#tengwië noun "language" in the compound mátengwië "language of the hands" (VT47:9). Compare tengwë, tengwesta.
Quenya
tengwë
indication, sign, token
tengwë
noun. sign, token, indication; writing, sign, token, indication; writing; [ᴱQ.] knowledge, understanding; idea, notion, thought
Derivations
- ✶tekmē “writing, grammar” ✧ PE19/086
- √TEK “make a written mark, sign, write, make a written mark, sign, write, [ᴹ√] write or draw (signs or letters)” ✧ PE19/086
- ✶teñwe “sign, token, indication” ✧ VT39/04; VT39/17; WJ/394
- √TEÑ “indicate, signify, show, represent, betoken, mark, to point at, indicate, signify, show, represent, betoken, mark, to point at; [ᴱ√] know, understand” ✧ VT39/04; VT39/15; WJ/394
Element in
- ᴺQ. calatengwë “photograph, (lit.) light-writing”
- Q. lambetengwë “consonant” ✧ VT39/16
- Q. náva-tengwë “consonant” ✧ VT39/08
- Q. pávatengwë “consonant” ✧ VT39/08
- ᴺQ. nwátengwë “irony, (lit.) disguise-token”
- Q. óma-tengwë “vowel-sign” ✧ VT39/08; VT39/16
- ᴺQ. tengwelanga “transcription”
- Q. tengwelë “language (general term), language (general term); [ᴱQ.] sense” ✧ VT39/16
- Q. tengwesta “grammar, morphology, system or code of signs, collection of matter concerning writing, *language structure” ✧ PE21/82; VT39/16; WJ/394
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶tekmē > tengwe [tekmē] > [tegmē] > [teŋmē] > [teŋgwē] > [teŋgwe] ✧ PE19/086 ✶teñgwe > tengwe [teŋwe] > [teŋgwe] ✧ VT39/04 ✶teñ-we > teñgwe [teŋwe] > [teŋgwe] ✧ VT39/17 ✶tenwe > tengwe [teŋwe] > [teŋgwe] ✧ WJ/394 Variations
- tengwe ✧ PE19/086 (tengwe); VT39/04; VT39/05; VT39/07; WJ/394; WJ/396
- teñgwe ✧ PE21/82; VT39/16; VT39/17
tengwië
language
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. sign
sign, indicator, letter
tengwelë
language
tengwelë noun "Language" (in all its aspects), a general word for the grouping and composing of tengwi (linguistic "signs", phonemes) into a linguistic system (VT39:16)
tengwestië
language
tengwestië noun "Language" as abstract or phenomenon (WJ:394)
Nolmë
knowledge, philosophy (including science)
Nolmë ("ñ")noun "knowledge, Philosophy (including Science)" (PM:360 cf. 344)
handë
knowledge, understanding, intelligence
handë noun "knowledge, understanding, intelligence" (KHAN). Note: *handë is (probably) also the past tense of the verb har- "sit".
issë
knowledge, lore
issë noun "knowledge, lore" (LT2:339; rather ista or istya in Tolkien's later Quenya)
ista
knowledge
ista (1) noun "knowledge" (IS). Also istya.
istare
noun. knowledge
istya
knowledge
istya noun "knowledge" (IS). Also ista (#1).
lambelë
language
lambelë noun "Language" (especially with reference to phonology), *"phonetics" (VT39:15)
narwë
sign, token
[narwë (and short nar, unless this is an incomplete form) noun "sign, token"] (VT45:37)
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.
sarmë
writing
sarmë noun "writing" (VT39:8). Cf. sarat.
sarmë
noun. writing
Derivations
- √SAR “score, incise; write, score, incise; [extended sense] write; [ᴹ√] *stone”
Variations
- sarme ✧ VT39/08
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)
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)
tengwë (pl. tengwi attested) noun "indication, sign, token", in linguistics used for phonemes(VT39:7, WJ:394); hloníti tengwi "phonetic signs" (WJ:395). The term tengwë was particularly associated with consonants (VT39:16). In the Etymologies, stem TEK, tengwë is glossed "writing"; this gloss would seem to be obsolete (for this meaning the word sarmë occurs in Tolkien's later material).