding, falling down
talat- vb. a stem used for "slipping, sliding, falling down" (Letters:347), cf. atalta-, talta- and talantië
tallunë
sole of foot
tallunë noun "sole of foot", stem probably talluni- given primitive form ¤talrunya(TALAM, RUN)
taltea
adjective. insecure
tar-
affix. high, high; [ᴹQ.] king or queen (in compounds)
thar-
verb. [unglossed]
tier
path
tier is, besides the pl. form of tië "path" above, an ephemeral word for "so", abandoned by Tolkien in favour of tambë (VT43:17)
tië
path, course, line, direction, way
tië noun "path, course, line, direction, way" (TE3, VT47:11); pl. tier in Namárië(Nam, RGEO:67); tielyanna "upon your path" (UT:22 cf. 51; tie-lya-nna "path-your-upon")
toldo
cardinal. eight
The Quenya number “eight” derived from the root √TOLOD, probably from primitive ✱✶tolodō, with the middle vowel lost due to the Quenya syncope.
Conceptual Development: The earliest attested Qenya word for “eight” was ᴱQ. umna in the Gnomish Lexicon from the 1910s (GL/75), but when Tolkien composed the number lists in the Early Qenya Grammar from the 1920s, it was revised to ᴱQ. tolto (PE14/49, 82). In The Etymologies from the 1930s it remained ᴹQ. tolto from the root ᴹ√TOLOT (Ety/TOL¹-OTH/OT).
When Tolkien revisited the Elvish number system in the 1960s, he first used tolto (VT47/32), but he later changed the t to a d in both the Quenya form and the root (VT48/6).
Neo-Quenya: I personally prefer toldo as the Quenya word for “eight”, but some Neo-Quenya writers use the older (and perhaps better known) tolto. It seems Tolkien had considerable trouble deciding on the primitive root for “eight”, so any of these forms could be valid (VT47/31).
tolto
cardinal. eight
tolto cardinal "eight" (TOL1-OTH/OT), variant toldo (VT48:6). Ordinal toltëa "eighth" (VT42:31), with variant toldëa (VT42:25) to go with toldo.
tolto
cardinal. eight
tomba
noun. [unglossed]
tompë
noun. [unglossed], *pulse, beat
@@@ Neo-meaning “✱pulse, beat” suggested by Röandil on 2023-04-20
tul-
verb. to come, to come, [ᴱQ.] move (intr.); to bring, carry, fetch; to produce, bear fruit
The Quenya verb for “to come”, which is very well-attested. It is derived from the root √TUL whose basic sense is “move towards the speaker” (PE17/188), as in “come here”: á tule sís. English may also use “come with” in the sense “accompany” such as “I will come with you”, but Quenya uses men- (“go”) for this purpose (PE22/162), such as menuvan ó le = “I will go with you”.
Conceptual Development: ᴱQ. tulu- dates all the way back to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, where it appeared under the early root ᴱ√TULU, but in that early document it has a much broader set of glosses: “(1) bring, carry, fetch; (2) intr. move, come; (3) produce, bear fruit” (QL/95). By the Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s its list of glosses was reduced to “come” (PE14/57), and Tolkien used the verb only to mean “come” thereafter. Tolkien often used this verb in grammatical examples, which is part of the reason it is so well-attested.
tyal-
verb. play
play
tyal-
play
tyal- vb. "play" (1st pers. aorist tyalin "I play") (TYAL)
tyal-
verb. to play
tyalië
sport, play, game
tyalië noun "sport, play, game" (TYAL, LT1:260)
tyelima
final
tyelima adj. "final" (KYEL)
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".)
tál
noun. foot, foot; [ᴹQ.] bottom, [ᴱQ.] lowest part
The Quenya word for “foot” derived from the root √TAL of similar meaning (PE19/103; VT49/17; Ety/TAL). Given its Sindarin cognate S. tâl (not ✱✱taul) its ancient stem form must have had a short vowel, with the long vowel in the uninflected form the result of the subjective noun case which lengthened the base vowel of monosyllables (PE21/76). Q. tál could also refer to the bottom of things (PE21/21, 76) analogous to English “foot of the mountain” and similar phrases.
Conceptual Development: The earliest iteration of this word was ᴱQ. tala “foot” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√TALA “support” (QL/88), a form also appearing in the contemporaneous Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME/88). In the Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s it became ᴱQ. tál with plural tăli indicating an ancient short vowel (PE14/43, 76). In the Declension of Nouns from the early 1930s, ᴹQ. tāl had inflected forms with tal-, again indicating a short vowel in the stem (PE21/21), and likewise with the (1930s-style) genitive form talen in The Etymologies written around 1937 (Ety/TAL). Most of its later appearances also imply a short vowel in the stem, the main exception being the plural form táli in the 1950s version of the Nieninquë “poem”.
tána
high, lofty, noble
tána (meaning unclear, probably adj. "high, lofty, noble") (TĀ/TA3). Compare tára.
tópa
roof
tópa noun "roof" (TOP)
tópa-
roof
tópa- vb. "roof" (TOP)
um(ba)-
prefix. [unglossed]
umbacarin
noun. [unglossed]
umbarto
masculine name. Fated
vaina
late
vaina (2) adj., the "late" pronunciation of waina "blonde, fair of hair" (PE17:154)
éna
?. [unglossed]
úpa-
verb. [unglossed]
þúna
?. [unglossed]
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)
manya
noun. butter
tesar
noun. brick, tile
tel noun "roof" (LT1:268). Rather tópa in Tolkiens later Quenya.