tir- vb. "watch, watch over, guard, heed", 1st pers. aorist tirin "I watch", pa.t. tirnë (TIR), imperative tira (VT47:31) or á tirë (PE17:94), future tense tiruva "shall heed" in Markirya (also MC:213, 214); also in CO with pronominal endings: tiruvantes "they will guard it" (tir-uva-nte-s "guard-will-they-it"). The stem also occurs in palantíri (q.v.), Tirion place-name "Great Watchtower", a city of the Elves (SA:tir; in MR:176 the translation is "Watchful City")
Quenya
Tiristemindon
place name. Minas Tirith
tirmo
noun. watcher
tir-
watch, watch over, guard, heed
tirin
tall tower
tirin noun "tall tower" _(LT1:258; this is a verb "I watch" in the Etymologies, stem TIR.)_
tirion
watch-tower, tower
tirion noun "watch-tower, tower" (TIR); in early "Qenya" the gloss was "a mighty tower, a city on a hill" (LT1:258). Tirion "Great Watchtower", a city of the Elves in the Blessed Realm (SA:tir; in MR:176 the translation is "Watchful City")
tirion
place name. Great Watch-tower
City of the Elves in Valinor, built on the hill Túna (S/59). This name is the noun tirion “watch-tower” used as a name, probably inspired by the great tower Mindon Eldaliéva built by Ingwë within that city.
Conceptual Development: In the earliest Lost Tales, the name of this city of the Elves in Valinor was ᴱQ. Kôr, which was also the name of the hill where it was built (LT1/122-3). At this early stage, the name ᴱQ. Kortirion was used for the chief city of Tol Eressëa, home of the exiles of Kôr and named after the great tower built by Ingil son of Inwe (LT1/16). In Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, ᴹQ. Kôr became the name of the hill only, and the name of the city became ᴹQ. Túna “Hill City” (LR/222). In the same period, the name ᴹQ. Kortirion largely vanished from the narratives, mentioned only as the place where Ælfwine recorded the tales (LR/334).
In Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, the city in Valinor was called ᴹQ. Tirion in Bilbo’s poem in Rivendell (TI/92); this name was also used in Tolkien’s notes on the fall of Númenor from the 1940s (SD/403). The name Tirion was retained in the published Lord of the Rings (LotR/235), and Tolkien used this name for the Valinorian city in Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s (MR/84). Túna gradually became the name of the hill only (MR/8), while the name Kôr vanished entirely. It is possible that Q. Tirion was a restoration of the early name ᴱQ. Kortirion, now as the city in Valinor rather than Tol Eressëa. The chief city of Tol Eressëa was called Avallónë in later writings (S/260).
The table below summarizes these changes:
|Period|City (Tol Eressea)|City (Valinor)|Hill (Valinor)|Tower|Tower Builder| |Early (ᴱQ)|Kortirion|Kôr|Kôr|Tirin (in Tol Eressea)|Ingil| |Middle (ᴹQ)|Kortirion|Túna|Kôr|Ingwemindon (in Valinor)|Ingwe| |Late (Q)|Avallónë|Tirion|Túna|Mindon Eldaliéva|Ingwë|
tirios
town with walls and towers
tirios noun (probably *tiriost-) "a town with walls and towers" (LT1:258)
tiris
watch, vigil
tiris (tiriss-), also tirissë, noun "watch, vigil" (LT1:258, QL:93)
tir-
verb. to watch (over), guard, heed; to look (at), gaze, observe, to watch (over), guard, heed; to look (at), gaze, observe; [ᴱQ.] to keep, preserve
tirítë
adjective. watchful, vigilant
tirion
noun. watch-tower, watch-tower, tower, [ᴱQ.] (great or mighty) tower; city on a hill
tirila
watching (sth)
tirila
adjective. watching (something)
tiríte
adjective. watchful, vigilant
tirmë
noun. steadfast regard, stare, *gaze
@@@ modified to avoid conflict with past tense of tir-
tiris
noun. watch, vigil, ward
tirma
noun. spyglass
tirmen
noun. theater
tirista
noun. *watch, guard
Eldamar
elvenhome
Eldamar place-name "Elvenhome" (ÉLED; found already in Narqelion), according to MR:176 another name of Tirion (see tir-).
á
immediate time reference
a (3), also á, imperative particle. An imperative with "immediate time reference" is expressed by á in front of the verb (or "occasionally after it, sometimes before and after for emphasis"), with the verb following in "the simplest form also used for the uninflected aorist without specific time reference past or present or future" (PE17:93). Cf. a laita te, laita te! "[o] bless them, bless them!", á vala Manwë! "may Manwë order it!", literally "o rule Manwë!" (see laita, vala for reference); cf. also á carë "do[!]", á ricë "try!", á lirë "sing[!]", á menë "proceed[!]", a norë "run[!]" (PE17:92-93, notice short a in this example), á tula "come!" (VT43:14). In the last example, the verb tul- "come" receives an ending -a that probably represents the _suffixed form of the imperative particle, this apparently being an example of the imperative element occurring both "before and after" the verbal stem "for emphasis" (PE17:93)_. This ending may also appear on its own with no preceding a/á, as in the command queta "speak!" (PE17:138). Other examples of imperatives with suffixed -a include cena and tira (VT47:31, see cen-, tir-); the imperatives of these same verbs are however also attested as á tirë, á cenë (PE17:94) with the imperative particle remaining independent and the following verb appearing as an uninflected aorist stem. This aorist can be plural to indicate a 3rd person pl. subject: á ricir! "let them try!" (PE17:93). Alyë (VT43:17, VT44:9) seems to be the imperative particle a with the pronominal suffix -lyë "you, thou" suffixed to indicate the subject who is to carry out the command; attested in the phrase alyë anta "give thou" (elided aly' in VT43:11, since the next word begins in e-: aly' eterúna me, *"do thou deliver us"); presumably other pronominal suffixes could likewise be added. The particle a is also present in the negative imperatives ala, #ála or áva, q.v.
-uva
fill
-uva future tense ending. In avuva, caluva, cenuva, hiruva, (en)quantuva, (en)tuluva, laituvalmet, lauva, maruvan, termaruva, tiruvantes. A final -a drops out before the ending -uva is added: quanta- "fill", future tense quantuva (PE17:68). A verbal stem in -av- may be contracted when -uva follows, as when avuva is stated to have become auva (VT49:13). Origin/etymology of the ending -uva, see VT48:32. In VT49:30, the future tense of the verb "to be" is given as uva, apparently the future-tense "ending" appearing independently, but several other sources rather give nauva for "will be" (see ná #1).
-xë
oneself, myself, themselves
-xë ("ks") reflextive pronominal ending, presumably meaning *"oneself, myself, themselves" etc.; plural -xer, dual -xet (VT49:48). Presumably it can be used in constructions like *i nér tirnexë *"the man watched himself" (tirnesexë "he watched himself"), plural i neri tirnexer "the men watched themselves" (tirneltexer "they watched themselves"), dual e.g. i ontaru tirnexet "the parents watched themselves" (tirnettexet** "they [dual] watched themselves").
caris
he/him, she/her, it
-s (1) 3rd person sg. pronominal ending "he/him, she/her, it" (VT49:48, 51), occurring in caris "he/she/it does" (VT49:16, PE17:129), caitas "it lies" (PE17:65), tentanes "it pointed" (VT49:26), tulis "(s)he comes" (VT49:19), eques (q.v.), anes (see ná #1), also (in object position) in camnelyes, caritas, caritalya(s), melinyes, tiruvantes, and utúvienyes, q.v. (Tolkien mentions -s as an "objective" ending for the 3rd person sg. in PE17:110.) The longer form -së (perhaps with personal meaning "he, she" only) is said to be "rare" (VT49:51); cf. násë "he is", nésë "he was" (see ná #1). In nésë the ending is suggested to be shortened from -sse (VT49:28), an ending that may also be attested in the untranslated verbal form tankassen (PE17:76), where it is perhaps followed by a second pronominal ending -n "me". According to PE17:129, the 3rd person sg. ending at one stage appeared as -ze "when pronominal affixes followed" (Tolkien citing the form carize-, e.g. apparently *carizet for "he makes them"); normally z would later become r, but it actually became (historically: reverted to) s by analogy with the short form caris as well as the independent pronoun se*. Exilic Quenya would then evidently have (e.g.) cariset for "he makes them", with a rare example of intervocalic s that is not derived from older þ**.
imlë
yourself, thyself
imlë "yourself, thyself", 2nd person formal sg. reflexive pronoun, e.g. *tirilyë imlë, "you watch yourself". Compare intyë. (VT47:37)
immo
same one, self
immo, "same one, self" (VT49:33), general singular reflexive pronoun (covering both the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person sg.), except where the subject is impersonal, in which case imma is used instead (VT47:37). Hence *tirin immo* "I watch [my]self", tirilyë immo "you watch [your]self", tiris immo "(s)he watches [him/her]self" (but apparently tiris imma** "it watches [it]self").
immë
ourselves
immë (1) *"ourselves", 1st person pl. reflexive pronoun, probably the exclusive form, e.g. *tirilmë immë "we (excl.) watch ourselves". Compare inwë. (VT47:37)
imnë
myself
imnë, also imni, *"myself", 1st person sg. reflexive pronoun, e.g. *tirin imnë/imni "I watch myself" (but apparently the general reflexive pronoun immo can also be used) (VT47:37). In PE17:41, imnë is mentioned as an Old Quenya pronoun meaning "I, I myself" (cf. inyë).
indë
yourselves
indë "yourselves", 2nd person pl.. reflexive pronoun, e.g. *tirildë indë, "you watch yourselves". Indë is derived from earlier imde(VT47:37)
insa
itself
insa *"itself", 3rd person sg. impersonal reflexive pronoun, e.g. *tiris insa "it watches itself" (but apparently the general reflexive pronoun immo may also be used, and it may even be preferable since the cluster ns seems unusual for Quenya). Compare insë, the corresponding personal form.
insë
himself
insë "himself" and "herself", 3rd person sg. personal reflexive pronoun, apparently covering both genders, e.g. *tiris insë "(s)he watches him/herself" (but apparently the general reflexive pronoun immo may also be used, and it may even be preferable since the cluster ns seems unusual for Quenya). Compare insa, the corresponding impersonal form. Insë is derived from earlier imsë, a form that was possibly also used in Quenya (unless "imse" in Tolkien's manuscript is intended as an etymological form only, though it is not asterisked) (VT47:37)
intyë
yourself, thyself
intyë *"yourself, thyself", 2nd person intimate sg. reflexive pronoun, e.g. *tiritye intyë, "you watch yourself" (but apparently the general reflexive pronoun immo can also be used). Compare imlë. (VT47:37)
inwë
ourselves
inwë *"ourselves", 1st person pl. reflexive pronoun, evidently the inclusive form, e.g. *tirilvë inwë "we (incl.) watch ourselves". Compare immë. (VT47:37)
indë
pronoun. yourselves
insa
pronoun. itself
-tar
king
-tar or tar-, element meaning "king" or "queen" in compounds and names (TĀ/TA3), e.g. Valatar; compare the independent nouns tár, tári. Prefix Tar- especially in the names of the Kings and Queens of Númenor (e.g. Tar-Amandil); see their individual names (like Amandil in this case), cf. also Tar-Mairon "King Excellent", title used by Sauron (PE17:183). Also in Tareldar "High-elves"; see also Tarmenel.
Elendë
elvenhome
Elendë (1) place-name "Elvenhome", regions of Valinor where the Elves dwelt and the stars could be seen (MR:176, ÉLED). Plural ablative elendellor in the phrase et elendellor, evidently *"out of the elf-lands" (VT45:13).
ambapenda
uphill
ambapenda adj. "uphill". Also ampenda. (AM2)
ampenda
uphill
ampenda adj. "uphill". Also ambapenda. (AM2)
amya-
verb. [unglossed]
aran
king
aran noun "king"; pl. arani (WJ:369, VT45:16, PE17:186); gen.pl. aranion "of kings" in asëa aranion, q.v.; aranya "my king" (aran + nya) (UT:193). Aran Meletyalda "king your mighty" = "your majesty" (WJ:369); aran Ondórëo, "a king of Gondor" (VT49:27). Also in arandil "king's friend, royalist", arandur "king's servant, minister" (Letters:386); Arantar masc. name, "King-Lord" (Appendix A); Arandor "Kingsland" region in Númenor (UT:165); the long form Arandórë appears as a name of Arnor in PE17:28 (elsewhere Arnanórë, q.v.) Othercompounds ingaran, Noldóran, Núaran, q.v.
aran
noun. king
arra
adjective. [unglossed]
cairë
?. [unglossed]
cenda-
watch
cenda- vb. "watch" (not "guard", but observe to gain information), also used = "read". Cenda = also noun "reading", as in sanwecenda "thought-inspection, thought-reading". (VT41:5, PE17:156)
conta-
verb. [unglossed]
cúma
noun. [unglossed]
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]
haran
king, chieftain
haran (#harn-, as in pl. harni) noun "king, chieftain" (3AR, TĀ/TA3, VT45:17; for "king", the word aran is to be preferred in LotR-style Quenya). In a deleted entry in the Etymologies, haran was glossed "chief" (VT45:17)
hendas
?. [unglossed]
hindo
noun. [unglossed]
hindë
noun. [unglossed]
holdë
noun. [unglossed]
háro
?. [unglossed]
imma
itself
imma *"itself", impersonal reflexive pronoun referring to the "same thing" (VT47:37) as the subject; compare immo.
imni
pronoun. myself
imnë
pronoun. myself
lingi-
verb. [unglossed]
lumba
weary
lumba (1) adj. "weary" (VT45:29)
maitya
?. [unglossed]
malsa
?. [unglossed]
marto
tower
marto (1) noun "tower" (PE17:66)
marto
noun. tower
melya-
verb. [unglossed], *to be in love
naue
?. [unglossed]
quanta-
fill
quanta- (2) vb. "fill" (PE17:68), cf. enquantuva "will refill" in Namárië. This verb seems to spring from a secondary use of the adjective quanta "full" as a verbal stem, whereas the synonym quat- (q.v.) is the original primary verb representing the basic root KWAT.
quat-
fill
quat- vb. "fill" (WJ:392), future #quantuva "shall fill" (enquantuva "shall refill") (Nam, RGEO:67) Irrespective of the prefix en- "re", the form enquatuva (VT48:11) displays the expected future tense of quat-. The Namárië form enquantuva seems to include a nasal infix as well, which is possibly an optional feature of the future tense. On the other hand, PE17:68 cites the verb as quanta- rather than quat-, and then the future-tense form quantuva would be straightforward.
ranta
part
#ranta noun "part". Pl. rantali attested. (PE14:117)
sal-
verb. [unglossed]
sélo
?. [unglossed]
sóla
?. [unglossed]
taran
king
taran (1) noun "king", possibly ephemeral variant of aran, q.v. (PE17:186)
tarminas
tower
tarminas noun "tower" etc. (Sindarin barad); see taras (PE17:22)
thar-
verb. [unglossed]
tomba
noun. [unglossed]
tompë
noun. [unglossed], *pulse, beat
@@@ Neo-meaning “✱pulse, beat” suggested by Röandil on 2023-04-20
turco
tower
turco ("k") (2) noun "tower". In Lúnaturco, Quenya name of Barad-dûr (Dark Tower). Tolkien changed the word turco from turma (PE17:22).
turma
tower
[turma] (2) noun "tower". Tolkien changed this word to turco (#2), q.v. (PE17:22)
tár
king
tár noun "king" (only used of the legitimate kings of whole tribes); the pl. tári "kings" must not be confused with the sg. tári "queen" (TĀ/TA3). Prefix tar-, compare -tar above. The normal Quenya word for "king" is aran, but compare Tarumbar.
túr
king
túr, tur noun "king" (PE16:138, LT1:260); rather aran in LotR-style Quenya, but cf. the verb tur-. Also compare the final element -tur, -ntur "lord" in names like Axantur, Falastur, Fëanturi, Vëantur (q.v.)
um(ba)-
prefix. [unglossed]
umbacarin
noun. [unglossed]
vardar
king
vardar noun "king" (LT1:273; rather aran in LotR-style Quenya)
éna
?. [unglossed]
úpa-
verb. [unglossed]
þúna
?. [unglossed]
eldatár
`Vm#1~C6 noun. elf-king, elfking, elven-king
estatina
adjective. divided, shared, distributed
@@@ a noun formed from the verb tir- “to watch” with the agental suffix -mo.