ya (1) relative pronoun "which, what" (attested in VT43:28, 34 and in the Arctic sentence), with locative suffix in Namárië: see #yassë. According to VT47:21, ya is impersonal, "which" rather than "who(m)" (compare the personal form ye). The dative form yan (q.v.) is however used for "to whom" (rather than "to which") in one text, indicating that Tolkien did not always distinguish between personal and impersonal forms. In the phrase lúmessë ya [variant: yá**] firuvammë, "in [the] hour that we shall die", the relative pronoun is not explicitly marked for case and is evidently understood to share the case of the preceding noun (hence not lúmessë yassë**... "in [the] hour in which"...) (VT43:27-28) Presumably, ya has the plural form *yar* (e.g. i nati yar hirnen** "the things that/which I found").
Quenya
ya
as
ya
which, what
ya
pronoun. which, that (relative pronoun)
Derivations
- √YA “*there, over there; (of time) back, ago, [ᴹ√] there, over there; (of time) back, ago”
Element in
- Q. yallë “as, in the same way as, like”
- ᴺQ. yallo “whence”
- ᴺQ. yanen “whereby”
- Q. yan i wilyar antar miquelis “*to whom the air gives kisses” ✧ PE16/096
- ᴺQ. yanna “whither, whereto”
- Q. yassen tintilar i eleni “wherein the stars tremble” ✧ LotR/0377; RGEO/58
- Q. yassen tintilar i eleni “in which twinkle the stars” ✧ RGEO/58
- ᴺQ. yava “whose, of which”
yan
for/to which
yan relative pronoun in dative "for/to which" or "for/to whom" (PE16:90, 92, 96). Used for "to whom" in the poem Nieninque; according to the system described elsewhere, which distinguishes personal ye "who" from impersonal ya "which", "to whom" would be *yen instead. A wholly distinct ya(n) seems to appear as an ephemeral word for "as" in one version of the Quenya Lord's Prayer; see ya #2 (VT43:16, VT49:18)
yan
adverb/conjunction. *as
@@@ possibly modal adverb
Element in
- Q. cemendë tambe Erumandë “on Earth as [it is] in Heaven” ✧ VT43/16; VT43/16
- Q. sív’ emmë apsenet tien i úcarir emmen “as we forgive those who trespass against us” ✧ VT43/20
Variations
- ya(n) ✧ VT43/16
- ya ✧ VT43/16
yar
to whom
yar inflected relative pronoun "to whom" (MC:215; this may be "Qenya", but on the other hand both the relative pronoun ya and an allativic ending -r are still valid in Tolkien's later Quenya, cf. mir "into". Later versions of the text in question however use yan [q.v.], with the common dative ending -n.) Likely, yar could also be the plural form of the relative pronoun ya, q.v.
yá
when
yá (2) conj. "when" in the sentence yá hrívë tenë, ringa ná "when winter comes, it is cold" (VT49:23). Compare írë #2.
yá
conjunction. when
Derivations
- √YA “*there, over there; (of time) back, ago, [ᴹ√] there, over there; (of time) back, ago”
Element in
- Q. násië “now and at the hour of our death: Amen” ✧ VT43/34; VT43/34
- Q. yá hríve menë, ringa ná “when winter comes/arrives/is with us, it is cold” ✧ VT49/23 (
yá hríve tene, ringa ná)Variations
- ya ✧ VT43/34
yá
formerly
yá (1) adv.? "formerly", also postposition (?) "ago" (YA). The form yá also appears as a variant of the relative pronoun ya, q.v.
atya
daddy
atya (2) noun "daddy", supposedly a word in "actual 'family' use" (VT47:26, PE17:170), also used in children's play for "thumb" and "big toe" (VT47:10, 26, VT48:4, 6); reduction of at(an)ya "my father" (or, as explained in VT48:19, reduction of at-nya of similar meaning). Compare atto.
yassë
in which
#yassë (1) relative pronoun in locative "in which", pl. yassen referring back to a plural noun (relative pronoun ya + locative ending) (Nam, RGEO:66)
ar
and
ar (1) conj. "and" (AR2, SA, FS, Nam, RGEO:67, CO, LR:47, 56, MC:216, VT43:31, VT44:10, 34; see VT47:31 for etymology, cf. also VT49:25, 40). The older form of the conjunction was az (PE17:41). Ar is often assimilated to al, as before l, s (PE17:41, 71), but "in written Quenya ar was usually written in all cases" (PE17:71). In one case, Tolkien altered the phrase ar larmar "and raiments" to al larmar; the former may then be seen as representing the spelling, whereas the latter represents the pronunciation(PE17:175). More complex schemes of assimilation are suggested to have existed in "Old Quenya", the conjunction varying between ar, a and as depending on the following consonant (PE17:41, 71). An alternative longer form of the conjunction, arë, is said to occur "occasionally in Tolkien's later writings" (VT43:31, cf. VT48:14). In the Etymologies, the word for "and" was first written as ar(a) (VT45:6). In one source, Tolkien notes that Quenya used ar "as preposition beside, next, or as adverb = and" (PE17:145); compare ara.
ar
and
o (1) conj. "and", occurring solely in SD:246; all other sources give ar.
ar
conjunction. and, and; [ᴱQ., ᴹQ.] but
Changes
ara→ ar ✧ NM/239ar→ ar “and” ✧ PE17/041ar→ ar ✧ PE17/041ar→ al ✧ PE17/175Cognates
- S. a “and; †by, near, beside” ✧ PE17/041; PE17/041; PE17/041; PE17/041; PE17/041; PE17/102; PE17/145; SA/ar
Derivations
- ✶as(a) “and” ✧ PE17/041; PE17/041; VT47/31
- √AS “beside” ✧ VT47/31
- ✶ad(a) “and, alongside” ✧ PE17/041; PE17/041; PE17/041; PE17/070; PE17/071; PE17/071; PE17/102
- √AD(A) “by (the side of), beside, alongside; against, opposed to, opposite” ✧ PE17/071
- √AD(A) “by (the side of), beside, alongside; against, opposed to, opposite” ✧ PE17/145
- √AR “beyond, further than; outside; beside, alongside, beyond, further than; outside; beside, alongside; [ᴱ√] spread, extend sideways” ✧ SA/ar
Element in
- Q. aiya Eldalië ar Atanatári, utúlie’n aurë “Behold, people of the Eldar and Fathers of Men, the day has come!” ✧ S/190; WJ/166
- Q. álamë tulya úsahtienna “[and] lead us not into temptation” ✧ VT43/21
- Q. alcar i Ataren ar i Yondon ar i Airefëan “glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit” ✧ VT43/36
- Q. alcarin Vendë ar manaquenta “O glorious and blessed Virgin” ✧ VT44/10
- Q. ar aistana i yávë mónalyo Yésus “and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus” ✧ VT43/31; VT43/31
- Q. ar ámen apsenë úcaremmar “and forgive us our trespasses” ✧ VT43/18
- Q. ar cé mo formenna tentanes Amanna “and if northwards, it pointed towards Aman” ✧ VT49/25
- Q. ar Elendil Vorondo voronwë “and of the faith of Elendil the Faithful” ✧ UT/305
- Q. ar hísië untúpa Calaciryo míri oialë “and mist covers the jewels of Calacirya forever” ✧ LotR/0377; RGEO/58
- Q. ar hísië untúpa Calaciryo míri oialë “and mist covers (lit. down-roofs) Calacirya’s jewels forever” ✧ RGEO/59
- Q. ar i Eru i or ilyë mahalmar ëa tennoio “and of the One who is above all thrones for ever” ✧ UT/305
- Q. ar ilyë tier undulávë lumbulë “and all paths are drowned deep in shadow” ✧ LotR/0377; RGEO/58
- Q. ar lumbulë undulávë ilyë tier “and (heavy) shadow swallowed (lit. down-licked) all roads” ✧ RGEO/59
- Q. ar mi cemen rainë i hínin “and on earth peace, good will toward men” ✧ VT44/34; VT44/34; VT44/34
- Q. ar sindanóriello caita mornië “and out of a grey country darkness lies” ✧ LotR/0377; RGEO/58
- Q. ar sindanóriello mornië caita “and from a grey country darkness lies” ✧ RGEO/59
- Q. ar súlë Manwëo etsurinyë ar Eldaron indor turyaner “*and the spirit of Manwe went out and the hearts of the Eldar were comforted / or obeyed” ✧ NM/239; NM/239
- Q. arta “etcetera” ✧ PE17/071
- Q. ar wingildi wilwarindië “*and the foam-like butterflies” ✧ PE16/096
- Q. cemendë tambe Erumandë “on Earth as [it is] in Heaven” ✧ VT43/17
- Q. cuita’r parë “live and learn” ✧ PE22/154
- Q. Elainen tárin Periandion ar meldenya anyáran “*to Elaine, queen of Hobbits and my very old friend” ✧ VT49/40
- Q. Eldarinwë Leperi ar Notessi “Elvish Fingers and Numerals” ✧ VT47/04
- Q. Nasser ar Cenime Cantar Valaron ar Maiaron “The Natures and Visible Shapes of the Valar and Maiar” ✧ PE17/175; PE17/175
- Q. savin Elessar ar i nánë aran Ondórëo “I believe that E[lessar] really existed and that he was a King of Gondor” ✧ PE22/158; VT49/27
- Q. násië “now and at the hour of our death: Amen” ✧ VT43/34; VT43/34
- Q. sínen i·anda nyarnë metta ar taina andaurenya na quanta “*with this the long tale ends and my extended long day is complete” ✧ Minor-Doc/1955-CT
- Q. sinomë maruvan ar Hildinyar tenn’ Ambar-metta “In this place will I abide, and my heirs, unto the ending of the world” ✧ LotR/0967; PE17/103; PE22/147
- Q. sustanë Manwëo súlë ten i indo Sindicollo ar he lastanë ar carnes “*the spirit of Manwe blew unto the heart of Thingol and he listened and did it” ✧ NM/239; NM/239
- Q. Valar ar Maiar fantaner nassentar fanainen ve quenderinwe coar ar larmar “Valar and Maiar cloaked their true-being in veils, like to Elvish bodies and raiment” ✧ PE17/174; PE17/175; PE17/175
- Q. ványë ar válmë “I and those with me are against it” ✧ PE22/162
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶as(a) > ar [asa] > [aza] > [ara] > [ar] ✧ PE17/041 ✶ad(a) > az > ar [ada] > [ad] > [að] > [ar] ✧ PE17/041 ✶ad > ar [ad] > [að] > [ar] ✧ PE17/041 ✶ad(a) > ar [ada] > [ad] > [að] > [ar] ✧ PE17/041 ✶as(a) > ar [asa] > [aza] > [ara] > [ar] ✧ PE17/041 ✶ad > ar [ad] > [að] > [ar] ✧ PE17/070 ✶ad(ă)/ad > ar [ad] > [að] > [ar] ✧ PE17/071 ✶ad > ađ > ař > ar [ad] > [að] > [ar] ✧ PE17/071 ✶ada > ar [ada] > [ad] > [að] > [ar] ✧ PE17/102 √ADA > ar [ad] > [að] > [ar] ✧ PE17/145 √ar- > ar [ar] ✧ SA/ar ✶as > ar [asa] > [aza] > [ara] > [ar] ✧ VT47/31 Variations
- Ar ✧ NM/239
- ara ✧ NM/240 (
ara)- a ✧ PE17/071 (a)
- as ✧ PE17/071 (as); PE17/071
- al ✧ PE17/071; PE17/175
- are ✧ VT43/31 (
are); VT43/34 (are); VT47/04
az
and
az, archaic form of the conjunction ar "and"; see ar #1.
ier
as
ier prep. "as" (VT43:16, probably rejected in favour of sívë, q.v.). In an abandoned version of the Quenya Lord's Prayer, Tolkien used ier...ter for "as...so" (VT43:17).
ier
preposition. *as
Element in
- Q. cemendë tambe Erumandë “on Earth as [it is] in Heaven” ✧ VT43/16; VT43/16; VT43/16
- Q. sív’ emmë apsenet tien i úcarir emmen “as we forgive those who trespass against us” ✧ VT43/20
Variations
- ye ✧ VT43/16 (
ye)- yé ✧ VT43/16 (
yé)
sívë
as
sívë (1) prep. "as", apparently ve of similar meaning with the prefix sí- "this, here, now"; sívë therefore makes a comparison with something close, whereas tambë (q.v.) refers to something remote. Sívë...tambë "as...so" (VT43:17). Elided sív' in VT43:12, since the next word begins in the vowel e-.
sívë
preposition. *as
Element in
- Q. cemendë tambe Erumandë “on Earth as [it is] in Heaven” ✧ VT43/17
- Q. sív’ emmë apsenet tien i úcarir emmen “as we forgive those who trespass against us” ✧ VT43/20
Elements
Word Gloss sí “now” ve “as, like, similar, after the manner [of], as, like, similar, after the manner [of]; [ᴹQ.] with” Variations
- sívë ✧ VT43/17
ta
there
ta (5) adv. "there" (VT49:33; this may be an Elvish root or "element" rather than a Quenya word; see tanomë; see however also tar, tara, tanna under ta #1).
ta
so, like that, also
ta (2) adv. "so, like that, also", e.g. ta mára "so good" (VT49:12)
ye
as
[ye (3), also yé, prep. "as" (VT43:16, struck out; in the text in question Tolkien finally settled on sívë, q.v.)]
ye
who
ye (1) singular personal relative pronoun "who", maybe also object "whom" (plural form i). Compare the impersonal form ya. Also attested in the genitive and the ablative cases: yëo and yello, both translated "from whom" (though the former would also mean *"whose, of whom"). (VT47:21)
ye
pronoun. who
Derivations
- √YA “*there, over there; (of time) back, ago, [ᴹ√] there, over there; (of time) back, ago”
Element in
- Q. yello camnelyes “from whom you received him” ✧ VT47/21
- Q. yenna leltanelyes “to whom you sent him” ✧ VT47/21
yo
and
yo conj. "and", "often used between _two _items (of any part of speech) that were by nature or custom clearly associated, like the names of spouses (Manwë yo Varda), or "sword and sheath" (*macil yo vainë*), "bow and arrows" (quinga yo pilindi), or groups like "Elves and Men" (Eldar yo Fírimor but contrast eldain a fírimoin [dative forms] in FS, where Tolkien joins the words with a, seemingly simply a variant of the common conjunction ar). In one source, yo is apparently a preposition "with" (yo hildinyar* = "with my heirs", SD:56).
-yë
conjunction. and
-yë (4) conj. "and" as a suffix added to the second of a pair, as Menel Cemenyë "Heaven and Earth" (VT47:30, 31, VT49:25). Other "pairs" are mentioned as examples but not actually translated into Quenya by Tolkien: Sun and Moon (*Anar Isilyë), Land and Sea (*Nór Eäryë), fire and water (*nárë nenyë, or *úr nenyë).
and
and
a (2) conj. "and", a variant of ar occurring in Fíriel's Song (that also has ar; a seems to be used before words in f-, but contrast ar formenna "and northwards" in a late text, VT49:26). According to PE17:41, "Old Quenya" could have the conjunction a (as a variant of ar) before n, ñ, m, h, hy, hw (f is not mentioned), PE17:71 adding ty, ny, hr, hl, ñ, l, r, þ, s. See ar #1. It may be that the a or the sentence nornë a lintieryanen "he ran with his speed" (i.e. as quickly as he could) is to be understood as this conjunction, if the literal meaning is "he ran and [did so] with his speed" (PE17:58).
arë
and
arë conj. "and", longer form of ar, q.v. (VT43:31)
man
who
man pron. "who" (Nam, RGEO:67, FS, LR:59, Markirya, MC:213, 214); cf. PM:357 note 18, where a reference is made to the Eldarin interrogative element ma, man). However, man is translated "what" in LR:59: man-ië? "what is it?" (LR:59; the stative-verb suffix -ië_ is hardly valid in LotR-style Quenya) _Either Tolkien later adjusted the meaning of the word, or man covers both "who" and "what". Cf. also mana, manen.
man
pronoun. who, who; [ᴹQ.] what
Element in
- Q. man cenuva fána cirya? “Who shall see a white ship?” ✧ MC/221
- Q. man cenuva lumbor ahosta? “Who shall see the clouds gather?” ✧ MC/222; MC/222
- Q. man cenuva métim’ andúnë? “Who shall see the last evening?” ✧ MC/222; MC/222
- Q. man hlaruva rávëa súrë? “Who shall hear the wind roaring?” ✧ MC/222
- Q. man tiruva fána cirya? “Who shall heed a white ship?” ✧ MC/222
- Q. man tiruva rácina cirya? “Who shall heed a broken ship?” ✧ MC/222
- ᴺQ. manwa “whose”
- Q. sí man i yulma nin enquantuva? “who now shall refill the cup for me?” ✧ LotR/0377; RGEO/58
- Q. sí man i yulma nin enquantuva? “now who the cup for me will refill?” ✧ RGEO/59
- Q. sí man i yulmar men enquantuva? “*who now shall refill the cups for us?” ✧ Minor-Doc/2013-05-13
- Q. sí man i yulmar n(g)wen enquantuva “*who now will refill the cups for us (dual)” ✧ VT21/06
Elements
Word Gloss ma “interrogative particle” Variations
- Men ✧ MC/221
- Man ✧ MC/222; MC/222; MC/222; MC/222; MC/222
- man- ✧ PE17/068
- mán ✧ RGEO/58
san
so
san (2) adv. ephemeral word for "so" (ya(n)...san "as...so"; san na "thus be" = let it be so, "amen"); this form was apparently quickly abandoned by Tolkien (VT43:16, 24, VT49.18)
yó
yô
yó ("yô"), yond- see yondo. The genitive form of the relative pronoun ya "which" would likely also appear as yó "of which, from which" (for ya-o, cf. tó "thence" from ta-o).
tás
there
tás adv. "there" (VT49:11); also tassë, q.v.
tás
adverb. there
(a)taryo
noun. daddy
ataryo
daddy
ataryo, also taryo (cited as (a)taryo), noun "daddy", also used as a name for the thumb in children's play, but Tolkien emended it to atto/atya (VT48:4). Compare atar "father".
tambë
so
tambë prep. (1) "so" or "as" (referring to something remote; contrast sívë). Sívë...tambë "as...so" (VT43:17).
tasse
there
tassë
there
tassë adv. "there" (VT49:11), short form tás. These seem to be properly locative forms of ta "that, it", hence "in that [place]". Compare allative tanna "thither" and ablative talo "thence".
tassë
adverb. there
Element in
- Q. tas cennen nótimë eldali “I saw a few elves there” ✧ PE22/155
Variations
- tas ✧ PE22/155
- tās ✧ VT49/11
- tasse ✧ VT49/11
sanomë
there
sanomë adv. "there" (PE17:71). Cf. sinomë, tanomë.
sanomë
adverb. there
-vë
as, like
-vë, (3) apparently an ending used to derive adverbs from adjectives (see andavë under anda and oiavë under oia). May be related to the preposition ve "as, like".
ve
as, like
ve (1) prep. "as, like" (Nam, RGEO:66, Markirya, MC:213, 214, VT27:20, 27, VT49:22); in Narqelion ve may mean either "in" or "as". Ve fírimor quetir *"as mortals say" (VT49:10), ve senwa (or senya) "as usual" (VT49:10). Followed by genitive, ve apparently expresses "after the manner of": ve quenderinwë coaron ("k") "after the manner of bodies of Elven-kind" (PE17:174). Tolkien variously derived Quenya ve from older wē, bē or vai(VT49:10, 32, PE17:189)
i eru i or ilyë mahalmar ëa
(the one/they) who; (that) which
i (2) relative pronoun "(the one/they) who; (that) which" (both article and relative pronoun in CO: i Eru i or ilyë mahalmar ëa: the One who is above all thrones", i hárar "(they) who are sitting"); cf. also the phrase i hamil mára "(that) which you deem good" (VT42:33). Notice that before a verb, i means "the one who", or, in the case of a plural verb, "those who"; e.g. i carir quettar ómainen "those who form words with voices" (WJ:391). According to VT47:21, i as a relative pronoun is the personal plural form (corresponding to the personal sg. ye and the impersonal sg. ya). This agrees with the example i carir..., but as is evident from the other examples listed above, Tolkien in certain texts also used i as a singular relative pronoun, both personal (Eru i...) and impersonal (i hamil). In the sense of a plural personal relative pronoun, i is also attested in the genitive (ion) and ablative (illon) cases, demonstrating that unlike the indeclinable article i, the relative pronoun i can receive case endings. Both are translated "from whom": ion / illon camnelyes "from whom you received it" (referring to several persons) (VT47:21).
en
there, look! yon (yonder)
en (1) interjection "there, look! yon (yonder)" (EN, VT45:12)
í(qua), illume, iquallume
conjunction. when, whenever
men
who
men (3) pron. "who", evidently a misreading or miswriting for man (MC:221, in Markirya)
ter
so
ter (2), also tér, prep. (?) ephemeral word for "so" (see ier), abandoned by Tolkien in favour of tambë (VT43:17)
írë
when
írë (2) conj. "when" (subordinate conjunction, not question-word: írë Anarinya queluva, "when my sun faileth") (FS). Compare yá #2.
malumë
adverb. when
Cognates
- ᴺS. mallú “when, (orig.) what time”
Elements
Word Gloss ma “interrogative particle” lúmë “time, period of time, hour”
ya (2) or yan, prep. "as" (VT43:16, probably abandoned in favour of sívë)