ú-

prefix. no, not, negative; impossible, no, not, negative; impossible; [N.] bad-

ú-

~M prefix. negates the sense of the following word

pref. negates the sense of the following word. Applied to all classes of words but especially to verbs and adjectives. Prefixed to verbal stems (without further suffix), it forms quasi-participles in aorist mode (e.g. únod not ever counting, _úbed _not saying). The continuative participle ol can be added in order to express a strictly present (and continuative) sense : úgarol 'not now doing or making', idling vs. ugar '(generally) idle'. There is no sens of 'without' attaching to ú- in Sindarin, see pen- (ben-). >> pen-, úland, úlann

ú-

prefix. impossible

ú

prefix. no, not (negative prefix or particle)

ú

not

(adverbial prefix) ú-, u- (followed by lenition, e.g. ú-chebin ”I do not keep”) (without). Verb

ú

not

u- (followed by lenition, e.g. ú-chebin ”

ú

without

(adverbial prefix) ú-, u- (e.g. udalraph ”without stirrups; stirrupless”, uluithiad *”without quenching” (SD:62) = ”unquenchable”). The prefix ar- has a similiar meaning, as in:

ú

without

u- (e.g. udalraph ”without stirrups; stirrupless”, uluithiad ✱”without quenching” (SD:62) = ”unquenchable”). The prefix ar- has a similiar meaning, as in:

pen-

without

(ben-) _ pref. _without,**less. pen-adar 'fatherless'. >> ben-, ú-

law

jyE prefix. not

Neologism derived from the root √LA "no, not". ló- and lenition before consonants. It's meant to be used as an alternative to ú-, which Tolkien rejected as a negative prefix in his later writings.

Examples:
*ló-hevin mass "I do not have bread."
*law aníron mass "I do not want bread."

Phonological development:
lā > lǭ > lau, law
?law > ló-

al-

prefix. not

pref. not. >> alfirin

annui

adjective. western

baw

interjection. no, don't!

di-

prefix. beneath, under

The only known usage of this word is as prefix, but VT/45:37 lists it as a unitary word di

ogol

bad

_ adj. _bad, evil, wrong. Q. olca bad, wicked. oklā << ōklā. >> oew, ogron

pen

preposition. without, lacking, -less

thu

bad

_adj. _bad. >> thugar. This gloss was rejected.

ú-chebin estel anim

I have kept no hope for myself

úlan(n)

adjective. narrow, (lit.) not broad

úland

adjective. narrow, (lit.) not broad

û

interjection. no

adv. or interj. no, not (of fact).

agor

narrow

agor (analogical pl. egyr). In archaic S agr.

agor

narrow

(analogical pl. egyr). In archaic S agr.

al

not

al- (prefix) as in alfirin "not-mortal", immortal.

al

not

(prefix) as in alfirin "not-mortal", immortal.

annui

western

annui. No distinct pl. form.

annui

western

. No distinct pl. form.

ar

without

(adv. prefix) ar- (outside)

ar

without

(outside)

ava

will not

(i ava, in avar).

baw!

no

! (interjection expressing refusal or prohibition, not denying facts) baw! (dont!) Prefix

baw!

no

(don’t!) Prefix

dî

beneath

dî, unstressed di (in, under) (VT45:37). Note: a homophone means ”bride, lady”.

dî

beneath

unstressed di (in, under) (VT45:37). Note: a homophone means ”bride, lady”.

dúnen

adjective. western

A neologism coined by Röandil in 2023-09-28 on the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), an adjectival form of dûn “west” analogous to rhúnen “east[ern]”.

faeg

bad

*faeg (poor, mean). No distinct pl. form. (Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” foeg.)

faeg

bad

(poor, mean). No distinct pl. form. (Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” foeg.)

gobennas

history

1. gobennas (i **obennas), pl. gebennais (i ngebennais = i ñebennais), collective pl. gobennnassath**. (Archaic pl. *göbennais.) 2) pennas (i bennas, o phennas) (account), pl. pennais (i phennais), coll. pl. pennassath

gobennas

history

(i ’obennas), pl. gebennais (i ngebennais = i ñebennais), collective pl. gobennnassath. (Archaic pl. ✱göbennais.)

gú

no, not

also ú

imlad

narrow valley with steep sides

(glen, deep valley), pl. imlaid.

imrath

narrow valley

(pl. imraith)

lae-

verb. to not be

law

adverb. not

lond

narrow path

(harbour, haven, pass, strait), pl. lynd, coll. pl. lonnath (as in the name Lonnath Ernin, WR:294).

pen

without

1. pen (lenited ben) (lacking, -less) (WJ:375) Not to be confused with the pronoun pen ”one, somebody, anybody”. When prefixed to a noun, the resulting phrase can be treated as an adjective in that it is lenited (pen- appears as ben-) where an adjective would be lenited. 2)

pen

without

(lenited ben) (lacking, -less) (WJ:375) Not to be confused with the pronoun pen ”one, somebody, anybody”. When prefixed to a noun, the resulting phrase can be treated as an adjective in that it is lenited (pen- appears as ben-) where an adjective would be lenited.

pennas

history

(i bennas, o phennas) (account), pl. pennais (i phennais), coll. pl. pennassath

said

not common

(lenited haid; no distinct pl. form) (separate, private, excluded) (VT42:20)

um

bad

um (evil), pl. ym. David Salo would read *ûm with a long vowel. (According to VT46:20, it may be that um is intended as a base rather than as a ”Noldorin” word.)

um

bad

(evil), pl. ym. David Salo would read ✱ûm with a long vowel. *(According to VT46:20, it may be that um is intended as a base rather than as a ”Noldorin” word.)*

ú-

prefix. un, bad-

agor

adjective. narrow

agor

adjective. narrow

agr

adjective. narrow

al-

prefix. no, not

gobennas

noun. history

gobennas

noun. history

mû

interjection. no

pennas

noun. history, historical account

pennas

noun. history

um

adjective. bad, evil

ú-

prefix. no, not, un-, in-; hard, difficult, bad, uneasy; hardly, with difficulty, ‘badly’

ú-

prefix. bad, uneasy, hard

ú-

verb. not-, un-, in-

ú- (2) prefix "not-, un-, in-", denying presence or possession of thing or quality (VT39:14, UGU/UMU/VT46:20, GŪ, LT1:272), or simply suggesting something bad or immoral (see #úcar-, Úmaiar). Tolkien at one point considered redefining ú- as an element signifying "bad, uneasy, hard"; the already-published form únótima would then mean "difficult/impossible to count" rather than simply "uncountable" (VT42:33). However, Tolkien's very last word on the matter seems to be that ú- was to remain a mere negative (VT44:4). Compare úa, q.v. According to the Etymologies, the prefix ú- usually has a "bad sense", whereas according to early material u- (uv-, um-, un-) is a "mere negation" (UGU/UMU vs. VT42:32) According to a later source, ú- could be used as an uninflected verbal prefix, mainly in verse, but in a normal style the prefix was "verbalized" as ua-, q.v. (PE17:144). The stem Ū, as a negation, was accompanied by "pursed lips and shaking of the head" (PE17:145).

ú

preposition/adverb. without, destitute of

@@@ with object of the preposition in the genitive: ú calo “without light”

ú

particle. not

ú

without, destitute of

ú (1) adv. and prep. "without, destitute of" (VT39:14). Usually followed by genitive: ú calo "without light" (cala). In one source, ú is seemingly also used as a negative verb "was not" (VT49:13), but Tolkien revised the text in question.

hu-

verb. hu-

[hu- or hú-, negative prefix (VT45:17); Tolkien settled on ú- instead.]

únótima

not possible to count, countless

únótima adj. "not possible to count, countless" (VT39:14), pl. únótimë (translated "numberless") attested (ú-nót-imë "not-count-able") (Nam, RGEO:66, Appendix E). Cf. unnegated nótima, q.v.

-enca

without, -less

-enca suffix "without, -less" (PE17:167), cf. nec-, q.v.

-ië

suffix. is

-ië (3) "is", -ier "are", stative verb suffix occurring in Fíriel's Song: númessier "they are in the west", meldielto "they are...beloved", talantië "he is fallen", márië "it is good" (< *númessë "in the west", melda "beloved", *talanta "fallen"); future tense -iéva in hostainiéva "will be gathered" (< *hostaina "gathered"). Compare ye "is", yéva "will be", verbs that also occur in Fíriel's Song. This suffix is probably not valid in LotR-style Quenya: -ië is an infinitival or gerundial ending in CO, for ye "is" Namárië has ná, and the phrase "lost is" is vanwa ná, not *vanwië.

-na

no longer part of verbal conjugation

-na (4), ending used to form passive participles as well as some adjectives and nouns; see -ina. According to PE17:68, the ending -na was "no longer part of verbal conjugation"; the derived words are thus considered independent adjectives (sometimes nouns) rather than regularly derived passive participles, the obvious etymological connection to certain verbal stems notwithstanding. Where adding the ending to a root would produce the combinations tn, pn, kn (cn), metathesis occurs to produce nt, (np >) mp, nc, as in nanca *"slain" for older ¤ndakna, or hampa "restrained, delayed, kept" vs. the root KHAP "retain, keep, detain". Following -l, the suffix -na turns into -da, as in yulda "draught, the amount drunk" for older yulna (this being an example of a noun being derived with this ending, though Tolkien might also explain yulda as containing a distinct ending -da [q.v.] denoting the result of a verbal action). The word *turúna "mastered" (q.v., only attested in elided form turún) would seem to be a passive participle formed from the verb turu- "master" (PE17:113), suggesting that in the case of U-stem verbs, their final -u is lengthened to ú when -na is added.

Maia

the beautiful

Maia pl. Maiar noun "the Beautiful" (MR:49), the lesser (= non-Vala) Ainur that entered Eä. Variant Máya in VT42:13/VT47:18, pl. Máyar in PM:363, 364 and VT47:18 (possibly, Máya is to be understood as the older form of Maia). With negative prefix ú- also Úmaiar, Maiar who became evil and followed Melkor, such as Balrogs (MR:79, "Umaiar", MR:165).

Vanimo

the beautiful

Vanimo (pl. Vanimor given), noun "the beautiful", children of the Valar (BAN), or "fair folk" = (men and) elves (UGU/UMU, VT45:17). Negated úvanimor = "monsters".

ala

not

ala, #ála (1) imperative particle á, a combined with the negation lá, -la "not" to express a prohibition (VT43:22; see lá #1). Also with 1st person suffix -lyë (alalyë and álalyë, VT43:10, 22, VT44:8) and 1st person pl. object suffix -më (alamë and álamë, "do not [do something to] us", as in álamë tulya, "do not lead us", VT43:12, 22). In the essay Quendi and Eldar, negative imperatives are rather indicated by áva, q.v., but this form can well coexist with ala, #ála.

ala-

not

ala- (2) negative prefix "not", "un-", reduced to al- before a vowel (VT42:33, GALA, VT45:25), though the example Alcorin would suggest that al- can sometimes appear before a consonant as well. In a deleted entry in Etym, al(a)- was defined as "not" and said to be a "pure negative" (VT45:5). In alahasta, Alamanyar, alasaila, Alcorin.

andúna

western

andúna adj. "western" (PE17:18)

andúna

adjective. western

A longer variant of núna “western” (PE17/18), an adjectival form of andúnë “west”.

arca

narrow

arca (1) adj. "narrow" (AK)

au-

without

au- (3) privative prefix, = "without" (AWA)

ava-

without

ava- (3) prefix "without" (AR2, AWA). In some cases apparently used as a mere negation prefix: The form avalerya in VT41:6 is seemingly a negated form of the verb lerya- "release, set free"; the verb avalerya- is suggested to have the same meaning as the root KHAP = "bind, make fast, restrain, deprive of liberty". Likewise, the verb avalatya- from the same source seems to mean "to close, shut", this being a negated form of a verb *latya- "open" (q.v.)

epetai i hyarma ú ten ulca símaryassen

consequently the left hand was not to them evil in their imaginations

Second phrase @@@

| |  I  | II |III|IV|  V  |VI|VII| |{tánen >> ta >> etta >>}|potai| |etta [>> potai]|epetai| |hyarmen|i hyarma| |láne|aune|láne|ú téna|>> ú ten| |“sinister”|ulca| | |{khe >> hela >>} hya úmara| | |{símasse >>}|símaryasse|símaryassen|

il-

verb. no, *un-

il- (prefix) "no, *un-" (LA); cf. ilfirin "immortal" (vs. firin "dead"). This prefix "denotes the opposite, the reversal, i.e. more than the mere negation" (VT42:32). But il- can also mean "all, every"; see ilaurëa, ilqua, ilquen.

la

no, not

la negation "no, not" (see lá); also prefix la- as in lacarë, q.v. (VT45:25)

lacaraite

adjective. impossible

lacaraitë

adjective. impossible, *inactive; impossible

A word appearing as {alákăraite >>} lắkăraite “impossible” in rough notes within Late Notes on Verb Structure (LVS), a negated form of karaite (PE22/156). The unnegated adjective was elsewhere glossed “active, busy” (PE22/155).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya I think it is safer to assume this adjective means “✱inactive”, and that “impossible” is [ᴺQ.] lacárima, the negative form of cárima “possible”.

lumenyárë

history, chronological account

lumenyárë noun "history, chronological account" (NAR2 - read *lúmenyárë?) According to VT45:36, the manuscript spelling actually seems to be lumennyáre, but Hostetter and Wynne conclude that this is "probably a slip": The double nn would be difficult to justify.

lá

no, not

lá (1) adv. "no, not" (LA, VT45:25) According to VT42:33, lá is the stressed form, alternating with la when the negation is unstressed. In another conceptual phase of Tolkien's, lá had the opposite meaning "yes" (VT42:32-33), but this idea is contradicted by both earlier and later material: usually lá is conceived as a negation. The negation can receive tense markers and be used as a negative verb "when [another] verb is not expressed" (VT49:13), apparently where the phrase "is not" is followed by a noun or an adjective as a predicate, or where some verb is understood, as in English "I do not" (i.e. "I do not do whatever the context indicates"). With pronominal endings la- in the aorist, e.g. lanyë "I do not, am not" (etc.) (Tolkien abandoned the form lamin.) Exemplified in the sentence melin sé apa lanyë hé *"I love him but I do not [love] him" (another person) (VT49:15). Present tense laia, past lánë, perfect alaië, future lauva.

lá-

verb. to not be

lúmequenta

history, chronological account

lúmequenta ("q")noun "history, chronological account" (LU)

lúmequentalë

history

lúmequentalë ("q")noun "history" (LU, KWET). According to VT45:29, the accent marking the ú as a long vowel is actually missing in the entry LU in Tolkien's original Etymologies manuscript; yet it is apparently included both in the entry KWET and in the related words lúmequenta and lúmequentalëa; its omission in the entry LU is therefore probably just a slip.

nec-

without, -less

nec- prefix "without, -less" (PE17:167), cf. -enca, q.v.

nec-

prefix. without

ná

is

ná (1) vb. "is" (am). (Nam, RGEO:67). This is the copula used to join adjectives, nouns or pronouns "in statements (or wishes) asserting (or desiring) a thing to have certain quality, or to be the same as another" (VT49:28). Also in impersonal constructions: ringa ná "it is cold" (VT49:23). The copula may however be omitted "where the meaning is clear" without it (VT49:9). Ná is also used as an interjection "yes" or "it is so" (VT49:28). Short na in airë [] na, "[] is holy" (VT43:14; some subject can evidently be inserted in the place of [].) Short na also functions as imperative: alcar mi tarmenel na Erun "glory in high heaven be to God" (VT44:32/34), also na airë "be holy" (VT43:14); also cf. nai "be it that" (see nai #1). The imperative participle á may be prefixed (á na, PE17:58). However, VT49:28 cites ná as the imperative form. Pl. nar or nár "are" (PE15:36, VT49:27, 9, 30); dual nát (VT49:30). With pronominal endings: nányë/nanyë "I am", nalyë or natyë "you (sg.) are" (polite and familiar, respectively), nás "it is", násë "(s)he is", nalmë "we are" (VT49:27, 30). Some forms listed in VT49:27 are perhaps to be taken as representing the aorist: nain, naityë, nailyë (1st person sg, and 2nd person familiar/polite, respectively); does a following na represent the aorist with no pronominal ending? However, the forms nanyë, nalyë, ná, nassë, nalme, nar (changed from nár) are elsewhere said to be "aorist", without the extra vowel i (e.g. nalyë rather than nailyë); also notice that *"(s)he is" is here nassë rather than násë (VT49:30).Pa.t. nánë or né "was", pl. náner/nér and dual nét "were" (VT49:6, 9, 10, 27, 28, 30, 36). According to VT49:31, né "was" cannot receive pronominal endings (though nésë "he was" is attested elsewhere, VT49:28-29), and such endings are rather added to the form ane-, e.g. anen "I was", anel "you were", anes "(s)he/it was" (VT49:28-29). Future tense nauva "will be" (VT42:34, VT49:19, 27; another version however gives the future tense as uva, VT49:30). Nauva with a pronominal ending occurs in tanomë nauvan "I will be there" (VT49:19), this example indicating that forms of the verb ná may also be used to indicate position. Perfect anaië "has been" (VT49:27, first written as anáyë). Infinitive (or gerund) návë "being", PE17:68. See also nai #1.

náha

narrow

náha adj. "narrow" (PE17:166)

náha

adjective. narrow, narrow, *thin

ní

beneath, not touching, under

ní (3) prep. "beneath, not touching, under" (PE17:95)

númenya

western

númenya adj. "western" (NDŪ)

núna

western

núna adj. "western" (PE17:18), compare the element #nún- "west(ern)" in certain compounds, such as Núnatani and Nunduinë, q.v. (in the latter word, ú is apparently shortened as u before a consonant cluster). Compare númen.

núna

adjective. western

An adjective for “western” appearing in Núnatani “Western Men” (PE17/18) based on √NDU “descend”.

Conceptual Development: The Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s had ᴱQ. nūmea “in the West” based on ᴱQ. nūme “west” (QL/68).

pen

without, not having

[pen prep. "without, not having" (PE17:171). Cf. Ú #1.]

ua-

verb. to not be, to not do

ufárëa

not enough

ufárëa adj. "not enough" (FS). Cf. ú- "un-" and fárëa "enough, sufficient" (read *úfárëa?)

ui

no

ui interjection "no" (originally an endingless negative verb in the 3rd person aorist: "it is not [so]"; see #u-). Apparently this is the word for "no" used to deny that something is true (compare vá, which is rather used to reject orders, or to issue negative orders). (VT49:28) Compare uito.

ui-

verb. to not be, to not do

ullumë

not for ever

ullumë adv.? a word occurring in Fíriel's Song, evidently meaning "not for ever". Cf. ú-, lúmë and úlumë.

urra

adjective. bad

ye

is

ye (2) copula "is" (FS, VT46:22); both earlier and later sources rather point to ná (q.v.) as the copula "is", so ye may have been an experiment Tolkien later abandoned. Future tense yéva, q.v.

úa

do not thou lead us

úa, with 1st person suffix úalyë, imperative particle á, a combined with the negation ú- to express a prohibition (úalyë mittanya me, *"do not thou lead us", VT43:9, 21-22). However, Tolkien apparently abandoned úa in favour of ala, alalyë, q.v. (later he also used the form áva for "don't"). Compare ua.

ú calmo

without the light

ú calo

without the light

úcar-

verb. to sin, trespass; to do wrong

#úcar- vb. "to sin, trespass; to do wrong" (pl. aorist úcarer in VT43:12, we would rather expect úcarir, a form seemingly indicated by an emendation in one variant of the text in question, VT43:21). The verb is car- "do" with the prefix ú-, here suggesting something morally bad ("do wrong") rather than simple negation.

únat

thing impossible to be or to be done

únat noun "a thing impossible to be or to be done" (VT39:26) Cf. ú- and nat.

únat

noun. thing impossible to be or to be done

úvanimo

monster (creature of melko[r]) (ban, lt1:272); pl. úvanimor

úvanimo noun "monster (creature of Melko[r]) (BAN, LT1:272); pl. úvanimor "monsters" is attested (UGU/UMU, (GŪ). According to VT45:7, 16 Tolkien did not capitalize the word úvanimo_, though it was so printed in the entries BAN and GŪ in the Etymologies as printed in LR. The (pl.) form _húvanimor was abandoned along with hú rather than ú- as a negative prefix, VT45:17.

úyë

is

úyë vb., a form occurring in Fíriel's Song (cf. VT46:22), apparently ye "is" with the negative prefix ú-, hence "is not" (úyë sérë indo-ninya símen, translated "my hearth resteth not here", literally evidently *"[there] is not rest [for] my heart here")

ú pusto

immediately, at once, (lit.) without pause

anadûni

adjective. western

An adjective translated “western” formed from the noun adûni “the West” which was in turn formed from the adjective adûn “west”; the initial an- was the genitival prefix (SD/435). This adjective anadûni was in turn femininized to produce the place name Anadûnê “Westeresse, Númenor”.

lā-

verb. to not be

nek

root. narrow, narrow; *angular, sharp

A root appearing in notes on words and phrases from The Lord of the Rings from the late 1950s or early 1960s, serving mainly as the basis for S. naith “angle” (PE17/55). It was also mentioned in a discussion of the death of Isildur at the Gladden Fields, again as the basis for S. naith among other words, where the root √NEK was glossed “narrow” (UT/281-2, note #16). In The Etymologies of the 1930s, N. naith was derived from ᴹ√SNAS or ᴹ√SNAT, but the precise derivation was unclear, and in any cases seems to have been replaced by Tolkien with a more straightforward derivation from √NEK.

The root √NEK also appeared in Quenya Notes (QN) from 1957 with the gloss “deprive”, serving among other things as the basis for S. neithan “one deprived” (PE17/167), which was the name adopted by Túrin after he became an outlaw (S/200). The root appeared again in notes on Elvish numbers from the late 1960s glossed as either “divide, part, separate” (VT47/16) or “divide, separate” (VT48/9), where it served as the basis for √ENEK “six” as the dividing point between the lower and upper set of numbers in the Elvish duodecimal system.

It is not clear whether Tolkien intended all these various meanings for the root √NEK to be connected. For purposes of analysis, I’ve split √NEK “narrow” from √NEK “separate; deprive”, but conceivably the sense “narrow” could be a semantic extension of “separate” or vice-versa.

aba-

prefix. not