Quenya 

tengwa

noun. sign

sign, indicator, letter

Quenya [PE 19:97] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

tengwa

letter

tengwa (pl. tengwar is attested) (1) noun "letter" Tengwa (ñ) is defined as "any one visible sign representing (theoretically) any one audible teñgwe" (phoneme) (VT39:17). In non-technical usage tengwa was equivalent to "consonant", since only the consonants were full signs (WJ:396, TEK). In the Etymologies, tengwa was apparently emended from tengwë (VT46:17).

tengwa

noun. (written) letter; sign, token, indicator, (written) letter; sign, token, indicator; [ᴹQ.] writing, grammar

Cognates

  • S. têw “letter” ✧ LotR/1117; PE17/043; PE17/044; PE17/044; PE17/044; PE17/122; PE17/122; WJ/396

Derivations

  • tekmā “letter” ✧ PE17/043; PE17/044; PE18/104
    • TEK “make a written mark, sign, write, make a written mark, sign, write, [ᴹ√] write or draw (signs or letters)” ✧ PE17/043; PE17/044
  • teñwā “letter, sign, token” ✧ PE17/044; PE17/044; PE17/044; PE19/097; PE22/149
    • TEÑ “indicate, signify, show, represent, betoken, mark, to point at, indicate, signify, show, represent, betoken, mark, to point at; [ᴱ√] know, understand” ✧ PE17/044; PE17/044; PE17/044; PE19/097; PE22/149

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
tekmā > tegmā > teñma > tengwa[tekmā] > [tegmā] > [teŋmā] > [teŋgwā] > [teŋgwa]✧ PE17/043
tek-mā > tengwa[tekmā] > [tegmā] > [teŋmā] > [teŋgwā] > [teŋgwa]✧ PE17/044
teñwa > tengwa[teŋwa] > [teŋgwa]✧ PE17/044
teñma > tengwa[teŋwa] > [teŋgwa]✧ PE17/044
teñwa > tengwa[teŋwa] > [teŋgwa]✧ PE17/044
tekma > tengwa[tekma] > [tegma] > [teŋma] > [teŋgwa] > [teŋgwa]✧ PE18/104
teñ-wā > teñgwa[teŋwā] > [teŋgwā] > [teŋgwa]✧ PE19/097
teŋmā > tengwa[teŋmā] > [teŋgwā] > [teŋgwa]✧ PE22/149

Variations

  • teñgwa ✧ PE19/097; VT39/17
Quenya [Let/223; LotR/1117; LotRI/Tengwar; MRI/tengwar; PE17/043; PE17/044; PE17/122; PE18/104; PE19/097; PE22/149; RSI/Tengwar; VT39/17; VT49/48; WJ/396] Group: Eldamo. Published by

tengwa-

verb. to read written matter

Element in

  • Q. tengwië “reading; language (*signing)” ✧ VT49/48

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)

narwë

sign, token

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

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)

sarat

letter

sarat (pl. sarati given) noun "letter", any individual significant mark, used of the letters of Rúmil after the invention of Fëanor's tengwar (WJ:396). Cf. sarmë.