Professional Documents
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Eng Quen
Eng Quen
no/People/hnohf/
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English Quenya
(last updated July 30th, 2007)
by Helge K. Fauskanger
http://www.uib.no/People/hnohf/
Helge K. Fauskanger http://www.uib.no/People/hnohf/
Wordlist last updated July 30th, 2007 Presented by http://www.ambar-eldaron.com 2
Quettaparma Quenyanna
= poetic or archaic word (e.g. l "star", elen being the ordinary word) or a poetic or archaic meaning of
an ordinary word (e.g. russ "corruscation, swordblade"),
* = unattested form,
** = wrong form,
# = word that is only attested in a compound or in an inflected form (e.g. #apa, #Apanna; see AFTER
below),
TLT = Tolkien's lifetime (by some called "Real Time", as opposed to:)
MET = Middle-Earth Time (or rather Arda Time, since Quenya originated in the Blessed Realm),
LotR = The Lord of the Rings (HarperCollinsPublishers, one-volume edition of 1991),
Silm = The Silmarillion (HarperCollinsPublishers 1994),
MC = The Monsters and the Critics and other Essays,
MR = Morgoth's Ring, LR = The Lost Road,
Etym = The Etymologies (in LR:347-400),
FS = Friel's Song (in LR:72),
RGEO = The Road Goes Ever On (Second Edition),
WJ = The War of the Jewels,
PM = The Peoples of Middle-earth, Letters = The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien,
LT1 = The Book of Lost Tales 1,
LT2 = The Book of Lost Tales 2,
Nam = Namri (in LotR:398),
Arct = "Arctic" sentence (in The Father Christmas Letters),
GL = Gnomish Lexicon (in Parma Eldalamberon [PE] #11 - references are selective),
QL = Qenya Lexicon (in Parma Eldalamberon #12 - references are again selective),
VT = Vinyar Tengwar (PE and VT being journals publishing Tolkien material edited by C. Gilson, C.F.
Hostetter, A.R. Smith, W. Welden and P. Wynne; please refer to the individual journals here referenced to
determine which editors are involved in any given case),
vb = verb,
adj = adjective,
interj = interjection,
pa.t. = past tense,
fut = future tense,
perf = perfect tense,
freq = frequentative form,
inf = infinitive, gen = genitive,
pl = plural form,
sg = singular form.
The spelling used in this wordlist is regularized (c for k except in a few names, x for ks, long vowels
marked with accents rather than macrons or circumflexes; the diaeresis is used as in LotR). When s in a word
represents earlier (th as in "thing") and it should be spelt with the letter sl instead of silm in Tengwar writing
(though Tolkien himself sometimes ignored or forgot this), this is indicated by () immediately following the word
in question (e.g. sanda, sanya-; see ABIDE, ABIDING below).
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Wordlist last updated July 30th, 2007
A
A, AN (indefinite article) - no Quenya
equivalent. Elen "star" may thus also be
translated "a star" (LotR:94). The absence of the
definite ar A, AN (indefinite article) - no Quenya
equivalent. Elen "star" may thus also be
translated "a star" (LotR:94). The absence of the
definite article i "the" usually indicates that the
noun is indefinite (though there are exceptions -
see THE).
ABANDON hehta- (pa.t. hehtan is given)
(put aside, leave out, exclude, forsake) -WJ:365
ABHOR feuya-, yelta- (loathe); THE
ABHORRED Sauron () -PHEW/VT46:9,
Silm:418, VT45:11
ABIDE mar- (be settled of fixed) (fut.
#maruva is attested: maruvan "I will abide");
ABIDE BY himya- (cleave to, stick to, adhere);
ABIDING sanda () (firm, true); LAW-ABIDING
sanya () (regular, normal) (variant vorosanya
with a prefixed element meaning "ever"). -
UT:317/LotR:1003, KHIM/VT45:22,
STAN/VT46:16
ABLE, BE; see BE ABLE
ABOVE: According to VT44:26, Tolkien in
one text glosses apa as "above but touching",
but apa is normally taken as the preposition
"after" instead. For "above", the preposition or
"over" may be used.
ABUNDANCE v; ABUNDANT va (in a
very great number), ma (swarming, teaming
but elsewhere a similar word is defined as "evil",
so va may be preferred), alya (rich, blessed,
prosperous) -UB, VT48:32, GALA
ABUSE (vb, evidently meaning to abuse
verbally) naitya- (put to shame) -QL:65
ABYSS undum -MC:222 cf. 215
ACCOMODATE camta- (sic; the cluster mt
seems unusual for Quenya, and while the source
does not explicitly say that this word is Quenya,
it is difficult to understand what other language
could be intended) (to [make] fit, suit, adapt) -
VT44:14
ACCOUNT (noun) quental (history),
lmequenta (chronological account, history);
HISTORICAL ACCOUNT quentasta (any
particular arrangement, by some author, of a
series of reconds or evidences into a given
historical account - not History as such, which is
quental) -KWET, LU, VT39:16
ACRE resta (sown field) -VT46:11 cf. RED
ACROSS arta (athwart) (Note: arta also
means "fort, fortress") -LT2:335
ACT OF WILL nirm -VT39:30
ACTOR tyaro (agent, doer) -KYAR
ACTUAL anwa (real, true) -ANA
ACUTE tereva (fine, piercing); ACUTE,
ACUTENESS laic (In the printed Etymologies,
a similar word is also the adjective "keen, sharp,
acute", but according to VT45:25, this is a
misreading; the final vowel of the adjective
should be -a, not -. However, the conceptual
validity of the adjective laica, and therefore also
the corresponding noun laic, is questionable;
see PIERCING.) -TER, LAIK
ADAPT camta- (sic; the cluster mt seems
unusual for Quenya; while the source does not
explicitly say that this word is Quenya, it is
difficult to understand what other language could
be intended) (to [make] fit, suit, accomodate) -
VT44:14
ADD yantya- (augment) -PE15:68
ADHERE himya- (abide by, cleave to, stick
to) -VT45:22, cf. KHIM
ADHERING himba (sticking) -KHIM
ADMIRAL ciryatur (only attested as the
personal name Ciryatur of an admiral, but the
word means *"ship-ruler") -UT:239
ADORN netya- (trim). (Note: netya is also
an adj. "pretty, dainty".) SMALL THING OF
PERSONAL ADORNMENT netil -VT47:33
ADULT (adj) va (manly, vigorous); ADULT
MAN vaner; ADULT MALE nr (ner-, as in. pl
neri) (man) -WEG, DER
ADNAKHOR Herunmen -UT:222,
Silm:322
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AEGNOR Aicanro (so in Silm:435 and
PM:345; MR:323 has Aicanr) (Sharp Flame,
Fell Fire)
AFFECT #ap- (given as aorist stem ap) (to
concern, to touch one) -VT44:26
AFFECTIONATE mla (loving) -VT39:10
AFFLICTED - be afflicted: moia- (labour).
The participle *moiala may then be used to
translate "afflicted" as an adjective, describing
one who is "labouring" or toiling as a thrall. -
VT43:31
AFTER apa (attested in compounds like
Apannar, see below), #ep- (used in
compounds when the second part of the
compound begins with a vowel, only attested in
epess "after-name" - see NICKNAME.) It may
be that the prefix #ep- belongs to another
conceptual phase in Tolkien's development of
Quenya. Variant forms of apa "after" include opo
and p/po (VT44:36). According to VT44:26, the
preposition apa may also appear as pa, p (cf.
yni pa yni "years after years" in VT44:35), but
pa/p is in other manuscripts defined as
"touching, as regards, concerning". THE AFTER-
BORN Apannar (sg #Apanna) (i.e., an Elvish
name of Men, according to WJ:387 "a word of
lore, not used in daily speech") -
Silm:122/WJ:387, UT:266
AGAIN ata; AGAIN (prefix) en-, (prefix) at-,
ata- (back-, re-) (AT[AT])
AGAINST: According to VT44:26, Tolkien in
some documents glosses apa or p as
"touching, against", but apa is normally the
preposition "after" instead. The allative case in -
nna is normally sufficient to express motion
towards or against something.
AGE randa (cycle); AGES OF AGES
ynion yni -RAD, VT44:36
AGENT tyaro (actor, doer) -KAR
AGILE tyelca (swift) -KYELEK
AGO y; LONG AGO andanya, anda n
(once upon a time) -YA, VT49:31
AGONY qualm (death), unqual (death;
according to VT45:24, Tolkien changed this word
to anqual) -KWAL, VT45:5, 24, 36
AH (interj.) ai (alas) Ai! lauri lantar lassi
Ah! golden fall the leaves (Nam)
AIR vista (= air as substance); lind (tune,
song, singing); vilya older [MET] wilya (sky);
vilma (lower air) (perhaps changed to vista, but
vilma was not struck out in Etym); PUFF OF AIR
hwesta (breeze, breath); UPPER AIRS AND
CLOUDS fanyar (skies), AIRY vilin (breezy) -
WIS, LIN, WIL/LT1:273, SWES/LotR:1157,
MC:223, LT1:273
ALAS (interj.) ai (ah) (Etym also gives a
word nai, but this clashes with nai "be it that" in
Namri.); also orro or horro as an
"exclamation of horror, pain, disgust: ugh, alas!
ow!" -Nam/RGEO:66, NAY, VT45:17
ALIKE vla -VT49:10
ALIVE cuina; BEING ALIVE (noun not adj)
cuil (life) (LT1:257 gives coina, coira.) -KUY
ALL illi (as independent noun), also ilya (all
of a particular group of things, the whole, each,
every) (Note: ilya normally appears as ily
before a plural noun: ily tier "all paths");
ALLNESS, THE ALL ilv (the whole).
According to early material, ALL THE... (followed
by some noun) is rendered by i quanda, e.g. *i
quanda cemen "all the earth; the whole earth".
ALL THAT IS WANTED fr, farm (plenitude,
sufficiency) -VT47:30, VT39:20, VT44:9, IL, Nam
cf. RGEO:67, Silm:433/WJ:402, QL:70,
PHAR/VT46:9
ALLOW lav- (yield, grant); NOT ALLOW TO
CONTINUE nuhta- (stunt, prevent from coming
to completion, stop short) -DAB, WJ:413
ALONE (see also LONELY, SOLE) er (one,
alone, only, but, still), eress (singly, only, also
as noun: solitude) -ERE, LT1:269
ALPHABET tengwanda -TEK
ALSO yando -QL:104
ALTHOUGH (or "nothwithstanding")
Christopher Gilson argues that the word mu
occurring in an untranslated "Qenya" text could
have this meaning (PE15:32, 37). If this
interpretation is regarded as too uncertain, the
idea expressed by phrases involving "(al)though"
may be rephrased using ananta "and yet" (e.g.
"although the house is small, we love it" > *i coa
pitya n, ananta melilmes = "the house is
small, and yet we love it").
ALWAYS illum (earlier variants of the
relevant text also have vora and vor, forms
Tolkien may or may not have abandoned) -
VT44:9
ALTOGETHER aqua (fully, completely,
wholly) -WJ:392
*AMANIAN (only translated "of Aman" by
Tolkien) amanya. Cf. also manyar, amanyar,
Alamanyar "those not of Aman" (the Elves who
started on the march from Cuivinen but did not
reach Aman; contrast the Avamanyar, another
name of the Avari.) -WJ:411, 373, 370, MR:163
AMBIDEXTROUS ataformait (pl.
ataformaiti is attested) -VT49:10
AMEN (Hebrew: "truly, certainly, may it be
so") nsi (another form, nsan, was apparently
abandoned by Tolkien) -VT43:24, 35
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AMLOTH *Ambalots (Tolkien asterisked
the word because it was not "attested", only a
possible Quenya form of Amloth. See
"UPRISING-FLOWER".) -WJ:318
AMONG imca, mici; see also BETWEEN. -
VT43:30
AMRAS Telufinw (meaning "Last Finw",
not the equivalent in sense to his Sindarin name.
The short form of his name was Telvo *"Last
One". His mother-name [q.v.] was Ambarussa,
but this name was not used in narrative.) -
PM:353
AMROD Pityafinw (meaning "Little Finw",
not the equivalent in sense to his Sindarin name.
The short form of his name was Pityo *"Little
One". His mother-name [q.v.] was Ambarto, or
Umbarto, but these names were not used in
narrative.) -PM:353
AN see A
ANCIENT yra (old, belonging to or
descending from former times) -YA
AND ar (possibly a before f [and v?]: eldain
a frimoin "for elves and men" [FS], cf. a
valmarion "and of those of Valmar" [from
"Antatye Voronwi" by C. Gilson, Vinyar
Tengwar #31 p. 10]) (In Sauron Defeated p. ii,
the word o is translated "and", but LotR, Silm
and Etym all agree that the Quenya word for
"and" is ar. A longer variant ar is mentioned in
VT43:31.) A suffix meaning "and", -y, occurs in
the phrase Menel Cemeny "heaven and earth"
(VT47:11); this suffix is "normally used of pairs
usually associated as Sun, Moon [*Anar Isily];
Heaven, Earth [Menel Cemeny], Land, Sea
[*Nr Ery], fire, water [*r neny]" (VT47:31).
AND YET a-nanta/ananta (but yet) -
AR/Nam/FS, VT43:31, NDAN; the etymology of
ar is discussed in VT47:31
ANGBAND Angamando (Iron-gaol) (so in
MR:350 and Silm:428; Etym has Angamanda,
or in deleted material Angavanda). -MR:350,
Silm:428, MBAD, VT45:6
ANGELIC POWER Vala (pl. Valar or Vali,
gen. pl. Valion is attested in Friel's Song);
ANGELIC SPIRIT Ainu, f. Aini (holy one, god) -
LotR:1157/BAL/FS, AYAN, LT1:248
ANGELN (island in the Danish peninsula)
Eriollo -LT1:252
ANGROD Angarto -Silm:428
ANIMAL #celva (only pl. celvar ["k"] is
attested, translated "animals, living things that
move" in Silm appendix and WJ:341); laman (pl.
lamni or lamani) ("usually only applied to four-
footed beasts, and never to reptiles and birds");
MALE ANIMAL hanu (male) -
Silm:52/53,/405:3AN, WJ:416
ANOTHER enta (one more). (Note: a
homophone means "that yonder"). See also
OTHER. -VT47:15
ANYBODY - if anybody: aiquen (whoever) -
WJ:372
APPLE orva -PE13:116
APPROPRIATE (to a special purpose or
owner) #sat- (set aside). The verb #sat- is cited
in the form "sati-", evidently including the
connecting vowel of the aorist, as in *satin "I
appropriate". -VT42:20
APRIL Vress -LotR:1144/1146
AR-ADNAKHOR Tar-Herunmen -
UT:222, Silm:322
AR-BELZAGAR Tar-Calmacil -UT:222
AR-GIMILZR Tar-Telemnar -UT:223
AR-INZILADN Tar-Palantir -UT:223,
Silm:324
AR-PHARAZN Tar-Calion (and, as an
experimental form, Tar-culu?) -UT:224,
Silm:324, VT45:24
AR-SAKALTHR Tar-Falassion -UT:223
AR-ZIMRAPHEL Tar-Mriel -UT:224,
Silm:324
AR-ZIMRATHN Tar-Hostamir -UT:222
ARCTURUS (a star) Morwinyon (said to
mean "the glint at dusk" or "glint in the dark") -
LT1:260
ARE see BE
ARGON Aracno -PM:345
ARM ranco (stem *rancu-, pl. ranqui)
(LT2:335 gives r [there spelt r], but this is
apparently rendered obsolete by a later word in
Tolkiens conception: In Etym, r is glossed
"lion".) TRUNCATED ARM, see STUB, STUMP.
-RAK
ARMY hoss (band, troop) -LT2:340
ARNOR Arnanor, Arnanr ("royal land") -
Letters:428
ARROW pilin (pilind-, as in the pl. pilindi) -
PLIM
ART Carm (making, production) -UT:396
ARTIFICIAL CAVE hrta (dwelling
underground, rockhewn hall) -PM:365
AS (prep) ve (like). The longer variant sv
appears to introduce a comparison with
something that is near to the point or thought of
the speaker, whereas tamb introduces a
comparison with something remote, as in
Tolkien's translation of one line from the Lord's
Prayer: cemend tamb Erumand "on earth
as in heaven" ("heaven" being remote we may
theorize that "in heaven as [here] on earth"
would translate as *Erumand sv cemend,
since "earth" would represent the position of the
speaker). NOTE: a homophone sv means
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"peace". AS REGARDS pa, p (concerning,
touching) -Nam/RGEO:66, 67, VT43:12, 38,
VT44:26
ASCENT rosta, ASCENSION orosta -
LT1:267, 256
ASGARD Valinor, Valinr (Tolkien
actually uses this gloss of Valinor, as Asgard is
the City of the Gods in Norse mythology) -
LT1:272
ASIDE - stand aside! heca! - also with
pronominal affixes: sg hecat, pl hecal "you stay
aside!" (be gone!) LEAVING ASIDE hequa (not
counting, excluding, except) -WJ:364, 365
*ASK #maquet- (only pa.t. maquent is
attested. The word is not translated, but
undoubtedly means "asked": 'Mana icoimas
inEldaron?' maquent Elendil [PM:403]. The
question itself is translated "What is the coimas
of the Eldar?", so the rest must be "Elendil
asked". Furthermore, maquent is transparently
quent "said" with the interrogative element ma
[PM:357] prefixed.) ASK FOR - see DEMAND.
ASLEEP lorna -LOS
ASSEMBLE hosta- (gather, collect) -
MC:223
ASSOCIATE otorno (sworn brother) osell
() (sworn sister) -TOR, THEL
ASTRONOMER meneldil -Letters:386
AT s, se (the form with a long vowel may
be preferred since se is apparently also a 3rd
person pronoun) (in) -VT43:30, 34
ATHWART arta (across) (Note: arta also
means "fort, fortress"); GO ATHWART tara-
(cross) -LT2:335, 347
AUGER teret (gimlet) -LT1:255
AUGMENT (vb.) yantya- (add) -PE15:68
AUGUST Urim (so in LotR; UT has rim)
-LotR:1144, UT:302/470
AUTHORITY Mhan (pl Mhani is given,
but seems perfectly regular). Tolkien once stated
that Valar should strictly be translated "the
Authorities" (MR:350), but Vala obviously cannot
be used to translate "authority" in general; it was
used only of the Valar themselves (WJ:404). Cf.
also adj. valya "having (divine) authority or
power". Mhani was adopted from Valarin and
originally probably referred to the Valar
themselves. We are not told whether Mhan
could or should be applied to a non-divine
authority (at least it should not be capitalized if
so used). Note: Mhan means *"Supreme One"
rather than "authority" as an abstract. -MR:350,
BAL, WJ:399/402
AUTUMN yvi (harvest - in the Calendar of
Imladris, yvi was a precisely defined period of
54 days, but the word was also used without any
exact definition), lasselanta ("leaf-fall", used of
the beginning of winter or as a synonym of
quell; see FADING. Also spelt lasse-lanta with
a hyphen), narquelion ("fire-fading" - this word
from Friel's Song and Etym seems to
correspond to narqueli in LotR, but the latter is
the name of the month corresponding to our
October.) LT1:273 has yvan "autumn, harvest",
but this word may be obsoleted by yvi. -
LotR:1142, 1144, 1145/Silm:439/LT1:254, DAT,
FS, NAR/KWAL, Letters:382
AVENUE OF TREES aldon -LT1:249
AWAKE coiva- (so in LT1:257; read *cuiva-
in Tolkien's later Quenya? Cf. the following:)
AWAKENING (noun) cuivi (obsoleting coivi in
LT1:257), cuiv; AWAKENING (adj) cuiva -
KUY/Silm:429
AWAY oa, oar (viewed from the point of
view of the thing, person, or place left). Oar is
used of movement only, as in "I went away". See
also GO AWAY. -WJ:366 cf. 361, VT39:6.
AWNING teltass -GL:70
AXE pelecco -LT2:346
B
BABE laps; BABY win (stem *wini-;
Exilic Quenya *vin, *vini-), in another source
defined as "child not yet fully grown". Also
winimo (Exilic *vinimo) or winic, winc (Exilic
*vinic, *vinc). These terms were also used in
children's play for "little finger" or "little toe". -
LAP, VT47:10, 26, VT48:7
BACK (noun) pont (ponti-) (rear) (QL:75)
LT2:338 mentions a Gnomish word alm, said to
mean "the broad of the back from shoulder to
shoulder, back, shoulders". It is stated that the
"Qenya" cognate of this Gnomish word occurs in
the name Aikaldamor - i.e., #aldamo or
#aldamor? (Aldama appears as a word for
"shoulder" in PE13:109, cf. 137.) But this is
hardly a valid word in LotR-style Quenya.
BACK- (prefix) at-, ata- (re-, again-);
THOSE WHO GO BACK Nandor (Elves that left
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the March from Cuivinen) AT BACK OF
PLACE, see BEHIND. -AT(AT), WJ:384
BACKWARDS nan- (prefix?) -NDAN
BAD olca (wicked) (VT43:24). Compare
ulca "evil". The Gnomish fg is glossed "bad" in
GL:34, and this is equated with Q faica, glossed
"contemptible, mean" under SPAY in the
Etymologies.
BAKE masta- -MBAS
BALE OUT calpa- (draw water, scoop out) -
KALPA
BALL coron (stem #corn-, as in dat.sg.
cornen) (globe) -KOR
BALROG Valarauco (pl. Valaraucar,
possibly reflecting an alternative form
*Valarauca) (so in the Silmarillion - in Etym the
Quenya form of Sindarin balrog is malarauco,
while LT1:250 gives Malcarauc) -
Silm:35/425/439, RUK
BAND noss (army, troop) -LT2:340
BANK (esp. of river) rva -RAMB
BARK (noun) Tolkien originally thought
that parma "book" really meant "skin, bark;
parchment", with "book, writings" as the
secondary meaning. But in Etym parma is
derived from a stem meaning "compose, put
together", obsoleting the old etymology. -
LT2:346, contrast PAR
BARN FOWL poroc (hen) -PE16:132
BASE sundo () (root, root-word) (pl.
#sundar, isolated from Tarmasundar in
UT:166), talan (talam-) (floor, ground), talma
(foundation, root); BASE-STRUCTURE
sundocarm () -SUD (but VT46:16 indicates
that Tolkien changed the root to STUD, hence
implying that sundo was originally undo),
WJ:319, TALAM, TAL, LT:343
BATTER palpa- (beat) -PALAP
BAY (small and landlocked) hpa (haven,
harbour) -KHOP
BE: Quenya uses forms of n as 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). The infinitive is uncertain
(*nai? *nta?) Present tense n is (Nam), pl.
nar or nr are" (PE15:36, VT49:27), dual
presumably *nt (cf. past tense nt). Also
attested with various pronominal endings:
nny/nany I am, naly or naty you (sg.)
are (polite and familiar, respectively), ns it is,
ns (s)he is, nalm we are (VT49:27, 30).
Pa.t. nn or n was, pl. nner/nr and dual
nt were (VT49:27, 30, 6). According to
VT49:31, n was cannot receive pronominal
endings (though ns he was is attested
elsewhere, VT49:29), 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).
Future tense nauva "will be" (VT42:34). Perfect
anai has been (VT49:27). The form na may
be used as imperative (na air "be holy",
VT43:14, alcar...na Erun "glory...be to God",
VT44:34); this imperative na is apparently
incorporated in the word nai "be it that"
(misleading translation "maybe" in LotR). N "is"
appears with a short vowel (na) in some
sources, but writers should probably maintain the
long vowel to avoid confusion with the imperative
(and with the wholly distinct preposition na "to").
The short form na- may however be usual before
pronominal suffixes. The word a is variously
translated "is", "exists", "it is", "let it be". It has a
more absolute meaning than n, with reference
to existence rather than being a mere copula. Its
pa.t. is eng, VT43:38, perfect engi or rarely
y, future euva, VT49:29. Friel's Song
contains a word ye "is" (compare VT46:22), but
Tolkien may have abandoned ye in LotR-style
Quenya. Also attested is the negative copula uin
and umin "I do not, am not" (1st pers. aorist),
pa.t. m. MAY IT BE SO, see AMEN. -
VT49:27-34, Nam/RGEO:67, VT43:34/An
Introduction to Elvish:5, VT42:34,Silm:21/391,
FS, UGU/UMU
BE ABLE (and the English present tense
can) is expressed by various verbs: pol- (to be
physically able), lerta- (be free to do, there being
no restraint, physical or other), ista- (know how
to; pa.t. sint), hence e.g. polin quet I can
speak (because mouth and tongue are free),
lertan quet "I can/may speak (because I am
free to do so, there being no obstacle of promise,
secrecy, or duty), istan quet I can/know how
to speak (I have learnt language). Where the
absence of a physical restraint is considered, the
verb lerta- can be used in much the same sense
as pol- (VT41:6). Another way of expressing
can involves the verb ec-, and what would be
the subject in English appears in the dative case
instead: Ec nin car sa, I can do it (it is
possible for me to do it). -VT49:34
BE GONE! heca! - also with pronominal
affixes: sg hecat, pl hecal "you be gone!" (stand
aside!) -WJ:364
BEACH falas (falass-), falass (shore, line
of surf), falas, hresta (ablative hrestallo is
attested), fra (shore). -LT1:253, Silm:431,
PHAL/LT2:339, MC:221/222/223, VT46:15
BEAR (vb) #col- (verb stem isolated from
#colindo "bearer". Cf. mel- "to love", melindo
"lover". #Col- can also be translated *"wear" [of
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clothes], cf. the past participle colla "borne,
worn".) BEAR FRUIT yavin (which must mean
*"I bear fruit", stem #yav-. Tolkien often employs
the 1st person aorist when mentioning a verb in
his wordlists.) -LotR:989, cf. Letters:308 and
MEL, MR:385, LT1:273
BEAR (noun) morco -MORK
BEARD fanga (obsoleting vanga in GL:21;
GL:34 has fang "long beard", whereas GL:63
gives poa. Neo-Quenya writers should use
fanga.) -SPNAG
BEARER #colindo (only attested in the pl
compound cormacolindor "Ring-bearers") -
LotR:989, cf. Letters:308
BEAT palpa- (batter) -PALAP
BEAUTIFUL vanya (Note: a homophone
verb means "disappear"), linda (beautiful/fair of
sound, VT45:27), calwa, vanima (nominal pl
vanimar "beautiful ones" and partitive plural
genitive vanimlion are attested) (fair, proper,
right). According to MR:49, Maiar means "the
Beautiful", but in Quenya this is the name of an
order of spirits and cannot be used as a general
adjective. BEAUTY vaness, WITHOUT
BEAUTY van, adj. vana -BAN, SLIN,
LT1:254, LotR:1017 cf. Letters:308, LT1:272,
MR:49, VT39:14
BED caima; BEDCHAMBER caimasan ()
(pl. caimasambi); BEDRIDDEN caila (lying in
bed, ?sickness), caimassa (sick); LYING IN
BED (noun) caila (bedridden, ?sickness) -
KAY/VT45:19, STAB
BEE nier (honey-bee), nion -GL:60
BEECH feren, fern (pl. ferni in both
cases) (LT2:343 gives neldor "beech", but this
early word may be obsolete in LotR-style
Quenya.) -PHER
BEECHEN ferinya -PHREN
BEFORE (prep.) ep (VT44:38), only used
of spatial relationships. Of time the word means
after (cf. the gloss in VT42:32), since the Eldar
imagined future time (time that comes after the
present) as being before them (see AFTER).
BEFORE of time may instead be expressed by
n (VT49:32), e.g. *cennelmet n t cenner m
we saw them before they saw us. For before
as an independent adverb (= formerly), it may
be best to derive an adverb *noav from the adj.
noa (see FORMER).
BEGET nosta- (glossed "give birth" in
earlier sources), onta- (pa.t. n or ontan)
(create); BEGETTER #nostar (see note below),
also ontar with gender-specific forms ontaro
(m.), ontar or ontari (f.) (parent). (In LotR, the
form nostari "begetters, parents" occurs; sg
#nostar. Nostari was changed from ontari in
Tolkien's first draft [see SD:73], so he may have
scrapped ontaro, ontar in favour of #nostar [or
m. *nostaro, f. *nostar???] Did he also reject
the verb onta- in favour of nosta-?) -SD:73,
VT44:7, ONO, LotR:1017 cf. Letters:308
BEGINNING *yess (Emended from the
actual reading esse, derived from a stem that
was marked with a query by Tolkien because
esse also = name. Evidence from LotR indicates
that he decided to change the stem in question
from ESE to *YESE, thus eliminating this
homophony: In LotR:1142 we find yestar,
apparently meaning *"first-day" - it is not
translated, but it was the name of the first day of
the year and r means "day". In Etym [stem
ESE] the word for "first" was esta. So for esta
"first", esse "beginning" and essea "?primary"
[gloss illegible], we should evidently read *yesta,
*yess and yessa.) -ESE/ESET
BEGOTTEN - see FIRST-BEGOTTEN.
BEHALF - on behalf of: r, followed by
dative, as in the example r men "on behalf of
us, for us". Dative pronouns may be directly
suffixed to r: "for us" or "on behalf of us" is also
attested in the one-word form rmen. (Note: r
is also a noun "lion".) -VT43:27, 28, 33
BEHIND ca, cata, cana (also glossed "at
back of place") -VT43:20
BEHOLD cen- (see) (future tense cenuva is
attested) -MC:222
BEING ala (spirit).Pl. alar is attested.
Elar are spirits whose natural state it is to exist
without a physical body, e.g. Balrogs. -MR:165
BEING ALIVE (noun) cuil -KUY
BELEGOST Trosto (Mickleburg) -WJ:389
BELERIAND Hecelmar, Heceldamar (lit.
*"home of the Eglath", q.v.) This is said to be the
name for Beleriand used "in the language of the
loremasters of Aman". The cognate of Sindarin
"Beleriand" is #Valariand; only the form
Valarianden is attested (a genitive formation
from an earlier "Qenya" variant; in LotR-style
Quenya it would be a dative). The latter may be
the name used in Exilic Quenya. Beleriand was
also called Ingolond "Land of the Gnomes
[Noldor]". -WJ:365, LR:202, GOLOD
BELIEVE sav-. This verb is used = believe
(that statements, reports, traditions, etc. are)
true, accept as fact (VT49:27; the fist person
aorist savin is given). Not used with a person as
object (in the sense of believing that this person
tells the truth); with a noun, name or pronoun as
object, sav- implies I believe that he/she/it really
exists/existed. To believe in someone meaning
believe that (s)he tells the truth can be
paraphrased as (for instance) savin Elesarno
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queti I believe in Elessars words (lit.
speaking). -VT49:28
BELL nyell -NYEL
BELLIED #cumba (isolated from
sauricumba "foulbellied"). This adjective may
point to *cumbo or something similar as the
likely word for "belly". -SD:68, 72
BELOVED melda (dear, sweet). Cf.
nessamelda, *"beloved of Nessa", a fragrant
evergreen tree brought to Nmenor by the Eldar.
-MEL, UT:456
BELT quilta (girdle) -QL:78
BELZAGAR Calmacil -UT:222
BEND #cna- (derived from the adj. cna
"bent"; see MC:223. In menel acna "the
heavens bending" the word is used
intransitively.) -MC:222/223 cf. 215
BENEATH undu (down, under) -UNU
BENEFICIAL asa () (helpful, kindly) (so
according to a late note where the word is
derived from *ATHAYA)
BENT cna (curved; cna is also used as a
verbal stem, see BEND), raica (crooked, wrong),
cauca (crooked, humped), sara () (stiff dry
grass) -MC:223, RAYAK, LT1:257, STAR
BERRY piucca -GL:64 (glossed
"blackberry" in LT2:347)
BERYL, possibly elessar, *elessarn- (see
ELF-STONE)
BESIDE ara, also ar- as prefix. -AR
BETWEEN 1) imbi (dual imb). This is
"between" referring to a gap, space, barrier, or
anything intervening between two other things,
like or unlike one another. The pluralized form
imbi implies "among" of several things
(ancalima imbi eleni "brightest among stars");
"in the sense 'among' before plurals [imb] is
usually pluralized > imbi even when a plural
noun follows". As pointed out by Patrick Wynne,
imbi may also be used in the sense of "between"
before two singular nouns connected by "and"
(as in the example imbi Menel Cemeny
"between heaven and earth"), whereas imb is
used before dual forms, as in the examples imb
siryat "between two rivers", imb met "between
us". Elided imb' is attested in the phrase imb' illi
"among all". The form imbit is said to be a
"dualized form" expressing "between two things"
when "these are not named" (VT47:30),
apparently implying that imbit by itself means
*"between the two", with no noun following. 2)
enel (used for "between" = "at the central
position in a row, list, series, etc. but also applied
to the case of three persons" [VT47:11]. This
preposition refers to the position of a thing
between others of the same kind). 3) mitta-
(does the final hyphen suggest that the latter
form is used as prefix, somewhat like *"inter-"?) -
Nam/RGEO:67, VT47:11, 30; VT43:30
BEYOND pella (a postposition in Quenya:
Andn pella "beyond the West", elenillor pella
"from beyond the stars"). Genuine prepositions
meaning beyond are han, ava (outside) -Nam,
MC:222, VT43:14, VT45:6
BIER tulma -LT1:270
BIG, see GREAT; BIG BOY see BOY; BIG
TOE see TOE; BIG DIPPER see SICKLE OF
THE VALAR
BIND (see TIE); in more abstract sense:
avalerya- (make fast, restrain, deprive of liberty)
-VT41:5, 6
BIPED #attalya (Only pl Attalyar is attested.
The word was used of the Petty-dwarves, q.v.) -
WJ:389
BIRD aiw, filit (pl filici) (Note: both aiw
and filit are stated to mean "small bird", not
"bird" in general), ambal, ammal (= yellow
bird), lindo (= "singer", singing bird). LT1:273
also has wilin; this may or may not be a valid
word in LotR-style Quenya. -AIW, PHILIK,
SMAL, LIN
BIRTH, BIRTHDAY nosta; GIVE BIRTH
nosta- (but in later sources, nosta- is glossed
"beget", q.v.) -LT1:272
BITE (vb) nac- (but in late material, the
same verb is said to mean hew, cut), BITE
(noun) nahta (note: a homophone means
"eighteen", though it is not the regular word in
decimal counting.) -NAK, VT49:24
BITTER sra -SAG
BLACK mor (stem mori-, as in compounds
like Moriquendi), morna, morqua;
BLACKNESS mr (darkness, night);
BLACKHANDED morimait, BLACKBERRY
piucca (only glossed "berry" in GL:64); BLACK
FOE Moringotto (the oldest [MET] form was
Morigotho) (Morgoth) -MOR, LT1:260,
LotR:1015/SD:68, 72, LT2:347, MR:194
BLADE hyanda (share), (sword blade:)
russ (corruscation) -LT2:342, RUS
BLAZE urya- (The stem this word is derived
from was struck out in Etym. However, several
words that must be derived from the same stem
occur in LotR, indicating that Tolkien restored it.)
BLAZING HOT rin (rin also being a name of
the Sun) -UR, LT1:271
BLEND (noun) ostim (pl. ostimi is
attested). This term refers to a kind of
"strengthened" elements within a stem, where a
single sound has been expanded into two
different elements while maintaining a unitary
effect and significance; souch as s- being turned
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ito st-, or m being strengthened to mb. However,
this may be the meaning of the word in linguistic
terminology only; it may be permissible to use it
for "blend" in more general senses as well. -
VT39:9
BLESS laita- (praise) (Imperative a laita
and future #laituva are attested, the latter with
pronominal endings: laituvalmet, "we shall
praise [or bless] them".) The participle aistana
"blessed" (see below) argues the existence of a
verbal stem #aista- "to bless", but this verb
seems etymologically connected to air "holy"
and should probably only be used with reference
to more or less "divine" persons (aistana refers
to the Virgin Mary in the source), who are
"blessed" in the sense of having their holiness
recognized and respected.
BLESSED alya, almra (prosperous, rich,
abundant), herenya (wealthy, fortunate, rich),
manaquenta or manquenta, also aman
("blessed, free from evil" - Aman was "chiefly
used as the name of the land where the Valar
dwelt." [WJ:399]), cf. also BLESSED BEING
Manw (name of the King of the Valar). Alya,
almra, and herenya are adjectives that may
also have worldly connontations, apparently
often used with reference to one who is
"blessed" with material possessions or simply
has good luck; on the other hand, the forms
derived from the root man- primarily describe
something free from evil: Cf. mna "blessed" in
Friel's Song (referring to the Valar) and the
alternative form manna in VT43:19 [cf. VT45:32]
(in VT45 referring to the Virgin Mary; the form
mna may be preferred for clarity, since manna
is apparently also the question-word "whither?",
"where to?") The forms manaquenta or
manquenta also include the man- root, but it is
combined with a derivative (passive participle?)
of the verbal stem quet- "say, speak", these
forms seemingly referring to someone who is
"blessed" in the sense that people speak well of
this person (a third form from the same source,
manque, is possibly incomplete: read
manquenta?) (VT44:10-11) The most purely
"spiritual" term is possibly the word aistana,
used for "blessed" in Tolkien's translation of the
Hail Mary, where this word refers to the Virgin
(VT43:27-28, 30). Aistana is apparently not an
independent adjective (like alya, mna etc.), but
rather the passive participle of a verb #aista-
"bless"; see above concerning its precise
application. BLESSEDNESS vald- (so in
LT1:272; nom. sg. must be either *val or *vald)
(happiness; but since this word comes from early
material where it was intended to be related to
Valar "Happy/Blessed Ones", its conceptual
validity may be doubted because Tolkien later
reinterpreted Valar as "the Powers" and dropped
the earlier etymology). "BLESSINGS",
BLESSEDNESS, BLISS almi, almar; FINAL
BLISS manar, mand (doom, final end, fate,
fortune) -LotR:989 cf Letters:308; GAL, KHER,
Letters:283, LT1:272, MAN/MANAD, VT43:19,
27-28, 30
BLIGHT yaru (gloom) -GL:37
BLINK tihta- (peer) -MC:223
BLOCK #tap- (stop). (Cited in the form tap,
3 pers sg aorist; misreading "tpe" with a long
vowel in the Etymologies as printed in LR: see
VT46:17). The pa.t. tamp is given. -
TAP/VT46:17
BLOOD serc (so according to Silm
appendix; Etym has yr [yar-]) -Silm:437, YAR
BLOSSOM (white) loss, ("of flowers in
bunches or clusters":) *loht (emended from the
actual reading lokt because Tolkien later
decided that kt became ht in Quenya.) -LOT,
LT1:258
BLOT motto -MBOTH
BLUE luin (pl. luini in Nam; for "blue"
Etym and LT1:262 have ln; both luin and
ln would be expected to have stem-forms in -
i- given the primitive form luini, lugni), ninwa,
ulban (adopted from Valarin; only used in
Vanyarin Quenya), PALE BLUE helwa, BLUISH
*luininc (given in archaic form luininki, so the
Quenya word would have the stem-form
luininci-) -VT48:24, Nam/LT2:340, LT1:262,
LUG, WJ:399, 3EL, VT48:18, 23
BOAT lunt; SMALL BOAT ven (vessel,
dish) -LUT, LT1:254
BODY hroa (pl. hroar is attested. In
MR:330, Tolkien notes that hroa is "roughly but
not exactly equivalent to 'body'" [as opposed to
"soul"]. Hroa is also used = "physical matter"),
DEAD BODY loico (corpse); BODILY sarcuva
(corporeal this is "Qenya"); BODY-IMPULSE
hroafelm (impulses provided by the body, e.g.
physical fear, hunger, thirst, sexual desire) -
MR:216, 219; VT39:30/VT47:35, MC:223,
LT2:347, VT41:19 cf. 13
BOLD verya, canya; BOLDNESS veri -
BER, KAN
BOLSTER nirwa (cushion) -NID
BOND nt (knot), vr (troth, compact,
oath) Pl. probably *vrer, *nter not *vri, *nti;
cf. the similar formation tyv "taste", pl tyver.
-NUT, WED
BONE axo (pl axor is attested) -MC:222,
223
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BOOK parma (writings); BOOK
LANGUAGE (=Quenya) parmalamb -
PAR/UT:219, 460, LT2:346
BORDER rna (edge, margin); rma (edge,
hem) -REG, R
BORN #nna (isolated from Apannar, the
"Afterborn") -Silm:122/381
BORNE colla (pa.p. of col- "bear") (worn).
Also used as a noun = "vestment, cloak". -
MR:385
BOSOM palr (surface, bosom of earth),
sma (hollow cavity) -PAL, MC:223
BOSS OF SHIELD tolmen (isolated round
hill) -LT1:269
BOTH yyo (also prefix y- "twi-") -Y,
VT46:23
BOUND nauta (obliged) -NUT
BOTTLE olp -QL:69
BOW (vb) luhta- (Note: a homophone
means "enchant"), #caw- (cited in source as
cawin "I bow", 1st pers. aorist; in Tolkien's later
conception it would be difficult to account for w in
this position, and we should perhaps read *cav-
with pa.t. *canw); BOW (noun) quinga, c
(also = crescent Moon), lva, cn (crescent);
RAINBOW helyanw ("sky-bridge"), Ilweran,
Ilweranta (LT2:348 has iluquinga "sky-bow",
but this word was obsoleted when Tolkien
changed the meaning of ilu from "sky" to
"universe".) BOWLEGGED quingatelco (So it is
translated, but this must really be a noun: "bow-
leg" [quinga + telco]. No Quenya adjectives end
in -o, unless this is the only one. Read
*quingatelca for "bow-legged"? Cf. one of the
other words from the same source, sincahonda,
changed from sincahondo in an earlier draft -
but at that time Tolkien had already omitted
quingatelco and hence did not change its
ending: See SD:72.) -VT47:35, LT1:257, SD 68,
72, KWIG, KU3, LT1:256, LotR:1154, LT1:271
BOWELS, see ENTRAILS
BOWL #salp (isolated from tanyasalp
"Bowl of Fire"), fion (goblet) -LT1:292, 253
BOX colca -QL:37
BOY: the word seldo, though not clearly
glossed by Tolkien, appears to be the masculine
form of a word for "child". BIG BOY yonyo (son;
this term is also used for "middle finger" or
"middle toe" in children's play). -SEL-D-,
VT46:13, VT47:10, 15
BRANCH *olva (PM:340 actually gives
olba, a form that can only occur in the variant of
Quenya that uses lb for lv). Etym has olwa, but
probably this should also be *olva according to
the phonology Tolkien used later (notice that the
w of the Etym form is to be derived from older b,
since the root is GLOB; later Tolkien
apparently presupposed that older lb becomes
either lv or is preserved as lb in Quenya).
TRUNCATED BRANCH, see STUB, STUMP. -
PM:340, GLOB
BRAND yulma (Note: a homophone means
"cup".) -YUL cf. Nam
BREAD massa ( masta; LIFE-BREAD (=
lembas) coimas (either *coimass- or coimast-,
cf. massa, masta "bread"), BREAD-GIVER
(fem.) massni (title of the "Lady" or the
highest among the elven-women of any people,
she having the right to keep or give away lembas
bread). -VT43:18, MBAS, Silm:406/429, PM:404
BREAK (vb) rac- (past participle rcina
"broken" is attested); BREAK APART terhat-
(pa.t. terhant); BREAK ASUNDER hat- (pa.t.
hant) but in earlier material, hat- meant
fling, and Tolkien may have restored that
meaning (see FLING). Since the status of hat-
break asunder is uncertain, the alternative form
#ascat- (pa.t. ascant) apparently from the
same root may be preferred. -MC:223, SKAT,
SD:310
BREAST *ambas (stem ambar-). The word
occurs in early Qenya as ambar with a stem in
-s- or -r- (QL:30). If this is to be adapted to
LotR-style Quenya, we must probably read
*ambas, ambar- (compare olos, olor- dream
from a late source). Not to be confused with
ambar world, doom.
BREASTPLATE ambass (hauberk) -QL:30
BREATH (noun) hwesta (breeze, puff of
air), foa (puff of breath), sl () (spirit) (earlier
[MET] form thl = l). BREATHE (vb) sya-
(); BREATHER Slimo () (a title of Manw;
this is the literal meaning according to Silm:420);
BREATH FORTH see EXPIRE. -SWES,
VT47:35, 36, TH/LotR:1157
BREEZE hwesta (breath, puff of air),
GENTLE BREEZE vl; BREEZY vilin (airy) -
SWES, LotR:1157, LT1:273
BRICK telar -PM13:153
BRIDE indis (wife) (This word may obsolete
akairis in LT1:252.) The stem-form of indis
"bride" is somewhat obscure; according to
VT45:37 the stem could be indiss- (pl. indissi
given), but the alternative form pl. form inderi
shows a curious shift from i to e as well as the
more regular change from s (via z) to r between
vowels. Indiss- may be preferred by writers. -
NDIS/UT:8, VT45:37
BRIDEGROOM ender -NDER (cf. VT45:11
for etymology)
BRIDGE yanw (joining, isthmus), yanta
(yoke) -YAT, LotR:1157
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BRILLIANCE alcar, alcar (splendour,
radiance), calass (clarity), ?rill (reading of
manuscript uncertain, see VT46:11), BRILLIANT
alcarinqua (glorious) -AKLA-R-
/RGEO:73/UT:317/WJ:369/Silm:427, GL:39
BROAD - LT2:338 gives a word aica "broad,
vast", but this is probably obsoleted by aica
"sharp, fell, terrible, dire" in later writings.
BROAD SWORD lango (also = prow of
ship), BROAD-BLADED SWORD ecet (short
stabbing sword) -LAG, UT:284/432
BROKEN rcina -MC:223
BROOCH tancil (pin) -TAK
BROOD luvu- (lower) -LT1:259
BROOK nell (GL:46 has went) -NEN
BROTHER hno, colloquial hanno (in
children's play, hanno is also used = middle
finger). A different word for "brother" occurs in
the Etymologies: toron (pl. torni) (= natural
brother); cf. otorno "sworn brother, associate".
BROTHERHOOD onro (of bloodkinship),
otornass (the latter is evidently the
"brotherhood" of otornor, sworn brothers) -
VT47:12, 14, TOR, N
BROWN varn (stem varni-) (swart, dark
brown) -BARN
BUD tuima (sprout); BUDDING see
SPRING-TIME. -TUY, LT1:269
BUFFET taran, tarambo -LT2:337
BUILD #car- (cited as carin "I make, build",
1st pers. aorist - according to FS and SD:246 the
past tense is cr, but Etym has carn; writers
should probably use the latter form, not to be
confused with the adjective carn "red". The
passive participle #carna *"built, made" is
attested in Vincarna *"newly-made" in MR:305.)
BUILDING car (card-) (house), ampano (=
especially building of wood, wooden hall;
umpano in VT45:36 sems to be a variant form),
ataqu (construction). BUILDER samno ()
(carpenter, wright) -KAR, PAN, VT45:36, TAK,
STAB
BULL tarucco, tarunco (see OX) -LT2:347
BUNCH lox (cluster). Note: a homophone
means "hair". (QL:55). BUNCHES (of flowers),
see BLOSSOM.
BURDEN clo (VT39:10)
BURDENSOME lumna (lying heavy,
oppressive, ominous). Combined with the
superlative prefix an-, this word should appear
as *andumna because d was the initial sound of
the original root. -DUB
BURLY polda (strong) -POL
BURN usta- (transitive, e.g. *Fanro usta
i ciryar "Fanor burns the ships"), urya-
(intransitive, e.g. *i ciryar uryar "the ships
burn/are burning"). The form usta- reflects the
stem USU occurring in early material (QL:98),
but since Tolkien changed the relevant stem to
UR later, we should perhaps read *urta- for
usta-. -LT1:271, QL:98, cf. the original entry UR
"be hot" in Etym
BUSH tussa -TUS
BUT: A sting of different words for the
conjunction "but" are attested. In the
Etymologies, the word for "but" is n or nn. In
Friel's Song, the short variant nan appears. In
Tolkien's drafts for a Quenya version of the
Lord's Prayer, he was experimenting with many
words for "but": anat, on, ono (VT43:23; ono
occurs also in another text in VT44:5/9, and
shorter n is attested in VT41:13), but in the final
version of the Lord's Prayer, he used mal. We
cannot know how many of these alternatives
Tolkien would have considered conceptually
valid and which were just experimental. For the
purpose of writing in Quenya, the variant n is
probably best avoided since it can be confused
with the copula "is"; likewise, nn (and nan?)
may also mean *"I am" (n, na- + the pronominal
ending -n "I"). The Lord's Prayer variants are
less ambiguous, and mal (the word used in the
final version) is perhaps the best alternative so
far published. BUT meaning "only" (as in "I am
but a boy") may be rendered by er (only, one,
alone, still). BUT YET a-nanta, ananta (and yet)
-NDAN, LT1:269, FS, VT41:13, VT43:23
BUTTERFLY wilwarin (wilwarind-) -
WIL/MC:222, 223/LT1:273
BUTTOCKS hacca (hams) -GL:47
BY as a prep. introducing the agent in a
passive construction may be rendered by l
(nahtana l Turin *slain by Trin, VT42:24) or
by the instrumental case (turn ambartanen
by doom mastered, UT:138). BY meaning
near; next to may be rendered by ara beside
(*coa ara ar, a house by the sea).
-BY-mas (final element in place-names, see
-TON) -LT1:250
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C
CALACIRIAN Calaciryan (prob *Cala-
ciryand-), full form Calaciryand (i.e., "the
region of Eldamar...in and near the entrance to
the ravine [of Calacirya], where the Light was
brighter and the land more beautiful") -RGEO:70
cf. LotR:252
CALL (noun) yello (shouth, cry of triumph) -
GYEL, VT45:16
CAMEL ulump -QL:97
CAN (vb.), see BE ABLE
CANDLE lcuma (taper) -MC:223
CANOPY (vb) telta- (overshadow, screen),
CANOPY (noun) telimbo (sky) -TEL, LT1:268
CANNIBAL-OGRES Sarquindi (sg
#Sarquind?) -LT2:347
CAPE mundo (nose, snout), stem *mundu-
given the primitive form mbundu. (Note: mundo
also means "ox", and as such the word may not
have a distinct stem-form.) CAPE (OF LAND)
nortil (stem *nortill-), said to be "only used of
the ends of promontories or other seaward
projections that were relatively sharp and spike-
like". -MBUD, VT47:28
CAPTAIN hesto -VT45:22
CARANTHIR Morifinw, short form Moryo
(not equivalent in sense to his Sindarin name,
which is the cognate of his "mother-name" [q.v.]
Carnistir.) -PM:353
CARCANET firinga (necklace) -
LT2:346/GL:36
CAROUSAL yulm (drinking) (Note: a
homophone means "smouldering heat") -WJ:416
CARPENTER samno () (wright, builder) -
STAB
?CARPET farma (reading of gloss
uncertain; another, even more difficult gloss
begins in "st-" and may possibly read "string" or
"stray") -VT46:15
CARRIER (the sign used to "carry" short
vowel-symbols in the Tengwar system) anar (the
word for "sun", which would require an initial
vowel-carrier in the Tengwar mode used for
Quenya) -VT45:6
CARRY - GL:38 has yulu-, but in WJ:416
the same stem (there spelt JULU) is said to
mean "drink", indicating that yulu- "carry" had
probably been abandoned in Tolkien's later
Quenya. Use rather #col-; see BEAR.
CART noroll -GL:31
?CASSIOPEIA Wilwarin (the identification of
this constellation is not certain. Wilwarin means
"butterfly".) -Silm:426
CASTLE OF CUSTODY - this is mentioned
as the approximate meaning of Mandos (stem
Mandost-) -MR:350
CAT yaul; an earlier source also lists the
word moi, but this word looks strange within the
context of LotR-style Quenya (it would be sole
singular form in -oi) -PE16:132, LT2:348
CATCH (noun) atsa (hook, claw) -GAT
CAUSE (vb) tyar-; CAUSE (noun "reason")
casta -KYAR, QL:43
CAVE felya, rondo, rotel, rotto (small
grot, tunnel), ARTIFICIAL CAVE hrta (dwelling
underground, rockhewn hall) -PHLEG, ROD,
LT2:347, PM:365, VT46:12
CAVITY (hollow) sma (bosom) -MC:223
CEASE hauta- (take a rest, stop), pusta-
(stop, put a stop to), tyel- (end) -KHAW, PUS,
KYEL
CELEBORN Telporno (Letters:425) or
Teleporno (UT:266). (The latter is stated to be
the Telerin form, while Telporno must be the
form used in Noldorin Quenya. Cf. Altriel vs.
Alatriel; see GALADRIEL.)
CELEBRIMBOR (= "Silver-fist")
Telperinquar (possibly *Telperinqur-. Cf.
qur "fist"). -Silm:429
CELEBRINDAL ("Silver-foot", Idril's epithet)
Taltyelemna ("Taltelemna" in the printed
Etymologies is a misreading, see VT45:25)
Tolkien apparently abandoned the form
Taltelepsa. -KYELEP
CELEGORM Turcafinw, short form Turco
(not equivalent in sense to his Sindarin name,
which is a cognate of his mother-name [q.v.]
Tyelcormo "hasty-riser"; the latter name was
"never used in narrative".) -PM:352, 353
CELOS Celuss (see UT:426)
CENTRE end (core, middle). (The form
end is probably to be preferred to ent in one
late source.) Early material also has tl. -ND,
NED, VT41:16, LT1:269
CENTURY harany (or perhaps it means
the last day of a century - Tolkien's wording is
not clear. The latter interpretation may be more
likely.) -LotR:1142
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CHAIN Angainor (= "The Great Chain" with
which Morgoth was twice bound; LT1:249 has
the form Angaino) -Silm:59
CHAIR hamma -VT45:20
CHAMBER samb () (-san, -samb- in
compounds; cf. BEDCHAMBER) (room) -STAB
CHAMPION arto (eminent man) -Silm:428
CHANCE (vb.) marta- (more or less = "to
happen"; see HAPPEN) -QL:63
CHANGE (vb) #ahya- (only pa.t. ahyan is
attested) -PM:395
CHANNEL celma -KEL
CHANT #lir- (cited in source as lirin "I
chant", 1st pers. aorist) (sing) -LIR
1
CHARACTER (settled character) indm
("also used of the 'will' of Eru [God]", VT43:16).
For "character" = letter, see LETTER.
CHASTISEMENT paimesta -QL:72
CHEESE tyur (tyurd-) (QL:50; tyuru- in
GL:28 is actually a verb "to 'turn' milk"; cf.
QL:50.)
CHERRY pio (this word was also applied to
plums). CHERRY TREE aipio (also used =
"plum tree"???) -LT2:347, GL:18
CHIEF (adj) hra (principal); CHIEF (noun)
#turco (isolated from Turcomund "chief of bulls,
*chief bull"; this may not be pure Quenya, but
Turco appears as a the short name of
Turcafinw, Celegorm's Quenya name - though
that is translated "strong, powerful (in body)"
rather than referring to more "political" power) -
KHER, Letters:423, PM:352
CHIEFTAIN (or CHIEF, VT45:17) haran
(stem harn-, as in pl harni) (in Etym also = king,
but in LotR and other texts the Quenya word for
"king" is aran pl. arani - see KING), cno, cnu
(see COMMANDER) (ruler, governor,
commander) -3AR, UT:400
CHILD hna, also vocative hina with a short
vowel, used when addressing a (young) child. Pl.
hni rather than ?hnar; see CHILDREN OF
ILVATAR below. CHILD NOT YET FULLY
GROWN, see BABY. "Child" as the last element
in compounds: -hin (-hn-, pl. -hni), e.g.
CHILDREN OF ERU Eruhni from sg. #Eruhin;
CHILDREN OF ILVATAR Hni Ilvataro; MY
CHILD hinya (short for hinanya). (For "child",
Etym also has seld; Tolkien changed the
meaning from "daughter". Possibly, seld is
meant to have the meaning "female child", hence
"girl". Selda was apparently introduced as a
gender-neutral word for "child".) -WJ:403,
Silm:387/432, VT44:35, SEL-D-/VT46:13
CHILDISH winima (read *vinima in Exilic
Quenya) -VT47:26
CHILL ninqu (stem *ninqui-) (pallid,
white); BE CHILL (of weather) nicu- (be cold) -
WJ:417 cf. NIK-W-
CHILLY ringa (damp, cold) -LT1:265
CHIN venta -QL:101
CHOKE quoro- (suffocate), CHOKED
quorin (drowned). Verbs in -o seem not to occur
in later Quenya; read *quor-? It has also been
questioned whether the combination quo- is still
possible in Tolkien's later Quenya. -LT1:264
CHOOSING #cilm (isolated from
Essecilm "name-choosing", q.v.) -MR:214
CHRIST Hristo (variant Hrsto with a long
vowel, though long vowels in front of consonant
clusters do not normally occur in Quenya).
Another form, apparently an attempt at
translating this title rather than merely adapting
to Quenya phonology the word "Christ", was
Elpino of uncertain etymology. However, Tolkien
may have abandoned this form. -VT44:15-16, 18
CHRONOLOGICAL ACCOUNT
lmequenta (history). The unglossed term
lumenyr appears to mean *"chronological
story". -LU, NAR
2
CIRCLE rind; CIRCULAR rinda;
CIRCULAR ENCLOSURE ("especially on a hill-
top") corin -RIN, KOR/LT1:257
CITY osto (town with wall round) -OS
CLAD vaina -LT1:272
CLAMOUR yalm -GYAL (see GAL)
CLAN noss (family, "house") -N
CLARITY calass (brilliance) -GL:39
CLASP tangwa (hasp) -TAK
CLAW atsa (hook, catch), nappa, namma
(talon), #racca (isolated from raccalepta, see
below); CLAW-FINGERED raccalepta -GAT,
VT47:20, SD:68, 72
CLEAN poica -POY
CLEARED (of land) latin, latina (free, open)
-LAT
CLEAVE #hyar- (cited in source as hyarin
"I cleave", 1st pers. aorist), CLEAVER #hyando
in Sangahyando () "Throng-cleaver, Cleaver of
throngs" -SYAD, LT2:342, LotR:1085 cf.
Letters:425
CLEAVE TO himya- (abide by, stick to,
adhere) -KHIM, VT45:22
CLEFT yw (ravine, gulf/gully); sanca ()
(split), hyats (gash), ciris (probably ciriss-)
(crack), falqua (mountain pass, ravine), cilya
(gorge, pass between hills) (so in Etym, but
cirya in the name Calacirya "Pass of Light"
[gen. Calaciryo in Namri] - though this
clashes with cirya "ship". An early version of
Namri actually had Calacilyo, not Calaciryo;
see An Introduction to Elvish p. 5.) -
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YAG/VT46:22, STAK, SYAD, RGEO:70/WJ:403,
LT2:337, 341, KIL
CLIFF ollo (seaward precipice) (The
alternative form old may be archaic Quenya.) -
LT1:252
CLOAK colla (vestment, actually a past
participle "borne, worn" used as a noun). GREY-
CLOAK Sindacollo, Singollo (so in Silm:421;
MR:217 has Sindicollo. Note that colla has
become #collo because -o is a masculine
ending.) (Thingol). Verb "to cloak": fanta- (to veil,
mantle) -MR:385, VT43:22
CLOSED pahta (NOT CLOSED - see
OPEN) -VT39:23
CLOTH lann (tissue) -LAN
CLOUD fanya (white cloud; pl. fanyar is
attested), lumbo (pl lumbor is attested. In
LT1:259, it is stated that this word applies to a
"dark lowering cloud"), ungo (dark shadow). (In
ancient times the Elves probably also used the
word fana [in Etym fna] for "cloud" or "veil", but
in Quenya it came to denote the visible bodies in
which the Valar manifested themselves to
incarnates. When fana no longer meant "cloud",
this meaning was evidently transferred to the
derivative fanya, originally probably meaning
"white" or as noun "white thing".) UPPER AIRS
AND CLOUDS fanyar (skies) -SPAN/VT46:15,
MC:222, UG, Nam, RGEO:67, SYAD,
RGEO:74, MC:223
CLUSTER lox (bunch). Note: a
homophone means "hair". (QL:55). CLUSTERS
(of flowers) see BLOSSOM.
COAT vacco (jacket) -GL:21
COBWEB ln -SLIG
COCK tocot -PE14:132
CODE OF SIGNS tengwesta (system of
signs, grammar); GESTURE-CODE hwerm -
WJ:394 cf. TEK, WJ:395
COITUS puhta (specified to be "one act"; a
more general word for "sex" could perhaps be
derived by adding an abstract or generalizing
ending like -l) -PE13:163
COLD (adj) ringa (so in MC:222 and
LT1:265; Etym has ring, stem *ringi-), (damp,
chilly), yelwa (but this is glossed "loathsome"
elsewhere); COLD (noun?) niqu, also vb
niqu- "it is cold, it freezes"; COLD POOL OR
LAKE (in mountains) ringw (in the Etymologies
as printed in LR, this word is cited as "ringe", but
according to VT46:11, ringw is the proper
reading), BE COLD, CHILL (of weather) nicu- -
MC:222, RINGI/VT46:11, LT1:260, WJ:417
COLLAPSE (vb) talta- (slip, slide down),
COLLAPSE (noun) atalant (downfall) -MC:223
COLLECT hosta- (gather, assemble);
COLLECTION OF LEAVES olassi (foliage).
GREAT COLLECTION OR CROWD OF
THINGS OF THE SAME SORT m (not to be
confused with the pa.t. of the negative verb "not
be, not do"). -KHOTH/MC:223, Letters:282,
VT48:32
COLOUR quil (hue) -QL:77
COME #tul- (cited in source as tulin "I
come", 1st pers. aorist); perfect #utli and
future #tuluva are attested (the latter with the
prefix entuluva "shall come again". Tulin may
obsolete tulu- in LT1:270). COME AWAY htuli-
("so as to leave a place or group and join
another in the thought or place of the speaker") -
TUL, LotR:1003, Silm:229, WJ:368
COMFORT (verb) tiuta- (console),
COMFORT (noun) tiutal (comfort, consolation,
easement) -QL:93
COMMAND *can- (so when used of
persons; when used with things as object, this
verb means demand) -PM:361-362 (where the
stem KAN is mentioned; the Quenya verb is not
directly cited as such, but seems implied by
Tolkien's discussion of how this stem was used
in Quenya.)
COMMANDER cno ("usually as the title of
a lesser chief, especially one acting as the
deputy of one higher in rank", PM:345)
(governor, chieftain) -PM:345, VT45:19
COMMANDMENT axan (law, rule, as
primarily proceeding from Eru). Pl. axani is
attested. -WJ:399, VT39:30, 23
COMMERSE mancal -MBAKH
COMMUNICATION centa (as in sanw-
centa, Communication of Thought. In other
contexts, centa must be translated "enquiry" or
*"essay") -MR:415, VT39:23
COMPACT (noun) vr (troth, oath, bond)
Pl. probably *vrer not *vri; cf. the similar
formation tyv "taste", pl tyver.) -WED
COMPEL mauya-; BE COMPELLED TO
DO SOMETHING horya- (have an impulse, set
vigorously out to do); COMPULSION mausta -
MBAW, VT45:22
COMPLAINT nur (growl) -LT1:263
COMPLETELY aqua (fully, altogether,
wholly) -WJ:392
CONCEAL halya- (veil, screen from light).
In early "Qenya" there is also the word fur- (read
perhaps *hur-), also translated "to lie". -SKAL,
LT2:340
CONCEALED furin or hurin (hidden) -
LT2:340
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CONCEPTION (= idea, cf. VT46:6) noa (pl.
nwi), n (nw-). Not to be confused with noa =
former or yesterday. -NOWO
CONCERN #ap- (given as aorist stem ap)
(to affect, to touch one). CONCERNING pa, p
(as regards, touching) -VT44:26
CONCH hyalma (shell, horn of Ulmo) -
SYAL
CONCLUDE telya- (transitive) (wind up,
finish); CONCLUSION telma (further defined as
"anything used to finish off a work or an affair") -
WJ:411
CONFUSED rcina (shattered, disordered)
-MC:223
CONSIDERING A MATTER (with a view to
decision) vi -VT48:32
CONSOLATION (noun) tiutal (comfort,
easement) -QL:93
CONSOLE tiuta- (comfort) -QL:93
CONSONANT #pataca (only pl. patacar is
attested), #lambetengw (literally "tongue-sign";
only pl. lambetengwi is attested; this refers to
consonants as tengwi or phonemes), also nva-
tengw ("ava-") (literally "mouth-sign"; only pl.
nva-tengwi is attested; the shorter form
#nva pl. nvar was also used, but Fanor
replaced these terms with #pataca). Yet another
term for "consonant" was #tapta tengw
"impeded element". (Only pl. tapta tengwi is
attested; we would rather expect *tapt tengwi
with the pl. form of the adjective. The nominal pl.
of the adjective, taptar, was used in the same
sense as tapta tengwi.) Tolkien also notes:
"Since...in the mode of spelling commonly used
the full signs were consonantal, in ordinary non-
technical use tengwar [sg tengwa, see LETTER]
became equivalent to 'consonants'." Cf. also
surya "spirant consonant" and punta "stopped
consonant", i.e. a consonant sign with an
underposed dot to indiate that it is not followed
by a vowel. -VT39:8, VT39:16, 17, WJ:396, SUS,
PUT (see PUS), VT46:10, 33
CONSPICOUS minda (prominent) -MIN
CONSTRUCTION tanw (craft, thing made,
construction, devise), ataqu (building) -TAN,
TAK
CONTEMPTIBLE faica (mean) -SPAY
CONTINUAL vrima (changed from
vorima) (enduring, repeated); CONTINUALLY
voro (also voro- in compounds) -BOR
CONTINUOUS vra (enduring, repeated),
also vrima; CONTINUOUS REPETITION
vorongandel ("vorogandele" in the published
Etymologies is a misreading; see VT45:7)
(harping on one tune) -VT45:7, LIN
1
CONTINUANT - the term #muss tengw
"soft element" (only attested in the pl.: muss
tengwi) covers vowels, semi-vowels (y, w) and
continuants (l, r, m, n). -VT39:17
CONTRARY, ON THE si (VT49:8); see
also NO
CONTROL (verb) #tur- (cited in source as
turin, "I...control", 1st pers. aorist) (pa.t. turn)
(wield, govern); IN CONTROL OF (possessing)
arwa (followed by gen, e.g. *i heru arwa i
nerion "the lord in control of the men") -TUR,
3AR
COOKED FOOD apsa (meat) -AP
COPING-STONE see FINISH.
COPPER urus (urust-), cf. POLISHED
COPPER calarus (calarust-). In the
Etymologies, the word rauta was originally
defined "copper", but Tolkien changed the
definition to "metal" in general. The earliers
material has COPPER = tamb; OF COPPER
tambina. Etym has COPPER-COLOURED aira
(ruddy, red) -VT41:10, RAUT, LT1:250, 256,
268, GAY
CORE end (centre, middle). -ND, NED
CORNER winca (nook) (QL:104, there
written winka). Read *vinca if this early Qenya
form is to be adapted to LotR-style Third Age
Quenya.
CORNFLOWER menelluin (lit. *"sky-blue")
-Pictures of J. R. R. Tolkien
CORPOREAL sarcuva (bodily) -LT2:347;
this is "Qenya"
CORPSE quelet (pl. queletsi), loico (dead
body); CORPSE-CANDLE loicolcuma -KWEL,
MC:223
CORRUSCATION russ (swordblade) -
RUS
COTTAGE - LT2:336 has os(t) "house and
cottage", but this word is probably obsolete -
osto means "city" or "fortress" in Tolkien's later
Quenya.
COUNT - the stem not- can be isolated from
the word for "countable", see below. It actually
occurs in Etym, but is glossed "reckon" instead.
COUNT UP onot- (cf. not- "reckon" - the perfect
of both these verbs would presumably be
*onti), COUNTABLE #ntima (isolated from
ntim "countless, not-countable, numberless",
sg. ntima). NOT COUNTING hequa (leaving
aside, excluding, except) -NOT, Nam, RGEO:67,
VT39:14, WJ:364, 365
COUNTLESS ntima (pl. ntim is
attested) (numberless, not-countable,
uncountable) -VT39:14, Nam, RGEO:67
COUNTRY nr (land, race, nation, native
land, family), #nri (only attested in a
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compound, in the ablative case: sindanriello,
"grey-country-from", "out of a grey country". -N,
Nam/RGEO:67
COURAGE huor (only attested as a proper
name: Huor, lit. "heart-vigour") -KH-N
COURSE ti (line, direction, way, path,
road) -TE3, RGEO:67
COURT paca (paved floor) -GL:63
COVER top- (cited as aorist sg. top) (pa.t.
tomp), also untpa- (lit. "down-roof") -TOP,
Nam/RGEO:67
COVERING telm (hood) -TEL
COW (milch cow) yax. (An alternative form
yaxi, simply glossed "cow", looks like a plural in
LotR-style Quenya, unless it is a feminine form
like tri "queen" and heri "lady") -GL:36
CRACK ciris (probably ciriss-) (cleft) -
LT2:335
CRAFT tanw (thing made, device,
construction); curw. CRAFTSMAN tano (smith)
-KUR
CREATE onta (pa.t. n, ontan) -ONO
CREATURE onna; DEFORMED/HIDEOUS
CREATURE ulundo (monster); VERY
TERRIBLE CREATURE rauco -ONO, LUG,
VT39:10
CRESCENT cn (bow) -LT1:271
CREST (of wave) wing (wingi-) (foam,
spindrift). LT1:256 gives orm "crest, summit",
but in Tolkien's later Quenya orm means
"wrath, haste, violence, rushing". CRESTED
WAVE, WAVE-CREST falma -WIG/LT1:273,
PHAL, VT42:15
CROOKED hwarin; raica (bent, wrong),
rempa (hooked), cauca (bent, humped) -
SKWAR, RYAK/VT39:7, REP, LT1:260
CROSSBAR hwarma -SKWAR
CROSSING tarna (passage, #ford) -
LT2:347
CROW quco (so in WJ:395; Etym has
corco) -WJ:395/VT47:36, KORKA (see KARKA)
CROWD sanga (throng, press); rimb
(host). GREAT COLLECTION OR CROWD OF
THINGS OF THE SAME SORT m (not to be
confused with the pa.t. of the negative verb "not
be, not do"). -STAG/Silm:438, RIM, VT48:32
CROWN r; CROWNED rna; STAR-
CROWNED, CROWNED WITH STARS (a name
of Taniquetil) Elerrna (so in Silm; Etym has
Elerna) -RIG/VT46:11 (VT confirming that the
proper reading is r with a long vowel, not "rie"
as in the Etymologies as printed in LR), EL,
Silm:42
CRUEL nwalca (Though spelt this way also
in Etym, nwalca must be from older *ngwalca,
for the stem is GWAL. In Tengwar spelling, the
letter nwalm (< older ngwalm) should be
used to transcribe the initial nw of nwalca.) -
GWAL
CRUMB mi -PE13:150
CRUMBLE #ruxa- (only part. ruxala is
attested) -MC:222 cf 215
CRY OF TRIUMPH (noun) yello (call,
shout) -GYEL, VT45:16
CRYSTAL maril (glass - perhaps with stem
marill-), CRYSTAL SUBSTANCE silima (a
substance Fanor alone knew how to make; the
Silmarils were made of it. Etymologically, the
word apparently means simply *"white-shining
thing", or perhaps *"[substance] apt to shine
white".) -VT46:13, RGEO:73, Silm:437
CUNNING - LT1:253 has find, fini, but
these words may not be valid in Tolkien's later
Quenya (in Etym, find means "tress, lock of
hair").
CUP yulma (pl. yulmar is attested, VT21:6,
10; VT48:11). -Nam, RGEO:67
CUPOLA coromindo (dome), telluma
(altered from earlier telum under influence of a
Valarin word; pl. tellumar is attested) (dome),
coromindo (dome) -Nam/WJ:399/411, KOR,
KOP
CURUFIN Curufinw, short form Curvo.
(His "mother-name", never used in narrative,
was Atarinc.) -PM:352, 353
CURUNR Curumo (Saruman) -UT:393,
401
CURVED cna (bent; cna is also used as
a verbal stem, see BEND) -MC:223
CUSHION nirwa -NID
CUSTODY mando (safe keeping); CASTLE
OF CUSTODY Mandos (Mandost-) -MR:350
CUT (vb) rista-; veni (infinitive? stem
#ven-?) (shape), CUT (noun) rista, venw
(shape). The verb nac- is defined as hew, cut
in late material (nacin, VT49:24), though in
Etym, it was assigned the meaning bite instead
(NAK). CUT OFF (and get rid of or lose a
portion:) auciri-, (so as to have or or use a
required portion:) hciri- -RIS, LT1:254, WJ:365-
366, 368
CYCLE randa (age) -RAD
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D
DAERON see DAIRON
DADDY (affectionate form of "father"): atto,
atya (these words are also used in children's
play for "thumb" or "big toe"). The form tatanya
in UT:191 seems to mean *"my daddy". -ATA,
VT47:10, 26, VT48:4; atya is a reduced form of
atanya "my father".
DAGGER sicil (knife), naica -SIK, GL:37
DAILY ilaura (another form, ilyara [read
*ilyra?] and its archaic variant ilyza, was
apparently abandoned by Tolkien) -VT43:18
DAINTY netya (pretty). (Note: netya- is also
a verb "trim, adorn".) -VT47:33
DAIRON Sairon -GL:29 (called Daeron in
the published Silmarillion)
DALE nal, nall (dell); DALE-SPRITES
tavar (pl. tavarni). In Tolkien's later Quenya,
tavar means "wood" (as material). See,
however, DRYAD. -LT1:261, LT1:267
DAMP ringa (chilly, cold) -LT1:265
DANCE (verb) lilta- -LILT
DANGER #rax (pl. ablative raxellor
attested). In another version of the text in
question, Tolkien used #raxal (pl. abl.
raxalellor) instead. -VT44:9
DANGLE linga- (hang) -LING
DARE verya- (cf. BOLD) (see MARRY
regarding a homophone) -BER
DARK (adj.) morna (gloomy, sombre,
black), nulla (dusky, obscure), lna (Note: a
homophone means "island"), lra (overcast),
DARK OR HIDDEN tumna (low-lying, low,
profound, deep). DARK (noun) hui (fog, murk,
night); DARK, DARKNESS morni, mr
(blackness, night) mor, lm (Note: lm also
means "hour, time"), lm (stem lmi-) (night,
twilight, gloom), huin (shadow, gloom). (See
SLAYER for DARKNESS-SLAYER.) DARK
ELVES Moriquendi, Morimor (Lmarni in
LT1:259 is hardly a valid word in LotR-style
Quenya); DARK ONE (=Morgoth) morion;
DARK WEATHER lr; DARK LOWERING
CLOUD lumbo (pl. lumbor is attested); DARK
VALE tumbo (stem *tumbu-) (deep valley) -
Letters:382, NDUL, DO3, LT1:259, LT1:271,
LT1:253, MOR, LotR:488 cf. Letters:308,
Silm:431, MC:222 cf. 215, WJ:361/Silm:388,
Nam/RGEO:67, FS, LT1:259, 269
DAUGHTER sely; also yend, yen, -iel
(suffix, e.g. Uinniel "daughter of Uinen"
[UT:182]; this suffix may obsolete the earlier
[TLT] ending -wen, mentioned in LT1:271). The
stem YEL, from which -iel must be derived, was
removed from Etym. However, the UT example
just mentioned is from a later text, indicating that
Tolkien restored -iel. Perhaps yeld was
restored as the independent word for "daughter"
at the same time and is to be preferred to yend,
yen. Distinguish -riel in Altriel (Galadriel),
which does not mean "daughter" and becomes -
riell- before an ending. -VT47:10, Y, YEL,
182/469
DAWN ra (obsoleting r in LT1:264; this
word means "rising" or "heart" in LotR-style
Quenya), amaura (early day). See also
TWILIGHT. -AR
1
, MC:223
DAY aur (sunlight; Etym gives ar, ari-
instead), arya (= 12 hours), r (= 24 hours,
counted from sunset to sunset), sana (= also 24
hours, but this is "Qenya"), DAYTIME ari,
EARLY DAY amaura (dawn), DAYLIGHT -
LT1:254 gives calma, but this word is defined
"lamp" in LotR. LAST DAY OF YEAR quantien,
FIRST DAY (meaning obscure, possibly first day
of year) minyen. (In the entry YEN of the
Etymologies as printed in LR, minyen is
seemingly glossed both "first day" and "first
year", but according to VT46:23, only "first day"
is correct.) DAYSPRING tuil -AR
1
/VT45:6,
Silm:229/234/439, LotR:1141, LT1:250, MC:223,
YEN
DEAD firin (= dead by natural cause),
qualin (related to qualm "agony, death" and
probably has darker connotations than firin),
vanwa (departed, lost, past, gone, vanished, no
longer to be had), hessa (withered). DEAD
BODY loico (corpse) -KWAL, PHIR, MC:223,
LT1:255, WJ:366
DEAL WITH mahta- (fight, handle, manage,
wield, wield a weapon) -MAK/VT39:11, VT47:6,
18, 19
DEAR melda (beloved), melin, moina
(familiar), #melya (isolated from Melyanna "dear
gift", Melian's Quenya name), valda (worth,
worthy). Cf. also the "suffix of endearment" -ya
mentioned in UT:418: Anardilya *"dear Anardil"
(UT:174). -MEL, MOY, Silm:434, GL:23
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DEATH qualm, unqual (agony;
according to VT45:24, Tolkien changed this word
to anqual), #fri, #effri (basically
"expiration", attested with the ending -mmo in
friemmo, effriemmo "of our death"), nuru,
older uru (personalized Nuru = Mandos), fair
(natural death [as act]) (Note: fair also means
"radiance" and "phantom", and even [in LT1:250]
"free"), urdu -KWAL/LT1:264, VT43:34,
GUR/VT46:4, PHIR, LT2:342
DEBT #rohta (attested in pl. form rohtar).
Used in draft version of Tolkien's Quenya Lord's
prayer, this word may refer to moral rather than
financial "debt"; it may also cover "trespass".
This is probably also true of variant words for
"debt" occurring in other versions: #lucass,
#luci, #luhta (all attested with the ending -
mmar to express "our debts/trespasses"). -
VT43:19
DEBTOR #rocindo, #rucindo (isolated
from rocindollomman, rucindollomman "from
our debtors"). Used in one of the draft versions
of Tolkien's Quenya version of the Lord's Prayer,
the "debtors" denoted by this word may be
sinners rather than simply people owing others
money. Another version of the Prayer has
#lucando or #lucindo as the word for "debtor"
or "one who trespasses" (attested in the plural:
lucandor, lucindor). -VT43:20
DECISION, see CONSIDERING A MATTER
(with a view to decision)
DECIMAL SYSTEM (in counting)
maquanoti. Another source gives a word for
"decimal system" as caistanti, incorporating
caista "10th", but since Tolkien later decided
that the initial sound of words having to do with
"10" should be qu- rather than c-, we must
apparently read *quaistanti. But maquanti
(a form requiring no changes) may be preferred.
-VT47:10, VT48:11
DECLIVITY pend (downslape, slope) -PEN
DEEP nra, tumna (low-lying, low,
profound, dark or hidden). DEEP POOL ln,
ln (pl. lni given) (river-[?feeding] well), DEEP
VALLEY tumbo (dark vale); DEEP VALE imb
(dell) (Note: imb is also one form of the
preposition "between"); DEEP SHADOW huin
(gloom). -N, TUB, VT48:28, VT45:18, VT41:8
DEFORMED CREATURE ulundo (hideous
creature, monster) -LUG
DELIVER (= *save) etelehta- (the
alternative verb etrna-, eterna- was possibly
abandoned by Tolkien; see FREE [verb]). -
VT43:23, VT44:9
DELL imb (deep vale) (Note: imb is also
the preposition "between"), nal, nall (dale) -
VT45:18, LT1:261
DEMAND can- (so when used with things
as object, in effect = ask for; otherwise
command, order) -PM:361-362 (where only a
stem KAN is mentioned)
DEMON rauco (pl. #raucar, isolated from
Valaraukar (Valaraucar) "Balrogs". LT1:250
gives arauk; WJ:415 has rauco and arauco,
defined as "a powerful, hostile, and terrible
creature".) See also ORC. -RUK, Silm:436,
WJ:415
DENTAL SERIES tincotma (t-series) -
LotR:1154
DENY lala- -LA (Note: a homophone means
"laugh", but the past tense forms may differ. See
LAUGH.)
DEPART #av- (cited in the form avin "he
departs", read "I depart" in LotR-style Quenya),
pa.t. amb. Also vanya- (pa.t. vann). (The
latter verb Tolkien may have been abandoned in
favour of auta-; see PASS.) Lend pa.t. of
lelya/lenna "go" is also glossed as "departed".
DEPARTED (adj) vanwa (gone, vanished, lost,
past, no longer to be had, dead) -QL:33, WAN,
LED cf. VT45:27, WJ:366, Nam
DEPRIVE OF LIBERTY avalerya- (bind,
make fast, restrain) -VT41:5, 6
DEPRIVED #racina (only pl. racin is
attested) (stripped); DEPRIVED OF na
(destitute, forlorn); DEPRIVED SIGN #racina
tengw (only pl. racin tengwi is attested). Also
translated "stripped sign", this was in early Elvish
analysis of Quenya the term for a consonant with
no following vowel; the vowel was held to have
disappeared or been omitted. -VT39:16, 14
DESCENDANT indyo (grandchild) (Indyo
looks like Vanyarin Quenya; the combination
ndy became ny in Noldorin Quenya. The Noldor
likely used the form *inyo.) MALE
DESCENDANT yondo (son) (In LT2:344, it is
said that yondo usually meant "(great)
grandson", but in LotR-style Quenya it simply
means "son".) -GYO(N)
DESERT erum (cf. Eruman a desert
north-east of Valinor, though Eruman is used in
an entirely different way elsewhere; see
HEAVENS.) -ERE
DESERTED erda (solitary) -LT1:269
DESIRE (vb) #mer- (cited in the form mer,
evidently the 3rd person aorist; pa.t. given as
mern) (want, wish). The stem YES yields a
word yesta- "desire", but this clashes with the
corrected/updated form of esta - see FIRST.
DESIRE (noun) r, nma (= "a desire" or "a
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judgement"), nmi (= "a (single) desire" or "a
(single) judgement"), milm (greed). (Note: r
also means "when".) See SEXUAL DESIRE for a
term that possibly has this meaning.
DESIREABLE rima (loveable), DESIRER Irmo
(name of a Vala). DESIRING TO START mna
(eager to go), also verb DESIRE TO GO IN
SOME DIRECTION mna- (to wish to go to a
place, make for it, have some end in view). -
MER, ID, VT41:13, MIL-IK, YES/VT46:23,
WJ:403, VT39:11
DESPISE #nattir- -VT44:8
DESTINE martya-; DESTINY maranw -
MBARAT
DESTITUTE na (deprived of, forlorn);
DESTITUTE OF (usually followed by genitive:
calo *"destitute of light [cala]") (without). -
VT39:14
DETERMINANT VOWEL sundma (lit.
*"base-vowel, root-vowel". Christopher Tolkien
notes: "Very briefly indeed, the Quendian
consonantal base or sundo was characterized by
a 'determinant vowel' or sundma: thus the
sundo KAT has a medial sundma 'A', and
TALAT has the sundma repeated. In derivative
forms the sundma might be placed before the
first consonant, e.g. ATALAT.") -WJ:319
DEVICE tanw (craft, thing made,
construction); SKILLFUL [?DEVICE - Tolkien's
handwriting was illegible] curo (curu-) -TAN,
VT41:10
DEVISE auta- (originate, invent) -GAWA
DEW ross (fine rain, spray), rin. DEWY
nt (stem *nti-) (moist) -ROS/Letters:282,
LT1:265, NEI
DEXTER forya (right), DEXTEROUS
formait (right-handed) -VT46:10, PHOR
DIACRITIC tehta (mark [in writing], sign) (In
LotR:1155, the word is applied to the supralinear
vowel-marks of Fanorian writing, and pl. tehtar
is attested.) -TEK, LotR:1155
DIALECT - Tolkien notes that the word
lamb "tongue" was originally "nearer to our
'dialect' than to 'language', but later when the
Eldar became aware of other tongues, not
intelligible without study, lambe naturally became
applied to the separate languages of any people
or region" (WJ:394). Thus, lamb can hardly be
used for "dialect" in Exilic Quenya. Cf. also
VT39:15, where lamb is said to mean "the
language or dialect of a particular or people".
DICTUM eques (pl. equessi) (proverbial
dictum, quotation, saying) -WJ:392
DIE fir- (fade) -MC:223, VT43:34
DIG sapa-, pa.t. samp
DIGIT: For a common term for "finger" and
"toe", see TIP.
DIPHTHONG ocamna; in the source
providing this word Tolkien rejected his earlier
form osamnar (pl.); compare the Etymologies
form #samna (only pl samnar is attested.
Distinct in Tengwar spelling from samna
"wooden post", that is spelt with initial sl
instead of silm). Another word for "dipthong" is
given as ohlon (pl. ohloni is attested); the latter
term was used of vocalic diphthongs and
"consonantal diphthongs" (like mb) alike. -
VT44:13, 14, SAM, VT39:9, VT48:29
DIM TO SEE nca (vague, faint) (Pl nc is
attested) -MC:223, 222
DIMNESS mordo (shadow, obscurity, stain,
smear) -VT45:35, MOR
DIRE aica (fell, terrible, sharp) -PM:347
DIRECTION ti (course, line, pathway,
road); DESIRE TO GO IN SOME DIRECTION
mna- (to wish to go to a place, make for it, have
some end in view). - TE3/RGEO:67, VT39:11
DIRTY vra (soiled) -WA3
DISAPPEAR vanya- (pa.t. vann. Note: a
homophone of vanya means "beautiful") (go,
depart) -WAN
DISCOLOURED pra (smeared) -MC:223
DISEMBODIED SPIRIT see SPIRIT
DISGUST - feel disgust at feuya- (abhor). -
PHEW/VT46:9
DISH ven (small boat, vessel) -LT1:254
DISORDERED rcina (confused, shattered)
-MC:223
DISPLAY (verb) apanta- (pa.t. apantan,
apant) (reveal), (noun) apanti -QL:34
DISTRIBUTE IN EVEN PORTIONS etsat-,
estat- (cited without a final hyphen in the source,
but this would seem to be a verb, and
presumably Quenya). -VT48:11
DIVIDE IN MIDDLE perya- (halve) (After
perya-, a word perina is mentioned; it is
undefined but must be the corresponding past
participle: *"divided in middle, halved".) -PER
DIVINE valaina (= "of or belonging to the
Valar", probably not to be used with reference to
the One who is above them), Eruva (adj.
referring to the divinity of Eru himself), DIVINITY
valass -BAL, VT44:18
DIVISION asta (part, especially one of other
equal parts; asta is often used = "month" as a
division of the year). -VT48:11
DO #car- (make, build; see MAKE for
various attested forms of this verb); NOT DO
#um- (cited in the form umin "I do not", 1st pers.
aorist; also short uin) (pa.t. m, not to be
confused with a noun meaning "collection,
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crowd"). (This verb is also used = "not be", see
BE); DO NOT! (imperative) v! (also = I will not);
DON'T va, av, alaly (the last form
incorporates the ending -ly "thou", hence "do
not thou [do something]"). DON'T DO IT! va
car! SET VIGOROUSLY OUT TO DO horya-
(be compelled to do something, have an
impulse) -KAR, UGU/UMU, WJ:371, VT44:8,
VT45:22
DOER tyaro (actor, agent) -KYAR
DOG huo, roa -KHUG, VT47:35
DOME telluma (pl. tellumar is attested)
(cupola), coromindo (cupola) -Nam/WJ:399,
KOR
DON'T va, av; DON'T DO IT! va car! -
WJ:371
DOOM manar, mand (final end, fate,
fortune, final bliss); umbar- (umbart-) (fate). See
below concerning *anan in Rithil-Anamo. In the
story of Trin Turambar, it seems that ambar
means "doom": Turambar is said to mean
"Master of Doom", and Nienor even uses the
word in the instrumental case: ambartanen "by
doom". Similarly, LT2:348 gives ambar "Fate".
But in Etym, ambar means "earth", and LotR
Appendix E confirms that "fate" is umbar.
DOOM RING Mhanaxar (a foreign word in
Quenya, adopted and adapted from Valarin, also
translated as:) Rithil-Anamo "Ring of Doom",
name of the place where judgement was passed
in Valinor (hence Anamo as genitive "of Doom",
nominative probably *anan with stem anam-,
otherwise but less likely *anama this seems to
be "doom" in the sense of judgement or juridical
justice, since the root is NAM as in nam- "to
judge"). -MAN/MANAD, MBARAT/VT45:5,
Silm:261, 269, LotR:1157, WJ:399, WJ:401
DOOR, see GATE; *DOOR OF NIGHT: the
translation Ando Lmen is given in VT45:28
(citing a deleted entry in the Etymologies). Since
Tolkien later decided that the genitive ending
should be -o rather than -n, and moreover
equipped lm "night" with the stem-form lmi-,
we should perhaps read *Ando Lmio.
DORIATH #Lestanr (only gen.
Lestanro is attested) -WJ:369
DORLMIN Lminr -WJ:145
DOT pica (small spot), tix (tiny mark,
point), amatix (point over the line of writing;
variant amatex in VT46:19), unutix (point
under the line of writing; the initial element unu-
was misread as "nun-" in the Etymologies as
printed in LR, see VT46:19) -PIK, TIK/VT46:19
DOUBLE (prob. adj) atwa, tanta; DOUBLE
(vb) tatya- (repeat). (Note: tatya also means
"second".) -AT(AT), TATA
DOUGH max -MASAG
DOVE cucua -K (in the Etymologies as
printed in LR, this noun is erroneously split into
two words, "ku" and "kua" instead of "kukua";
see VT45:24)
DOWN undu (under, beneath); DOWN-
FALL atalant, atalanti (collapse); DOWN-
FALLEN atalanta (pl atalanti is attested)
(ruinous); DOWN BELOW (adv.) nn
(underneath); "DOWN-LICK" (i.e., cover
completely) #undulav- (only pa.t. undulv is
attested) -UNU, N, MC:222, 223/Letters:347,
RGEO:67/Nam
DOWNSLOPE pend (slope, declivity) -
PEN/PNED
DRAGON lc (serpent, snake; "so do the
Eldar name the worms of Melko[r]", LT2:85),
angulc, fenum; WINGED DRAGON
rmalc; FIRE-DRAGON urulc (pl. Urulci
is attested in Silm:138, there capitalized;
surprisingly, Urulci is used as a singular form
in Silm:255); SPARK-DRAGON falc; FISH-
DRAGON lingwilc (sea-serpent) -LOK; cf.
ANGWA, LT2:341, RAM, UR, PHAY, LIW
DRAKE (LT2:340) see DRAGON
DRAUGHT #yulda (only pl. yuldar is
attested), suhto -Nam, SUK
DRAW #tuc- (cited as tucin "I draw", 1st
pers. aorist), saca- (pull but a homophone
means "search"), DRAW WATER calpa- (bale
out, scoop out); DRAWING #halm (isolated
from Turuhalm "Log-drawing") -TUK, KALPA,
VT43:23, LotR:270
DREAD (verb) aista- -GAYAS
DREAM (noun) olor, olr, lor; DREAM or
VISION olos (olor- for older oloz-, as in the
archaic pl. olozi, later olori). DREAMY olosta,
olra -LOS, LT1:259, LotR:488 cf. Letters:308,
UT:396
DREAM (verb) la- (said to be "impersonal",
probably meaning that the dreamer is mentioned
in the dative rather than the nominative: *la i
Eldan, "the Elf dreams") -UT:396
DRESSED LEATHER alu -QL:30
DRINK (vb) #suc- (cited in source as sucin
"I drink", 1st pers. aorist); DRINK OF THE
VALAR limp (so glossed under LIP; "drink of
the fairies" in LT1:258) or mruvr (LT1:261);
DRINKING yulm (carousal) (Note: a
homophone means "smouldering heat");
DRINKING-VESSEL yulma (cup), sungwa. -
SUK, WJ:416/Nam
DRIP lipte- -LT1:258
DROP (noun) limba; LITTLE DROP lipt -
LIB, LT1:258
DROWNED quorin (choked) -LT1:264
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DROWSY lorda (slumbrous) -LT1:259
DR r (wose), DRADAN Ratan (pl.
Ratani is given but seems perfectly regular) -
UT:385
DRY (prob. adj not vb) parca; VERY DRY
amparca -PRAK, VT45:5
DRYAD tavaro, tavaron (m.), tavaril (f.)
(compare the tavarni or "dale-sprites" in
Tolkien's earlier material), nandin (further
defined as "fay of the country") -TWAR,
LT1:261
DUILIN Tulindo; HOUSE OF DUILIN
Noss Tuilinda (Tuilinda must be an adjectival
form of Tuilindo) -LT2:338
DNEDAIN Nnatani -WJ:386
DUSK hist (also hs, but this clashes with
a word meaning "fog, mist"), lm (stem lmi-)
(night, gloom, darkness, twilight) -LT1:255
DUSKY nulla (dark, obscure) -NDUL
DUST asto -S-AT
DWARF Nauco (pl. Naucor is attested;
LT1:261 gives nauca instead of nauco), Norno
(Naucali, Nornali = the whole people of the
Dwarves) Casar (pl. Casari or Casri; partitive
plural Casalli; the whole people of the Dwarves
being called Casalli. According to WJ, Casar -
Quenyaized form of Dwarvish Khazd - "was the
word most commonly used in Quenya for the
Dwarves". Nauco "stunted one" and norno
"thrawn one" are less polite words for "dwarf";
yet norno is stated to be "the more friendly
term". But the Dwarves themselves would
definitely prefer Casar.) PETTY-DWARVES
Picinaucor, Pitya-naucor (lit. *"small dwarves"),
Attalyar (lit. "Bipeds"). DWARROWVAULT
Casarrondo (Khazad-dm) -NAUK, WJ:388,
389
DWELLER mardo -LT1:251
DWELLING (noun) mar (mard-) (home),
also mr; DWELLING (adj) #farn (a pl form?
Sg farna? Only attested in the compound
orofarn "mountain-dwelling". Note: farn is
also the pa.t. of farya- "suffice", as well as a
noun "foliage"); DWELLING-PLACE nr (land,
region where certain people live, nation, native
land, family); DWELLING UNDERGROUND
hrta (artificial cave, rockhewn hall). The word
ambar, usually translated "world", is also
associated with "home, dwelling" in one source. -
VT45:33, 46:13, cf. LT1:251, LotR:505 cf.
Letters:224, VT47:6, NDOR, PM:365, VT46:13
DWINDLE pca- (part. pcala is attested)
(lessen) -MC:223, 222
E
EACH ilya (every, all of a particular group of
things), in early material also mca (a very early
"Qenya" word of doubtful authority in Tolkiens
later conception) -VT39:20, GL:41
EAGER TO GO mna- (desiring to start) -
VT39:11
EAGLE soron, sorn () (pl. sorni) (So in
Etym; Letters:427 has sorno, thorno, LT1:266
also has sor. Soron/sorno obsoletes ea, earen
in LT1:251 and LT2:338 - besides, a means "is,
exists" in Tolkien's later Quenya.) KING OF
EAGLES Sorontur, "EAGLE-HORN" (a great
height in Nmenor) Sorontil -THOR,
Letters:427, UT:465
EAR: The form lr in the entry LAS
2
in the
Etymologies appears to mean "ear", though the
wording is not quite clear.
EARLY arinya; EARLY DAY amaura
(dawn); EARLY MORN tuil (dayspring, spring-
time) -AR
1
, MC:223, TUY
EARTH cemen (soil). (Note: at the time
Tolkien wrote Etym, he thought of cemen as the
genitive of cn, but later cemen evidently
became the nominative form, as it had been in
earlier writings [LT1:257]. In Silm:433, it is said
that cemen [kemen] refers to "the Earth as a flat
floor beneath menel, the heavens". LT1:257,
reproducing early material, also has cemi "earth,
soil, land" and Kmi "Mother Earth".) Locative
cemend "on earth" in VT43:17. HEAVEN AND
EARTH Menel Cemeny (VT47:11). EARTH-
QUEEN Kementri (Yavanna's title);
EARTHEN, OF EARTH cemna. (LR:363 gves
"kemina", but according to VT45:19, this is a
misreading for "kemna" in Tolkien's manuscript.)
EARTH (= world) Ambar (world) (Tolkien
equated Ambar with Oikoumene, a Greek word
denoting "world" considered as "the inhabited
world of Men". But ambar also seems to mean
"doom", q.v. MR:337 (cf. WJ:419) has Imbar
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instead of Ambar; the literal meaning of both
words is said to be "habitation") EARTH-
DWELLERS -LT2:343 gives indi, rendered
"earthdwellers" and said to be another word for
"men", but this is hardly a valid word in LotR-
style Quenya. -KEM/Silm:433/LT1:257/VT44:34,
MBAR cf. Letters:283 or SD:409
EASEMENT (noun) tiutal (comfort,
consolation) -QL:93
EAST rmen (allative Rmenna as a region
of Nmenor and ablative Rmello in Namri
are capitalized), rna; EASTERN rmenya
(Entar, Entardar "Outer Lands, Middle-earth" is
also glossed as "East" once, as opposed to the
Blessed Realm of the West.) The words r
"dawn, Sunrise, East" and its corresponding
adjective ra (LT1:264) are probably not valid
words in LotR-style Quenya; see DAWN. Neither
can Ostar "East" be a valid word; see GATE.
EAST-VICTOR Rmendacil (one of the Kings of
Gondor) EAST-LANDS Orrostar (a region in
Nmenor). EAST-HELPER (masc. name)
Rmestmo, Rme(n)star (so in PM:384, 391;
probably ?Rmenstar must always become
Rmestar, but Tolkien cited the form as
Rme(n)star to indicate the connection with
rmen "east") -R/LotR:1157, UT:463, Nam,
EN, LotR:1075, 1081, UT:165, 459, PM:384,
391)
EAT mat-, mata- (pa.t. mant is given),
future-past matumn "was going to eat" -MAT,
VT39:7, VT48:32
EBB (noun) nanw (lowtide), EBB-TIDE
lanw (stem *lanwi- given primitive form danmi)
-VT48:26, 32
ECHO lma (ringing sound - so in Etym, but
see SOUND), nallma (In Etym, the second a of
the latter word has an undefined diacritic here
represented by .) ECHOING lmina -LAM
EDDY hwinya- (swirl, gyrate); hwind
(whirlpool) -SWIN
EDGE rna, rma -REG, R
EGLATH (or EGLAIN, EGLADHRIM)
Heceldi (the "Forsaken" Elves, especially the
Eldar left in Beleriand; sg Hecel is given.
MR:170 has Ecelli.) -WJ:365 cf. Silm:68
EIGHT tolto (alternative form toldo),
EIGHTH tolta, tolda. Fraction ONE EIGHTH
tolosta, tosta, tolsat. -TOL
1
-OTH/OT, VT42:25,
31, VT48:6, 11
EIGHTEEN toloqu; in duodecimal
counting, the word nahta occurs (Note: a
homophone means "bite", as noun.) -VT48:21,
PE14:17/VT47:42
ELBOW lem -LT1:258
ELEPHANT andamunda -MBUD
ELEVEN minqu; fraction ONE ELEVENTH
minquesta. -MINIK-W-, LT1:260, VT48:6;
unorthodox spelling "minkwe" in VT48:7, 11
ELF quend (generic, seldom used in the
sg; pl Quendi is the usual form; there are
gender-specific forms quendu m. and quendi f.,
but they seem to be rare; pl. forms quendur,
quendir are attested), Elda (originally generic,
but later [MET] used of Elves of the Three
Kindreds [Noldor, Vanyar, Teleri] only. That was
at least the proper usage: Elda was the normal
word for "elf" in Valinor, as all Elves there were
Eldar. An archaic variant of Elda was Eldo.)
ELVES OF AMAN Amanyar (sg #Amanya),
ELVES WHO REFUSED TO JOIN IN THE
WESTWARD MARCH (from Cuivinen) Avari
(sg Avar in WJ:371, VT47:13, 24; Avar or Avaro
in Etym), also called Avamanyar "those who did
not go to Aman, because they would not"
(distinguish manyar, amanyar, Alamanyar
"those who did not in the event reach Aman",
though they did join in the march from Cuivinen;
these are also called Heceldi or Ecelli, see
EGLATH). See also DARK ELVES, GREEN-
ELVES, GREY-ELVES, HIGH-ELVES, LIGHT-
ELVES, SEA-ELVES, LITTLE ELF. Cf. also
ELVENHOME Eldamar, Elend. ELF-PEOPLE
Eldali, ELVISH Eldarinwa (adj only, pl.
Eldarinw attested in VT47:14; but "Elvish"
meaning Elvish language is simply Eldarin.
Properly, these words for "Elvish" apply to the
Tree Kindreds only, not to all the Quendi.)
Quenderin ("Elvish" referring to all the Quendi,
"Quendian"; this remained a learned word) -
WJ:361/KWEN(ED), MR:229 ELED, Silm:424,
AB/WJ:371/Silm:65/MR:163, WJ:363,
Silm:23/392, MR:415, WJ:407
ELF-FRIEND Elendil (actually meaning
*"star-friend". Tolkien notes: "It is not surprising
that the Edain...found it difficult to discern
whether words and names containing the
element el referred to the stars or to the Elves.
This is seen in the name Elendil, which was
meant to bear the sense "Elf-friend". Properly in
Quenya it meant 'a lover or student of the
stars'... 'Elf-friend' would have been more
correctly represented by Quen(den)dil or
Eldandil.") -WJ:410
ELF-LOVER #Eldameldo (pl Eldameldor in
WJ:417)
ELF-STONE Elessar (Aragorn's royal
name), stem *Elessarn-, as in the genitive
Elesarno (VT49:28, read *Elessarno?) The
literal meaning may seem to be Star-stone rather
than Elf-stone but the Edain confused elen
"star" and elda "elf". Cf. Elendil; see ELF-
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FRIEND above.) As a common noun, elessar or
elf-stone may signify beryl (in the chapter
Flight to the Ford in the LotR, Aragorn finds a
single pale-green jewel and declares: It is a
beryl, an elf-stone). -LotR:395, 897
ELM-TREE alalm, lalm; LAND OF ELMS
Alalminr (Warwickshire) -LAM/LT1:249,
LLAM
ELONGATED taina (stretched, elongated,
extended) -VT39:7
EMBER yla (smouldering wood) -YUL
EMINENT minya (prominent; minya is
basically the ordinal "1st"); EMINENT MAN arto
(champion) -VT42:24, 25; Silm:428
EMIT LIGHT faina- -PHAY
EMOTION felm (impulse) -VT41:19
EMPTY lusta (void), cumna -LUS, KUM
ENCHANT luhta- (Note: a homophone
means "bow"); ENCHANTMENT lc LUK
ENCIRCLE: Early Qenya material has a
verb qilti- gird, encircle (QL:78); read perhaps
*quilta- if the verb is to be adapted to Tolkiens
later Quenya (cf. the noun quilta belt).
ENCLOSURE panda; CIRCULAR
ENCLOSURE corin -PAD, KOR
END (noun) metta, ment, tyel (stem tyeld-
as in the pl. tyeldi, misread as "tyelde" in the
printed Etymologies; see VT45:25), tyelma, telu;
THE ENDING OF THE WORLD Ambar-metta,
ambarmetta; END (vb) tele- (intransitive) (finish
- so in WJ:411 - LT1:267 gives telu-), tyel-
(cease), PUT AN END TO metya-, HAVE SOME
END IN VIEW mna- (desire to go in some
direction, wish to go to a place, make for it) -
LotR:1003/VT44:36, MET, LT1:267, WJ:411,
KYEL/VT45:25, VT39:11
ENDLESS PERIOD oio -UT:317
ENDURANCE voronwi (lasting quality);
ENDURING voronwa (long-lasting), vra
(continuous, lasting), vrima (continuous,
repeated) -BORN, VT45:7
ENEMY cotumo -KOT
ENFOLD vaita- (wrap) -VT46:21, LT1:271
ENGLAND - see FARY.
ENOUGH fara (sufficient). "Enough" as an
adverb is apparently faren. -PHAR, VT46:9
ENQUIRY centa (as in Essecenta
Eldarinwa, probably meaning *"Enquiry into
Eldarin Names", as Tolkien described the work
as an "Enquiry into the origins of Elvish names
for Elves"; cf. also Osanwe-centa, translated
"enquiry into the communication of thought".
Another possible translation of centa may be
*"essay".) -MR:415, VT39:23
ENTRAILS (bowels) hirdi, sg. hir (hird-) -
PE13:161
ENTRANCE TO HARBOUR lond (road [in
sea], also translated "haven" or "fairway") -
LOD/VT45:28
ENVELOPE (noun) vaiya, vaia (both with
alternative, possibly older [MET] forms in w-). -
WAY
EXACT PENALTY, see PUNISH
EXPIRE fr- (perf. fri ["has breathed
forth"] is attested; *ifri may be the more usual
form) -MR:250
ERRANT rnen -RAN
ESCAPE (vb) usin (glossed "he escapes" in
LT:251, but in LotR-style Quenya it would have
to mean, if anything, *"I escape" - 1st pers.
aorist); ESCAPE (noun) usw (issue) -LT1:251
*ESSAY see *ENQUIRY.
ESTABLISH tulca- (fix, set up. Note: there
is a homophone meaning "firm, steadfast,
strong, immoveable".) -LT1:270 cf. TULUK
ETERNAL oira -OY
EVENING andn (sunset, west), siny -
MC:222, THIN
EVER oi, voro, vor (continually) (pref. #oio-
, vor-, voro-), EVERWHITE, EVER-SNOW-
WHITE Oioloss (a name for Taniquetil; gen
Oiolosso is attested in Nam, where it has an
ablatival meaning); EVERSUMMER Oiolair,
EVERLASTING oia; vorima; EVERLASTING
[?AGE] (Tolkien's handwriting was illegible) oir,
oial; FOR EVER, EVERLASTINGLY oial
(evidently the noun just mentioned used as an
adverb), tennoio, oia (the latter is both adj.
"everlasting" and the adv. *"everlastingly",
according to VT46:8). -OY, UT:458, BOR,
LT1:250/273, Nam/RGEO:67, Silm:429, UT:317
EVERY ilya (each, all of a particular group
of things), mca (a very early "Qenya" word of
doubtful authority) -VT39:20, GL:41
EVERYBODY ilquen; EVERYTHING ilqua.
For "everything" there is also ilu as a word for
the universe: all, the whole; of the universe also
including God and all souls and spirits, which are
not properly included in the term E. -WJ:372,
IL/VT45:24, VT39:20
EVIL (adj.) ulca, ma (but in a later
source, the latter is said to mean "abundant,
swarming, teaming"), ra (nasty), EVILEYED
henulca; EVIL-SMELLING saura () (foul,
putrid) - in one attested compound also #sauri-;
see FOUL. EVIL as noun: ulco (stem ulcu- as in
the ablative ulcullo; pl. "evils" presumably
*ulqui); another version of the relevant text uses
ro as the noun "evil"), FREE FROM EVIL aman
(see BLESSED). -VT43:23-24, SD:68, 72, UGU,
THUS, VT43:23-24, WJ:399
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EXALTED arta (lofty). Note: homophones
mean "athwart" and also "fort". EXALTED ONES
Aratar (pl; sg #Arata). The Aratar are the
mightiest of the Valar: Manw, Varda, Ulmo,
Yavanna, Aul, Mandos, Nienna, and Orom.
Aratar is also rendered "High Ones, The
Supreme" -PM:354, Silm 32/381, WJ:402
EXCEPT hequa (leaving aside, not
counting, excluding) -WJ:364, 365
EXCLUDE hehta- (pa.t. hehtan is given
but seems perfectly regular) (put aside, leave
out, abandon, forsake); EXCLUDING hequa
(leaving aside, not counting, except) -WJ:364,
365
EXIST a (translated is in CO; see BE),
pa.t. eng, perfect engi or rarely y, future
euva -VT39:6, 7, VT43:38, VT49:29
EXPAND palu-, palya- (spread, extend,
open wide); EXPANSIVE palla (wide) -PAL
EXPIRE fr- (originally used of "one sighing
or releasing a deep breath", but also used of the
Elf Mriel when she "breathed forth" and died;
later used of the death of mortals. Perf. fri is
attested; *ifri with prefix sundma is probably
also a possible form.) -MR:250
EXTEND palu-, palya- (spread, expand,
open wide); EXTENDED taina (lengthened,
stretched, elongated); EXTENSION tail
(lengthening) -PAL, TAY
EYE hen (hend-) (normal pl. hendi as well
as the dual form #hendu are attested [isolated
from hendumaica, WJ:337]; #hendu would be
used of a natural pair of eyes). SHARP-EYE
hendumaica, EYES OF HEARTSEASE (a name
of the pansy) Helinyetill -KHEN-D-E, WJ:337,
LT1:262
EYRIE sornion () (lit. gen.pl "of eagles"?).
-LT1:266. (LT1:251 gives aren, but this is
hardly a valid word in LotR-style Quenya [see
EAGLE])
F
FACE cendel, anta; SWEET-FACED
raina (smiling, gracious). NOTE: A homophone
means "nettled, enlaced". -VT49:21, ANA,
VT44:35
FADE sinta- () (pa.t. sintan is given,
though it seems perfectly regular), fir- (die),
fifru- ("slowly fade away", frequentative form of
fir-; the participal form fifrula is attested);
FADING quell (In the Calendar of Imladris,
quell was a precisely defined period of 54 days
in late autumn. Also called lasselanta; see
AUTUMN.) -THIN, MC:222/223, LotR:1141
FARY Inwilis, Inwinr (another gloss,
"England", was struck out) -LT1:256
FAINT nca (vague, dim to see) -
MC:222/223
FAIR vanima (beautiful, proper, right),
van, melima, linda (the latter = fair/beautiful of
sound, VT45:27); FAIR FOLK Vanimo (pl.
Vanimor is given but seems perfectly regular;
the word is said to apply to the "children of the
Valar"). FAIR-MINDED faila (generous, just),
NOT FAIR vanima (ugly) FAIRWAY (=
navigable channel for ships) lond (road in sea).
-BAN/VT39:14, LT1:272, MEL, SLIN, PM:352,
VT39:14, VT45:28
FAITHFUL voronda, vrima (steadfast) -
UT:317, LT1:250
FALL (vb) lanta- (pres. pl. lantar, pl. past
lantaner and part. #lantala are attested); FALL
(noun) lanta or #lant. (The first of these words
occurs in the compound lasselanta "leaf-fall,
Autumn", while #lant is isolated from
Noldolant "the Fall of the Noldor". From these
examples it appears that a lanta is a physical
fall, while a lant is a moral fall. Perhaps the
latter word can also be applied to a military
defeat, as in "the fall of Gondolin".) THE FALLEN
(= Nmenor) Atalant -DAT/DANT/MC:222,
Nam, SD:246, LT1:254, Silm:102/414, TALT
FALLOW marya (fawn, pale), malwa (pale)
-MAD, SMAL
FAMILIAR moina (dear) -MOY
FAMILY noss (clan, "house"), nr, -nor
(land, country, dwelling-place, nation, native
land) -N, LT1:272
FANE yna (holy place, sanctuary) -YAN
FANG carca (tooth, tusk) -Silm:429,
LT2:344
FAR haira, eccaira, avahaira; FAR AWAY
(adj) vahaia (or (a)vahya, VT45:21), FAR
AWAY, FAR OFF (adv.) hya; FAR AND WIDE
palan (or "wide, over a wide space, to a
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distance", VT45:21), FAR-SEER palantir, "FAR-
WANDERER" (the name of a ship) Palarran -
KHAYA, SD:247, Silm:435, TIR, UT:460
FAREWELL namri -Nam
FARMER nandor (perhaps obsolete in
LotR-style Quenya, clashing with the name of
the Nandor, a tribe of Elves) -LT1:261
FASTEN #tac- (listed as tac, 3rd pers. sg.
aorist), pa.t. tanc. -TAK
FAT (adj.) tiuca (thick), lra (rich); GROW
FAT tiuya- (swell). FAT (noun) lar (also used =
riches), larma (the latter possibly "pig-fat"; the
first part of the gloss is not certainly legible in
Tolkien's manuscript. Another gloss of larma is
"flesh".) -TIW, VT45:26
FATE umbar (umbart-) (doom; the form
amarto in LT2:348 could be obsolete, but ambar
from the same source may be a valid word also
in LotR-style Quenya - see DOOM), marto
(fortune, lot); manar, mand (doom, final end,
fortune [usually = final bliss]); FATED marta
(which adjective also seems to be the noun
"fate" in later sources; see VT45:33, VT46:13). -
MBARAT/LotR:1157, MANAD, VT45:33/VT46:12
FATHER atar (pl. atari in Etym, though the
pl. form #atri occurs as part of the compound
Atanatri). Dative ataren is attested (VT43:36-
37). Forms like atar, atarinya ("my father") as
well as atya "daddy" are said to be forms a child
would use in addressing his or her father
(VT47:26; see DADDY). In VT48:19, atya is
explained as a contraction of at-nya "my father".
The final version of the Lord's Prayer (VT43:12,
13) has #tar with a long initial vowel
(taremma "our father"); this #tar may
incorporate the vocative particle a (*a Atar "o
Father" > #tar). FATHER OF ALL Ilvatar
(God). -Silm:428, 229/ATA/LT1:255, VT44:16,
Silm:404/UT:446, VT43:37
FATHOM (noun) rangw -RAK
FAWN marya (fallow, pale) -MAD
FAY OF THE COUNTRY nandin (dryad),
FAY OF THE MEADS Nermi (pl. Nermir is
attested) (field-spirit) -LT1:261, 262
FANOR Fanro (Spirit of Fire) -
Silm:397/435, MR:217
FEAR (noun) caur; FEAR (vb) #ruc- (the
1st person aorist rucin is glossed "I feel fear or
horror", constructed with "from" of the object
feared, e.g. *rucin Orcollon "I fear Orcs") -
LT1:257, WJ:415
FEAST meren (merend-), merend
(festival); FESTIVE merya -MBER
FEATHER quess -KWES, LotR:1157
FEBRUARY Nnim (Amillion in LT1:249
is hardly a valid word in LotR-style Quenya.) -
LotR:1144
FEEL: The noun felm "emotion" (q.v.) or
*"feeling" may suggest a verbal stem #fel-
(compare melm vs. mel-, "love" as noun and
verb). This #fel- could then mean "to feel" in the
general sense of "have an emotion". Other
senses, see below.
FEEL FEAR OR HORROR #ruc- (cited in
source as rucin, 1st pers. aorist), constructed
with "from" of the object feared. -WJ:415
FEEL WITH FINGERTIPS lepta- ([to] finger;
to pick up/out with the fingers) -VT44:16,
VT47:10, 25
FEEL WITH THE HAND, see STROKE
FEELING, see EMOTION
FELL (adj) aica (sharp, terrible, dire). -
PM:347
FELL (noun) helma (skin) -SKEL
FEMALE (noun) n, FEMALE (adj.) inya,
inimeit (pl. probably *inimeisi; cf. HANDED,
LEAPING, WINDY) -INI
FENCED FIELD peler, FENCING OR
DEFENSIVE HEIGHTS Pelri -PEL(ES),
WJ:403
FESTIVAL asar (Vanyarin athar) (fixed
time), meren (merend-), merend (feast);
FESTIVE merya -WJ:399, MBER
FETCH tulta- (send for, summon) -TUL
FEY marta (fated) -MBARAT
FIELD (sown field) resta (acre). FIELD-
SPIRIT Nermi (pl. Nermir is attested) (fay of the
meads) - VT46:11 cf. RED, LT1:262
FIERY uruit, ruva (The stem from which
these words are derived was struck out in Etym.
However, several words that must be derived
from this stem occur in LotR, indicating that
Tolkien restored it. LT1:248 also gives sra
"fiery", but this word is probably obsoleted by
sra "bitter" in Etym.) -UR
FIFTEEN lepenqu -VT48:21 (the form
quailepen seems to be another, possibly
experimental, word for "15" in Quenya)
FIFTH lempa, replacing older (MET)
lemenya. Fraction ONE FIFTH lepesta, lepsat -
VT42:25, VT48:11
FIGHT (WITH SWORD) mahta- (wield a
weapon, manage, deal with, handle) -MAK/MA3,
VT39:11, VT45:30-32, VT47:6, 18, 19
FILL quat- (fut #quantuva is attested in
enquantuva, "will refill") -WJ:392, Nam; cf.
KWAT
FINAL tyelima, mtima (ultimate, last);
FINAL END mande, manar (fortune, bliss, fate),
telda (last) -MC:222 cf. 215, MANAD, WJ:411
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FINARFIN Arafinw -MR:230
FIND #hir- (only fut hiruva is attested),
#tuv- (only perf #utvi is attested [with
pronominal endings: utvienyes "I have found
it"]). It is difficult to say what distintion in meaning
there may be between these words (if any at all);
the verb #tuv- is evidently the same as tuvu- in
GL:71, there glossed "receive". -Nam/RGEO:67,
LotR:1008
FINE tereva (acute, piercing); FINE
PIERCED HOLE terra -TER, VT46:18
FINE FLOUR mulma -QL:63
FINE RAIN ross (dew, spray) -ROS cf.
Letters:282
FINGER (noun) leper (pl. leperi given). In
an earlier source, the Etymologies, Tolkien gave
the Quenya word for "finger" as leps (possibly
with stem lepsi-, as indicated by the deleted
ancestral form lepti, see VT45:27). The term ortil
(ortill-, pl. ortilli given), "up-point", is also used
for "finger". Special words for the various fingers,
see THUMB, INDEX FINGER/FIRST FINGER,
MIDDLE FINGER, FOURTH FINGER, LITTLE
FINGER. Adj. FINGERED #lepta (isolated from
raccalepta "clawfingered") PICK (UP, OUT)
WITH THE FINGERS or FEEL WITH
FINGERTIPS lepta- -VT44:16/VT45:27/VT47:10
14, 24, LEP, SD:68, 72
FINGER (vb) lepta- (feel with fingertips; to
pick up/out with the fingers) -VT44:16, VT47:10,
25
FINGOLFIN Nolofinw -PM:344 (In the
source,, Nolofinw is spelt with initial , that is,
ng. Initial ng had become n in Third Age
Quenya, and I follow the spelling of LotR and
transcribe it accordingly. But if this word is
written in Tengwar, the initial n should be
transcribed with the letter noldo, not nmen.)
FINGON Findecno -PM:345
FINISH (vb) tele- (intransitive) (end) (so in
WJ:411 - LT1:267 gives telu-) telya- (transitive)
(wind up, conclude). Cf. also telma "conclusion,
anything used to finish off a work or affair", "often
applied to the last item in a structure, such as a
coping-stone, or a topmost pinnacle." FINISH
(noun) telu -WJ:411, LT1:267
FINROD Findarto -Silm:428/PM:346
FIRE r (the stem from which this word is
derived was struck out in Etym. However,
several words that must be derived from this
stem occur in LotR, indicating that Tolkien
restored it. But a more usual word for "fire" is
apparently nr, nr, which appear [with the
masculine ending -o] in the following names:)
SPIRIT OF FIRE Fanro (Fanor), FELL FIRE
Aicanro (Sharp Flame, Aegnor) (so in
Silm:435; MR:323 has Aicanr). LT1:265 has s
"fire", poetic form sai, also sairin "fiery"; cf. also
Sya "the fire-fay" in GL:66. LT:271 has the
following "fire"-words: FIRE uru, FIERY
uruvoit, ON FIRE urwa, LIKE FIRE urva. Cf.
also FIREWOOD turu (but the word was also
used of wood in general). BOWL OF FIRE
tanyasalp (evindently #tanya "fire" + #salp
"bowl") -UR/VT46:20, Silm:397, MR:217,
LT1:265, 270, 271, 292
FIRM tulca (strong, immovable, steadfast;
Note: there is a homophone verb meaning "fix,
set up, establish"), tulunca (steady), sanda
(true, abiding), tanca (fixed, sure) -TULUK,
LT1:270, STAN, TAK
FIRST minya (cf. Minyar "Firsts", the first
clan among the Elves), inga (this is also a noun
"top"), *yesta; FIRSTBORN (= the Elves)
Minnnar, sg. #Minnna. (*Yesta is emended
from the actual reading esta; see BEGINNING.
For FIRSTBORN, Etym has Estanessi, which
would similarly become *Yestanessi, but this
word is propably obsoleted by the later [TLT]
form Minnnar. Writers should use the latter
word.) FIRST-BEGOTTEN Minyon (a personal
name. The element yon, translated "begotten",
may be a reduced form of yondo "son".
Alternatively, and perhaps more likely, Minyon
may be the adjective minya "first" turned into a
masculine name by adding the masculine ending
-on. In that case, the literal meaning is simply
*"First One". But it is possible that on is actually
derived from the stem ONO "beget", and that
"First-begotten" really is the literal meaning.)
FIRST FINGER lepetas (evidently lepetass-)
(index finger), also tassa -MIN/Silm:434/WJ:420,
ING, ESE, WJ:403, VT47:10, VT48:5
FISH lingw (stem *lingwi-) (perhaps the
general word, as opposed to hala), SMALL FISH
hala, "FISH-WATCHER" (i.e., kingsfisher, a bird)
halatir (halatirn-) or halatirno -LIW, SKAL2, TIR
FIST qur, qur (often used to mean
"hand"). "Its chief use was in reference to the
tightly closed hand as in using an implement or a
craft-tool rather than the 'fist' as used in
punching" (VT47:8). In compounds -quar:
Telperinquar = Sindarin Celebrimbor, "Silver-
Fist, Hand of Silver". The first version of the stem
KWAR yielded qur pl. quari. -KWAR,
Silm:429/387
FIT (adj.) mra (useful, good); TO (MAKE)
FIT camta- (sic; the cluster mt seems unusual
for Quenya, but while the source does not
explicitly say that this word is Quenya, it is
difficult to understand what other language could
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be intended) (suit, accomodate, adapt) -MAG,
VT44:14
FIVE lemp (alternative form lemen in
VT48:6). GROUP OF FIVE (5 similar things)
maqua (basically "hand", with 5 fingers), PAIR
OF FIVES maquat (see GROUP OF TEN). For
ordinals and fractions, see FIFTH. -LEP/GL:53,
VT47:7, 10, 24
FIX panya- (set), tulca- (establish, set up.
Note: there is a homophone adjective meaning
"firm, steadfast, strong, immoveable"); FIXED
tanca (sure, firm); BE FIXED mar- (abide, be
settled). FIXED TIME asar (-th-, Vanyarin athar)
(festival), FIXED IDEA see IDEA -PAN, LT1:270
cf. TULUK, TAK, UT:317, WJ:399
FLAG ambal (shaped stone) -MBAL
FLAME nr, nr (also translated "fire"),
velca; SHARP-FLAME Aicanro (so in
Silm:435; MR:323 has Aicanr), (Aegnor, Fell
Fire), RED FLAME rnya; HEART OF FLAME
Naira (a name of the Sun), FLAME-COLOURED
culina, culda (golden-red) -NAR
1
, LT1:260,
Silm:437, MR:198, KUL
FLAT lra; FLAT OF THE HAND, see
PALM. -DAL
FLEECE u -LT1:249
FLASHING OR [?STARRY] LIGHT l -
VT45:12
FLESH hrv, larma (the latter also =
"[?pig-]fat"; the first part of the gloss is not
certainly legible), sarco; FLESHY sarqua -
MR:349, VT45:26, LT2:347
FLING hat- (cited as hatin I fling, first
person sg. aorist), pa.t. hant (QL:39; compare
the root KHAT hurl, LR:363). The apparently
related noun hatal spear occurring in late
material (VT49:14) suggests that Tolkien
eventually decided to maintain this word, though
in the meantime, a distinct verb hat- break
asunder had occurred in his writings.
FLINTHEARTED sincahonda -LotR:1015
cf. SD:68, 72
?FLINTSTONE #sinca (isolated from
sincahonda "flinthearted") -LotR:1015 cf. SD:68,
72
FLOAT lutu- (LT1:273 has wili- "sail, float,
fly", but see FLY.) -LT1:249
FLOOD (verb) luita-, also oloiya-
(inundate). -VT48:23, VT42:10
FLOOD (noun) luim (high tide), GREAT
FLOOD oloir. For FLOOD in the sense of tide
cf. rather celum (stream, flow, flowing),
ulund, lto; FLOODING (adj) la (flowing,
pouring) -VT48:23, 24, VT42:10, ULU,
KEL/MC:223, LT1:249
FLOOR talan (#talam-, as in pl. talami)
(ground); PAVED FLOOR paca (court) -TAL,
GL:63
FLOUR por (stem *pori-) (meal); FINE
FLOUR mulma -POR, QL:63
FLOURISH (noun) rinc (stem *rinci-)
(quick stroke) -RIK, VT46:11 (the latter source
indicating that the proper reading is "quick
stroke", not "quick shake" as in the Etymologies
as printed in LR)
FLOW (vb) sir-, lutta-, lutu-; FLOW,
FLOWING (noun) celum (stream, flood);
FLOWING (adj) la (flooding, pouring), srima
(liquid). -SIR, LT1:249, KEL/MC:223, LT1:265
FLOWER (large and single) lt (often -lot
in compounds). (The word lt is usually applied
to a large, single flower. From *ambalots
"uprising-flower" [q.v.] #lots can be isolated;
this may be the more general word for "flower".)
FLOWER OF THE WEST (a floral design)
Nmellte. Cf. also indil, "lily, or other large
single flower". PUT FORTH LEAVES OR
FLOWERS *lohta- (emended from the actual
reading lokta because Tolkien later decided that
kt became ht in Quenya) (sprout) -LOT(H),
LT1:259, WJ:318, UT:227, 458, WJ:399, LT:258
FLUTE simpa, simpina (pipe); FLUTER
timpinen -LT1:266, 268
FLUTTERING TO AND FRO wilwa -
MC:223
FLY (verb) #wil- (cited in source as wilin "I
fly", 1st pers. aorist), pa.t. will (cf. wili- "sail,
float, fly" in LT1:273). In exilic Quenya, read v-
for w- in these words. FLY TO (i.e. "escape to")
#ruc- (+ allative, e.g. *rucin i orontinnar "I fly to
the mountains"; the verb ruc- otherwise means
"fear", constructed with "from" of the object
feared); FLY OR STREAM IN THE WIND hlapu-
(part. hlpula is attested), FLYING rimpa
(rushing); SEND FLYING horta- -WIL, VT44:7,
MC:223, RIP, KHOR
FLY (noun) p (small insect) -VT47:35
FOAM (vb) falasta- (part. falastala is
attested); FOAM (noun) fall, winga (spray),
wing (wingi-) (crest [of wave], spindrift). -
MC:222/223, PHAL, WIG, LT1:273
FOG hs () (hsi-) (mist. Note: a
homophone means "dusk"), hisw, hui (murk,
dark, night) -KHIS, LT1:253
FOIL (plant) asa -LotR:899
FOLIAGE olassi (collection of leaves),
farn (archaic fazn). Note that farn is also the
pa.t. of farya- as well as a word for "dwelling", so
olassi is the less ambiguous term. -Letters:282,
VT46:9
FOLK hos -LT2:340
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FOLLOW hilya- FOLLOWER neuro;
FOLLOWERS (an Elvish name of Men) Hildor,
Hildi (unattested sg #Hildo; dative pl hildin is
attested; cf also Hildinyar "my heirs" in Elendil's
Oath). -KHIL/Silm:116/122/403, FS/WJ:387,
LotR:1003, 1004
FOOD matl (read *matil since Tolkien
decided that final syllabic -l became -il in
Quenya); COOKED FOOD apsa -QL:59, AP
FOOT tl (tal-) (These forms probably
obsolete tala pl talwi in LT2:347.) FOOTPRINT
runya (slot) -TAL, RUN
FOR an (Nam: an
s...Varda...mryat...ortan, "for
now...Varda...has uplifted her hands". Note: an
is also glossed "to, till".) English "for" meaning
"for the benefit of" will often be rendered by the
dative ending -n (pl -in); e.g. nin "for me". As for
"for" meaning "on behalf of", see BEHALF. -Nam
FORBID #vquet- (refuse, say no) (1st
pers. sg aorist and past vquetin, vquenten
are given in source), avaquet- (refuse) (pa.t. is
no doubt *avaquent; cf. quet- under SAY) -
WJ:370, KWET
FORCE (= pressure to do something against
one's will or conscience) sahti () (pressure) -
VT43:22
#FORD tarna (This gloss is isolated from
Taruktarna "Oxford", q.v. Tolkien glossed tarna
as "crossing, passage") -LT1:347
FOREHEAD timbar -PE14:117
FOREIGN ettela ("ettelen" in the printed
Etymologies is probably a misreading; see
VT45:12); this word may also be a noun
"stranger", q.v. FOREIGN PARTS ettel (outer
lands) (but the Quenya word is singular) -ET,
VT45:12
FORESIGHT *apacen (lit. *"after-sight", a
vision of something that will come after the
present. In MR:216, apaceny is translated
"foresight"; yet the context and the form of the
word itself clearly indicates that it is actually the
pl. form of an adjective #apacenya "of foresight".
The noun "foresight" is almost certainly *apacen;
cf. tercen "insight".) -MR:216
FOREST taur ([great] wood) (pl. tauri is
attested), tauno, mlos (the two latter may not
be valid words in Tolkien's later Quenya) -
TAWAR/Silm:438/MC:222 cf 215/VT39:7,
LT2:342, LT1:267
FORGE - LT1:250 gives tamin, but this verb
is probably obsoleted by tamin "I tap" in Etym.
FORGIVE #avatyar- (imperative avatyara
and the pl. aorist avatyarir are attested). The
matter that is forgiven is the direct object,
whereas the person that is forgiven appears in
the ablative case: avatyara mello
lucassemmar, "forgive us [lit. from us] our
debts". This verb #avatyar- occurs in certain
versions of Tolkien's Quenya rendering of the
Lord's Prayer; in the latest version he introduced
the verb apsene- "remit, release, forgive"
instead, with a slightly different syntax: the
matter forgiven is still the direct object, but the
person forgiven now appears in the dative case.
The exact etymology of apsene- is somewhat
obscure; the prefix ap- is apparently derived
from a root AB- in a meaning which Tolkien
according to other sources abandoned (see
VT43:18-19); also, it is unclear whether the final
-e of apsene- is just the connecting vowel of the
aorist (before endings we would rather expect
*apseni-) or an integral part of the verbal stem,
which would make this an "E-stem" verb
otherwise hardly attested. The verb apsene- is
once attested with the object ending -t "them"
attached: apsenet "[as we] forgive them". The
alternative verb #avatyar- is for many reasons
less problematic and may be preferred by
writers. -VT43:8, 9, 18-20
FORLORN na (deprived of, destitute) -
VT39:14
FORM car- (make, q.v.) -WJ:391
FORMER noa (also used = yesterday,
shortened from the phrase noa r former day),
THE FORMER yara (that); FORMER DAYS
yr; FORMER TIMES yalm; FORMERLY y
(ago), BELONGING TO OR DESCENDING
FROM FORMER TIMES yra (ancient, old) -
VT49:34, YA
FORSAKE hehta- (pa.t. hehtan is given
but seems perfectly regular) (put aside, leave
out, exclude, abandon); FORSAKEN ELVES see
EGLATH. ONE LOST OR FORSAKEN BY
FRIENDS hecil (gender-spesific forms are
hecilo m. and hecil f.) (waif, outcast, outlaw) -
WJ:365
FORT arta (fortress) (Note: arta also means
"across, athwart" as well as "exalted, lofty".) -
GARAT (see 3AR)
FORTH et- (prefix) (out) -ET
FORTRESS arta (fort) (Note: arta also
means "across, athwart") -GARAT (see 3AR)
FORTUNE (good) alma (weal, wealth);
mand, manar (final end, doom, fate); heren
(governance, what is in store for one or what one
has in store); marto (fate, lot); FORTUNATE
herenya (wealthy, blessed, rich) -GALA,
MAN/MANAD, KHER, LT2:348
FOUL saura () (evil-smelling, putrid); in
compounds sauri- as in FOULBELLIED
sauricumba. The latter form may indicate that
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this adjective also appears in an alternative form
*saur, sauri-. -THUS, SD:68, 72
FOUNDATION talma (base, root) -TAL
FOUNTAIN ehtel (issue of water,
spring).The actual reading in LT1 and LT2 is
ektel, but Tolkien later decided that kt became
ht in Quenya. The new form of the word is
attested in Silm. LT also gives the form kektel,
that would likewise become *cehtel.) -LT1:257,
LT2:338
FOUR canta, (prefix:) can- -KANT,
VT45:18, VT48:6
FOURTEEN ?canaqu -VT48:21 (the form
listed, "kanakwe", seems to be Common Eldarin;
the Quenya form could be either *canaqu or
*canqu). The form quaican seems to be
another, possibly experimental, word for "14" in
Quenya.
FOURTH canta; FOURTH FINGER (the
digit between the long finger and the little finger)
lepecan, lepent, in children's play also called
nett (prob. netti-), "sister", a word also used for
the fourth toe, or in two-hand play for the ninth
digit. The word sely "daughter" was also
introduced as a name for the fourth finger/toe in
childrens play (VT47:10), but Tolkien apparently
abandoned it (VT47:15). Fraction ONE FOURTH
canasta, casta, cansat. -VT42:25, VT47:10-12,
15, VT48:5
FOWL (barn fowl) poroc (hen) -PE16:132
FOX rusco (stem ruscu-, pl. rusqui) -
PM:353, VT41:10
FREE (adj.) lra, aranya (not to be
confused with aranya *"my king"; the shorter
form ranya also cited must not be confused with
the verb "stray, wander"), mirima (of a person,
as opposed to:) latin, latina (open, cleared [of
land]), lerina ("free" of things in the sense of "not
guarded, reserved, made fast, or 'owned'",
VT41:5), Cf. also lehta "free, released". FREE
ELEMENT (a term for "vowel") #lehta tengw
(only pl. lehta tengwi is attested; we would
rather expect *leht tengwi). (A word fair "free"
is mentioned in LT1:250, but may be obsolete:
several other meanings are attributed to this
word in later writings [see DEATH, PHANTOM,
RADIANCE]. However, fairi "freedom" does not
clash with later words.) FREE FROM EVIL aman
(see BLESSED) -VT41:5, VT46:10, MIS, LAT,
VT39:17, WJ:399
FREE (verb) rna- (see DELIVER); SET
FREE lerya- (release, let go), sen- (let go, let
loose) -VT43:23, VT41:5, 6, VT43:18
FREEZE niqu- ("it is cold, it freezes").
LT1:254 gives hilcin "it freezes", but in LotR-
style Quenya this will have to mean, if anything,
"I freeze" (1st pers. aorist). -WJ:417, LT1:254
FREQUENT rimba -RIM
FRESH venya, archaic wenya (yellow-
green, green), virya, cva (new). FRESHNESS
vn, wn (youth, greenness) -GWEN, VT46:22,
VT48:7,8
FRESHET celuss (water falling out swiftly
from a rocky spring) -UT:426
FRIEND mlo, meldo (pl meldor is
attested). Apparently meldo is a masculine form,
corresponding to feminine #meld (cf.
meldenya *"my friend" in the Elaine inscription,
Tolkien here referring to Elaine Griffiths). Other
words for "friend": nildo (m.), nild (f.), sermo,
seron (m.), serm (f.), -ser (final element in
compounds), -(n)dil (final element in
compounds, e.g. Elendil, Anardil, Valandil -
sometimes translated "lover" rather than "friend".
When the first part of the compound ends in l, n,
or r, the n of -ndil is left out).The final element -
ndil also appears in the variant form -nil and
with the longer forms -nildo, -dildo (VT46:4).
FRIENDLY nilda (lovely), FRIENDSHIP nilm -
MEL, WJ:412 cf. VT45:34, NIL, SER, Letters:386
FROG quc -VT47:36
FROM: Independent Quenya prepositons for
"from" include ho and va, var. However, English
"from" will often be rendered using the ablative
case, endings -llo, pl -llon or -llor, dual -lto, e.g.
Erello *"from the Sea". The preposition et
"forth, out" may also express "out" and is
combined with a following noun in the ablative
case to express "out from", "out of". -3O,
VT43:20, 24, LotR:1003, VT44:35
FROST nix, ringw (rime), FROST-
PATTERNS niquis, niquess (the latter by
association with quess "feather") -WJ:417,
LT1:265
FROZEN halcin -LT1:254
FRUIT yv (so in Etym, Silm:439, and
VT43:31; LT1:273 has yva, whereas yava
appears in VT43:31). BEAR FRUIT yavin (which
must mean *"I bear fruit", stem #yav-. Tolkien
often employs the 1st person aorist when
mentioning a verb in his wordlists.) -YAB,
LT1:273
FULL quanta (+ genitive to express "full of",
as in quanta Eruanno "full of grace", VT43:28);
FULL TO THE BRIM, WITH MOUTH FULL
penquanta ("pe-). Adverb FULLY aqua
(completely, altogether, wholly); FULL WRITING
(= writing with separate symbols for vowels)
quanta sarm, FULL STOP (in Tengwar
punctuation a dot placed under a consonant to
indicate that it is not followed by a vowel,
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VT46:10, 33) pusta (stop), FULL SIGN #quanta
tengw (only pl. quant tengwi is attested). In
early Elvish analysis of Quenya, this was the
term for a consonant + a vowel (this was
analyzed as a kind of unitary phoneme rather
than two phonemes; hence a stem like mata-
"eat" was analyzed as two quant tengwi: ma +
ta). -KWAT/VT43:28, VT39:11, WJ:392, VT39:8,
PUS
FUNGUS hwan (hwand-, as in pl. hwandi)
(sponge) -SWAD
FURTHER, FURTHERMORE (adv.) ent
(moreover, what is more) -VT47:15
G
GALADRIEL Altariel (Altariell-; gen.
Altariello is attested. Altariel is the form used in
Noldorin Quenya, Galadriel's own mother-
tongue; the Telerin form is Alatriel [UT:266].
According to PM:347, the true Quenya
equivalent of the Telerin form would have been
altariel, but this form was apparently not used.)
-Silm:433, RGEO:66
GAME tyali (sport, play) -TYAL/LT1:260
GANDALF Olrin (his name in Valinor,
derived from a stem meaning "dream" - not an
actual translation of "Gandalf", meaning "Elf of
the Wand", a name he was given by people who
did not know that he was actually a Maia.) -
LotR:391, UT:396 cf. 391
GAOL #mando (isolated from Angamando
"Iron-Gaol"; mando is also defined as "safe
keeping"). -MR:350
GAP fs (gulf) -GL:36
GARLAND ra (wreathe); MAIDEN
CROWNED WITH A FESTIVAL GARLAND
riell -PM:347
GASH ciriss (slash), hyats (cleft) -KIRIS,
SYAD
GATE ando; GREAT GATE andon (pl
andondi). (LT1:264 has osto "the gates of the
Sun" and Ostor "East", but in Tolkien's later
Quenya osto means "town" or "fortress".) -AD,
LotR:1157, LT1:264
GATHER hosta- (collect, assemble);
GATHERING (of three or more coming from
different directions) yomeni (meeting) -MC:223,
WJ:407
GENEROUS faila (fair-minded, just) -
PM:352
GENTLE milya (soft, weak) (Note: milya- is
also a verb "long for"), moica (soft), GENTLE
BREEZE vl -VT45:34, GL:58, LT1:273
GET net- (pa.t. nent given) - QL:66
GET LOW (of the Sun) nmeta-, nmenda-
-LT1:263
GERM erd (seed. Note: a homophone
means "person".) -ERD
GESTURE-CODE hwerm -WJ:395,
VT39:5
GIANT (noun) norsa () (see also
MONSTER). Another word for "giant" (hanaco)
was struck out by Tolkien. -NOROTH, VT45:21
GIFT anna; LAND OF GIFT (a name of
Nmenor) Andor (haplology of *Annandor),
DEAR GIFT (the meaning of Melian's name)
Melyanna, GIFT OF GOD, see GRACE. -ANA,
Silm:313, 434
GIMILZR Telemnar -UT:223
GIMLET teret (auger) -LT1:255
GIRD: Early Qenya material has a verb
qilti- gird, encircle (QL:78); read perhaps
*quilta- if the verb is to be adapted to Tolkiens
later Quenya (cf. the noun quilta belt, girdle).
GIRDLE #lesta (isolated from #Lestanr;
see DORIATH. #Lesta is the cognate of Sindarin
lest as in Lest [or List] Melian "the Girdle of
Melian" [WJ:228]. Note: #lesta also means
"measure".) GIRDLE, BELT quilta. -WJ:369,
Silm:390, QL:78
GIRL wen (stem wend-, as in the pl. wendi)
(maid). The word seld was not clearly glossed
by Tolkien, but appears to mean "female child",
hence "girl". The form wendi "young or small
woman, girl" in VT48:18 is perhaps intended as
the older form of wend ("maiden") rather than a
"contemporary" Quenya word. The form "wenki"
from the same source may have a similar
meaning, and again it is possible that this is
actually Common Eldarin for Quenya *wenc,
wenci-. -LT1:271, VT46:13, VT48:18
GIVE anta- (pa.t. #antan is attested in
VT49:14 [antanen I gave], though the pa.t.
gave was n in early "Qenya", QL:31;
possibly both forms are valid in later Quenya as
well). In one text, Tolkien apparently used ana
as the imperative "give!", but the text was
rewritten and this may have been an ephemeral
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form (VT44:13). GIVER ant (f), anto (m) (the
latter word from Etym is probably obsoleted by
anto "mouth" in LotR:1157 - an alternative word
for "[male] giver" might be *antando). Another
fem. word for "giver" is #ni, isolated from
massni (see BREAD-GIVER). -ANA,
VT44:13, PM:404
GIVE BIRTH nosta- (but in later sources,
nosta- is glossed "beget", q.v.) -LT1:272
GIVEN (OR ADDED) NAME aness (pl
anessi is attested. This word encompasses both
"after-names" and "mother-names".) -MR:217
GLAMHOTH Sancossi (see GOBLIN) -
LT2:341
GLASS calca, hyell, hyelma (the latter
perhaps = "a glass", whereas hyell could be
glass as a substance), maril (crystal - perhaps
with stem marill-). LITTLE GLASS lipil. Cf. also
vrin, "a magic glassy substance of great
lucency used in fashioning the Moon" -VT47:35,
KHYEL/VT45:23, VT46:13, LT1:258, LT2:339
GLAURUNG see GLORUND
GLEAM (WHITE) ilca- (part. ilcala is
attested) -MC:223
GLINT (vb) tin (pres 3rd pers sg); GLINT
(noun) tind, wintil; GLINTING tinda (silver) -
TIN, LT1:261
GLITTER (vb) mirilya-; GLITTERING rilya
(in the Etymologies as printed in LR, this word
also seemed to be glossed "brilliance", but
according to VT46:11, this gloss properly refers
to another word), GLITTERING LIGHT rilma;
GLITTERING REFLECTION (from jewels, glass,
polished metals, or water) nalta (radiance - alata
in Silm:433 is the Telerin form. In PM:347, nalta
is spelt with initial , that is, ng. Initial ng had
become n in Third Age Quenya, and I follow the
system of LotR and transcribe it accordingly. But
if this word is written in Tengwar, the initial n
should be transcribed with the letter noldo, not
nmen.) -MBIRIL, RIL/VT46:11, PM:347
GLOBE coron (#corn-, as in dat.sg.
cornen) (ball); GLOBED corna (round) -KOR
GLOOM ungw, lumb (shadow), huin
(darkness, shadow), lm (stem lmi-) (night,
twilight, darkness, dusk), yaru; GLOOMY morna
(black, dark, sombre); CHILD OF GLOOM
lmar (probably not a valid word in LotR-style
Quenya) -UG, LUM, VT41:8, GL:37, LT1:255,
Silm:431
GLORIOUS alcarinqua (radiant) (The
shorter form alcarin is attested in VT44:10 and
also as a title of king Atanatar II. Cf. also
Alcarinqu, a name of Jupiter.) The form alcar
appears as an adjective "glorious" in VT44:10,
but this was apparently an ephemeral form, and
the Etymologies, alcar is rather a longer form of
the noun alcar "glory". -AKLA-R-, WJ:412,
RGEO:73/LotR:1075/VT44:10, Silm:55
GLORUND, GLORUNN Laurundo,
Undolaur (Tolkien later changed Glorund to
Glaurung. Read *Laurungo, *Ungolaur in
Quenya?) -LT2:341
GLORY alcar, alcar (splendour, brilliance)
In VT44:10, alcar is an adjective "glorious"
rather than a noun "glory", but this was
apparently an ephemeral form. -AKLA-R-
/RGEO:73/UT:317/WJ:369/Silm:427, VT43:37,
VT44:34, VT47:13
GLOWING lsina adj. glowing (of things).
Note: used of people, the word means hearty
(QL:57). If this early Qenya term is to be used in
LotR-style Quenya, one would have to assyme
that it represents earlier lina (root *LUTH) and
spell it accordingly in Tengwar.
GNOME (only = wise one, Noldo) Noldo
(spelt Ngoldo [oldo] in Tengwar writing,
reflecting the earlier pronounciation); pl. Noldor
is attested. GNOMISH (general adjective:)
Noldorinwa, (Gnomish language:) Noldorin,
GNOME-LAND Noldomar -LT1:262, Silm:61,
LotR:1157, VT39:16
GO lelya- or lenna- (pa.t. lend in both
cases; the printed Etymologies gives "linna"
instad of lenna-, but according to VT45:27 this is
a misreading) (proceed, travel); #men- (attested
in the aorist: men "goes"), vanya- (pa.t. vann)
(depart, disappear it may be that Tolkien
abandoned the verb vanya-, if it is regarded as
the conceptual predecessor of auta-, see GO
AWAY below), GO ROUND pel- (revolve,
return); GO ATHWART tara- (cross); GO AWAY
auta- (leave, pass); pa.t. oant, perf. oanti (in
the physical sense "went away [to another
place]", vn ("the most frequently used past
[tense]" - less "physical" than oant, rather
meaning to be lost or to disappear), also anw
(this pa.t. was "only found in archaic language"),
perf. avni (pl. avnier is attested); perf. vni
with no augment may occur in verse. CAUSE TO
GO (in a desired direction) menta- (send),
GONE vanwa (departed, vanished, dead, lost,
past and over, no longer to be had) BE GONE!
heca! - also with pronominal affixes: sg hecat, pl
hecal "you be gone!" (stand aside!) LET GO
lerya- (release, set free), sen- (let loose, free) -
WJ:363, LED/VT45:27, VT47:11, 30, PEL,
LT2:347, WAN, Nam, WJ:364, VT41:5, WJ:366,
VT41:5, VT43:18
GOAT - she-goat: nyni -LT1:262
GOBLET slo (stem *slu-), fion -SUG
(see SUK), LT1:253
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GOBLIN (Orc) urco (stem *urcu-, pl urqui)
or orco (stem *orcu-, pl. orqui, or stem *orco-,
pl. orcor); THE GOBLINS Sancossi (sanc
"hateful" + hossi "armies", said to be the
Quenya equivalent of Sindarin Glamhoth)
-ROK, LT2:202/MR:74/WJ:390, LT2:341
GOD Eru ("The One, He that is Alone", "the
One God", a proper name that can hardly be
used as a common noun meaning "god" in
general. The form Eru may obsolete Enu in
LT2:343. Genitive Eruo, VT43:32; dative Erun,
VT44:32). Other names/titles: Ilvatar "Father of
All", Ainatar *"Holy-Father". GOD (in general, "a
god") aino (this word from PE15:72 is the
equivalent of ainu within Tolkien's mythos, but
since aino could be interpreted as simply a
personalized form of aina "holy", it can perhaps
be adapted as a general word for "god" or "holy
one"). PAGAN GOD ainu, PAGAN GODDESS
aini (angelic spirit, holy one). (As Christopher
Tolkien notes, the Ainur are of course not
"pagan" to the people of Middle-earth. In Etym
and Silm, Ainu/Aini is capitalized.) SON OF
GOD (Jesus) Eruion, MOTHER OF GOD (Mary,
in Tolkien's Quenya renderings of Catholic
prayers) Eruamill (also Eruontari, Eruontari
*"God-begetter") -Silm:15/396/431, Letters:387,
VT44:16-17, 34, LT1:248 cf. AYAN and
Silm:426, VT43:32, VT44:7, 16-17, 18 34
GODWINE (name, "God-friend") Valandil
(sc. *"Vala-friend") -VT46:4
GOLD (the metal) malta (so in LotR - Etym
has malda [stem SMAL], but cf. the archaic form
smalta mentioned under LAWAR); GOLD laur
(= "not the metal but the colour, what we should
call golden light", Letters:308, "of light and
colour, not of the metal", Silm:433, "not a
metallic word. It was applied to those things
which we often call 'golden' though they do not
much resemble metallic gold: golden light,
especially sunlight", RGEO:70, "a word for
golden light or colour, never used for the metal",
PM:353, "light of the golden Tree Laurelin",
LR:368; a "mystic name" of gold, LT1:255 [no
doubt an obsolete notion]; in LT1:258 and
LT2:341 the gloss is simply "gold".) RED GOLD
cullo (obsoleting culu in LT2:341? In LT1:255
culu is said to be a poetic word for "gold", but
also used mythically as a name of all red and
yellow metals), GOLDEN laura (pl lauri is
attested; LT1:258 has laurina), GOLDEN-RED
culda, culina (flame-coloured); (cf. Silm.
Appendix: "cul- 'golden-red' in Culrien") -
LotR:1157/SMAL,
Letters:308/RGEO:70/LAWAR, KUL,
RGEO:70/Nam, Silm:429
GONDOLIN Ondolind ("Stone Song", so
in Silm:149, 415; LT1:254 gives Ondolinda,
changed from Ondolin) -LT1:254
GONDOR #Ondr (genitive Ondro is
attested, VT49:27), also attested in longer form
Ondonr (VT42:17)
GONE vanwa (departed, lost, past) -WAN,
Nam
GONG tombo -LT1:269
GOOD (of things) mra (fit, useful), GOOD
(morally good) man; GOODBYE mra mesta -
MAG (see MA3), LT1:260, Arct
GOODS armar (sg #arma if there is a sg) -
3AR
GOOSE vn, wn (pl. vni is given, but
seems perfectly regular) -WA-N-
GORE nasta (spear-point, spear-head,
triangle), neht (spearhead, narrow promontory,
wedge. Note: a homophone means
"honeycomb"), mear (from a root possibly
meaning "ooze") -SNAS/VT46:14, UT:282,
LT1:260
GORGE cilya (pass between hills, cleft) (so
in Etym, but cf. #cirya in the name Calacirya
"Pass of Light" [gen. Calaciryo in Namri] -
though this clashes with cirya "ship". An early
version of Namri actually had Calacilyo, not
Calaciryo; see An Introduction to Elvish p. 5) -
KIL
GORTHAUR Sauron () -Silm:418 cf.
THUS
GOSPEL evandilyon -QL:36
GOTHMOG Cosomot (prob. *Cosomoc-, cf
the alternative form Cosomoco) -LT1:258
GOVERN #tur- (attested as turin
"I...govern", 1st pers. aorist), pa.t. turn (wield,
control). LT1:273 has vard- "rule, govern", but
this is hardly a valid word in LotR-style Quenya. -
TUR
GOVERNANCE heren (fortune) -KHER
GOVERNOR cno (chieftain, commander;
see COMMANDER for details) -PM:345, 361-
362
GRACE #Eruanna (literally *"God-gift, gift of
God"), attested in the genitive form Eruanno.
Also #eruliss, literally "God-sweetness"
(attested in the instrumental case: erulissenen),
or simply liss, literally "sweetness". -VT43:28,
29, VT44:18
GRACIOUS raina (smiling, sweet-faced).
NOTE: A homophone means "nettled, enlaced".
-VT44:35
GRADE #tyell (only pl tyeller is attested -
note irregular plural instead of the expected form
**tyelli) -LotR:1153
GRAIN or (ori-) -QL:50
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GRAMMAR tengwesta (system or code of
signs) -TEK cf. WJ:394
GRANDCHILD indyo (descendant) (Indyo
looks like Vanyarin Quenya; the combination
ndy became ny in Noldorin Quenya [see
MIDDLE]. The Noldor likely said inyo, which
form occurred in a deleted marginal note in the
Etymologies). -GYO(N), VT46:19
GRANT lav- (yield, allow) -DAB
GRASP mapa- (seize). This word was
struck out in one of Tolkien's earlier word-lists,
but in Etym it was restored. In early material we
have map- "seize, take" with pa.t. namp. -MAP,
LT2:339, QL:59
GRASS salqu, (stiff and dry:) sara ()
(bent) -SALAK, STAR
GREAT (in size) alta (large) (The form alat-
is used in compounds when the next word has
an initial vowel, as in Alatair. Tolkien's gloss of
alta, alat- was actually illegible, and I give the
root meaning of the stem LAT. The meaning of
the Quenya word cannot differ too widely from it,
for Alatair is said to correspond to "Noldorin"
Belegoer [in LotR-style Sindarin Belegaer], The
Great Sea.) - An early [TLT] word for "great",
velic, is possibly obsolete in LotR-style
Quenya: In LT1:254 velic is said to correspond
to Gnomish beleg, but according to LR:352 the
stem from which beleg is derived is "not found in
Q[uenya]").-LAT, cf. BEL, cf. Silm:428, LT1:254
GREAT BEAR see SICKLE OF THE
VALAR.
GREAT LONGING mavoin -LT2:345
GREAT NUMBER - in a very great number:
va (abundant) -UB
GREAT QUANTITY v (abundance) -UB
GREAT WOOD taur (forest) -TAWAR
GREED milm; GREEDY milca -MIL-IK
GREEN laica (so in Letters:282; earlier
sources have laiqua, whereas laica meant
something wholly different ["keen, piercing"] in
earlier material: LT2:337), wenya (yellow-green,
fresh), ezel, ezella (adopted from Valarin; only
used in Vanyarin Quenya)."Green" is expressed
as a mere prefix lai- (representing the root
underlying the adjective laica) in: GREEN-
ELVES Laiquendi; cf. also VERDIGRIS =
lairus. GREENNESS wn, laiquass
(freshness, youth). -LYAK/LT1:267, WJ:399,
GWEN, WJ:385, LT1:267
GREY #mista (isolated from lassemista
"leaf-grey"), also hiswa, but the most usual word
for "grey" may be sind (stem *sindi-) () or
sinda (). (WJ has sind "pale or silvery grey",
wheras sinda is given in Silm:438; cf. also
sindanoriello "from a grey land", Sindacollo
"Grey-cloak" and Sindar "Grey-Elves, *Grey
Ones".)GREY-ELVES Sindar () (sg. Sinda),
less commonly Sindeldi (sg Sindel); GREY-
CLOAK Sindacollo, Singollo () (so in
Silm:421; MR:217 has Sindicollo, presupposing
sind, sindi- as the word for "grey"); GREY-
ELVEN sindarinwa (adj), Sindarin (= Grey-
Elven language) () -LotR:505 cf. Letters:224,
KHIS, LotR:1171, Silm:438, THIN/WJ:384, Nam,
Silm:419, WJ:384, LotR:1157, 1161
GRIEF nyr (sorrow). Pl. probably *nyrer
not *nyri; cf. the similar formation tyv "taste"
pl. tyver. The noun nyr points to a verbal
stem *nyer- "grieve". -GL:60/LT1:261
GROT (small) rotto (cave, tunnel) -PM:365,
VT46:12
GROUND talan (#talam-, as in pl. talami)
(floor) -TALAM
GROUP OF FIVE (5 similar things) maqua
(basically "hand", with 5 fingers); GROUP OF
TEN (10 similar things) maquat (dual of maqua,
here referring to a "pair of fives") -VT47:7, 10
GROW ol- (not clearly identified as a
Quenya word in the source; it may be a primitive
root); GROW FAT tiuya- -VT45:13, TIW
GROWL (vb) yarra- (snarl), (of dogs:) nru-
(grumble); GROWL (noun) nur (complaint)
-MC:223, LT1:263
GRUMBLE (vb) nurru- (murmur), nru-
(growl [of dogs]). (These may simply be two
forms of the same word. Nurru- is by far the later
[TLT] form.) GRUMBLING (adj) nurrua -MC:223,
LT1:263
GUARD - use the word glossed "watch,
heed", q.v. Cf. LT1:258. For "guard" as a noun,
#tirno "watcher" may be isolated from halatirno
(see FISHWATCHER)
GUESS (vb) intya-; GUESS (noun) intya
(supposition, idea)
GULF yw (cleft, ravine). According to
VT46:22, it is possible that the gloss "gulf"
actually reads "gully" in Tolkien's manuscript. Cf.
also fs = gulf, gap. -YAG, GL:36
GULL maiw -MIW
GULLY, see GULF
GYRATE hwinya- (eddy, swirl) -SWIN
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H
HABIT haim -KHIM
HABITATION imbar (Imbar was an Elvish
name of the Earth as the prinicipal part of Arda;
the form Ambar may be more usual and is found
in LotR.) -MR:337, WJ:419, 402, LotR:1003
HAIL (greeting) aiya (so in LotR; LT1:248
has y); variant spelling aia. -LotR:747, 950 cf.
Letters:385, VT43:28
HAIR (a single hair) fin (*fini-)
(larch).TANGLED HAIR fass; LOCK OF HAIR
find (defined as "a tress or plait of hair" in
PM:345; LT2:341 has findl, an impossible form
in LotR-style Quenya), HEAD OF HAIR, A
PERSON'S HAIR AS A WHOLE findess. The
conceptual status of the noun lox "hair" listed in
the Etymologies is uncertain; this word is
assigned the meaning "bunch, cluster"
elsewhere. -PM:362, PHAS, SPIN, PM:345,
LOKH
HALF-ELVEN (noun, pl) Pereldar (Sindarin
Peredhil, LotR:1071). Singular #Perelda. -
Letters:386
HALF: fraction ONE HALF peresta, perta -
VT48:11
HALL #mard (isolated from oromardi "lofty
halls, high-halls"; the singular may also be
reconstructed as #mar with stem mard-, which
would make this the same word as the word for
"home" or "dwelling", q.v.); ROCKHEWN HALL
hrta (artificial cave, rockhewn hall), VAULTED
HALL rondo -Nam/RGEO:66, PM:365, VT39:9
HALLOW (verb) #airita- (only pa.t. airitn
is attested) -VT32:7
HALVE perya- (devide in middle) (After
perya, a word perina is mentioned - it is
undefined but seems to be a corresponding
adjective or past participle *"halved, divided in
middle".) -PER
HAMMER (vb) namba-; HAMMER (noun)
namba -NDAM
HAMS hacca (buttocks) -GL:47
HAND m (pl. allative mannar "into...hands"
is attested in FS; the long evidently becomes
short a before a consonant cluster).The plural of
m is mli, the dual is mt (VT47:6). For maqua
as a colloquial term for "hand", and its secondary
meanings, see separate entry HAND-FULL. The
term palta is used of "the flat of the hand, the
hand held upwards or forwards, flat and tensed
(with fingers and thumb closed or spread"
(VT47:9). Individual hand-names: forma "right
hand", hyarma "left hand". Other terms for
"hand": nonda (said to mean "hand, especially in
[?clutching]"; Tolkien's gloss was not certainly
legible, VT47:23), qur (this is properly "fist",
but was often used for "hand" - see FIST);
HOLLOW OF HAND camb. A variant of this,
camba, is in VT47:7 defined as "the whole hand,
but as flexed, with fingers more or less closed,
cupped, in the attitude of receiving or holding".
HAND-LINK, see WRIST. Adj. HAVING HANDS
mavoit; HANDY, HANDED mait (stem *maiti-
) (skilled) (pl. maisi. When mait is the final
element of names, it is translated "handed"
instead of "handy", e.g. Angamait "Iron-
handed", morimait "blackhanded") For other
"handed"-related terms, see HEAVYHAND(ED).
Compound LANGUAGE OF THE HANDS
mtengwi -MA3/LT2:339/VT39:10, FS, VT47:6,
9, 23, KWAR/Silm:429, KAB, LotR:1085 cf.
Letters:425, LotR:1015/SD:68, 72, UT:460,
VT47:9
HAND-FULL maqua (dual maquat is
attested). Colloquially, the word maqua is also
used for the "hand" itself (called m in formal
language); maqua may refer to the "complete
hand with all five fingers", and the word is
therefore also used for a group of 5 similar things
(just like the dual maquat may refer to a group of
10 similar things; see FIVE, TEN). -VT47:7
HANDLE (vb) mahta- (deal with, fight,
manage, wield, wield a weapon) -MAK/MA3,
VT39:11, MA3, VT47:6, 18, 19
HANDLE (noun) tolma (defined as
"protuberance contrieved to serve a purpose,
knob, short rounded handle", etc.) -VT47:28
HANG linga- (dangle) -LING
HAPPEN - LT2:348 gives mart- "it happens"
(impersonal). Perhaps read *marta- in LotR-style
Quenya; compare marta- "[to] chance" in QL:63
HAPPY valin (LT1:272 also gives valimo,
but adjectives ending in -o do not occur in LotR-
style Quenya), HAPPINESS vald- (so in
LT1:272; nom. sg. must be either *val or *vald)
(blessedness) It is highly questionable whether
these words from early material quoted in
LT1:272 are conceptually "valid" in LotR-style
Quenya: Originally, they were meant to be
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related to the noun Valar, the Gods being
termed the "Happy Ones", but Tolkien later re-
interpreted Valar as meaning the "Powers". For
"happiness" it may be better to use the noun
alass "joy", and for "happy" or "joyful, joyous"
many writers have used the neologism *alassa.
HARBOUR hpa (haven, bay - obsoleting
cpa, cpas in LT1:257); HARBOURAGE
hopass -KHOP
HARD sarda, nauca (the latter also
meaning ill-shapen, twisted, *small - see
SMALL.) -VT39:17, WJ:413
HARE lapatt -GL:52
HARP (vb) nanda-; HARP (noun) nand;
LITTLE HARP nandell; HARPING (noun, not
adjectival participle) nandel; HARPER
nandaro, HARP-PLAYER tyalangan. (In Etym,
all but the last of these words are spelt with initial
, that is, ng. Initial ng had become n in Third
Age Quenya, and I follow the system of LotR and
transcribe it accordingly. But if these words are
written in Tengwar, the initial n should be
transcribed with the letter noldo, not nmen.)
HARP-PLAYING salm. HARPING ON ONE
TUNE vorongandel ("vorogandele" in the
published Etymologies is a misreading; see
VT45:7) (continuous repetition) -NGAN, TYAL;
cf. LotR:1157, LT1:265, LIN
1
HARSH naraca (rending, violent) (possibly
"of sounds", but Tolkien's extra comment is
partially illegible) -NRAK, VT45:37
HARVEST yvi (autumn) - evidently
obsoleting yvan in LT1:273. In the Calendar of
Imladris, yvi was a precisely defined period of
52 days, but the word was also used without any
exact definition. Note: here yvi refers to
harvest time, and it is unclear whether it can also
mean "harvest" in the sense "harvested
products", though it is derived from a stem
meaning "fruit". -LotR:1142, 1145
HAS BEEN, see BE
HASP tangwa (clasp) -TAK
HASTE orm (wrath, violence, rushing);
HASTY orna, tyelca (agile) -GOR, KHOR,
PM:353
HAT tta -GL:71
HATE (vb) #tev- (aorist tev), LT1:258 has
mokir "I hate", read *mocin in LotR-style
Quenya? Instead of using these early "Qenya"
terms, writers may prefer the later verb yelta-,
glossed "loathe, abhor" by Tolkien. HATEFUL
sanc; HATRED tvi -LT1:268 (according to
QL:90, tvi rather than tevi is the correct
reading), LT2:341
HAUBERK ambass (breastplate) -QL:30
HAVE - see POSSESS. Cf also NO
LONGER TO BE HAD vanwa (gone, dead,
departed, lost, past, vanished) HAVE AN
IMPULSE horya- (be compelled to do
something, set vigorously out to do) -WJ:366,
VT45:22
HAVEN hpa (harbour, bay) lond (as in
Alqualond "Haven of the Swans", UT:417 - but
elsewhere lond is glossed "entrance to
harbour, road in sea") -KHOP
?HAWK fion (pl fioni, fiondi) (Tolkien's
gloss was "not certainly legible; the likeliest
interpretation would be 'haste', but 'hawk' is a
possibility." The translation "haste" is out of the
question, as this word would have no plural form.
Besides, a quite different word for "haste" [orm]
is known.) -PHI
HE, HIM (personal 3rd sg. pronoun): As a
pronominal suffix, the entire 3rd person singular
he, she, it is expressed by the ending -s , e.g.
caris *(s)he/it does (VT49:16). A distinct
masculine ending -ro does occur in early
material (antavro he will give, LR:63), but was
apparently abandoned by Tolkien. The ending -s
may also appear in the rare (VT49:51) longer
form -s, perhaps distinctly personal (cf. ns
he [or she] is vs. ns it is, VT49:27, 30). The
ending -s is also attested in object position, e.g.
melinyes I love him (VT49:21; this could also
mean *I love her or *I love it). He/she (or
even it, when some living thing is concerned)
does have a distinct form when it appears as an
independent pronoun: se, also with a long vowel
(s, VT49:51) when stressed. (Contrast the use
of sa for it with reference to non-living things.)
The independent form may also appear in object
position: melin s, I love him [/her] (VT49:21).
Case endings may be added, e.g. allative sena
at him [/her] (VT49:14); se also appears
suffixed to a preposition in the word s *with
him/her (VT43:29). Genitive HIS/HER (or ITS, of
a living thing) would normally appear as the
ending -rya, e.g. coarya his house (WJ:369),
mryat her hands (Nam), the latter with a dual
ending following -rya. His/her as an
independent word could be *senya (compare
ninya my vs. ni I, nin for me). Reflexive
pronoun, see HIMSELF. -VT49:16, 51, VT43:29,
LotR:1008
HEAD cr (cas-) (sic in the Etymologies, but
read apparently cs with stem car-; see
Quenya-English list for a fuller discussion); nla
(round head, knoll); HEAD OF HAIR findess
(see HAIR). SPEAR-HEAD nasta (spear-point,
gore, triangle) -KAS, NDOL, PM:345,
SNAS/VT46:14
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HEAL #envinyata- (isolated from the past
participle envinyanta "healed". The literal
meanings are *"renew" and "renewed", cf.
Aragorn's title Envinyatar "Renewer" [q.v.]) -
MR:405
HEAP cumb (mound) -KUB
HEAR #hlar- (only fut hlaruva is attested) -
MC:222
HEARING (adj) lasta (listening) -LAS
2
HEART hn (physical heart), r (inner
mind - concerning this word, see SPIRIT) (Note:
a homophone means "rising"), indo (mind,
mood), enda (lit. "centre", not referring to the
physical organ, but the fa [soul] or sma [mind]
itself), elwen; -HEARTED #honda (isolated from
sincahonda "flinthearted"). EYES OF
HEARTSEASE (a name of the pansy)
Helinyetill HEART OF FLAME Naira (a name
of the Sun), -KH-N-, LotR:1157, ID, VT39:32,
LT1:255, LotR:1015 cf. SD:68, 72, LT1:262,
MR:198
HEARTY lsina (of people used of things,
this adjective means glowing). If this early
Qenya term is to be used in LotR-style Quenya,
one would have to assyme that it represents
earlier lina (root *LUTH) and spell it
accordingly in Tengwar. -QL:57
HEAT r (The stem from which this word
must be derived was struck out in Etym, but the
word occurs in LotR itself, indicating that Tolkien
restored the stem in question.) SMOULDERING
HEAT, RED [?HEAT] (Tolkies handwriting was
illegible) yulm (Note:
a homophone means "drinking, carousal") -
LotR:1157 cf. UR; YUL
HEAVE #amorta- (only part. amortala is
attested), HEAVE (of large and heavy things:)
rma- (shift, move) (part. rmala is attested) -
MC:222 cf. 215, MC:223, 222
HEAVENS, THE menel (a sg word,
"heaven", as opposed to its English translation),
ilw (sky). The form #Eruman that turns up in
one version of the Quenya Lord's Prayer (in the
locative: Erumand) appears to include the
divine name Eru and must refer to "heaven" as
God's abode (but Tolkien simply used menel for
"heaven" in earlier versions of the Lord's Prayer).
IN HEAVEN (adj., more or less = *HEAVENLY)
menelda. HEAVEN AND EARTH Menel
Cemeny -Silm:434/MC:222 cf. 215, LT1:255,
VT43:12, 16 vs. 10, VT43:10, VT44:16, VT47:11
HEAVY lunga; HEAVY-HANDED
lungumait; HEAVY-HAND (as masc. name)
Lungum, Lungumaqua. -LUG, VT47:19
HEDGE (jagged hedge of spikes) carax -
KARAK
HEED cim-, in the sense of "watch" also tir-
(tirin "I watch", *"I heed", 1st pers. aorist), pa.t.
tirn; fut. tiruva "shall heed" is attested. -GL:39,
MC:222 cf. 214, TIR
HEIGHT #tri (only allative trienna "to
the height" is attested) -LotR:989 cf. Letters:308
HEIR aryon (also haryon is glossed as
"heir", but this gloss is paranthetic and "prince" is
given as the primary meaning. Hildinyar is
translated "my heirs" in Aragorn's oath; it
appears that this is actually a form of hildo
"follower".) -GAR (see 3AR), LotR:1003, 1004
HELL Angamando ("Iron-prison", Morgoth's
dungeon-fortress in the First Age. This is the
form given in MR; Etym has Angamanda,
LT1:249/252 has Angamandu/Angamandi or
Eremandu "Hells of Iron". In LT1:259, Mandos
is glossed "hell", but Mandos was simply the
halls of the dead and not a place of torture.
GL:51 also has fatanyu.) -MR:350, MBAD
HELMET cassa, harna, harpa -KAS,
VT45:21
HELPER: A word for "helper" is apparently
embedded in the compound "East-helper",
Rmestmo, Rme(n)star (so in PM:384, 391;
probably ?Rmenstar must always become
Rmestar, but Tolkien cited the form as
Rme(n)star to indicate the connection with
rmen "east"). It may be that as an independent
word, the -stmo "helper" element would
manifest as ?smo ().
HELPFUL asa () (beneficial, kindly) (so
according to a late note where the word is
derived from *ATHAYA)
HEM lan (lani-), rma (edge, border), HEM
OF ROBE lappa -VT42:8, R, GL:52
HEN poroc (barn fowl) -PE16:132
HER 1. (object form of she) see HIM (the
same forms are used for both genders). 2. HER
(genitive, of her) -rya (possessive suffix, e.g.
aratarya "her sublimity" [WJ:369], mryat "her
hands" [Nam].) This ending covers the entire 3rd
person sg. and may also translate as "his" and
its (with reference to a living thing) -WJ:369,
VT49:16
HERE ss, siss -VT49:18
HERSELF (reflexive pronoun) immo (a
general sg. reflexive pronoun, covering English
"myself, him/herself, yourself"). A specific 3rd
person reflexive pronoun "him/herself" is ins
(for older imse; it is unclear whether the latter
form was in use in later Quenya). -VT47:37
HERO callo (noble man). LT1:268 also has
mordo "warrior, hero", but in Tolkien's later
Quenya mordo means "obscurity, shadow,
stain, smear, dimness". -KAL
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HEW *pelehta- (emended from the actual
reading pelekta-, since Tolkien later decided that
kt became ht in Quenya). The verb nac- is
defined as hew, cut in late material, though in
Etym, it was assigned the meaning bite
instead. -LT2:346, VT49:24
HIDE #nurta- (verbal stem isolated from the
verbal noun nurtal "hiding" in Silm:120), #lom-
(LT1:255 gives lomir "I hide"; this would become
*lomin in LotR-style Quenya); moru- -LT1:261
HIDING nurtal -Silm:120
HIDDEN muina (secret), halda (veiled,
shadowed, shady), foina, furin/hurin
(concealed); DARK OR HIDDEN tumna (low-
lying, low, profound, deep) -MUY, SKAL,
LT2:340, LT1:271
HIDEOUS CREATURE ulundo (deformed
creature, monster) -LUG
HIGH tra (lofty, tall), oro- (in compounds:
oromardi "high-halls"). The element #Ar- in
Arfanyarass (a name of Taniquetil) is said to
mean "high (i.e., noble, revered)". VERY HIGH
antara (with Antaro as a corresponding proper
name, denoting a mountain in Valinor, VT46:17)
(lofty). HIGH HEAVEN tarmenel (locative
tarmeneld also attested), HIGH PLACE
#tarmen (pl. locative tarmenissen attested),
HIGH
TIDE luim (flood). -WJ:417, Nam/RGEO:66,
WJ:416, VT45:5/VT46:17, VT44:34, VT48:23, 24
HIGH ELVES Tarquendi; HIGH-ELVES
Tareldar -TA, MC:349
HIGH ONES Aratar (sg #Arata, cf.
PM:363). The Aratar are the mightiest of the
Valar: Manw, Varda, Ulmo, Yavanna, Aul,
Mandos, Nienna, and Orom. Aratar is also
rendered "The Supreme, Exalted Ones". -Silm
32/381, WJ:402
HIGH SPEECH (= Quenya) Tarquesta -T
HILL ambo (allative pl. ambonnar is
attested); tundo (stem *tundu-) (mound), oro;
ISOLATED ROUND HILL tolmen (boss of
shield) HILL-SIDE amban (upward slope)
(probably obsoleting amun(d) in LT2:335) -
VT45:5, MC:222, LT1:269, TUN, LT1:256, AM
HIM (and HER) as object may be expressed
by se, s or (where it follows another pronominal
ending) -s, e.g. melin s or melinyes for I love
him (/her). These forms are not specifically
masculine, but are used of any living person or
thing. See HE.
HIMSELF (reflexive pronoun) immo (a
general sg. reflexive pronoun, covering English
"myself, him/herself, yourself"). A specific 3rd
person reflexive pronoun "him/herself" is ins
(for older imse; it is unclear whether the latter
form was in use in later Quenya). -VT47:37
HINDMOST tella (last); THE HINDMOST
Teleri (the Last-comers) -TELES, Silm:421
HINT (verb) hiuta- -VT46:6 s.v. IW
HIP osw -QL:71
HIS -rya (possessive suffix, e.g. coarya his
house. This ending covers the entire 3rd pers sg
and also means "her" and *"its".) -WJ:369
HISTORY nyr (tale, saga), quenta
(narrative, story), quental (account, narration),
lmequental, lmequenta (chronological
account), HISTORICAL lmequentala. (In
VT39:16, quental is defined as "narration" or
"History", used as an abstract referring to
universal History, but also used with particular
reference; hence "the history of the Noldor" can
be quental Noldoron or quental
Noldorinwa, but this refers to the real events
rather than an account of them: that part of
universal History which concerned the Noldor.)
HISTORICAL ACCOUNT quentasta (any
particular arrangement, by some author, of a
series of reconds or evidences into a given
historical account - not History as such, which is
quental). THE HISTORY OF THE ELVES
IEldanyr -NAR
2
, KWET/VT39:16, LU, LR:199
HITHER sir, sira -VT49:18
HIVE nierwes -LT1:262
HOARD foa (treasure) -LT2:340
HOBBIT: The genitive plural periandion is
attested in the Elaine inscription, suggesting that
the Quenya word for "hobbit" is #perian (as in
Sindarin) with stem #periand-.
HOLE latta (pit - Note: a homophone means
"strap"), assa (perforation, opening, mouth),
terra (fine pierced hole), unqu (hollow). -DAT,
GAS, VT46:18, VT46:20
HOLIDAY meryal -MBER
HOLLOW (noun) unqu (hole), HOLLOW
(adj) unqua, ronta, rotwa; HOLLOW OUT
unca- -UNUK, LotR:1157, LT2:347
HOLLOWBOLD Nvarot (Nogrod, Novrod) -
WJ:389
HOLLY ercass (probably obsoleting
piosenna in LT2:347) -ERK
HOLY air. The word aina also occurs in a
number of sources (e.g. VT44:7, 17-18);
according to VT43:32 this word is "obsolete
except in Ainur", but it may occur in sources
post-dating this statement. Yet another word for
"holy", aista, is seemingly only attested in a
translation of "holy spirit" which Tolkien later
replaced with a form including air instead (see
below). HOLY ONE ainu (m.), aini (f.) (angelic
spirit, god); HOLY PLACE yna (fane,
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sanctuary); HOLY SPIRIT airefa (other version:
fair aista; both versions are attested with the
dative ending -n attached) -Nam,
AYAN/WJ:399,, YAN, VT43:36, 37
HOME mr (also used of the "home" or
native land of peoples). The stem mar- occurs in
the phrase hon-maren, q.v. in the Quenya-
English wordlist. VT45:33 and VT46:13 give mar
"home, dwelling" with stem mard-, but in Friel's
Song, this is used = "earth" instead (i-mar "the
earth", ablative mardello). Short form mar as
the final element of compounds: Eldamar
"Elvenhome"; the vowel is also short in Mar-nu-
falmar, "the Land [lit. Home] under the Waves".
The word ambar, usually translated "world", is
also associated with "home, dwelling" in one
source. -Silm:408, 428, VT46:13
HOMESTEAD osta -LT2:336
HONEY lis (liss-). In a far earlier source,
reproduced in LT1:262, the word for "honey" was
nekt. This would however become neht in
LotR-style Quenya, since Tolkien later decided
that kt becomes ht in Quenya, and in its new
form neht the word turns up in the Etymologies
with the slightly modified meaning "honeycomb".
(Note: a homophone means "spear-head, gore,
wedge, narrow promontory".) HONEY-BEE nier,
nion -LIS, LT1:262, VT45:38, GL:60
HOOD telm (covering) -TEL
HOOK ampa, atsa (claw, catch); HOOKED
rempa (crooked) -LotR:1157/VT47:20, GAT,
REP
HOPE (noun) estel -WJ:318 (where it is
stated that this word was used in Quenya as well
as in Sindarin. Here the word is defined as
"'hope', sc. a temper of mind, steady, fixed in
purpose, and difficult to dissuade and unlikely to
fall into despair or abandon its purpose". In
MR:320, estel is translated "trust".)
HORDE horma (host) -LT2:341
HORN rass, rasco ("especially on living
animal, but also applied to mountains". Cf.
Rasmund "horned bull" in Letters:423 [this may
not be pure Quenya] and Arfanyaras,
Arfanyarass "high white-shining peak [*horn]",
alternative name of Taniquetil), romba (so in
Etym and one place in WJ [p. 400: romba =
"horn, trumpet"] but on p. 368 rma is used for
"horn", though this is glossed "trumpet-sound" in
Etym), HORN OF ULMO hyalma (shell, conch),
tild (point), (horn of animal:) tarca (probably
obsoleting taru in LT2); HORNED tarucca
(perhaps obsoleted together with taru), THE
HORNED Tilion (a name of the Moon) -
RAS/VT46:10, WJ:403/416, ROM/WJ:401
contrast 368, SYAL, TIL, TARK, LT2:337,347,
Silm:438
HORRIBLE norta -VT46:4
HORROR norto (glossed "a horror").The
verb rucin is glossed "I feel fear or horror" (1st
pers. aorist), constructed with "from" of the
object feared (e.g. *rucin Orcollon "I fear Orcs")
-VT46:4, WJ:415
HORSE rocco (defined as "swift horse for
riding" in Letters:382, "swift horse" in VT46:12),
olombo (but since Tolkien subsequently
changed the relevant stem from LOB to LOP, we
should perhaps read *olompo, compare lopo in
an earlier source), mairo; HORSEMAN roquen
(rider, knight) -ROK/Letters:282, 382, VT45:28,
PE16:132, GL:56, WJ:372/UT:282
HOST rimb (crowd), horma (horde),
liym -RIM/Letters:178, 382, LT2:341, VT48:32
HOSTILE cotya -KOT
HOT saiwa; BLAZING HOT rin (rin is
also a name of the Sun) -LT1:248/265, LT1:271
HOUND huan (hn-); HOUND OF CHASE
ronyo -KHUG (see KHUGAN), ROY
HOUR lm (so translated in LotR and in
VT43:34; in Etym the gloss is simply "time".
Allative lmenna is attested. Note: lm also
means "darkness".) THIS HOUR #sillum
(isolated from the ablative sillumello from this
hour) -LU, LotR:94, WJ:367, VT44:35
HOUSE coa (prob. the most neutral word),
opel (walled house), car (card-) (building),
noss (clan, family, kin, people) (LT2:336 gives
indo "house" and os(t) "house and cottage";
these words are probably obsolete in Tolkien's
later Quenya indo means "heart", while osto
means "city". The term indor "master of house"
can hardly be valid either.) LIGHT OF THE
HOUSE coacalina (a metaphor for the soul [fa]
dwelling inside the body [hroa]) -
WJ:369/MR:250/VT47:35, PEL(ES), KAR,
N/LT1:250, 343, MR:250
HOW manen -PM:395
HUE quil (colour) -QL:77
HUMAN firya (lit. *"mortal"; nominal pl.
Firyar is attested) -PHIR, WJ:219
HUMBLED nucumna -SD:246
HUMP tumpo (stem *tumpu-), HUMPBACK
cauco, HUMPED cauca (bent, crooked) -
TUMPU, LT1:257
HUNGRY maita -VT39:11
HUNT (noun), HUNTING roim (the
misreading "raime" occurs in the Etymologies as
printed in LR; see VT46:12 for this correction).
No verb "to hunt" is given in Etym, but roita-
"pursue" is derived from the same stem and can
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probably be translated *"hunt" as well. LT1:260
has rauta- "hunt". -ROY
1
HURL, see FLING
HURT (vb) mala- (pain) -QL:63
HUSBAND venno (the published
Etymologies gives "verno", but according to
VT45:7, this is a misreading of Tolkien's original
manuscript); HUSBAND AND WIFE veru
(married pair but in a late source, veru is also
used for husband alone, the counterpart of veri
wife) -BES, VT49:45
HUSH quild (rest, quiet) -GL:23
I
I (1st pers. sg): this pronoun normally
appaears as endings -n or -ny (added to verbs,
e.g. carin and cariny I do, maruvan "I [-n]
will abide"). The long form -nye must be used if
another pronominal ending is to be added after
it: utvienyes, "I [-nye-] have found it [-s]".
Independent pronouns: ni (in the "Arctic"
sentence, ni is translated "I"), stressed n with
long vowel (VT49:51). The dative pronoun nin
"for me" is transparently ni + the dative ending -
n; other case endings may also be added to ni. It
may be that ni, n can also function as object
(me), though a distinct form nye has also been
proposed. The longer pronoun iny may be used
where I is emphatic. -VT49:50,
LotR:1008/1003, Arct, LR:61
ICE helc; ICE-COLD helca (the final -a is
missing in the printed Etymologies, entry KHEL,
but VT45:21 confirms that this is a typo; the full
form also occurs in LT1:254 and Silm) -
LT1:254/Silm:433/KHEL
IDEA intya (guess, supposition), inca (cited
with a final hyphen in the source, but it does not
seem to be a verbal stem); *selma () ("a fixed
idea, will". In WJ:319, the word is given as
elma, but (th) would become s in the
Noldorin Quenya. Cf. ind, sind in WJ:384;
see GREY) -INK, VT45:18, WJ:319
IDENTICAL imya (same, selfsame) -
VT47:37
IDOL cordon -LT1:257
IDRIL Itaril, Itarill, Itarild (obsoleting
Irild in LT2) -PM:346/Silm:436, LT2:343
IF qui (in some texts c, but the latter form
Tolkien defined as may be elsewhere); IF
ANYBODY aiquen (whoever) -VT49:19,
PE14:59, WJ:372
ILL laiwa (sick, sickly). Since this is derived
from a root in sl-, the spelling *hlaiwa may fit
Tolkien's later system better: he derived Quenya
forms in hl- from roots with this initial
combination. (For noun illness, see SICKNESS
under SICK.) BE ILL quama- (vomit) SLIW,
QL:76
ILL-SHAPEN nauca (hard, twisted, *small -
see SMALL.) -WJ:413
ILLUMINATE calya- -KAL
IMAGINATION sma (mind), naus () -
VT49:16, NOWO
IMMORTAL ilfirin -PHIR
IMMOVEABLE tulca (firm, strong, steadfast;
Note: there is a homophone meaning "fix, set up,
establish") -TULUK cf. LT1:270
IMPLEMENT (prob. noun) yaima -GL:37
IMPEDED tapta; nominal pl. taptar was
used = tapta tengwi "impeded elements", a term
for consonants (sg. #tapta tengw; in the pl. we
would rather expect *tapt tengwi with the pl.
form of the adjective). -VT39:17
IMPOSSIBLE TO RECOUNT nyrima
("sc. because all the facts are not known, or the
tale is too long"), IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY/PUT
INTO WORDS qutima (unpronounceable,
unspeakable), A THING IMPOSSIBLE TO BE
OR TO BE DONE nat -WJ:370, VT39:26
IMPULSE felm (emotion), hr; BODY-
IMPULSE hroafelm (impulses provided by the
body, e.g. physical fear, hunger, thirst, sexual
desire), SPIRIT-IMPULSE fafelm (impulses
originating with the spirit, e.g. love, pity, anger,
hate); IMPULSIVE hra (the gloss "impulsion"
in the printed Etymologies is a misreading,
VT45:22); HAVE AN IMPULSE horya- (be
compelled to do something, set vigorously out to
do) -KHOR, VT41:19 cf. 13, VT45:22
IN mi (within), imi; IN THE m (for *mi i?)
(The version of Nam in LotR has mi where the
version in RGEO has the more correct form m.)
IN or AT: s, se (the form with a long vowel may
be preferred since se is apparently also a 3rd
person pronoun) This preposition s is
apparently related to the locative ending -ss
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(plural -ssen, dual -ts) that would be the most
typical way of expressing "in, on, at" in Quenya.
IN, INWARDS, see separate entry INWARDS. -
MI, VT43:30/VT44:18, 34, Nam, RGEO:66,
VT43:30, 34
IN- (prefix denying presence or possession
of thing or quality) - (not-, un-) -VT39:14;
according to LR:396 s.v. UGU, this prefix usually
has a "bad sense", cf. vanimor "fair folk" vs.
vanimor "monsters".
INADEQUATE penya (pl. peny is attested)
(lacking). INADEQUATE SIGN #penya tengwe
(only pl. peny tengwi is attested). This term,
also translated "lacking signs", was used in early
Elvish analysis of Quenya as the term for vowels
with no preceding consonant, held (in many
cases incorrectly) to have lost such a consonant.
-VT39:6, 8
IN A VERY GREAT NUMBER va
(abundant) -UB
INCARNATE (noun) #mirroanw (only pl.
mirroanwi "incarnates" is attested) -MR:350
INCITEMENT siul -SIW
INCLINE (noun) talta -TALT
INCLINED penda (sloping down) -PEN
INDEED (interjection) . Can be prefixed to
sentences, as in e man antavro? "What will he
give indeed?" (LR:63); this e would seem to be a
short variant of . -VT45:11, LR:63
INDEX FINGER (first finger) lepetas
(evidently lepetass-), also tassa. This finger is
also called emm, emya (terms used in
children's play, basically "mother, mummy"; also
used = "index toe"). -VT47:10, 26, VT48:5
INDEX TOE, see INDEX FINGER
INDICATE tana- (show) (Note: tana also
means "that"), ta- (note: not to be confused with
the noun ta "straight line, road"), pa.t. teng
(VT43:38). INDICATION tengw (sign, token,
writing - pl tengwi is attested) INDICATED (adj)
teng. -MR:385, VT39:6, WJ:394, 395 cf. TEK,
VT39:6
INDUCE sahta- () (referring primarily to
inducing someone to do something against their
will or conscience). -VT43:22
INDUCEMENT TO DO WRONG #sahti
(temptation). Attested in the allative case
(sahtienna). -VT43:23
INFLICT PENALTY, see PUNISH
INLANDS Mittalmar (the central region of
Nmenor) -UT:165, 454
INNER MIND r (heart) (Note: a
homophone means "rising") -LotR:1157
INSECT (small insect) p (fly) -VT47:35
INSERT mitta- -VT43:30
INSIDE, TO THE mir, minna (into) -MI
INSIGHT tercen; OF INSIGHT, lit
*INSIGHTFUL #tercenya (only pl terceny is
attested) -MR:230
INTELLECT handel; INTELLIGENCE
handass; INTELLIGENT handa
(understanding) -KHAN
INTERCHANGE OF THOUGHT (=
telepathy) sanw (communication of thought). -
VT39:26
INTERIOR (adj) mitya -MI
INTO mir, minna (to the inside), variant
mina. -MI, VT43:30
INUNDATE oloiya- (flood) -VT42:10
INVENT auta- (devise, originate) (Note: a
homophone means "pass"); INVENTION aul
-GAWA
INWARDS - a word imb said to be the
adverb "in(wards)" appears in VT45:18 (not
clearly identified as a Quenya word), but in LotR,
imb (imbi) is the preposition "between".
INZILADN Palantir -UT:223, Silm:324
IRELAND verind- (As indicated by the
hyphen, some ending is needed - a Quenya
word cannot end in nd. The normal form must be
*verin, becoming verind(e)- before an ending,
e.g. genitive *verindo, locative *verindess [cf.
Lrien, locative Lriendess]. The name is also
given as werin or Iverindor, "an island off the
west coast of Tol Eressa" - Eressa later
becoming England in this early version of
Tolkien's mythology.) -LT2:344, cf 285
IRON anga, IRON or STEEL er, eren; OF
IRON angaina; IRON-HANDED Angamait;
IRON-GAOL Angamando (Angband) -
ANG/LotR:1157, LT1:252, LT1:249, 268,
Letters:425 cf. LotR:1085, MR:350
RITH Iriss -PM:345
IS see BE
ISLAND, ISLE lna, tol (stem toll- as in the
pl tolli; the plural was misread as "tolle" in the
Etymologies as printed in LR, see VT46:19).
According to Silm:438, tol is used of islands
"rising with sheer sides from the sea or from a
river". LT1:269 defines a tol as "any rise
standing alone in water, plain of green, etc.")
STEEP ISLE toll (apparently simply the fuller
form of tol). THE LONELY ISLE Tol Eressa
(tol "isle" often being omitted) -LONO,
TOL/VT46:19/VT47:13, 26, RGEO:70
ISOLATED ROUND HILL tolmen (boss of
shield) -LT1:269
ISOLATED TOWER mindo -MINI
ISOLATED TREE orn -R-NI- (see ORO)
ISSUE usw (escape) -LT1:251
ISSUE OF WATER ehtel (fountain, spring)
-KEL
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ISTHMUS yanw (bridge, joining) -YAT
IT (impersonal 3rd sg. pronoun notice that
personal forms are used of all living things
including plants; see HE): As a pronominal suffix,
the entire 3rd person singular he, she it is
expressed by the ending -s , e.g. caris *(s)he/it
does (VT49:16). The ending -s is also attested
in object position, e.g. utvienyes, "I have found
[utvienye-] it [-s]"). It, with reference to non-
living or abstract things, does have a distinct
form when appearing as an independent
pronoun: sa, with long vowel (s, VT49:51) when
stressed. It is attested in object position: car sa,
to do it (VT49:34). Another word for it or that
is ta (though in some sources, Tolkien used ta
for plural impersonal they, them instead). Case
endings may probably be added to sa, e.g.
dative *san for it (cf. nin for me); sa also
appears suffixed to a preposition in the word sa
*with it (VT43:29). Genitive ITS would normally
appear as the ending -rya (only attested with
personal meanings his, her), perhaps also
*sanya as an independent word (compare ninya
my vs. ni I, nin for me). -VT49:16, 51,
VT43:29, LotR:1008, TA
ITSELF (reflexive pronoun used on non-
living things) imma (also used as noun "same
thing"); also in the form insa. -VT47:37
J
JACKET vacco (cloak) -GL:21
JAIL see GAOL
JANUARY Narviny (In LT1:252, the word
for January is avestalis, and the latter part of the
month is called Erintion, but these words are
hardly conceptually valid in LotR-style Quenya.) -
LotR:1144
JAW anca (translated "jaws" in the
appendices to LotR and Silm, but anca is sg and
is glossed "jaw" in Etym. GL:37 has c [spelt
"k"]) -LotR:1157, Silm:427, NAK
JERK (vb) rihta- (give quick twist or move),
(noun:) rinca (twitch, trick, sudden move) -
RIK(H), VT46:11 cf. RIK(H)
JESUS Ysus -VT43:31
JEWEL mr (pl. mri is attested); SHINING
JEWEL miril (treasure, precious thing).
*NOLDO-JEWEL (= Silmaril) Noldomr,
Noldomr; WITH ADORNMENT OF RED
JEWELS carnimri (a pl form? Sg
*carnimra? Letters:224 has carne- instead of
carni-.) JEWEL OF YAVANNA yavannamr (a
fragrant evergreen tree with scarlet fruit, brought
to Nmenor by the Eldar) -MIR/Silm:434, Nam,
GOL/VT46:3, LotR:505 cf. Letters:224, UT:472
JOINING (noun) yanw (isthmus, bridge) -
YAT
JOY alass (merriment) -GALS
JUDGE (vb) #nam- (1st person aorist
namin "I judge" in VT41:13). An alternative form
#nav- occurs in navilw "we judge" -VT42:34,
VT48:11
JUDGE (noun) Nmo (Ordainer - the name
of a Vala. In MR:150, though, Nmo is glossed
JUDGEMENT [of what is]). Note: a homophone
nmo means "person". -Silm:411
JUDGEMENT nmi defined as "a
(single) judgement" or "a (single) desire". A
JUDGEMENT nma (desire). JUDGEMENT (of
what is) Nmo (but this is elsewhere glossed
"Ordainer", and the ending -o normally does
indicate something animate/masculine rather
than something abstract). -VT41:13, MR:150
JUICE sva, pirya (syrup) -SAB, PIS
JULY Cermi -LotR:1144
JUNE Nri -LotR:1144
JUMP cap- (pa.t. camp) -QL:45
JUPITER Alcarinqu (Basic Quenya:24, cf.
Silm:55. According to LT1:260, Morwen (there
translated "daughter of the dark") is a name of
Jupiter, but this may not be a valid word in
Tolkien's later Quenya. LT1:265 also mentions
Silindo as a name of this planet.
JUST faila (fair-minded, generous) -PM:352
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K
KEEN laica (the printed Etymologies has a
final -e instead of -a, but this is a misreading; see
VT45:25) (sharp, acute, *piercing); KEENNESS
(of perception) laic (acuteness). The
conceptual validity of these words is
questionable; see PIERCING. -LAIK
KEEPING (safe keeping) mando (custody) -
MR:350
KHAZAD-DM Casarrondo (Dwarrowvault)
-WJ:389
KILL, see SLAY
KIN noss (house, people) -LT1:250,
272/LT2:338
KIND nostal (species) -LT1:272
KINDLE tinta- (cause to sparkle), narta-; in
older [TLT] materiel also turu-, tunda- (Note:
there is a homophone meaning "tall") -Silm:438,
VT45:37, LT1:270
KINDLY asa () (beneficial, helpful) (so
according to a late note where the word is
derived from *ATHAYA)
KING aran (pl arani is attested) In Etym, the
Quenya word for "king, chieftain" is haran pl.
harni, but evidence from LotR, WJ and UT
shows that Tolkien changed it to aran pl arani.
Cf. asa aranion "kingsfoil", i arani Eldaron
"the Kings of the Eldar", Arandor "kingsland",
aranya *"my king", arandil "king's friend,
royalist", and arandur "king's servant, minister".)
LT1:273 has vardar "king", but this is hardly a
valid word in LotR-style Quenya. KINGLY BULL
Aramund (this may not be pure Quenya) -3AR,
LotR:899, WJ:369, UT:165, 193, 313,
Letters:386, 423
KINGDOM #arani (attested with the suffix -
lya "thy" added). Earlier versions of the text in
question had other forms: #turinasta, #turindi
(both also occurring with a long ). -VT43:12, 15
KINGSFISHER halatirno, halatir (halatirn-)
(lit. "fishwatcher") -SKAL
2
, TIR
KISS (vb.) miqu- "to kiss", pa.t. minqu (not
to be confused with the cardinal minqu
"eleven"). (QL:61). Noun A KISS miqu (QL:61).
KNEE occa ("k") -QL:70
KNIGHT roquen (rider, horseman) -UT:282
cf. WJ:372
KNOB tolma (defined as "protuberance
contrieved to serve a purpose, knob, short
rounded handle", etc.), tolos (lump) -VT47:28,
LT1:269
KNOCK #pet- (strike), pa.t. pent given.
The verb is cited as "pete", perhaps with a
suffixed stem-vowel. KNOCK (keep on knocking)
tamba- -QL:73, TAM
KNOLL nla -NDOL
KNOT narda, nt (bond). Pl. perhaps
*nter not *nti; cf. the similar formation tyv
"taste", pl tyver. -SNAR, NU
KNOW ista (pa.t. sint, also isint;
according to VT48:25 the pa.t. is "certainly
irreg."), KNOW ABOUT hanya- (understand, be
skilled in dealing with), KNOWLEDGE hand
(understanding), ista, istya, iss (lore), nl
(long study, lore, wisdom). (In Etym this word is
spelt with initial , that is, ng. Initial ng had
become n in Third Age Quenya, and I follow the
system of LotR and transcribe it accordingly.
Nl is so spelt also in Silm:432. But if this word
is written in Tengwar, the initial n should be
transcribed with the letter noldo, not nmen.)
HAVING KNOWLEDGE istima (wise, learned) -
IS, VT48:25, LT2:339; KHAN, GOL, Silm:432
K-SERIES calmatma -LotR:1154
L
LABIALS parmatma (p-series);
LABIALIZED SERIES quessetma -LotR:1154
LABERNUM Lindelokt (singing cluster).
(So in LT1:258, but Tolkien later decided that kt
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became ht in Quenya. Read *Lindeloht?) -
LT1:258
LABOUR (vb) mta- (toil), moia- (be
afflicted) -M, VT43:31
LACKING (adj.) penya (pl. peny is
attested) (inadequate). LACKING SIGN #penya
tengwe (only pl. peny tengwi is attested). This
term, also translated "indadequate signs", was
used in early Elvish analysis of Quenya as the
term for vowels with no preceding consonant,
held (in many cases incorrectly) to have lost
such a consonant. -VT39:6, 8
LADY heri -KHER, LT1:272 (GL:45 has
quimell). A quite different word which Tolkien
also translated "Lady" is massni, literally
"breadgiver", the title of the "Lady" or the highest
among the elven-women of any people, she
having the right to keep or give away lembas
bread. See PM:404.
LAKE ailin (pool) (LT2:339 also has ailo),
ringw (cold lake, pool [in mountains]). In the
Etymologies as printed in LR, this word is cited
as "ringe", but according to VT46:11, ringw is
the proper reading. -AY/LT2:339, RINGI/VT46:11
LAMENT (vb) naina- (also longer nainaina-
), nyna-; LAMENT (noun) naini, nair -
NAY/VT45:37, LT1:262, RGEO:66
LAMP calma (light), calar -KAL/LotR:1157,
VT47:13
LAND nr (dwelling-place, race, country,
region where certain people live, nation, native
land, family), nr (meaning '"'land' as opposed to
water or sea", WJ:413). In compounds #-ndor
(when the first part of the compound end in a
vowel, e.g. Valandor "Vala-land", alternative
form of Valinor), or -nor, -dor (the latter can
only occur when the first part of the compound
ends in -l, -r, or -n; in other combinations d
cannot occur in Noldorin Quenya). Another
ending occurring in the names of lands is -sta
(see VT43:15). Cf. also lna (remote land
difficult to reach, island. Note: a homophone
means "dark"); WESTLAND Nmenor,
Nmenr (Westernesse); LAND OF GIFT (a
name of Nmenor) Andor (< *Annandor, see
GIFT), LAND OF THE WEST Nmendor -
NDOR/N/Silm:430/ WJ:413, LONO, Silm:414,
313, 430
LANGUAGE quetil (tongue, talk), lamb
(tongue). The latter was "the usual word, in non-
technical use, for 'language'." (WJ:394) Only the
Loremasters used the technical term tengwesta
"system or code of signs" instead; this word is
also glossed "grammar". Notice that lamb is
also used for "dialect" (VT39:15). LANGUAGE
(as an abstract, the ability to speak or the "art" of
making speech) tengwesti. LANGUAGE with
especial reference to phonology: Lambel.
LANGUAGE OF THE VALAR Lamb Valarinwa
(lit. *"Valarin language"), LANGUAGE OF THE
ELDAR Eldarissa (the latter may not be a valid
word in LotR-style Quenya), LANGUAGE OF
THE HANDS mtengwi -KWET/VT45:25,
WJ:394, 397, VT39:15, LT2:339, VT47:9
LARCH fin (stem *fini-) -SPIN (the word is
also glossed "a single hair", PM:362)
LARGE alta, alat- (great in size) (Tolkien's
definition of this word was actually illegible, but
see GREAT), va (very large, abundant, in a
very great number), ra (note: a homophone
means "nasty, evil"; some would say these later
glosses render the word ra = "large" obsolete.)
-LAT, UB, UR
LARK lirulin (prob. *lirulind-, cf. lindo
"singing bird") -MR:238/252, LIN
2
LAST (adj.) tella (hindmost), telda (final),
mtima (final, ultimate), telwa (late), LAST
YEAR yenya; LAST DAY OF YEAR quantien,
THE LAST-COMERS Teleri (the Hindmost) -
TELES, WJ:411, MC:222 cf. 215, LT1:267, YEN,
Silm:421
LASTING vr (adj.?), also vra
(continuous, enduring); LASTING QUALITY
voronwi (endurance) -VT45:7, BORN
LATE telwa (last) -LT1:267
LAUGH lala- -PM:359 cf. 343. (Note: a
homophone means "deny".) Past tense perhaps
*land, given the derivation stated (whereas lala
"deny" might have the past tense *lalan or
*lall).
LAW sany () (rule), axan (rule,
commandment, as proceeding primarily from
Eru; pl. axani is attested); LAW-ABIDING sanya
() (normal, regular) (variant vorosanya with a
prefixed element meaning "ever"). -STAN,
WJ:399, VT39:30, 23, VT46:16
LAWN palis (sward) -LT1:264
LAY lirilla (song) -LT1:258
LEAD tulya- (+ allative: lead into). Another
form of similar meaning, mittanya-, was possibly
abandoned by Tolkien. -VT43:22
LEAD (the metal) canu, LEADEN canuva -
LT1:268
LEAF lass (pl. lassi is attested); HAVING
MANY LEAVES lillassa (pl lillassi is
attested); COLLECTION OF LEAVES olassi
(foliage); PUT FORTH LEAVES OR FLOWERS
*lohta- (altered from the actual reading lokta
because Tolkien later decided that kt became ht
in Quenya) (sprout). LEAF-SHAPED
lassecanta; LEAF-FALL lasselanta (autumn or
the beginning of winter; see also FADING);
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LEAF-GREY lassemista -LAS
1
, Nam, VT39:9,
LT1:254, MC:222, 223, Letters:282, LT1:258,
KAT, LotR:505 cf. Letters:224
LEAGUE lr (basic meaning "pause" - in
marches a brief halt was made for each league).
A lr was defined as five thousand rangar; see
YARD. A ranga was approximately 38 inches, so
a lr was "5277 yards, two feet and four inches
[ca. 4826 meters], supposing the equivalence to
be exact" - close enough to our league of 5280
yards to justify this translation. -UT:285
LEANING talta (sloping, tilted) -TALT
LEAP halta-; LEAPING haloit (pl. haloisi
is attested) -LT1:254
LEARNED istima (wise, having knowledge),
nla (wise). (In Etym, the latter word is spelt
with initial , that is, ng. Initial ng had become n
in Third Age Quenya, and I follow the system of
LotR and transcribe it accordingly. Cf. also the
spelling of the related word nl in Silm:432. But
if this word is written in Tengwar, the initial n
should be transcribed with the letter noldo, not
nmen.) LEARNED MAN istyar (scholar) -IS,
GOL
LEATHER (dressed leather) alu -QL:30
LEAVE (vb) auta- (go away, pass), pa.t.
oant, oanti (in the physical sense "went away
[to another place]") or vn ("the most frequently
used past [tense]" - less "physical" than oant,
meaning "disappeared" rather than "went
away"), perf. avni (pl avnier is attested);
perf. vni with no augment may occur in verse.
For "leave", Etym also has lesta, pa.t. lend;
this is also the past tense of "go". The stem from
which lesta- is derived was "replaced" by
another. Lesta has a wholly different meaning in
later writings; see GIRDLE, MEASURE. LEAVE
OUT hehta- (pa.t. hehtan is given but seems
perfectly regular) (put aside, exclude, abandon,
forsake) -WJ:366, ELED
LEAVE (noun) - with leave of: lenm (+
genitive)
LEFT hyarya; LEFT HAND hyarma, LEFT-
HANDED hyarmait (stem *hyarmaiti-) -
KHYAR, VT47:6
LEG telco (pl. telqui) (stem) -TELK
LEGENDARIUM OF THE FATHERS OF
MEN Atanatrion (lit. simply "of the Fathers of
Men") -MR:373
LEGOLAS Laiqualass -LT1:267
LEMBAS coimas (life-bread) (prob.
coimast[a]-, cf. masta "bread") (life-bread) -
Silm:406/429
LENGTHENED taina (extended, stretched,
elongated); LENGTHENING tail (extension) -
TAY cf. VT39:7
LESS mis (adverb); suffix -LESS -lra (=
"without"; this -lra is a suffix used to derive
adjectives; Tolkien gave the example malra
"voiceless"). The earlier "Qenya" suffix -vilt, -
valta of similar meaning may not be valid in
LotR-style Quenya. -PE14:80, VT45:28, GL:23
LESSEN pca (part. #pcala is attested)
(dwindle) -MC:223, 222
LET (see ALLOW); LET GO lerya (release,
set free), LET GO or LET LOOSE sen- (to free).
-VT41:5, 6; VT43:18
LETTER tengwa (pl. tengwar is attested;
this word was used primarily of the Fanorian
letters. However, the term "Tengwar of Rmil"
occurring in LotR:1151 seems to indicate that the
word tengwa can indeed be used of a letter of
any kind, not only the Fanorian letters. In non-
technical use tengwa may also be translated
"consonant" [q.v.]. It is uncertain whether
tengwa "letter" can be used in the sense mail,
text sent in the post; the primary meaning is
clearly "character, a single symbol in writing".)
sarat (pl. sarati is attested) - an older [MET]
word Tolkien notes was used of "a 'letter' or any
individual significant mark", used of the Rmilian
letters after the invention of the Fanorian
Tengwar (but cf. the term "Tengwar of Rmil"
mentioned above). -TEK, WJ:396, LotR:1151
LIBERTY (see FREE); DEPRIVE OF
LIBERTY avalerya- (bind, make fast, restrain) -
VT41:5, 6
LICK salpa- (sup, sip), #lav- (lavin "I lick",
1st pers. aorist; past tense #lv is attested in
the word undulv "downlicked" in Nam); LICK
(frequentatively) lapsa- -SLAP cf. LT1:266,
DAB/Nam
LIE (noun, = untruth) furu (read perhaps
*huru since Tolkien decided that fu- becomes
*hu- in Quenya) -LT2:340, GL:36
LIE (1) (vb, not "tell a lie" but "lie
[horisontally]") caita- (pa.t. #cain with the
alternative cant); LIE HEAVY lumna- (Note:
this is also an adjective meaning "lying heavy";
see OPPRESSIVE) -Nam/RGEO:67, VT48:12,
13, DUB
LIE (2) (vb, tell a lie) fur- (conceal) (read
perhaps *hur- since Tolkien decided that fu-
becomes *hu- in Quenya) -LT2:340
LIFE #coivi (attested with a pronominal
suffix: coivierya, his/her life), cuil (being
alive; obsoleting coi, coir in LT1:257; the latter
means "stirring, spring" in Tolkien's later
Quenya); NEW LIFE laito, laisi (vigour, youth),
LIFE-BREAD coimas (prob. coimast[a]-, cf.
masta "bread") (lembas) -VT49:42, KUY,
LT1:267, Silm:406/429
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LIFT UP orta- (raise, rise; pa.t. ortan is
attested) -Nam/ORO/RGEO:67
LIGHT cl, cala; A LIGHT calina (which is
basically the adjective "light", but it is used
substantively in coacalina; see LIGHT OF THE
HOUSE under HOUSE), calma (lamp), LIGHT
(adj) calina; RAY OF LIGHT alca; GLITTERING
LIGHT rilma; STARLIGHT or LIGHT OF
SILPION (Telperion) silm (silver),
MOONLIGHT isilm; FLASHING OR
[?STARRY] LIGHT l; EMIT LIGHT faina-;
LIGHT-ELVES, ELVES OF THE LIGHT
Calaquendi; LIGHT-CLEFT Calacirya (gen.
Calaciryo is attested) -KAL, MR:250, AKLA-R,
RIL, SIL/LotR:1157, MC:223, VT45:12 PHAY,
WJ:361/Silm:61, RGEO:70/Nam
LIKE (prep) ve (as) -Nam/RGEO:66, 67
LILY indil ("or other large single flower"),
nnu (= yellow water lily) -WJ:399, LT1:248
LINE OF SURF falass (beach, shore) -
Silm:431
LINDI Lindi (What the Nandorin Elves
called themselves; the word could be adopted
unchanged into Exilic Quenya. Sg #Lind?) -
WJ:385
LINDIL Sindarin form of LINDI, q.v. -WJ:385
LINDON Lindon, Lindn -WJ:385
LINGER lenda- -VT45:27
LINGUISTIC LOREMASTERS (VT48:6)
Lambengolmor (sg. -ngolmo); see
LOREMASTER under LORE. -VT48:6
LINE ti (path, direction, course, way, road),
ta (straight line, road) (note: not to be confused
with the verb ta- "indicate"), tma (row, series)
(pl. tmar is attested in LotR:1153) -
TE3/RGEO:67, TE
LINK (noun) #lim (stem *limi-), isolated
from mlim "hand-link = wrist" -VT47:6
LIP p (so according to late sources;
glossed "mouth" in the Etymologies, stem PEG),
dual peu "the two lips, the mouth-opening". Early
"Qenya" had cla for "lip". -VT39:9/VT47:12, 35,
GN:24
LION r (pl rvi) (so in Etym; LT1:260 has
rau, but pl rvi is the same.) (Note: r is also a
preposition meaning "on behalf of".) SHE-LION
ravenn -RAW, LT1:260
LIQUID (adj) srima (flowing) -LT1:265
LISTEN lasta-; LISTENING (adj) lasta
(hearing) -LAS
2
LITTLE (see also SMALL) titta (tiny).
LITTLE ELF Teler, Telell (adj. telera, telella);
LITTLE FINGER lepinca, lepinc (with stem
lepinci- given older form lepinki, VT48:18), nc;
in children's play also called winimo "baby"
(Exilic *vinimo). LITTLE TOE, see under TOE. -
TIT, LT1:267, VT47:10, 26, VT48:5
LO! ela (look! see!) (directing sight to an
actually visible object), also y (now see!) Note:
a homophone means "what is more". -WJ:362 cf.
360, VT47:31
LOAF corn -LT1:257
LOATHE yelta- (abhor); LOATHING (noun)
yelm ("yelma" in the published Etymologies is a
misreading, VT45:11); LOATHSOME yelwa -
DYEL, VT45:11
LOCK OF HAIR find (tress), fass
(shaggy lock, tangled hair) -SPIN
LOFTY tra (tall, high); compare antara
"very lofty". Also arta (exalted; note that
homophones mean "athwart" and also "fort").
(According to Letters:282, Varda means "Lofty"
[WJ:402 has "the Sublime"], but this word should
probably not be used as a common adjective.)
LOFTY TOWER see TOWER. -
T/Silm:437/LT1:264, VT45:36, VT46:17,
PM:354
LOGDRAWING turuhalm -LT1:270
LONELY eressa (solitary); LONELY ISLE
Tol Eressa (tol "isle" often being omitted) -
ERE, RGEO:70
LONG (adj) anda, sra (trailing); LONG
AGO andanya, anda n; LONG AND THIN
lenwa (straight, narrow); LONG (adverb, of
time:) andav; LONG YEAR (144 solar years, an
Elvish "century") yn (pl. yni is attested)
LONG-MARK andatehta -NAD, LT2:344, 341,
VT49:31, LotR:989, Nam/LotR:1141/YEN, TEK
LONG FOR milya- (Note: milya is also an
adjective "soft, gentle, weak"); GREAT
LONGING mavoin -MIL-IK, LT2:345
LONG-LASTING voronwa (enduring) -
BORN
LOOK AT yta-; LOOK! (interj) en (there,
look! yonder) LOOK! ela (lo! see!) (directing
sight to an actually visible object) LOOK FOR
saca- (pa.t. sc) (pursue, search) -LT1:262,
EN, WJ:362 cf. 360, QL:81
LOOM (noun) lanwa, in Tolkien's early
"Qenya" also windel -LAN, LT1:254
LOOSE lenca- (in the printed Etymologies,
the n of this word was misread as u, VT45:27),
lehta- (slacken). LET LOOSE sen- (let go, free) -
LEK, VT43:18
LORD heru (pl. #heruvi, gen.pl. #heruion),
hr, as final part of compounds: #her, e.g.
Ostoher *"City-Lord". The form Hru with a long
occurs in VT43:28, 29 (where i Hru "the Lord"
refers to God). LORDSHIP hr; LORD OF
TREES Aldaron (a name of Orom) -LT1:272,
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Silm:432, Letters:282, VT44:12, LotR:1122,
Silm:32, 378, VT41:9
LORE nl (long study, wisdom,
knowledge), ingol (deep lore, magic [in
WJ:382, the gloss is simply "lore", and the word
is not stated to be poetic]), iss; SECRET LORE
nolw (wisdom). (These forms may obsolete
nlem in LT1:263. In some sources, nl and
nolw are spelt with initial , that is, ng. Initial
ng had become n in Third Age Quenya, and I
follow the system of LotR and transcribe it
accordingly. Cf. also the spelling of the related
word nl in Silm:432. But if these words are
written in Tengwar, the initial n should be
transcribed with the letter noldo, not nmen.)
LOREMASTER ingolmo (In Lambengolmor
"Loremasters of Tongues" the initial i of ingolmo
[pl ingolmor] has disappeared; perhaps
#ngolmo is the form used in compounds when
the first part of the compound ends in a vowel.) -
GOL, LT2:339, WJ:382, WJ:383/396
LOST vanwa (gone, departed, vanished,
past and over, no longer to be had, dead); ONE
LOST OR FORSAKEN BY FRIENDS hecil
(gender-spesific forms are hecilo m. and hecil
f.) (waif, outcast, outlaw) -WAN, Nam, WJ:366,
365
LOT marto (fortune, fate) -LT2:348
LOUD SOUND rma (trumpet-sound)
(Note: in early Qenya, rma also means
"shoulder".) MUSICAL SOUND lin (stem lind-)
(melody) -ROM, LotR:488 cf. Letters:308
LOVE (vb, love as friend) mel- (melinyes
and melin s I love him, VT49:21). LOVE
(noun) melm (LT1:262 has meles, meless);
LOVELY melwa, LOVING nilda (friendly), mla
(affectionate), BELOVED melda (dear, sweet),
LOVER meldo (pl meldor is attested), melindo
(m.), meliss (f.); LOVEABLE melima (fair),
rima (desirable) -MEL, LT1:262, WJ:412, NIL,
VT39:11, ID
LOW, LOWLYING tumna (deep, profound,
dark or hidden); LOWER AIR vilma (earlier
[MET] wilma), Aiwenor (lit. "Birdland").
LOWTIDE nanw (ebb) -TUB cf. LT1:271, WIL,
AIW, VT48:26
LOWER (vb) luvu- (brood); DARK
LOWERING CLOUD lumbo (pl. lumbor is
attested). -LT1:259
LUCK valto (LT2:348 gives mart "a piece of
luck", but word-final rt does not occur in LotR-
style Quenya. Read *mart or something
similar?) -LT1:272, LT2:348
LUMP tolos (knob) -LT1:269
LUNAR MONTH rnasta -VT48:11
LUST mail; LUSTFUL maila -MIL-IK
LYING HEAVY lumna (heavy, burdensome,
oppressive, ominous) Combined with the
superlative prefix an-, this word should appear
as *andumna because d was the initial sound of
the original root. (Note: lumna is also a verb
meaning "lie heavy"); LYING IN BED caila
(bedridden, ?sickness) -DUB, KAY/VT45:19
LYRE salma -LT1:265
M
MAEDHROS Nelyafinw (meaning "Finw
third", not equivalent in sense to Sindarin
Maedhros. The short form of the name was
Nelyo. His mother-name [q.v.],
"recorded....though never used in narrative", was
Maitimo "well-shaped one". He also had a
nickname Russandol "copper-top") -PM:352,
353
MAGIC ingol (deep lore). In LT1:269,
curu is glossed "magic, wizardry", but in Etym
the gloss is simply "skill". MAGIC (adj.) sairina -
GOL, GL:72
MAGLOR Canafinw, short form Cno (not
equivalent in sense to his Sindarin name, which
is the cognate of his "mother-name" Macalaur,
"recorded...though never used in narrative"). -
PM:352, 353
MAID, MAIDEN wend, vend (the latter is
the Exilic Quenya form), also short form wen
with stem wend- as in pl. wendi (girl) (read v- for
w- in Exilic Quenya). Tolkien also used the word
wend (variants vn, vnd, read evidently
vend) to translate "virgin" in his Quenya version
of a Catholic prayer, where the reference is to
the Virgin Mary. According to VT47:17, this term
can be used of a "maiden" of any age up to fully
adult (until marriage). In compounds -wen, e.g.
Nerwen "Man-maiden" (probably with stem *-
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wend-). MAIDENHOOD wendel (Exilic Quenya
*vendel). -WEN, LT1:271/273/Silm:439,
VT44:10, 18, VT47:17
*MAIDENLY (or *VIRGINAL) *vna (only
attested in elided form vn') -VT44:10
MAKE #car- (1st pers. aorist carin "I make,
build". The same verb is translated "form" in
WJ:391: i carir quettar, "those who form words".
According to Etym the past tense is carn,
though FS and SD:246 have cr. Past
participle #carna *"made" is attested in
Vincarna *"newly-made" in MR:305; the longer
participial form carina occurs in VT43:15, read
probably *crina with a long vowel to go with
such late participial forms like rcina "broken").
MAKING carm (glossed "art" in UT:396 and is
also translated "production", but cf. the
following:) NAME-MAKING Essecarm (an
Eldarin seremony in which the father of a child
announces its name.) MAKE FAST avalerya-
(bind, restrain, deprive of liberty). TO (MAKE)
FIT camta- (sic; the cluster mt seems unusual
for Quenya, and while the source does not
explicitly say that this word is Quenya, it is
difficult to understand what other language could
be intended) (suit, accomodate, adapt). MAKE
FOR IT mna- (desire to go in some direction, to
wish to go to a place, have some end in view). -
KAR, WJ:391, MR:214, VT41:5, 6, VT44:14,
VT39:11
MALE (noun) hanu (man, male of
Men/Elves or animals); MALE (adj) hanwa -3AN,
VT45:16, INI
MAN nr (ner-; pl. neri given) (#ner as the
final element in compounds, as in vaner and
ner, see below), vo (-w as final element in
compounds); hanu (male); (ADULT) MAN
vaner; MANLY va (adult, vigorous);
LARGE/STRONG MAN nerdo, SMALL MAN
nerc (perhaps with stem nerci-) MANHOOD
vi (vigour); MAN-SPEARHEAD (a wedge-
formation of soldiers) nernehta, NOMAN ner
(All these words can apparently be used of adult
males of any sentient race. For "Men" in the
sence "humans", see MORTALS,
FOLLOWERS.) -DER, WEG (cf. VT46:21
indicating that vo should be marked as an
archaic/poetic word), VT47:33, VT45:16, UT:282,
UT:211
MANAGE mahta- (deal with, fight, handle,
manage, wield, wield a weapon) -
MAK/MA3/VT39:11, VT47:6, 18, 19
MANTLE (vb.) fanta- (to cloak, veil) -
VT43:22
MANY limb, also prefix lin- (by
assimilation it becomes lil- before l, as in
lillassa "having many leaves"; before m, r, s it
would similarly become *lim-, *lir-, *lis-). Instead
of using the early "Qenya" form limb for
"many", it may be safer to use the later form
rimba, by Tolkien glossed "numerous" (q.v. for
reference). -LT2:342, LI, Plotz letter
MAR #hasta- (verb stem isolated from the
past participle hastaina, see below); MARRED
hastaina (Arda Marred = Arda Hastaina);
UNMARRED alahasta -MR:255, 254
MARBLE alas, alast- -QL:30, GL:39
MARCH Slim -LotR:1144/Silm:437 (not
capitalized in the latter source)
MARINER ciryamo, (professional mariner:)
arendur, Erendilyon ("son of Erendil [used
of any mariner]", prob. *Erendilyond-) -UT:8,
Letters:386, LT1:250
MARK (in writing) tehta (sign, diacritic) (In
LotR:1155, this word is applied to the supralinear
vowel-signs of Fanorian writing, and pl tehtar is
attested.) sarat (pl. sarati is attested), originally
[MET] a word used of "a 'letter' or any individual
significant mark", but after the invention of the
Tengwar primarily used of the Rmilian letters.
TINY MARK tix (dot, point) -TEK/VT39:17, TIK,
WJ:396
MARRY verya- (intransitive, with the person
one marries in the allative case: veryanen
senna I married him/her, compare English I
got married to him/her). The word verya- also
means dare, but since this is transitive and
would always be followed by a direct object, the
two verbs can be distinguished. -VT49:45
MARS Carnil -Basic Quenya:24, cf. Silm:55
MARY (Mother of Jesus) Mara -VT43:28,
VT44:18 ("Maria" in VT44:12 lacks the accent,
but this is probably a mere slip)
MAST 1) (on ship) tyulma, 2) (fruit of
beech) ferna (beechnuts) -TYUL/SD:419, PHER
MASTER (noun) heru (pl. #heruvi, gen.pl.
#heruion) (lord), #tur (cf. Fanturi "Masters of
Spirits", a name of the Valar Mandos and Irmo).
MASTER OF DOOM Turambar, MASTER OF
DESIRE Irmo (lit. "Desirer", the name of a Vala);
MASTERY tr (victory, strength, might);
MASTERED #turna (only the form turn`, with
the final *-a elided, is attested. Silm:269 has
turun instead of turn` - the accent and he
elision mark seem to have been omitted.) -
KHER, TUR/UT:438, Silm:261/269/423, 405,
UT:138
MATRIMONY vesta -BES
MATTER (basic matter:) erma; PHYSICAL
MATTER orma, hroa (the latter is also used =
"body"). CONSIDERING A MATTER, see under
C. -MR:338, 218, 216
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MAVWIN Mavoin -LT2:345
MAY (noun, the month) Ltess (In
LT1:252/254, the word for May is Kalainis, but
this is hardly a valid word in Tolkien's later
Quenya.) -LotR:1144
MAY as a verb be allowed to can be
rendered by lerta-, to be able in the sense of
being allowed (see BE ABLE): *Lertal car ta,
you may (you are allowed) to do that. MAY
expressing uncertainty can be expressed by
slipping in the particle c: He may have done
that = *c acries ta (maybe he has done that).
MAY BE (maybe) c (participle indicating
uncertainty, like *maybe, perhaps) -VT49:19,
27
MAY IT BE SO, see AMEN
ME: Certain Tolkien manuscripts
supposedly provide nye as one word for me
(compare tye thee). It may be, however, that in
Tolkiens later conception ni, n I can also be
used as object me (in late material it listed
together with other pronouns that are attested
both as subject and object, such as lye, s and
me, VT49:51). The ending -n, attested only as
subject, may perhaps be employed following
another pronominal ending: *Utvielyen, "thou (-
lye-) hast found me (-n). Case endings may be
added to ni, e.g. dative nin "for me" (Nam). See
I.
MEAD mruvr (nectar, drink of the Valar)
-NAM, RGEO:66, 69, LT1:261
MEADOW - LT1:267 (GL:39) gives lair, but
this word already has two different meanings in
Tolkien's later Quenya ("summer" and "poem"),
so it is somewhat doubtful whether this word
from Tolkien's earliest linguistic constructions
remained conceptually valid at later stages.
MEAL 1) (session of eating) mat (stem
matt-). Also used = meal time. 2) (flour) por
(stem pori-) -QL:59, POR
MEAN faica (contemptible) -SPAY
MEASURE #lesta (only attested in
instrumental form lestanen "in measure". Note:
#lesta also means "girdle".) -FS
MEAT apsa (cooked food) -AP
MEETING (junction of the direction of two
persons or groups:) omenti, (of three or more
coming from different directions:) yomeni -
WJ:367, 407, LotR:94
MELIAN Melyanna (dear gift) -Silm:434
MELODY lin (lind-) (musical sound),
MELODIOUS lindela -LT1:258, cf. LotR:488
and Letters:308
MEN see MAN or MORTALS, FOLLOWERS
MENTAL MESSAGE sanw-menta
(thought-sending) -VT41:5
MERCURY (the planet, not the metal)
Elemmr -Basic Quenya:24
MERCHILD oar (child of the sea),
MERMAID oaris (oarits-), oarwen (prob.
*oarwend-) (so in LT1:263 - read aris, arwen
in Tolkien's later Quenya, since the word for
"sea" was altered to ar?)
MERCY - HAVE MERCY rava- (+ locative
to denote the object of the mercy; compare
English "have mercy on [someone]; Tolkien
expressed "have mercy on us" as rava mess)
Another form, cama or ocama, was possibly
abandoned by Tolkien. -VT44:12-14
MERRIMENT alass (joy) -GALS
MESSAGE menta (sending) -VT41:5
MESH remb -LotR:1149
METAL tinco, rauta -TINK/LotR:1157,
RAUT
MEWING miul (whining)
MICKLEBURG Trosto (Belegost) -WJ:389
MIDDLE (noun) end (core, centre);
MIDDLE (prob. adj) enya, endya (In Noldorin
Quenya, enya would be the natural form - endya
looks like Vanyarin Quenya. Cf. the name of the
language itself in the two dialects, Quenya vs.
Quendya.) MIDDLE-DAY #ender (only pl
enderi is attested; for sg #ender cf. yestar,
mettar, the first and the last day of the year.
The "middle-days" were three days inserted
between the months of yvi and quell in the
Calendar of Imladris.) MIDDLE FINGER
lepend, lepenel, in children's play also called
tolyo or tollo ("sticker-up", also used of middle
toe), yonyo ("son, big boy", again used of middle
toe as well) or hanno ("brother"). -NED, cf.
WJ:361, LotR:1142, VT47:10, VT47:12, 14,
VT48:6
MIDDLE-EARTH Endr, Endor (defined
as "centre of the world" under NED; allative
form Endorenna is attested in LotR. Other
names are also glossed "Middle-earth":
Ambarenya, Endamar; see also EAST) -
LotR:1003, NED, MBAR
MIGHT tr (strength, victory, mastery) -
QL:95
MIGHTY taura, poldra (a title of Tulkas);
MIGHTY-RISING Melkr (> Melkor) (uprising
of Power), THE MIGHTY Melko (an alternative
form of Melkor, derived from an unattested
adjective *melka, *melca "mighty", with
connotations of violence.) -TUR, LT1:264/GL:64,
MR:350
MILCH COW yax. (An alternative form
yaxi, glossed "cow", looks like a plural in LotR-
style Quenya, unless it connects with the few
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other feminine forms in -i, like tri "queen".) -
GL:36
MIND sma (pl. smar is given), indo
(heart, mood), (inner mind:) r (heart) (Note: a
homophone means "rising"), sma (imagination).
MIND-MOOD inwisti -VT39:23, MR:216,
LotR:1157, VT49:16, MR:229
MINISTER arandur (king's servant,
steward) -Letters:386, UT:313
MISERABLE angayanda, MISERY
angayass -QL:34, LT1:249
MIST hsi (), hs () (stem hsi-) (fog.
Note: a homophone means "dusk". For "mist"
writers may prefer hsi, the form occurring in
LotR.) -Nam/RGEO:67, KHIS
MOAT see WALL AND MOAT
MOCKING yaiw (scorn) -YAY
MOIST nt (stem *nti-) (dewy) -NEI
MOLE noldar, nolpa -GL:30
MONSTER ulundo, vanimo (creature of
Melkor). In LT1:236, vanimor are said to be
"monsters, giants, and ogres". See also ORC. -
LUG, BAN/LT1:272/VT45:7
MONTH asta (pl astar is attested); this
basically means "division, a part" (esp. one of
other equal parts), here used of a division of the
year. LUNAR MONTH rnasta -LotR:1142,
VT48:11
MOOD indo (heart, mind) -ID
MOON Isil (-th-), Rna (so in Silm, VT47:11
and UT; Etym has Rana with a short a),
CRESCENT MOON c (bow), NEW MOON
ceuran-, MOONLIGHT isilm -
I/THIL/LotR:1148, Silm:436/UT:242, RAN,
LT1:271, VT48:7, MC:222, 223
MORE lil; ONE MORE enta (another).
(Note: a homophone means "that yonder").
MOREOVER, FURTHERMORE, WHAT IS
MORE ent, ya, y (Note: y is also an
interjection "lo! now see!") -PE14:80, VT47:15,
31
MORGOTH Moringotto (the oldest [MET]
form was Morigotho) (Black Foe) -MR:194
MORN (early) artuil, tuil (the latter is also
used in the sense "springtime") -TUY
MORNING (noun) arin (LT1:254 gives cl,
but this word means "light" in later writings),
MORNING (used as adj?) arinya (early) -AR
1
MORTAL frima (pl. Frimar is attested, lit.
"those apt to die", WJ:387), also in the personal
(masculine) form #frimo (pl. allative frimonnar
"to mortals", VT44:35). The form firima with a
short i occurs in VT46:4. Firya (pl. Firyar is
attested); MORTAL MAN fir (pl firi is given but
seems perfectly regular) -PHIR, WJ:387
MOTHER amill, also short amil (probably
with stem amill-), amm (see also MUMMY).
The form ontaril in VT43:32 and the variants
#ontari, #ontari in VT44:7, 18 seem to be
more technical terms, etymologically *"female
begetter". MY MOTHER emya (for em-nya,
VT48:19). MOTHER-NAME (OF INSIGHT)
#amiless (tercenya) (i.e., names given by
Elvish mothers to their children, indicating some
dominant feature of the nature of the child as
perceived by its mother. Only pl amilessi
terceny is attested.) MOTHER OF GOD (Mary,
in Tolkien's Quenya renderings of Catholic
prayers) Eruamill, Eruontari, Eruontari -
VT43:32, VT44:18-19, AM
1
, VT43:32, MR:217,
VT43:32, VT44:7, 18
MOUND coron, hahta (pile), cumb
(heap), tundo (stem *tundu-) (hill) -Sil:429,
KHAG, KUB, TUN
MOUNTAIN oron (#oront-, as in the pl.
oronti) (oron also used = "mount", e.g. Oron
Oioloss "Mount Everwhite"), MOUNTAIN-
PEAK aicass; MOUNTAIN-TOP orotinga,
orto; MOUNTAIN PASS falqua (cleft, ravine),
MOUNTAIN-DWELLING (adj) orofarn (pl? Sg
*orofarna?) -ROT/WJ:403, AYAK, VT47:28,
LT2:341, LotR:505 cf. Letters:224
MOUTH anto, p (but p is glossed "lip" in
a late source, see VT39:9), assa (hole, opening,
perforation), nva ("") (not only the lips but also
the inside of the mouth this word was
apparently changed by Tolkien from pva),
MOUTH OF RIVER etsir, WITH MOUTH FULL
(= full to the brim) penquanta -LotR:1157, PEG,
GAS, VT39:13 cf. 8, 19, ET, VT39:11
MOVE (intransitive verb) lev-; also (of large
and heavy things moving) rma- (part. rmala is
attested) (shift, heave). SUDDEN MOVE (noun)
rinca (twitch, jerk, trick) -PE16:132, MC:223,
222, VT46:11 cf. RIK(H)
MUCH olya (adj.), ol (adv.) -PE14:80
MUMMY (affectionate form of "mother")
emm, emya (for emenya *"my mother"), also
emil(inya) "(my) mother", said to be the terms a
child would use to address his or her mother. (In
UT:191 the form mamil occurs, used by a child
but not in address.) The words emm, emya
were also used in children's play for "index
finger" and "index toe" -VT47:10, 26, VT48:4
MURK hui (fog, dark, night), MURKY huiva
-LT1:253
MURMUR nurru- (grumble) -MC:223
MUSCLE tuo (sinew, strength) -TUG
MUSIC lindal (as in Ainulindal "The
Music of the Ainur"; LT1:258 has lindel; the
latter is also glossed "song". The form lindel
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"music" also turns up in the printed Etymologies,
entry LIN
2
, but according to VT45:27, this is a
misreading for lindal in Tolkien's manuscript.) -
Silm:378, LIN
2
/VT45:27
MY-nya (possessive suffix), e.g. *aldanya
"my tree". An i seems to be inserted between the
ending and the noun when the latter ends in a
consonant: atarinya "my father" (LR:61). If the
last consonant(s) of the noun is n or the cluster
nd, a contracted form may be used in vocatives:
hinya "my child" (for hnanya, WJ:403), yonya
"my son" (for *yondonya, LR:61). My as an
independent word is apparently ninya, (derived
from the dative form nin for me), though in FS
it is used as a quasi-suffix (indo-ninya my
heart).
MYSELF (reflexive pronoun) immo (a
general sg. reflexive pronoun, covering English
"myself, him/herself, yourself"). A specific 1st
person reflexive pronoun "myself" is imn (for
older imni; it is unclear whether the latter form
was in use in later Quenya) -VT47:37
N
NAIL (noun) tax (the kind of nail used to
fasten something); NAIL (of the finger) nyelet, pl.
nyelexi -TAK, PE15:75
NAKED helda -SKEL
NAME (noun) ess (pl. essi is attested, but
see below concerning #esser as a possible
alternative pl. form. Note: the word ess was
also used in the sense "person as a whole",
body and soul.) AFTER-NAME epess (i.e., "a
nickname - mostly given as a title of admiration
or honour"); MOTHER-NAME (OF INSIGHT)
#amiless (tercenya) (i.e. names given by
Elvish mothers to their children, indicating some
dominant feature of the nature of the child as
perceived by its mother. Only pl amilessi
terceny is attested.) NAME OF INSIGHT
#ess tercenya (i.e., the same as "mother-
name"; only pl essi terceny is attested);
GIVEN (OR ADDED) NAME aness (pl anessi
is attested. This term includes both "after-
names" and "mother-names".) NAME-MAKING
Essecarm (an Eldarin seremony in which the
father of a child announces its name), NAME-
CHOOSING Essecilm (an Eldarin seremony in
which a person chooses a name according to his
or her personal lmatyv or sound-taste);
SELF-NAME #cilmess (only pl. cilmessi is
attested, said to mean more literally "names of
personal choice": #cilm "choice" + essi
"names". PM:339 explains that "some among the
exiles gave themselves names, as disguises or
in reference to their own deeds and personal
history: such names were called kilmessi 'self-
names'.") PLACE NAME #nmess (isolated
from the gen. pl. form nmesseron, "of place-
names", VT42:17. This word suggests that the
plural of ess can be esser as well as essi). -
ES/LotR:1157/MR:216, UT:266, MR:217, 214,
VT42:17
NAME (verb) esta- -ES, VT45:12
NARRATIVE quenta (story, history) -
KWET/VT39:16
NARRATOR quentaro -KWET
NARROW arca, lenwa (long and thin,
straight) NARROW NECK yatta (isthmus);
NARROW PATH axa; NARROW
PROMONTORY neht (spear-head, gore,
wedge. Note: a homophone means
"honeycomb) -AK, LT2:341, YAK, UT:282
NASAL nengwa -NE-WI
NASTY ra (evil) (Note: a homophone
means "large") -VT43:24
NATION nr, -nor (land, country, dwelling-
place, native land, family) -LT1:272
NATIVE LAND nr, -nor (land, country,
dwelling-place, nation, family) -LT1:272
NATURE a (universe). This term "was not
held to include [illegible word: souls?] and spirits"
-VT39:20
NAUSEA qum (q) (sickness).
NAUSEOUS, see SICK. -QL:76
NAZGL lairi (Ring-wraiths) (pl; sg
#lair?) -Silm:362, 417
NEAR har, har -LT1:253
NECESSITY #sangi (isolated from
sangiessemman "in our necessities") -VT43:21,
44:8
NECK yat (yaht-); NARROW NECK yatta
(isthmus) -YAK
NECKLACE firinga (carnanet) -LT2:346,
GL:36
NECTAR mruvr (mead, drink of the
Valar) -Nam, RGEO:66, LT1:260
NEED (noun) maur -MBAW
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NEIGHBOUR armaro, asambar,
asambaro. The dual form attat is translated "2
fathers or neighbours" in one text. -VT48:20
NEPTUNE Nnar (or less probably Luinil; it
is not known for certain which of the two is
Neptune and which is Uranus) -Basic
Quenya:24, Silm:55
NET nats (web) -NAT
NEW vinya (cf. Vinyamar "New Dwelling",
Vinyalond "New Haven"), sinya, cva (fresh).
NEW MOON ceuran-, NEW SUN AFTER
SOLSTICE ceuranar. Early "Qenya" also has:
NEW LIFE laito, laisi (vigour, youth) -Silm:425,
UT:471, SIN, VT48:7, LT1:267
NEXT (adv.) ento -Arct (Note: "next" as
adjective, as in "the next time", can be
paraphrased as hilyala "following".)
NICKNAME ("mostly given as a title of
admiration or honour") epess (after-name) -
UT:266
NIGHT lm, ("Night, night-time, [shades of
night]", in LT1:255 glossed "dusk, gloom,
darkness"; according to SD:415, lm has the
stem-form lmi-), Fui, Hui ("Night" - but in
LT1:253, hui is glossed "fog, dark, murk, night"),
l ("night, a night"), mr (blackness, dark -
obsoleting mori in LT1:260). In Valinorean
usage, lm "has no evil connotations; it is a
word of peace and beauty and has none of the
associations of fear and groping that, say, 'dark'
has to us. For the evil sense I [sc. Tolkien's
character Lowdham] do not know the [Quenya]
word". For "night" in the "evil sense", mr
seems to be the best candidate. Yet lm
evidently developed darker connotations among
the Exiles, for when crying auta i lm "the night
is passing" before the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, the
Noldor used the word metaphorically to refer to
the rule of Morgoth. DOOR OF NIGHT, see
DOOR. -DO3, PHUY, SD:306, Silm:229
NIGHTINGALE lmelind (pl lmelindi is
attested; Etym also has morilind), tindmerel
("daughter of twilight", a kenning of or a poetic
name for the nightingale; the Sindarin equivalent
is tinviel. Tolkien changed the meaning of the
final element from "daughter" to "child", see SEL-
D-.) -DO3, Silm:64, MOR, TIN/Silm:422, 438
NINE nert (Tolkien abandoned the
"Qenya" form olma, mentioned in LT1:258) -
NTER, VT48:6
NINETEEN neterqu -VT48:21
NINTH nerta; for the use of nett ("sister")
to denote the ninth digit in children's play, see
FOURTH FINGER. Fraction ONE NINTH
neresta, nesta, nersat -VT42:25, VT47:11
NO l (also meaning "not". L is probably
used to deny facts, or what others present as
facts. In some contexts, the interjection v is to
be preferred. It is derived from a stem that
"expressed refusal to do what others might wish
or urge, or prohibition of some action by others.)
Cf also lala, lau, laum "no, no indeed not, on
the contrary; also used for asking incredulous
questions". Prefixes "no-, un-": -, il-. SAY NO
vquet- (forbid, refuse) (1st pers. sg aorist and
past vquetin, vquenten are given), ava-
(refuse) (pa.t. avan is given; this verb was "little
used in ordinary language"). -LA, WJ:371 cf.
370, G/UGU/VT46:20, WJ:370, KWET
NO LONGER TO BE HAD vanwa (gone,
dead, departed, lost, past, vanished) -WJ:366
NOBLE (a noble:) arquen The element #ar-
in Arfanyarass (a name of Taniquetil) is said to
mean "high (i.e., noble, revered). Arquen is
simply #ar "noble" + quen "person". NOBLE
WOMAN (one of Galadriel's names) Artanis. -
WJ:372, WJ:416, PM:347
NOGROD Nvarot (Hollowbold, Novrod) -
WJ:389
NOISE hlna, also short hln (evidently
hlon-, given the pl. hloni) (sound). Cf. also
Qenya ran (ram-). ROARING NOISE rv,
(NOISE OF A) STORM raumo, NOISE OF
LEAVES esc (rustle), SOUND/NOISE OF
WIND s -VT48:19, LT1:259/QL:79, MC:223,
EZGE, VT47:12
NOLDORIN Noldorin (= the language of the
Noldor), Noldorinwa (= general adjective) -
WJ:20, LR:201
NOMAN ner -UT:211
NOOK winca (corner) (QL:104, there written
winka). Read *vinca if this early Qenya form
is to be adapted to LotR-style Third Age Quenya.
NORMAL sanya () (regular, law-abiding)
(variant vorosanya with a prefixed element
meaning "ever"). -STAN, VT46:16
NORTH Formen, NORTHERN fort (stem
*forti-), formenya; NORTHLANDS (a region in
Nmenor) Forostar -PHOR, LotR:1157, UT:165,
439
NOSE nengw (stem *nengwi-), mundo
(snout, cape), stem *mundu- given the primitive
form mbundu. (Note: the latter word also means
"ox", though in the sense of "ox" it may have a
different origin and stem-form.) -NE-WI, MBUD
NOT l (as for not- as a prefix = un-, see
below). According to VT42:33, l is the stressed
form of the negation, whereas la is the
unstressed form (cf. la- as the pretonic prefix
*"not-" or *"un-", VT45:25). NO INDEED NOT
lala; DON'T va, av; DON'T DO IT! va car!; I
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WILL NOT: v (exclamation, also = Do not!);
avan, vn, vany "I won't", avamm, vamm
"we won't"; NOT COUNTING hequa (leaving
aside, excluding, except), NOT COUNTED
unot, unota (read *not, *nota?)
(uncounted), NOT TO BE SAID, THAT MUST
NOT BE SAID avaqutima, NOT TO BE TOLD
OR RELATED avanyrima -LA, WJ:371,
364/365, VT39:14, WJ:370
NOT- (prefix denying presence or
possession of thing or quality) - (in-, un-). -
VT39:14; according to LR:396 s.v. UGU, this
prefix usually has a "bad sense", cf. vanimor
"fair folk" vs. vanimor "monsters"
NOTHING munta -PE14:81
NOTWITHSTANDING, see ALTHOUGH
NOVEMBER Hsim -LotR:1144
NOVROD Nvarot (Hollowbold, Nogrod) -
WJ:389
NOW s, sn/sin (the latter form may
evidently be used when the next word has an
initial vowel; cf. the distribution of "a" and "an" in
English. However, s may also occur before
vowels; the word appears before ar "and" in a
text published in VT43:27.) Variant si. NOW
SEE! (interjection) y (lo!) Note: a homophone
means "what is more". -SI, cf. LR:47, VT43:27,
VT43:34, VT47:31
NUMBER nt, LARGE NUMBER hosta,
IN A VERY GREAT NUMBER va;
NUMBERLESS ntima (pl. ntim attested)
(uncountable, countless) -NOT, KHOTH, UB,
Nam/VT39:14
NUMERAL #notess (attested in pl. form
notessi). In a Tengwar text, the word appears
with a long (ntessi, sg. #ntess). -VT47:14,
VT48:14
NUMEROUS rimba (frequent)
NYMPH wingil, wingild- (pl WIngildi is
attested); falmar, falmarin (falmarind-) (Writers
should use falmarin rather than falmar, thus
avoiding any possible confusion with falmar
"waves".) -WIG/LT1:273, PHAL
O
O (vocative particle) a, e.g. a Eruion "(o)
Son of God". -VT44:12, 15; LotR:1017 cf.
Letters:308
OAK norno; HAVING MANY OAK-TREES
lindorna -DRON, LIN
OATH vr (bond, troth, compact. Pl.
probably *vrer not *vri; cf. the similar
formation tyv "taste", pl tyver), vanda
(pledge, solemn promise) -WED, UT:317
OBLIGED nauta (bound) -NUT
OBSCURE nulla (dark, dusky) OBSCURITY
mordo (shadow, stain, smear, dimness) -NDUL,
MOR/VT45:35
OBSERVE - use the word glossed "watch,
heed", q.v. Cf. LT1:258.
OCCASION l (a time) -LU
OCEAN (see SEA) The Great Ocean
Alatair (= Sindarin Belegaer); The Outer Ocean
Vai (=Ekkaia?) -AYAR, LT1:271
OCTOBER Narqueli -LotR:1144/1146
ODOUR olm -OL (the Etymologies as
printed in LR gives "holm", but according to
VT46:6, Tolkien later struck out the initial h)
OFF au- (verbal prefix implying motion
"away from the speaker or the place of his
thought", as in auciri- "cut off, so that a portion is
lost or no longer available"), h- (verbal prefix
implying motion away from something, but the
point of view is outside the thing left: cf. hciri-
"cut off a required portion, so as to have it or use
it") -WJ:365, 366, 368
OFFSPRING #indi (isolated from Valarindi
"offspring of the Valar, their children begotten in
Arda"). The Quenya term is plural (sg. *ind). -
MR:49
OGRE vanimo (see MONSTER).
CANNIBAL-OGRES Sarquindi (sg
#Sarquind?) -LT1:236 cf. BAN, LT2:347
OINTMENT laiv -LIB
OLD yra (ancient, belonging to or
descending from former times); intensive
#anyra is attested with a dative ending in the
phrase meldenya anyran *"for my oldest [or,
very old] friend" in the Elaine inscription. Other
words translated "old": enwina, linyenwa
(having many years), (of things:) yerna (worn);
OLDEN yra, yalma, GET OLD yerya-
(wear [out]) -MC:222 cf. 215, YEN, GYER
OMINOUS lumna (lying heavy,
burdensome, oppressive) Combined with the
superlative prefix an-, this word should appear
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as *andumna because d was the initial sound of
the original root. -DUB
OMNIFICENT ilucara (VT39:20)
OMNIPOTENT iluvala (VT39:20)
OMNISCIENT iluisa (VT39:20)
ON or (so in LT1:256, but in LotR-style
Quenya or is always translated "over".
Generally, English "on" may be rendered by the
locative or the allative case, see UPON.) ON
BEHALF OF r, followed by dative, as in the
example r men "on behalf of us, for us". Dative
pronouns may be directly suffixed to r: "for us"
or "on behalf of us" is also attested in the one-
word form rmen. (Note: r is also a noun
"lion".) ON THE CONTRARY si -VT43:27, 28,
33, VT49:8
ONCE (= at one time in the past) na, nya
-VT49:31
ONCE UPON A TIME yass, yalmess,
yress (note: the first of these seems to clash
with *yass "in/on which". Writers should use
one of the two alternative forms, or the
following:) andanya, anda n (long ago) -YA,
VT49:31
ONE min, min (obsoleting "Qenya" mir in
LT1:260; a short variant min however appears in
VT45:34, VT48:6), er (only, one, alone, but, still).
A longer form of er, namely era, was possibly
abandoned by Tolkien (VT44:17). Min, min is
"one" as the first of a series, whereas er is "one"
in the context of something that is alone (Parma
Eldalamberon #14, p. 82). ONE (= a person,
someone) qun, quen- as in pl. queni
(unstressed quen, "as a pronoun or final
element in a compound"); THE ONE Eru (see
GOD). For fractions ONE THIRD, ONE FOURTH
etc., see entries for THIRD, FOURTH etc. -MINI,
ERE/VT44:17, VT48:6, WJ:361 cf. 360, Silm:15,
431
ONE-HANDED MAN Ercambo -VT47:7
ONLY er (but, still), eress (singly, alone,
also as noun = solitude) -LT1:269, ERE
ONYX nyelecca -PE15:76
OPEN (vb) panta- (unfurl, spread out);
OPEN WIDE palu-, palya- (extend); OPEN (adj)
panta, lta ("open, not closed", VT41:5); (of
land:) latin, latina (free, cleared); OPENING (as
abstract) panti (unfolding, revealing), latya
(used as an abstract in the source), OPENING
(as concrete) assa (hole, performation, mouth).
OPENNESS lti; OPENMOUTHED fauca
(thirsty, parched) -PAT, PAL, VT39:23, QL:72,
GAS, LAT, VT39:23/VT41:5, PHAU
OPPRESSIVE lumna (lying heavy,
burdensome, ominous). Combined with the
superlative prefix an-, this word should appear
as *andumna because d was the initial sound of
the original root. -DUB
OR (conjunction) var -QL:100
ORANGE culuina (colour adjective),
culuma (fruit) -KUL
ORC (goblin) urco (stem urcu-, pl. urqui) or
orco (pl. orqui or orcor, in the former case
probably with stem *orcu- throughout). LT1:264
has orc, but word-final rc does not occur in
LotR-style Quenya. Here the gloss is "monster,
demon". Cf. WJ:390: "In the lore of the Blessed
Realm the Q urko naturally seldom occurs,
except in tales of the ancient days and the
March, and then is vague in meaning, referring
to anything that caused fear to the Elves, any
dubious shape or shadow, or prowling creature."
-ROK, LT1:264, WJ:390
ORDAINER Nmo (Judge - the name of a
Vala) -Silm:411
ORDER (noun) heren (Heren Istarion
"Order of Wizards"); ORDER (vb) vala- (used of
the Valar only, as in vala Manw "may Manw
order it", Valar valuvar "the will of the Valar will
be done", *"the Valar will order [it]". -UT:388,
WJ:404
ORIENT ambaron (ambarn-), Ambarn
(a similar but untranslated word, Ambarna,
occurs in LotR) -AM
2
, LotR:490
ORIGINATE auta- (invent, devise) -GAWA
ORION Telumehtar ("warrior of the sky",
according to WJ:411 an old name, later [MET]
evidently replaced by:) Menelmacar
("Swordsman of the Sky") -TEL, WJ:411,
LotR:1147 cf. 95
OTHER ex (noun, glossed "the other", but
the article may only indicate that this is a noun;
likely there could be a distinction between ex
"[an]other [one]" and *i ex "the other [one]"),
exa (as adj., presumably behaving like other
adjectives, e.g. *exa parma "[an]other book",
*ex parmar "other books") -VT47:40
OUR: As described in the entry WE, the 3rd
person pl. pronouns distinguish plural forms from
dual (depending on whether two or more
persons are involved) and exclusive forms from
inclusive (depending on whether the party
addressed is included in we/our). Tolkien
revised the relevant endings repeatedly.
According to one late resolution described in
VT49:16, the endings for exclusive our are -
lma in the plural and -mma as a dual form,
hence *aldalma our tree (with an our of at
least three persons, not including the party
addressed), but *aldamma our tree = my and
one other persons tree. The corresponding
inclusive forms are -lwa (plural) and -ngwa
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(dual). Since the subject ending corresponding to
the former is attested as -lwe, -lve (VT49:51), -
lwa can surely also appear as *-lva, as in
*omentielva our meeting (attested in the
genitive case: omentielvo of our meeting,
WJ:367). Hence *aldalwa/aldalva our tree (an
our of at least three persons, including the
party addressed), dual *aldangwa our tree = thy
and my tree. An independent word for plural
exclusive "our" appears in VT43:19, 35: menya
(also meny modifying a plural noun). The
corresponding plural inclusive form should
apparently be *venya (pl. *veny) for archaic
*wenya (pl. wenyai > weny). The dual forms
would most likely be *mentya (excl.) and
*ventya (incl.); compare me, we/ve as the
independent pronouns for we (with dual forms
met, wet/*vet and dative forms *ment, *
went/vent, from which the independent
possessive pronouns are apparently derived by
adding the adjectival ending ya). Notice that
in an earlier conceptual phase, the forms in -
mm- were plural (not as later dual) inclusive, and
the forms in -lm- were plural inclusive rather than
exclusive. This is why the word translated of our
meeting appeared as omentielmo in the first
edition of LotR, but was changed to omentielvo
in the Second Edition. Cf. also taremma our
Father as the first word of Tolkiens translation
of the Lords Prayer (VT43:12); this our is
obviously meant to be plural exclusive rather
than dual as it later became (according to
Tolkiens later conventions, our Father would
be *tarelma when a group of three or more
persons addresses a party not included in our,
in this case the Father himself).
OURSELVES (reflexive pronoun) imm
(apparently exclusive "ourselves"), inw
(apparently inclusive "ourselves") -VT47:37
OUT et- (prefix) (forth), OUT OF et (followed
by ablative) -ET, LotR:1003/VT45:13/VT47:35
OUTCAST hecil (gender-spesific forms are
hecilo m. and hecil f.) (one lost or forsaken by
friends, waif, outlaw) -WJ:365
OUTER, OUTERMOST erma -LT1:262
OUTER LANDS Entar, Entarda (Middle-
earth, East, Thither Lands [as seen from
Valinor]), ettel (the word is not capitalized and
seems to be sg) (foreign parts); OUTER OCEAN
Vai (= Ekkaia?) -ET, LT1:271
OUTLAW hecil (gender-spesific forms are
hecilo m. and hecil f.) (one lost or forsaken by
friends, waif, outcast) -WJ:365
OUTSIDE (prepositions:) ara (beside), ava
(beyond), (nouns:) ett, ets; (prefix:) ar- (e.g.
Araman "outside Aman") -AR
2
; AWA, ET,
Silm:428, VT45:13
OVEN urna -LT1:271
OVER or. For "over" in the sense past, see
PAST AND OVER. -UT:305
OVERCAST lra (dark) -LT1:259
OVERSHADOW telta- (canopy, screen) -
TEL
OW! horro, orro (alas! ugh) ("exclamation
of horror, pain, disgust") -VT45:17
OX mundo (Note: a homophone means
"snout, nose, cape". It may or may not obsolete
the form taracu "ox" in LT2.) See also BULL. -
Letters:422, LT2:347/GL:69
OXFORD - LT2 gives Taruktarna (read
*Taruhtarna in LotR-style Quenya), but the word
may not be conceptually valid in LotR-style
Quenya. See OX above. -LT2:347
P
PACE ranga (pl rangar is stated to mean
"full paces"). The ranga was a Nmenrean
linear measure of approximately 38 inches (96.5
cm); see YARD. -UT:285
PAGAN GOD see GOD
PAIN (vb) nwalya- (torment). (Though spelt
this way also in Etym, nwalya- must be from
older *ngwalya, for the stem is GWAL. In
Tengwar spelling, the letter nwalm (< older
ngwalm) should be used to transcribe the initial
nw of nwalya.) PAIN, HURT (vb.) mala-. PAIN
(noun) nwalma, naicel, naic (= sharp pain);
PAINFUL naicela -GWAL, VT46:4, QL:63,
NYAK
PAIR OF FIVES, see GROUP OF TEN
PALATAL SERIES tyelpetma -LotR:1154
PALE marya (fallow, fawn), malwa (fallow),
isca. PALE BLUE helwa -MAD, SMAL, LT1:256,
3EL
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PALLID ninqu (stem *ninqui-) (chill, white)
-WJ:417 cf. NIK-W-
PALM: The word palta is defined as "the flat
of the hand, the hand held upwards or forwards,
flat and tensed (with fingers and thumb closed or
spread)". The related verb palta- is explained to
mean "pass the sensitive palm over a surface:
feel with the hand, stroke etc." -VT47:8-9
PANSY helin, Helinyetill ("Eyes of
heartsease") (violet) -LT1:262
PARCHED fauca (openmouthed, thirsty) -
PHAU
PARCHMENT - in LT2:346, parma "book" is
glossed "parchment", but see BARK.
PARENT #nostar (only pl nostari is
attested); also ontar with gender-specific forms
ontaro (m), ontar or ontari (f) (begetter). The
plural form "ontani" in LR:379 is according to
VT46:7 a misreading for ontaru, evidently a dual
form denoting a natural pair of parents. -
LotR:1017 cf. Letters:308, ONO, VT44:7, VT46:7
PART (noun) #ranta (pl. rantali attested),
asta (division, especially one of other equal
parts; asta is often used = "month" as a division
of the year). FOREIGN PARTS ettel (outer
lands) -PE14:117, ET, VT45:12, VT48:11
PASS auta- (leave, go away); pa.t. oant,
oanti (in the physical sense "went away [to
another place]", vn ("the most frequently used
past [tense]" - less "physical" than oant,
meaning *"disappeared" rather than "passed
away"), also anw (this pa.t. was "only found in
archaic language"), perf. avni (pl. avnier is
attested); perf. vni with no augment may
occur in verse. -WJ:366; for the gloss "pass" see
Silm:229
PASS - mountain pass: falqua (cleft,
ravine); pass between hills: cilya (cleft, gorge)
(so in Etym, but #cirya in the name Calacirya
"Pass of Light" [gen. Calaciryo in Namri] -
though this clashes with cirya "ship". An early
version of Namri actually had Calacilyo not
Calaciryo; see An Introduction to Elvish p. 5) -
LT2:341, KIL
PASSAGE tarna (crossing, #ford) -LT2:347
PAST, PAST AND OVER (adj) vanwa
(departed, lost, vanished, dead, no longer to be
had), PAST (noun = past time) vanwi -WAN,
Nam
PATH ti (course, line, direction, way, road);
#vanda (isolated from Qualvanda "Road of
Death" in LT1:264; cf. vand- "way, path" on the
same page); NARROW PATH axa (ravine);
-TE3/RGEO:67/UT:22 cf. 51, LT1:264, AK
PATRONAGE #ortri (attested with
endings: ortrielyanna, "to thy patronage") -
VT45:7
PAUSE lr (also a Nmenrean linear
measure, nearly one league - see LEAGUE.) -
UT:285
PAVED FLOOR paca (court) -TAL, GL:63
PAY, see REPAY
PEACE sr (repose, rest), rain, sv; AT
PEACE senda (resting) -SED, VT44:35
PEAK aical; MOUNTAIN PEAK aicass,
also #rass or #ras (isolated from
Arfanyarass, Arfanyaras "high white-shining
peak"). -AYAK, WJ:416
PEARL marilla -LT1:265
PEBBLE-BANK sarni (shingle) -UT:463
PEER tihta- (blink) -MC:223
PEN tecil -TEK, PM:318, VT47:8
PENALTY exact or inflict penalty, see
PUNISH
PENGOLODH Quendingoldo, Quengoldo
-PM:401, 404-405, VT48:5
PEOPLE li, noss (kin, house). Originally
nr meant "people", but in later [MET] Quenya
it means primarily "land". SOME PEOPLE queni
-LI, VT39:6, LT1:250/LT2:338, WJ:361 cf. 360
PERCEPTION, KEENNESS OF laic
(acuteness) The conceptual validity of this word
is questionable; see PIERCING. -LAIK
PEREDHIL Pereldar (the Half-Elven) -
Letters:386, cf. LotR:1071
PERFORMATION assa (hole, opening,
mouth) -GAS
PERIOD (endless period) oio -UT:317
PERPETUAL #oien (isolated from
oiencarm "perpetual production" - but it has
also been suggested that this is oi-en-carm
*"ever-re-making", so the word #oien is rather
doubtful) -MR:329
PERSON qun (stem quen-, as in pl.
queni) (one, somebody); PERSON AS A
WHOLE (body + soul) ess (basically meaning
"name"), erd ("singularity". Note: a homophone
means "seed, germ".) -WJ:361 cf. 360, MR:216
PETITION #arcand (isolated from
arcandemmar "our petitions") Another form,
#anarcand, was apparently abandoned by
Tolkien. -VT44:8
PETTY #pitya (isolated from Pitya-naucor
"petty-dwarves", see below).
PETTY-DWARVES Attalyar (lit. "Bipeds"),
Picinaucor, Pitya-naucor (lit. *"small dwarves")
-WJ:388, 389
PHANTOM fair ("phantom, disembodied
spirit, when seen as a pale shape" - pl. fairi is
attested. Note: fair has other shades of
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meaning as well as wholly different meanings -
see SPIRIT, DEATH, RADIANCE, FREEDOM) -
MC:223, 221
PHARAZN Calion (see AR-PHARAZN) -
UT:224, Silm:324
PHONETIC hlonit, also #hlont (the latter
only attested in the pl. in hlonti tengwi
"phonetic signs", changed by Tolkien from
hlonaiti tengwi) -VT48:29, WJ:395, VT39:4
PHONOLOGY - lambel is said to mean
"Language (especially with reference to
phonology)" (VT39:15)
PHYSICAL MATTER orma, hroa (also used
= "body"); PHYSICAL STRENGTH tuo -MR:218,
216, TUG
PICK (UP, OUT) WITH THE FINGERS
lepta- (also "[to] finger, feel with fingertips") -
VT44:16, VT47:10, 25
PIECE mitta (Note: mitta- is also a verb
"insert"). -PE14:81
PIERCING maica (sharp), terev (fine,
acute), laica (keen, sharp, acute). (The printed
Etymologies has a final -e instead of -a, but
according to VT45:25 this is a misreading. A
word laike = laic does appear in the source,
but this is the noun corresponding to laica:
"acuteness, keenness of perception". The
conceptual validity of both laica and laic with
these meanings may however be questioned,
since laica is the adjective "green" in later
sources: laic would then be expected to mean
*"greenness".) FINE PIERCED HOLE terra -
Silm:434, LT1:255, LT2:337, LAIK, VT46:18
PIG polca; [?PIG-]FAT (the first part of the
gloss is not certainly legible) larma (flesh) -
QL:75, VT45:26
PILE (noun) hahta (mound) -KHAG
PILLAR tarma, tulw (standard, pole) -
Silm:438, LT1:270
PILLOW quesset (probably with stem
*quessec- since the "Noldorin"/Sindarin cognate
is given as pesseg, pointing to older *kwessek-).
-KWES
PIN tancil (brooch) -TAK
PINETREE - GL:17 has aicass, but in
Etym this word is said to mean "mountain-peak".
PINNACLE (topmost) see FINISH.
PIPE simpa, simpina (flute), rots. PIPER
simpetar, PIPING simpis -LT1:266, LT2:347
PIT latta (hole - Note: a homophone means
"strap") -DAT
PIVOT peltas (pl peltaxi) -PEL
PLACE #nm (isolated from nmesseron,
compound "of place-names", VT42:17). In Etym
the word for "place" is men, though this word
would clash with the dative pronoun *men "to/for
us"; #nm may be preferred not only for clarity
but also because it is apparently present in the
LotR itself in the word sinom "in this place"
(Elendil's Oath); -nom would be the compound
form of nm. STONY PLACE sarn (gloss
misread as "strong place" in the Etymologies as
printed in LR, see VT46:12). AT BACK OF
PLACE, see BEHIND. Verb WISH TO GO TO A
PLACE mna- (desire to go in some direction,
make for it, have some end in view) -VT42:17,
MEN, LotR:1003, SD:56, SAR, VT39:11
*PLANT #olva (only pl olvar is attested,
never actually translated "plants" but defined as
"growing things with roots in the earth"); LONG
TRAILING PLANT uil ("especially sea-weed",
which is explicitly aruil) -Silm:415, UY
PLAY (vb) tyalin ("I play", 1st pers. aorist),
PLAY (noun) tyali (game, sport) -
TYAL/LT1:260
PLEDGE vanda (oath, solemn promise) -
UT:317
PLENITUDE fr, farm (all that is wanted,
sufficiency) -PHAR/VT46:9
PLIANT maxa (soft) -MASAG
PLOUGH hyar; THE PLOUGH
(constellation) see SICKLE OF THE VALAR. -
LT2:342
PLUM pio (also used for "cherry") -LT2:347
POEM lair (Note: a homophone means
"summer"), lirit -GLIR, LT1:258
POINT ment (end), tix (dot, tiny mark),
tild (horn), variant till (tip) (also used of
fingers and toes, VT47:10, 26; see UP-POINT,
UNDER-POINT), amatix (point/dot over the line
of writing, variant amatex in VT46:20), unutix
(point/dot under the line of writing; the initial
element unu- was misread as "nun-" in the
Etymologies as printed in LR, see VT46:19).
SPEAR-POINT nasta (spear-head, gore,
triangle). -MET, TIK/VT46:19, TIL/VT47:10, 26,
SNAS/VT46:14
POISON (noun) sangwa -SAG
POLE tulw (standard) -LT1:270
POLISHED COPPER calarus (calarust-) -
VT41:10
POLLEN malo (stem *malu-) (yellow
powder) -SMAL
POOL nend, linya, ailin (lake), ringw
(cold lake). In the Etymologies as printed in LR,
the last word is cited as "ringe", but according to
VT46:11, ringw is the proper reading. DEEP
POOL ln, ln (pl. lni given) (river-[?feeding]
well), POOL OF LILIES nnuvar -NEN, LIN, AY,
RINGI, VT48:28, LT1:248
POPLAR-TREE tyuluss; HAVING MANY
POPLARS lintyulussa -TYUL, LIN
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POPPY fmella (pl. fumellar [read
*fmellar?] is attested), fmellot (prob.
fmellt-; cf. lt "flower") -LT1:252
PORTION, cf. DISTRIBUTE IN EVEN
PORTIONS
POSSESS harya-; POSSESSING arwa (+
genitive) (in control of) (Note: harya- is not used
of one's offspring. In MR:228, Tolkien notes that
"no Elf would speak of possessing children; he
would say: 'three children have been added unto
me', or 'are with me', or 'are in my house'.") -3AR
POST (wooden post) samna () (Distinct
from #samna "diphthong" in Tengwar spelling,
as the latter is spelt with initial silm, not sl.) -
STAB
POTTER cemnaro, centano -KEM, TAN
POUR ulya- (intransitive pa. t. ull,
transitive ulyan; plural subjunctive ullier
"should pour" is attested. These forms may
obsolete ulu- and ulto- "pour" [transitive and
intransitive] in LT1:270); POURING la
(flooding, flowing) -ULU, SD:310
POUT penga- (VT39:11)
POWDER (yellow powder) malo (stem
*malu-) (pollen) -SMAL
POWER: For "power" as an abstract, the
word tr "mastery, strength, might" may be
used. The word Valar is sometimes translated
"the Powers" (and the sg. vala is defined as
"angelic power" in LotR Appendix E), but this
word obviously has a specialized meaning: the
"gods" of Tolkien's legendarium.
PRAISE (vb) laita- (bless) (Imperative a
laita and fut #laituva are attested, the latter with
pronominal endings: laituvalmet, "we shall
praise them") PRAISE (noun) #laital (isolated
from Erulaital "Praise of Eru") -LotR:989 cf
Letters:308, UT:436
PRAY #hyam- (attested in the form hyam,
evidently incorporating the ending - of the aorist
stem), arca- (the latter perhaps primarily in the
sense "to petition", cf. the noun arcand
"petition"). -VT43:32, 33 (VT44:8, 18)
PRAYER #cyerm (isolated from
Erucyerm ["k"], "prayer to Eru". A verbal stem
#cyer- "pray" can also be isolated, though it may
be better to use attested verbs like #hyam- or
arca-.) -UT:436
PRECIOUS THING mr (jewel, treasure,
shining jewel) -MIR
PRECIPICE (seaward) ollo (cliff) (The
alternative form old may be archaic Quenya.) -
LT1:252
PREPARE manwa- -QL:59
PRESS sanga (crowd, throng) -
STAG/Silm:438
PRESSURE (to do something against one's
will or conscience) sahti () (force) -VT43:22
PRETTY netya (dainty). (Note: netya- is
also a verb "trim, adorn".) -VT47:33
PREVENT FROM COMING TO
COMPLETION nuhta- (stunt, stop short, not
allow to continue) -WJ:413
PRICK erca-, nasta- (sting); PRICKLE,
SPINE erca -ERK, NAS
?PRIMARY (Tolkien's handwriting was
illegible) *yessa (emended from the actual
reading essea - see BEGINNING) -ESE
PRINCE cundu, haryon (heir);
PRINCESS aranel -KUND/VT45:24, 3AR,
UT:434
PRINCIPAL (prob. adj not noun) hra (chief)
-KHER
PRIVACY aquapahti (literally *"fully-
closedness", used of a mind that closes itself
against telepathic communication) -VT39:23
PROCEED (in any direction) lelya- (pa.t.
lend) (go, travel) -WJ:363
PRODUCTION carm (glossed "art" in
UT:396, but cf. Oiencarm Eruo "the One's
perpetual production". Carm is also translated
"making".) -MR:329
PROFOUND tumna (low-lying, low, deep,
dark or hidden) -LT1:271 cf. TUB
PROJECTIONS (seaward projections), see
CAPE (OF LAND)
PROLONG taita- -TAY
PROMINENT minda (conspicuous), minya
(eminent; basically ordinal "1st") -MINI, VT42:24,
25
PROMISE (noun) (solemn promise:) vanda
(oath, pledge) -UT:317
PROMONTORY (narrow) neht (gore,
wedge, spear-head. Note: a homophone means
"honeycomb".) THE ENDS OF
PROMONTORIES, see CAPE (OF LAND). -
UT:282
PROP tulco (stem *tulcu-, pl. *tulqui)
(support) -TULUK
PROPER vanima (fair, beautiful, right) -
LT1:272
PROSPEROUS alya (rich, abundant,
blessed); PROSPERITY aut (wealth, also adj:
rich) -GALA, LT2:336
PROTECT varya-; PROTECTED varna
(safe, secure) -BAR
PROTUBERANCE CONTRIVED TO
SERVE A PURPOSE tolma (knob, short
rounded handle etc.) -VT47:28
PROVERBIAL DICTUM ("a saying, a current
or proverbial dictum") eques (pl. equessi)
(dictum, quotation, saying) -WJ:392
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PROW OF A SHIP lango (broad sword) -
LAG
P-SERIES parmatma (labials) -LotR:1154
PUFF hwesta-; PUFF OF AIR hwesta
(breath, breeze), PUFF OF BREATH foa
(breath) -SWES, VT47:35, 36
PULL saca- () (draw). Since saca- may
also mean "look for", for clarity it may be better
to use #tuc- "draw", q.v. -VT43:23
PUNISH paimeta- (= exact or inflict a
penalty; punish), pa.t. perhaps *paimetn;
PUNISHMENT paim -QL:72
PURE poica -POY
PURSUE roita-, also saca- (search, look
for), p.a.t sc -ROY
1
, QL:81
PUT ASIDE hehta- (pa.t. hehtan is given
but seems perfectly regular) (leave out, exclude,
abandon, forsake); PUT A STOP TO pusta-
(stop, cease) -WJ:365, PUS
PUT FORTH LEAVES OR FLOWERS
*lohta- (emended from the actual reading lokta
because Tolkien later decided that kt became ht
in Quenya) (sprout) -LT:258
PUT TO SHAME naitya- (abuse) -QL:65
PUT TO THE TEST tyasta-, pa.t. tyasant -
QL:49
PUTRID saura () (foul, evil-smelling); in
compounds #sauri-, see FOUL. -THUS
Q
QUANTITY (great) v (abundance) -UB
QUARREL (vb) costa- -KOT
QUEEN tri (gen. trio and dative trin are
also attested, the latter in the Elaine inscription).
Vocative tarinya *"my Queen", UT:179. LT1:260
gives turinqui "queen", while LT1:273 gives
vardi, but these are hardly valid words in LotR-
style Quenya. QUEEN OF STARS (Varda's title)
Elentri (so in LotR and Silm; Etym has also
Tinwetri, Tinwetar, Tinwerontar); QUEEN OF
THE EARTH Kementri (a title of Yavanna) -
T/LT1:264/Nam/RGEO:67, Silm:55/437/30
QUICK STROKE rinc (stem rinci-)
(flourish) -RIK
QUIET (noun) quild (rest, hush) -GL:23
QUIVER vainol -LT1:271
QUOTATION eques (pl. equessi) (dictum,
proverbial dictum, saying) -WJ:392
R
RACE nr (land, country, dwelling-place,
nation, native land, family) -N
RADAGAST Aiwendil ("Lover of Birds", his
original Valinorean name, not an actual
translation of "Radagast", which is either
Adnaic for "Tender of Beasts" or a Mannish
name of uncertain meaning) -UT:393/417, cf.
390, 401
RADIANCE alcar, alcar (brilliance,
splendour), incal (compare Ancal or "Radiant
One" as a name of the Sun, LR:392 s.v. KAL,
though it is not clear whether or not Tolkien
abandoned this word), fair (Note: the word
fair has several other meanings - see DEATH,
FREEDOM, PHANTOM), nalta (glittering
reflection [from jewels, glass, polished metals, or
water] - alata in Silm:433 is the Telerin form, and
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alta in VT42:32 would seem to be a variant. In
PM:347, nalta is spelt with initial , that is, ng.
Initial ng had become n in Third Age Quenya,
and we follow the system of LotR and transcribe
it accordingly. But if this word is written in
Tengwar, the initial n should be transcribed with
the letter noldo, not nmen.) RADIANT
alcarinqua (glorious) -AKLA-R, VT45:36, PHAY,
PM:347, WJ:369 (where alkar is translated
"splendour")
RAGE aha -LotR:1157
RAIN mist (fine rain), ross (fine rain,
dew, spray), ucco; RAINBOW helyanw (lit.
"sky-bridge"), Ilweran, Ilweranta. (LT2 has
iluquinga "sky-bow", but this was obsoleted
together with ilu "sky"; see SKY.) -MIZD, ROS
cf. Letters:282, GL:74, 3EL, LT1:256, LT2:348
RAISE orta- (lift up, rise) (pa.t. ortan is
attested; orta- probably obsoletes orto- in
LT1:256), in early "Qenya" also amu- -ORO,
Nam, RGEO:67, LT2:335
RAPE (vb) mapta- (pa.t. mapant) (ravish);
noun RAPE maptal (ravishment, seizure). -
PE13:163
RAPID larca, alarca -LAK
RAT nyarro ("nyano" in LR:379 must be a
misreading of Tolkien's manuscript; the primitive
form is given as nyadr, which could not possibly
become "nyano" in Quenya). -NYAD, VT46:7
RAVINE axa (narrow path), yw (cleft,
gulf/gully), falqua (cleft, mountain pass) -AK,
YAG/VT46:22, LT2:341
RAVISH mapta- (pa.t. mapant) (rape);
noun RAVISHMENT maptal (rape, seizure). -
PE13:163
RAY OF LIGHT alca; RAY OF THE SUN
firin (the latter may not be a valid word in LotR-
style Quenya; it would clash with the verb "I
fade" or "I die"). -AKLA-R, LT2:341
"RAYMENT, VEILS" fana (pl fanar is
attested. This word was used of the visible
bodies in which the Valar presented themselves
to incarnates.) -RGEO:74
RE- (prefix) en- (as in entuless "return"
and envinyatar "renewer", q.v. Also used on
verbs: #enquat- "refill" [only fut. enquantuva is
attested, see REFILL]. Before the consonants l,
m, r, s, the prefix en- would be assimilated to
*el-, *em-, *er-, and *es-, respectively. Very early
[The Lost Tales] "Qenya" has an- instead of en-
[see LT1:184].)
REACH (intr.) *rahta- (strech out)
(Emended from the actual reading rakta; Tolkien
later decided that kt became ht in Quenya) -
LT1:335
READY (adj.) manwa (for "to ready" as a
noun, cf. the verb manwa- "to prepare") -QL:59
REAL anwa (actual, true) -ANA
2
REALM arda (region). This word means
"any more or less bounded or defined place, a
region" (WJ:402) or "a particular land or region"
(WJ:413). Arda (with a capital A) was "the name
given to our world or earth...within the immensity
of E". -3AR, Letters:283
REAR (noun) tell, (body-part:) pont
(ponti-) (back) -TELES, QL:75
REASON, see CAUSE
RECALL (i.e. remember) #enyal- (inf. or
gerund enyali) -UT:302, 317
RECKON not-; *RECKONING #onti
(isolated from Ynonti *"reckoning of years"),
*RECKONER Ontimo (the untranslated title of
one Quennar, an expert of chronology) -NOT,
MR:48-51
RECEIVE tuvu- (same as in utvienyes "I
have found it"? See FIND) -GL:71
RED carn (stem carni-), aira ("ruddy,
copper-coloured"), *narwa ("fiery red", cited in
the archaic form narw in the source. Cf. nr
"flame"), nasar (adopted from Valarin; used in
Vanyarin Quenya only); RED [HEAT?] (Tolkien's
handwriting was illegible) yulm (Note: a
homophone means "drinking, carousal".) RED
FLAME rnya, WITH ADORNMENT OF RED
JEWELS carnimri (a pl form? Sg
*carnimra? Letters:224 has carne- instead of
carni-.) -KARN/Silm:429, GAY, NAR, WJ:399,
YUL, Silm:437, LotR:505 cf. Letters:224
REDEEMER #runando (isolated from
Mardorunando, "Redeemer of the World") -
VT45:17
REED lisc (sedge) -LT2:335 (GL:34 also
gives feng-, but some ending would be required)
REEK usqu -USUK
REFILL #enquat- (only fut. enquantuva is
attested, but cf. quat- "fill" in WJ:392). In another
source the future tense appears as enquatuva. -
Nam, VT21:6, 10; VT48:11
REFLECTION (glittering) nalta (radiance -
alata in Silm:433 is the Telerin form. In PM:347,
nalta is spelt with initial , that is, ng. Initial ng
had become n in Third Age Quenya, and I follow
the system of LotR and transcribe it accordingly.
But if this word is written in Tengwar, the initial n
should be transcribed with the letter noldo, not
nmen.) -PM:347
REFRESH ceuta- (renew) -VT48:7
REFUSE vquet- (forbid, say no) (1st pers.
sg aorist and past vquetin, vquenten are
given) avaquet- (forbid) (pa.t. is no doubt
*avaquent; cf. quet- under SAY), ava- (say
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no). (Pa.t. avan is given; this verb was "little
used in ordinary language".) -WJ:370, KWET
REGARDS - see AS REGARDS
REGION mna, arda (realm), harda -MEN,
LotR:1157, VT45:12
REGULAR sanya () (law-abiding, normal)
(variant vorosanya with a prefixed element
meaning "ever"). -STAN, VT46:16
RECEIVE #cam- (attested in the pa.t.
#camn with pronominal affixes: camnelyes,
"you received it") -VT47:21
RELATE #nyar- (cited as nyarin, 1st pers.
aorist) (tell); NOT TO BE TOLD OR RELATED
avanyrima -NAR
2
, WJ:370
RELEASE lerya- (set free, let go), fainu-,
apsen- (remit, forgive; see FORGIVE).
RELEASED lehta (free); RELEASED ELEMENT
(a term for "vowel") #lehta tengw (only pl.
lehta tengwi is attested; we would rather expect
*leht tengwi). -VT41:5, 6, LT2:250, VT43:18,
20, VT39:17
REMAIN lemya- (to tarry). Possibly this verb
should have the past tense *lemn rather than
?lemyan, since intransitive verbs in -ya may
seem to surrender this suffix in the past tense.
REMAINS erin (evidently a verb; the ending -n
for 3rd person rather than 1st person would not
be valid in later Quenya. A verbal stem #er-
"remain" may perhaps be isolated, but the
source is very early and writers should rather
use lemya-.) -VT45:26, LT1:269
REMEMBER, see RECALL
REMIT apsen- (release, forgive; see
FORGIVE). -VT43:18, 20
REMOTE haira (far), eccaira, avahaira,
vahya or avahya -KHAYA, VT45:21
REND narca- (in the Etymologies as
published in LR, "narka" in Tolkien's manuscript
was misread as "narki"; see VT45:37),
RENDING naraca (harsh, violent) (possibly "of
sounds", but Tolkien's extra comment is partially
illegible) -NRAK, VT45:37
RENEW ceuta- (refresh), #envinyata-
(heal) (isolated from Envinyatar, see below.
Past participle Envinyanta is attested, though it
is translated "healed" rather than *"renewed".)
RENEWED ceura (so in VT48:8; the form ceur
on the previous page looks dubious, except as
the plural form of this adj.). *RENEWAL ceul
(the likeliest meaning of this unglossed form),
RENEWER Envinyatar -MR:405, VT48:7, 8,
LotR:897
REPAY paitya- (requite) -QL:72
REPEAT tatya- (double); REPEATED
vrima (changed from vorima) (continual),
vra (enduring, continuous) -TATA, BOR,
VT45:7
REPETITION - continuous repetition:
vorongandel ("vorogandele" in the published
Etymologies is a misreading; see VT45:7)
(harping on one tune) -LIN
1
REPOSE Est (the name of a Vali;
because of this name, est fell out of use as a
general word for "repose"). According to
VT46:12, Tolkien also considered erd as a
word for "repose", but he marked it with an X,
possibly indicating that he considered
abandoning this word because it clashed with
erd "seed, germ". Because of its uncertain
status, writers should probably avoid erd
"repose". -WJ:403, 404
REQUITE paitya- (repay) -QL:72
RESONANCE OF THE VOCAL CHORDS
ma (voice) -VT39:16
RESONANT (of strings) tunga (taut, tight) -
TUG
REST serin ("I rest", 1st pers. aorist); REST
(noun) sr (repose, peace), quild (quiet,
hush); Est (the name of a Vali; because of this
name, est fell out of use as a general word for
"rest") (repose); TAKE A REST hauta-;
RESTING senda (at peace) -SED,
EZD/WJ:404, GL:23, KHAW
RESTRAIN avalerya- (bind, make fast,
deprive of liberty) -VT41:5, 6
RETURN (vb) pel- (revolve, go round),
RETURN (noun) entuless -PEL, UT:171, 434
REVEAL apanta- (pa.t. apantan, apant)
(display); REVEALING (noun) panti (opening,
unfolding) -QL:34, 72
REVERED: The element #ar- in
Arfanyarass (a name of Taniquetil) is said to
mean "high (i.e., noble, revered)" -WJ:416
REVERSED nuquerna -LotR:1157
REVOLVE pel- (return, go round) -PEL
RICH alya (prosperous, abundant, blessed),
lra (also = fat, and probably the best word for
"rich" in the strictly material sense), aut (also as
noun: prosperity, wealth), herenya (wealthy,
fortunate, blessed). RICHES lar (fat) -
GALA/VT42:32, VT45:26, LT2:335, KHER,
VT45:26
RIDER roquen (horseman, knight) -WJ:372,
UT:282
RIGHT tra (straight), vanima (fair, proper,
beautiful). RIGHT (direction) forya (dexter), fort
(stem *forti-) (Note: the latter word also means
"northern"); RIGHTHANDED formait (stem
*formaiti-) (dexterous), RIGHT HAND forma -
TE3, LT1:272, PHOR/VT46:10, VT47:6
RIME ringw (frost) -LT1:255
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RING #corma (isolated from
cormacolindor "Ring-bearers"). The title "Lord
of the Rings" Tolkien translated as Heru i
Million, with #milli as the word for "rings"
(singular *mill or less likely *mil with stem
*mill-). The word *risil (quoted in archaic form
rithil) appears in Rithil-Anamo or "Ring of
Doom", the place where judgement was passed
in Valinor; this would therefore be a "ring" on the
ground. RING-DAY Cormar (Yavanni 30th, a
festival in honour of Frodo Baggins; this was his
birthday). RING-WRAITHS lairi (Nazgl) (pl; sg
#lair? Note that lairi is not a literal
translation of "ring-wraiths"; the prefix - may
mean "un-" with evil connotation; the rest of the
word is obscure. Lair "summer" or "poem" can
hardly have anything to do with #lairi. The
syllable l- may also have something to do with
the Black Speech word gl, wraith, or else the
meaning may be "unliving (= undead) ones", with
the root LAY that is normally associated with
greenness but also with life: *-lai-ri "un-live-ly
ones") -LotR:989 cf. Letters:308, LotR.1146,
WJ:401, Silm:362, 417
RINGING SOUND lma (echo - so in Etym,
but see SOUND) -LAM
RISE orta- (pa.t. ortan is attested; orta-
obsoletes oro- in LT1:256) (lift up, raise);
RISING (noun) r (Note: a homophone means
"heart, inner mind"; but cf. MIGHTY-RISING);
SUNRISE anarr (LT1:264 has oront,
oronto, but these words may not be valid in
LotR-style Quenya). -ORO, LT1:256,
Nam/RGEO:67
RIVER sr (stream), also #sirya (attested
in dual form siryat). (LT1:248/262 also gives
nen, while LT1:260 gives celusindi; LT1:265
gives sindi; these may not be valid words in
LotR-style Quenya.) The word hlna (marked by
a query by Tolkien) was to designate "a river,
especially given to those at all seasons full of
water from mountains". Regarding the
conceptual validity of the word nuin, -duin
(cognate of Sindarin duin as in Anduin), see
nuin in the Quenya-English wordlist. RIVER-
[?FEEDING] WELL (Tolkien's gloss is not
certainly legible) ln, ln (pl. lni given) (deep
pool). RIVULET siril; MOUTH OF RIVER etsir -
SIR, VT47:11, VT48:27, 28, 30-31, ET
ROAD ta (straight line) (note: not to be
confused with the verb ta- "indicate"), ROAD IN
SEA lond (entrance to harbour, translated
"haven" in Alqualond Haven of the Swans,
UT:417; the additional gloss "fairway" turned up
in VT45:28), ti (path, course, direction, way),
#vanda (isolated form Qualvanda "Road of
Death" in LT1:264; cf. vand- "way, path" on the
same page) -TE, LOD/VT45:28,
TE3/RGEO:67, LT1:264
ROARING (adj.) rva; ROARING NOISE
rv -MC:223 cf. 215
ROBBER pilu (thief) -QL:73
ROBBERY pilw (theft) -QL:73
ROBE vaima -LT1:271
ROCKHEWN HALL hrta (dwelling
underground, artificial cave) -PM:365
ROLL UP tolu- -QL.94
ROOF (vb) tpa-; ROOF (noun) tpa;
HAVING A ROOF telda; "DOWN-ROOF" (cover)
untpa- -TOP, LT2:348, RGEO:67/Nam
ROOM samb () (chamber) -STAB
ROOT, ROOTWORD sundo () (pl
#sundar in Tarmasundar "Roots of the Pillar" in
UT:166, but this may be a different word) (base),
talma (foundation), sulca (esp. edible root) -
SUD (but VT46:16 indicates that Tolkien
changed the root to STUD, also implying that
sundo was originally undo), TAL, SLUK
ROUND corna (globed), corima;
ISOLATED ROUND HILL tolmen (boss of
shield), GO ROUND pel- (return, revolve)
ROUNDED HANDLE, see HANDLE. -KOR,
LT1:257, 269, PEL
ROW tma (series, line) (pl tmar is
attested) -TE, LotR:1153
ROYAL #arna (isolated from Arnanor,
Arnanr, "royal land", Arnor); ROYALIST
arandil (king's friend) -Letters:428, 386
RUDDY aira (red, copper-coloured), roina -
GAY, ROY
RUINOUS atalanta (pl. atalanti is
attested) -MC:222, 223
RULE (vb) heru- (Note: heru is also the
noun "lord"). LT1:273 has vard- "rule, govern",
but this is hardly a valid word in LotR-style
Quenya. RULE (noun) sany () (law), axan
(commandment, law, as proceeding primarily
from Eru; pl. axani is attested.) -LT1:272, STAN,
WJ:399/VT39:30
RULER cno, cnu (see COMMANDER)
(governor, chieftain, commander), #tur (as in
Minyatur, "first Ruler") (lord) -UT:400, 466
RUN yur- (quoted in form yurin, translated
"runs", but within Tolkien's later framework it
looks like a 1st person aorist "I run"), RUN ON,
RUN SMOOTHLY nornoro- -QL:106 (cf. entry
YUR in Etym), LT1:263
RUNE certa (pl certar is attested. This word
only occurred in Exilic Quenya, adopted and
adapted from Sindarin certh. Tolkien notes that if
inherited, the form would have had the form
*cirt.) -WJ:396, LotR:1151
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RUSHING (adjectival) rimpa (flying),
arauca (swift); RUSHING (noun) orm (wrath,
violence, haste) -KHOR, LT2:347, GOR
RUSTLE esc (noise of leaves) -EZGE
S
SAFE varna (protected, secure). (GL:58 has
moina "safe, secure", but in Tolkien's later
Quenya moina means "dear, familiar", and the
former moina now appears as muina "hidden,
secret".) SAFE KEEPING mando (custody) -
BAR, MR:350
SAGA nyr, nyarna (tale, history) -NAR
2
SAGACIOUS finwa -LT1:253
SAIL #cir- (only attested as a continuative
stem: cra). LT1:273 has wili- "sail, float, fly", but
see FLY. -MC:221
SAILOR ciryaquen (shipman) -WJ:372
SAKALTHR Falassion -UT:223
SALT (noun:) sing, (adj., "salty"): singwa -
QL:83
SALVE lipsa -LIB
2
SAME imya (same, identical, selfsame);
SAME THING imma (this is also the reflexive
pronoun "itself") SAME ONE, SELF immo (a
general sg. reflexive pronoun, covering English
"myself, him/herself, yourself", but not "itself"
which is imma) -VT47:37
SANCTUARY yna (holy place) -YAN
SAND lits -LIT
SARUMAN Curumo (= Sindarin Curunr) -
UT:393, 401, 427
SATURN Lumbar -WJ:xi/Basic Quenya:24,
cf. Silm:55
SAURON (The Abhorred) Sauron (), other
names Sro, Sauro (all ) -THUS
SAVE, see DELIVER
SAY quet- (pa.t. quent) (speak, talk),
equ (the latter word "has no tense forms...being
mostly used only before either a proper
name...or a full independent pronoun, in the
senses say / says or said. A quotation then
follows, either direct, or less usually indirect after
a 'that'-construction (...) Affixes appear in equen
'said I', eques 'said he / she' ." (WJ:392, 415) Cf.
also SAY NO vquet- (forbid, refuse) (1st pers.
sg aorist and past vquetin, vquenten are
given), ava- (refuse) (pa.t. avan is given; this
verb was "little used in ordinary language"). NOT
TO BE SAID, THAT MUST NOT BE SAID
avaqutima. SAYING eques (pl. equessi)
(dictum, proverbial dictum, quotation) -Silm:436,
WJ:370, LT2:348, WJ:392
SCARLET: the word culda flame-coloured,
golden-red is the cognate of Noldorin/Sindarin
coll , which form was glossed scarlet, though
this was deleted (KUL, VT45:24)
SCHOLAR istyar (learned man) -IS
SCOOP OUT calpa- (draw out, bale out) -
KALPA
SCORN yaiw (mocking) -YAY
SCREEN (vb) telta- (canopy, overshadow),
SCREEN FROM LIGHT halya- (veil, conceal) -
SKAL, TEL
SEA ar, air (in Etym said to apply to
"inner seas of Middle-earth", but Tolkien later
used these words of the ocean). LT2:347 also
gives Rsa "the Sea". SEA-DWELLING Embar
(name of a ship), SEA-SPIRIT falmar/falmarin
(pl. falmarindi) (nymph), SEA-ELF Teler
(Telelli, Telelli "Teler-folk", adj Telerin
"Telerian"), SEAWEED aruil (also simply uil,
see PLANT), CHILD OF THE SEA oar
(merchild), SEAWARD PRECIPICE ollo (cliff).
(The alternative form old may be archaic
Quenya.) -AYAR/Letters:386/RGEO:73, UT:430,
LT2:347, TELES, LT1:263, LT1:252
SEARCH saca (pa.t. sc) (pursue, look
for) -QL:81
SECOND (2nd) atta, in older (MET)
Quenya tatya (cf. Tatyar, "the Second Ones",
the Second Clan of the Elves), neuna; THE
SECOND Atani (sg Atan - an Elvish name of
Men, later only used of Men of the Three Houses
of the Edain.) -WJ:420, VT42:25, NDEW,
WJ:403
SECRET (adj) muina (hidden), nulla,
nulda, lomba; SECRET (noun) fl (secrecy);
SECRECY muil, fl (secret), SECRETIVE
flima -MUY, DUL, LT1:255, LT2:340
SECURE varna (protected, safe),
SECURITY varnass. (GL:58 gives moina
"safe, secure", but in Tolkien's later Quenya
moina means "dear, familiar", and the former
moina seems to have been altered to muina
"hidden, secret".) -BAR
SEDGE lisc (reed) -LT2:335
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SEE cen- (behold) (future tense cenuva
and imperative cena are attested), vla- (the
latter maybe primarily "see" = "meet"). Also see
LOOK AT. Interjections: SEE! ela (lo! look!)
(directing sight to an actually visible object) NOW
SEE! y (lo!) Note: a homophone means "what
is more". -MC:222, VT47:31, Arct, WJ:362 cf.
360, VT47:31
SEED erd (germ. Note: a homophone
means "person".) -ERD
SEIZE mapa- (grasp) This word was struck
out in one of Tolkien's earlier word-lists, but in
Etym it was restored. In early material we have
map- "seize, take" with pa.t. namp. -MAP,
LT2:339, QL:59
SEIZURE maptal (rape, ravishment). -
PE13:163
SELF immo (a general sg. reflexive
pronoun, covering English "myself, him/herself,
yourself", but not "itself" which is imma) -
VT47:37
SELF-NAME #cilmess (only pl. cilmessi
is attested, said to mean more literally "names of
personal choice": #cilm "choice" + essi
"names". PM:339 explains that "some among the
exiles gave themselves names, as disguises or
in reference to their own deeds and personal
history: such names were called kilmessi 'self-
names'.")
SELFSAME imya (same, identical) -
VT47:37
SEMI-VOWEL - the term #muss tengw
"soft element" (only attested in the pl.: muss
tengwi) covers vowels, semi-vowels (y, w) and
continuants (l, r, m, n). -VT39:17
SEND menta- (cause to go [in a desired
direction]), also #lelta- (attested in the pa.t. with
pronominal endings: leltanelyes, "you sent
him"); SENDING (noun) menta (message);
THOUGHT-SENDING sanwe-menta (mental
message) -VT41:5, VT47:21
SEND FLYING horta- (speed, urge) -KHOR
SEND FOR tulta- (fetch, summon) -TUL
SENTENCE quentel -LT2:348
SEPTEMBER Yavanni -
LotR:1144/1146/Silm:439
SERIES tma (pl. tmar is attested) (row,
line) -TE, LotR:1153
SERPENT lc (snake, dragon; "so do the
Eldar name the worms of Melko[r]", LT2:85). The
word foalc is said to be a "name of a serpent
that guarded a treasure". The word is not
capitalized, so this "name" must be a common
noun and not a proper name. -LOK, LT2:340
SERVANT nro (in the Etymologies as
published in LR, the gloss is misread as
"sunset"; see VT45:38), also -(n)dur (final
element in compounds, e.g. arandur "king's
servant, minister, steward". When the first part of
the compound ends in l, n, or r, the n of -ndur is
left out). -ND, Letters:386
SET panya- (fix), SET (of Sun or Moon)
nta- (sink, stoop), SET FREE lerya- (release,
let go), SET UP tulca- (fix, establish. Note: there
is a homophone meaning "firm, steadfast,
strong, immoveable".) SET ASIDE #sat-
(appropriate to a special purpose or owner). The
verb #sat- is cited in the form "sati-", evidently
including the connecting vowel of the aorist, as in
*satin "I set aside". SET VIGOROUSLY OUT TO
DO horya- (be compelled to do, have an
impulse) -PAN, ND, VT41:5, 6; LT1:270 cf.
TULUK, VT42:20, VT45:22
SETTLED - be settled: mar- (abide, be
fixed) SETTLED CHARACTER indm ("also
used of the 'will' of Eru [God]"). -UT:317,
VT43:16
SEVEN otso; SEVENTH otsa. Fraction
ONE SEVENTH otosta, osta, otsat -OT,
VT42:25, VT48:6, 11
SEVENTEEN otoqu -VT48:21
SEX, see COITUS
SEXUAL DESIRE is the apparent meaning
of yr, a word that is not really glossed, but
derived from the root YER "feel sexual desire"
(VT46:23). The word hroafelm, "body-impulse"
(VT41:19 cf. 13) is also said to cover sexual
desire (but likewise physical fear, hunger, or
thirst).
SHADE lo (= shadow cast by an object),
laim, lmin (shadow); SHADES OF NIGHT
lm (Night, night-time, dusk, gloom, twilight),
SHADY halda (veiled, hidden, shadowed), laira
-DAY, LT1:255, DO3
SHADOW lo ( =shadow cast by an object)
(shade), also laim (shadow "cast by an object
or form", VT45:8), lmin (shade), lumbul
(=[heavy] shadow), fuin, huin (= deep
shadow) (gloom, darkness according to
VT41:8, fuin is actually a Telerin form, the
proper Quenya form being huin), ungo (=dark
shadow) (cloud), mordo (obscurity, stain, smear,
dimness), lumb (gloom). "The Shadow"
meaning Sauron should probably be Huin, as
this word is associated with his coming to
Nmenor in LR:47 and SD:246/310.
SHADOWED halda (veiled, hidden, shady). -
DAY/VT45:8, LT1:255, Nam/RGEO:67, PHUY,
UG, MOR/VT45:35, LUM, SKAL
SHAGGY aul (May have been obsoleted
by the later [TLT] word aul "invention".) -
LT1:249
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SHAKE (vb.) pal-; pa.t. pall given -
PE16:143
SHAKE (noun): In the Etymologies as
printed in LR, rinc was glossed "quick shake",
but according to VT46:11 the proper reading of
Tolkien's manuscript is "quick stroke". -RIK,
VT46:11
SHAME (vb, "put to shame") naitya-
(abuse). An abstract formation based on this
verb, e.g. *naityal, could serve as the noun
shame. -QL:65
SHAPE (vb) canta-, veni (gerund? Stem
#ven-?) (cut); SHAPE (noun) venw (cut),
SHAPED canta (also as quasi-suffix, e.g.
lassecanta "leaf-shaped"); SHAPED STONE
ambal (flag) -KAT, LT1:254, MBAL
SHARE hyanda (blade) -LT2:342
SHARP maica (piercing), aica (fell, terrible,
dire; this gloss "sharp" is isolated from one
translation of Aicanro:) SHARP-FLAME
Aicanro "Fell Fire, Aegnor" (so in Silm:435;
MR:323 has Aicanr) In the printed
Etymologies, a word for "keen, sharp, acute" is
given as "laike" in the entry LAIK, but not only is
this a misreading for "laika" (VT45:25): the
conceptual validity of this word may be
questioned because laika, laica is the word for
"green" in later sources. -Silm:434, AYAK,
MR:323, LAIK
SHARP-PROWED SHIP cirya (see SHIP) -
Silm:433 (where the spelling crya occurs, but all
other sources have cirya with a short i, so crya
is likely an error by Christopher Tolkien).
SHATTERED rcina (confused, disordered)
-MC:223
SHE see HE (the same forms are used for
both genders)
SHEATH vain -LT1:271
SHEEN, THE Isil (Moon) -THIL
SHEEP mma (Unlike English "sheep", this
word probably has a distinct plural *mmar.) -
WJ:395
SHELL hyalma (conch, horn of Ulmo) -
SYAL
SHEPHERD mavor (GL:58 gives mavar);
SHEPHERDESS emerwen. The word
mmandil, etymologically "sheep-friend" (mma
"sheep" + -ndil "friend"), may perhaps also be
used for "shepherd". -LT1:268, UT:434, UT:209
SHIELD turma, umbas (); BOSS OF
SHIELD tolmen (isolated round hill) -TURM,
VT45:33, LT1:269
SHIFT (of large and heavy things:) rma-
(part. rmala is attested) (heave, move) -
MC:223, 222
SHINE cala- (fut. caluva is attested), calta-;
SHINE WHITE sil- (present tense sla, aorist sg.
sil, aorist pl. silir, and freq. sisla- are
attested), ninquita-; SHINING WHITE (adj)
silma (silver) -LT1:254, UT:22 cf. 51, KAL,
MC:223, NIK-W, SIL/LotR:94/The Return of the
Shadow:324
SHINGLE sarni (pebble-bank) -UT:463
SHIP cirya (defined as "sharp-prowed ship"
in Silm:433; dual ciriat [read *ciryat?] is attested
in Letters:427; all numbers and cases except
plural possessive *ciryaiva are attested in the
Plotz letter. In Silm:433, the spelling crya
occurs, but all other sources have cirya with a
short i, so crya is likely an error by Christopher
Tolkien); lunt (boat); SHIPMAN ciryaquen
(sailor) -KIR, LT1:249/LUT, WJ:318
SHIRT laup (tunic) -QL:51
SHOE hyapat -SKYAP (Note: In the
Etymologies as printed in LR, the word hyapat is
glossed "shore", but according to
http://www.elvish.org/errata/VT-Errata.pdf, the
proper reading of the gloss found in Tolkien's
manuscript is "shoe".)
SHORE falas (falass-), falass (beach, line
of surf, "especially one [i.e. a shore] exposed to
great waves and breakers", VT42:15), fra
(beach). In the Etymologies as printed in LR, the
word hyapat is glossed "shore", but according to
http://www.elvish.org/errata/VT-Errata.pdf, the
proper reading of the gloss found in Tolkien's
manuscript is "shoe". SHORE-PIPER,
SHORELAND PIPER Solosimp (pl Solosimpi
is attested) -LT1:253, VT42:15, Silm:431,
VT46:15, SKYAP, LT1:251, 265
SHORT sinta (); SHORT STABBING
SWORD ecet (broad-bladed sword) SHORT
ROUNDED HANDLE, see HANDLE. -STINT,
UT:284
SHOULDER rma (Note: a homophone
means "horn" or "trumpet-sound, loud sound")
See also BACK. -LT2:335
SHOUT (vb) rama-; SHOUT (noun) ramb,
SHOUT yello (call, cry of triumph), SHOUTER
ramandor (but in LotR-style Quenya this would
probably be a pl; sg *ramando) -LT1:259, GYEL,
VT45:16
SHOW tana- (indicate) (Note: tana also
means "that".) -MR:385
SICK, SICKLY laiwa (ill; this word may be
better spelt *hlaiwa, see under ILL), caimassa
(bedridden), engwa (cf. Engwar "The Sickly", an
Elvish name for Men), quma (evidently =
*nauseous), SICKNESS qum (= nausea), in
the sense of illness probably rather lv (maybe
better spelt *hlv), caila (or possibly this is only
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adj. lying in bed, bedridden; see caila in the
Quenya-English wordlist for further discussion),
caimass (etymologically "[state of being] in
bed") -SLIW, KAY/VT45:19, GENG-W,
Silm:122, KWAM
SICKLE circa; SICKLE OF THE VALAR
Valacirca (= the Great Bear, the Plough, the Big
Dipper or the Wain), also called Otselen = The
Seven Stars. -KIRIK, OT
SIGH see EXPIRE. Cf. also one of Nienna's
titles: Nri, she who sighs. -LT1:263 cf. 66.
SIGN tanna, taina; tengw (indication,
token, writing; tengw is also used for what we
should call a phoneme - pl tengwi is attested),
tehta (mark [in writing], diacritic) (In LotR:1155,
this word is applied to the supralinear vowel-
signs of Fanorian writing, and pl tehtar is
attested.) SYSTEM OR CODE OF SIGNS
tengwesta (grammar). For various linguistic
terms, see FULL SIGN,
LACKING/INADEQUATE SIGN,
STRIPPED/DEPRIVED SIGN. -MR:385, WJ:394,
395, TEK
SIGNIFER Tancol ("the significant Star",
probably = Venus).
SILK samin (samind-); adj. SILKEN
saminda, saminwa adj. silken (QL:81)
SILVER telp, telep- (tyelp, tyelep- was
the original form of the word in Noldorin Quenya,
but "the form telpe became usual, through the
influence of Telerin; for the Teleri prized silver
above gold, and their skill as silversmiths was
esteemed even by the Noldor" [UT:266].
However, in Letters:426 it is stated that "the form
tyelp remained in Quenya" and was not wholly
displaced by telp. LT1:268 has telp =
telemp.) Cf. also ilsa (a "mystic name" of
silver), silm (also meaning light of Silpion,
starlight). SILVER (prob. adj) tinda (glinting), OF
SILVER telepsa, telpina, telemna. SILVER
LIGHT istel, istil ("applied by the Ilkorins to
starlight, probably a Q[uenya] form learned from
Melian"). SILVER GLINT nill (a star on Varda's
simulacrum covering Valinor. Spelt ill, i.e.,
ngill, in MR:388, but initial ng had become n in
Third Age pronunciation, and I follow the system
of LotR and transcribe it accordingly. But is this
word is written in Tengwar, the letter noldo, not
nmen, should be used to transcribe the initial
n.) -Silm:429, KYELEP, LT1:255, SIL, TIN,
MR:388
SIN (noun) #car (isolated from
caremmar "our sins/trespasses"; SIN (verb)
#car- = "to sin, trespass" (pl. aorist carer,
carir attested); SINNER #carindo (variant
#ulcarindo, possibly an ephemeral form
abandoned by Tolkien, which may also be true of
the forms #naicando, #naico. All the words for
"sinner" are attested with the pl. ending -r
attached.) -VT43:19, 21, 22, 33
SINEW tuo (muscle) -TUG
SING #lir- as in lirin "I sing" (1st pers. aorist)
(chant); SINGER nyello, lindo (singing bird);
SINGERS Lindar (a name of the Teleri);
SINGING lind (air, tune, song), SINGING
CLUSTER Lindelokt (labernum). This is the
form given in LT1:258; Tolkien later decided that
kt became ht in Quenya. Read *Lindeloht in
LotR-style Quenya? -GLIR, NYEL, LIN
2
,
WJ:418, Silm:431, LT1:258
SINGLE erya (sole), SINGLY eress (only,
alone, also as noun: solitude) -ERE, LT1:269
SINGULARITY erd (used in the sense
"person as a whole", body and soul. Note: a
homophone means "seed, germ".) -MR:216
SINK (of Sun and Moon) nta- (set) -ND
SIP salpa- (lick up, sup) -SLAP
SIRIUS Nielln, Nierninwa -LT1:262
SISTER nsa (; older form na cited),
colloquially also nett (probably netti-); the latter
word was also used in children's play for "fourth
finger" or "fourth toe" (or in two-handed play for
the ninth digit). Different words for "sister" occur
in the Etymologies: seler () (pl. selli), onm,
onn; SISTER (usually not of bloodkinship)
osell () (associate) -VT47:10-12, 14, THEL,
N
SIT har- (in CO attested in the plural
continuative tense: hrar "are sitting". According
to VT45:20, Tolkien derived har- "sit" from a root
KHAD; if so, the past tense of har- should
probably be *hand rather than *harn. In Etym,
the root KHAD was rejected and replaced by
KHAM-, and the new Quenya verb for "sit" thus
came to be ham-. However, since har-
reappears in such a late text as CO, Tolkien may
have decided to reinstate KHAD and its
derivatives; writers may then treat both har- and
ham- as valid verbs for "to sit".) -KHAM, UT:317,
VT45:20
SIX enqu (for archaic, possibly pre-historic,
enc, VT48:8). SIXTH enqua. Fraction ONE
SIXTH enquesta -NEK, VT42:25, VT48:6, 11
SIXTEEN enenqu -VT48:21 (the form
quainqu seems to be another, possibly
experimental, word for "16" in Quenya)
SKIES fanyar (upper airs and clouds) -
MC:223
SKILL curu; SKILLED mait (stem *maiti-,
pl. maisi) (handy), BE SKILLED IN DEALING
WITH hanya- (understand, know about);
SKILLFUL [?DEVICE - Tolkien's handwriting was
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illegible] curo (curu-) -Silm:429, MA3, KHAN,
VT41:10
SKIN helma (fell) (parma in LT2:346 is
obsolete; see BARK) -SKEL
SKY vilya (older [MET] wilya) (air), hell,
ilw (heavens), telimbo (canopy), taim,
taimi. (LT2:348 gives ilu, but the meaning of
this word was later changed - Tolkien decided
that Ilvatar means "All-Father", not "Sky-
Father" as he originally thought.) "SKY-BRIDGE"
(i.e., rainbow) helyanw -LotR:1157, 3EL,
LT1:255, LT2:348, LT1:268
SLACKEN lehta-, lenca- (loose) (In the
printed Etymologies, the n of lenca- was
misread as u; see VT45:27.) -LEK
SLASH ciriss (gash) -KIRIS
SLAVE ml (thrall) -M, VT43:31
SLAY nahta- (see also SLAYER concerning
a possible alternative form #nehta-). Passive
participle nahtana in the phrase *nahtana l
Turin *slain by Trin (VT49:24). The verb mac-
meant slay in early material (LT1:259), but in a
much later source reproduced in VT39.11, this
verb is translated "hew with a sword" instead.
SLAYER #nehtar, isolated from Morinehtar
"Darkness-slayer" (PM:384, 385), name of a
wizard (istar). The noun #nehtar "slayer" may
seem to presuppose a verbal stem #nehta- "to
slay, kill", though the form nahta- appears
elsewhere (VT49:24); this may be an example of
Eldarin A/E variation.
SLEEP (noun) fm. (Read perhaps *hm,
since Tolkien decided that fu- becomes hu- in
Quenya. This word points to *fum- [hum-] as the
stem of the verb "to sleep".) FLOWER OF
SLEEP - see POPPY. -LT1:253
SLENDER nind (stem *nindi-), teren,
teren -NIN-DI, TER
SLIDE DOWN talta- (slip, collapse) -MC:223
SLIP talta- (slide down, collapse) -MC:223
SLOPE (vb) talta-; SLOPE (noun) pend
(downslope, declivity), ampend (upward slope),
amban (upward slope, hillside), SLOPING
DOWN penda (inclined) -PEN, AM
2
SLOW lenca -LT2:341
SLUMBER (vb) lor-, muru-, SLUMBER
(noun) lr, murm, SLUMBROUS lorda
(drowsy), murma -LT1:259, LOS, LT1:259, 260
SMALL nca, *ninc (said to have "good
senses"; the latter is given in the archaic form
"ninki" and would therefore have the stem-form
ninci-), npa, *nimp (said to be used "usually
with connotation of weakness"; the latter adj. is
given in the archaic form nimpi and would
therefore have the stem-form nimpi-), pitya (the
latter is never translated by Tolkien, but Pitya-
naucor is glossed "petty-dwarves", and pica
"small spot" must be derived from the same
root.) In one compound, Tolkien seemingly
changed pitya to nitya (see PM:365, VT48:15).
Cf. also nauca, an adjective "especially applied
to things that though in themselves full-grown
were smaller or shorter than their kind, and were
hard, twisted, or ill-shapen." LT1:256 has an
adjective inya "small", but this is probably not a
valid word in LotR-style Quenya (in which
language *inya may mean "my, mine".) -
VT48:18, VT47:26, PIK, WJ:389, 413
SMALL INSECT p (fly); SMALL MAN, see
MAN; SMALL STONE sar (stem sard-, as in pl.
sardi); YOUNG OR SMALL WOMAN, see GIRL.
-VT47:35, SAR
SMEAR mordo (shadow, obscurity, stain,
dimness) -VT45:35, MOR
SMEARED pra (discoloured) -MC:223
SMELL (strong smell): The form aol- is
translated "strong smell" in one source (VT45:5),
but this does not look like a regular Quenya word
and is perhaps an underlying "stem" (Quenya
*angol-?) The element ol- is also translated
"smell" in the same source, but again it is
uncertain whether this is a primitive stem or a
Quenya word (in the latter case, we would see
*nol- in late Exilic Quenya). See ODOUR,
STINK.
SMILING raina (gracious, sweet-faced).
NOTE: A homophone means "nettled, enlaced".
-VT44:35
SMITH tano (craftsman), SMITH OF THE
WORLD Talca Marwa (a title of Aul) -TAN,
LT1:266
SMOOTH pasta -PATH
SMOULDERING HEAT yulm (red [?heat] -
Tolkien's handwriting was illegible);
SMOULDERING WOOD yla (ember) -YUL
SNAKE ango (stem angu-, pl. angwi),
leuca, lc (serpent, dragon; "so do the Eldar
name the worms of Melko[r]", LT2:85) -ANGWA,
LotR:1149, LT2:340
SNARE (noun) remma, neuma; SNARE
(verb) #rem- (cited as "remi-", evidently including
the connecting vowel of the aorist, as in *remin
"I snare") -VT42:12, SNEW
SNARL yarra (growl) -MC:223
SNOUT mundo (nose, cape). Stem
*mundu- given the primitive form mbundu. -
MBUD
SNOW loss (spesifically "fallen snow", also
adjective "snow-white"; olos, oloss. Etym
also gives niqu, but this word is obsoleted by a
statement in WJ:417: "nique does not refer to
snow, but to cold". This statement may obsolete
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niquetil "snowcap" in LT1:266. Is niquis "snow"
from the same source a valid word? GL:35 has
fw "snow" and fauta "it snows".) LIGHT
SNOW is, SNOW-WHITE loss (which may also
be the noun "snow"), SNOWDROP nieninqu
(lit. "white tear") -RGEO:69, GOLS, NIK-W-,
NEI, LT1:256, LT1:262/266
SO may generally be rendered by si "thus"
(q.v. for reference). The word ta is used to
qualify adjectives, e.g. ta mra so good
(VT49:12). MAY IT BE SO, see AMEN.
SOAP lipsa -LIB
1
SOFT muss, milya (gentle, weak) (Note:
milya- is also a verb "long for"), maxa (pliant),
moica -VT39:17, VT45:34, MASAG, GL:58
SOIL 1. (noun) cemen (earth), 2. (vb) vahta-
(stain), SOILED vra (dirty) -LT1:257, WA3
SOLE erya (single), SOLITUDE eress (also
as adverb: single, only, alone) -ERE cf. LT1:269
SOLE OF FOOT tallun, probably with stem
talluni- given primitive form talrunya. (A Qenya
word for sole, talas in LT2, is probably obsolete)
-RUN, LT2:347
SOLEMN PROMISE vanda (oath, pledge) -
UT:317
SOLITARY eressa (lonely; compare
Solitary Isle as one translation of Tol Eressa,
Letters:386), erda (deserted) -LT1:269
SOLITUDE eress (also as adverb: singly,
only, alone) -ERE, LT1:269
SOLSTICE, NEW SUN AFTER: ceuranar -
VT48:7
SOMBRE morna (black, gloomy, dark) -
MOR
SON yondo (male descendant), also short
form yn (Yn referring to Jesus as "the Son" in
the source); dative i yondon "to the Son" in
VT43:36-37. Cf. also the suffix -ion, e.g.
Finwion "son of Finw". Variant yonyo "son, big
boy" (a term also used for "middle finger" or
"middle toe" in children's play, though Tolkien
may have replaced it by hanno "brother",
VT48:4). Vocative yonya *"my son", a
contraction of *yondonya. (The forms v,
vondo "son" in LT2 are probably obsolete, as
are the notions there recorded that yondo meant
"(great) grandson" and that y-, yond- "son" was
used only in poetry. But LT2 does confirm that -
ion was "very common...in patronymics".) SON
OF THE DARK (= Morgoth) morion -YO,
VT44:12, 17, VT43:36-37, MR:217, VT47:10, 15,
LR:61, LT2:336, 344, LT1:260 cf. FS
SONG lind (air, tune, singing), #lr (only
attested in the instrumental case: lrinen, so the
stem-form would seem to be lri-), lirilla (lay).
See also MUSIC. -GLIN, Nam, LT1:258
SOON rato -Arct
SOPE lipsa -LIB
SORROW nyr (grief). -GL:60
SORT, see SPECIES, KIND; adj. OF THIS
SORT st, OF THAT SORT tait -VT49:11, 18
SOUL fa (spirit; pl far is attested. In
MR:330, Tolkien notes that fa is "roughly but
not exactly equivalent to...'soul'.") -MR:349, 218,
cf. Silm:431
SOUND (verb, "to sound") lamya-; SOUND
(noun) lamma (= sound in general?), hln
(evidently hlon-, pl. hloni is attested) (noise),
rma (= loud sound, trumpet-sound. Note: rma
also means "shoulder"), lma (according to Etym
= "ringing sound, echo", but see below); SOUND
OF WIND s; SOUND-TASTE lmatyv (pl.
lmatyver is attested), i.e., "individual pleasure
in the sounds and forms of words". Tolkien
seems undecided about the exact meaning of
lma. Etym gives "ringing sound, echo"; in
WJ:416 it is said that the stem LAMA refers
"especially to vocal sounds, but was applied only
to those that were confused or inarticulate. It was
generally used to describe the various cries of
beasts." But the word lmatyv "sound-taste",
by which an Elf chose or made a name for
him/herself [see NAME-CHOOSING], seems to
imply that lma can also be used of artuculated
speech. -LAM, WJ:394/VT48:29, ROM, VT47:12,
MR:215, 216
SOUP sulpa -LT1:266
SOUTH hyarmen (LT2:248 also gives
Sahra, but this is hardly a valid word in
Tolkien's later Quenya); SOUTHERN
hyarmenya, "SOUTH-VICTOR" Hyarmendacil
(one of the Kings of Gondor),
SOUTHEASTLANDS Hyarrostar,
SOUTHWESTLANDS Hyarnustar (regions in
Nmenor) -KHYAR/LotR:1157, LotR:1075/1082,
UT:165, 446
SOW #rer- (cited as rerin "I sow", 1st person
aorist), pa.t. rend. SOWN FIELD resta (acre). -
RED, VT46:11 cf. RED
SPADE sampa -QL:82
SPARK - make/cause to spark: tinta-
(kindle). SPARK (noun) tinw. -TIN/VT46:19,
Silm:438
SPARKLE (vb) tintina- (pl. tintinar is
attested), MAKE TO SPARKLE tinta- (kindle);
SPARK (noun) tinw (often = "star"). In the entry
TIN of the Etymologies as printed in LR, the
noun tinw is glossed "sparkle", but according to
VT46:19, Tolkien's manuscript has "spark". -TIN,
Silm:438
SPEAK quet- (pa.t. quent) (say, talk) -
LT2:348
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SPEAR hatal, eht, stem *ehti-. (The gloss
of the word ecco has also been quoted as
"spear", but this is a misreading; see SPINE.)
SPEAR-HEAD neht (gore, wedge, narrow
promontory. Note: a homophone means
"honeycomb"), SPEAR-POINT nasta (gore,
triangle), SPEARMAN ehtyar -VT49:14,
EK/EKTE, SNAS cf. VT46:14, UT:282
SPECIES nostal (kind) -LT1:272
SPEED (vb) horta- (urge, send flying),
SPEEDING hortal (urging) -KHOR
SPELLING tencel (writing system) -TEK
SPIDER liant (so in Etym; in LT1:271,
liant is glossed "tendril"); SPIDER FILAMENT
lia (Note: lia- is also the verb "twine"); SPIDER'S
WEB ungw (but in LT1:271, ungw is glossed
"spider") -SLIG, LotR:1157
SPIKE nass (thorn), tinda; ROW OF
SPIKES (or teeth) carcass, carcaras -NAS,
LT1:258, LT2:344
SPIN (make spin), see STIR
SPINDRIFT wing (wingi-) (crest [of wave],
foam). In Exilic Quenya, the word would have
initial v- for older w-. -LT1:273 cf. WIG
SPINE ecco (In the Etymologies as printed
in LR, entry EK/EKTE, this word and its
"Noldorin"/Sindarin cognate ech are glossed
"spear", but according to VT45:12, this is a
misreading for "spine" in Tolkien's manuscript.)
SPIRANT CONSONANT surya -SUS
SPIRIT fa (= the spirit or "soul" of an
incarnate, normally housed in a body; pl far is
attested), ala ("being"; pl. elar is attested.
Elar are spirits whose natural state it is to exist
without a physical body, e.g. Balrogs), sl ()
(earlier [MET] thl, l) (maybe a more
"impersonal" word for spirit), manu (= departed
spirit; LT1:260 has mn), fair (= spirit in
general, as opposed to matter, or a phantom or
disembodied spirit, when seen as a pale shape.
Pl. fairi is attested), viliss (a "Qenya" word
maybe not valid in LotR-style Quenya). A
person's "spirit" meaning his or her general
personality and attitude may be expressed by
the word r, in LotR defined as "heart, inner
mind" (q.v.), cf. PM:337, where it is said that
"there dwelt in her [Galadriel] the noble and
generous spirit (r) of the Vanyar". FIELD-
SPIRIT Nermi (pl. Nermir is attested. The
Nermir are "fays of the meads".) HOLY SPIRIT
airefa (other version: fair aista; both versions
are attested with the dative ending -n attached).
SPIRIT-IMPULSE fafelm (impulses originating
with the spirit, e.g. love, pity, anger, hate). -
MR:349, 218, 165; cf. Silm:431; LotR:1157,
MAN, MC:223, MR:349, GL:23, LT1:260,
VT43:36-37, VT44:17, VT41:19 cf. 13
SPIT (noun? verb? both?) piuta -PIW
SPLENDOUR alcar (glory, radiance) -
VT47:13, WJ:369
SPLIT (noun) sanca () (cleft) -STAK
SPONGE hwan (hwand-, as in pl. hwandi)
(fungus) -SWAD
SPORT tyali (game, play) -TYAL
SPOT men (place - Tolkien may have
rejected this word, see PLACE), SMALL SPOT
pica (dot) -MEN, PIK
SPRAY (of fall or fountain) ross (fine rain,
dew) -Letters:282 cf. ROS
SPREAD palu-, palya- (open wide, extend,
expand) -PAL
SPRING (vb) tuia- (sprout); SPRING (noun;
but for the season, see SPRING-TIME below)
ehtel (fountain, issue of water), SPRING OF
WATER capalinda, WATER FALLING OUT
SWIFTLY FROM A ROCKY SPRING celuss
(freshet); SPRING, SPRING-TIME tuil (this
word literally means "budding, also collectively -
buds, new shoots, fresh green" [LT1:269]. Also
used = dayspring, early morn. In the Calendar of
Imladris, tuil was a precisely defined period of
54 days, but the word was also used without any
exact definition. Besides tuil, LT1:269 also has
tuilir.) FIRST BEGINNING OF SPRING coir
("stirring", according to the Calendar of Imladris
a period of 54 days in early spring); "SPRING-
SINGER" (i.e., swallow) tuilindo. SPRING TIDE,
see TIDE. -TUY/LotR 1141, 1145, KEL, UT:426,
LT1:260, Silm:429, LT2:338/LT1:269, VT39:7
SPROUT (vb) tuia- (spring), *lohta-
(emended from the actual reading lokta because
Tolkien later decided that kt became ht in
Quenya) (put forth leaves or flowers); SPROUT
(noun) tuima (bud) -TUY, LT:258
SQUAT haca- -GL:47
STABBING SWORD (short) ecet (broad-
bladed sword) -UT:284/432
STAFF - LT1:264 has vandl, but the cluster
ndl cannot occur in LotR-style Quenya. Read
*vandil?
STAIN (vb) vahta-, STAIN (noun) mordo
(shadow, obscurity, smear, dimness), vax. -
WA3, MOR/VT45:35
STALK (noun) sirp (stem) -QL:84
STAND ASIDE! heca! (be gone!). Also with
pronominal affixes: sg hecat, pl hecal "you
stand aside!" -WJ:364
STANDARD tulw (pole) -LT1:270
STAR elen (normal pl eleni, but
occasionally eldi in verse; allative elenna and
pl ablative elenillor are attested), l (pl. li is
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mentioned), tinw (properly = sparkle), l.
(Note: in Etym elen is said to be poetic, but
Tolkien later concluded that elen was "the
normal word for a star on the actual firmanent",
the poetic word being l instead. According to
MR:388, a tinw was one of the "apparent stars"
on Varda's simulacrum covering Valinor, also
called nill or "silver glint". Etym mentions the
words ellen and elena without glossing them,
but according to Silm:431 elena is an adjective
meaning "of the stars".) TWINKLING STAR
tingilya, tingilind, HAVING MANY STARS
lintitinw; STARLIKE elva (pl. elvi is
attested); STARWARDS elenna (Elenna or
Elennanr, "the land named Starwards", a
name of Nmenor); STARLIGHT silm (light of
Silpion); STARCROWNED, CROWNED WITH
STARS (a name of Taniquetil) Elerrna (so in
Silm:42; Etym has Elerna); STAR-QUEEN
(=Varda), STARLIT DUSK, STARRY TWILIGHT
tindm; FLASHING OR [?STARRY] LIGHT l
See also *STELLAR. The word Tintni is
glossed STARMAKER as another title of Varda,
but it is also interpreted as an abstract
STARMAKING. -EL, Silm:313, MC:222 cf. 215,
TIN, WJ:362, UT:317, LotR:1157, LT1:269,
MC:223, Silm:42, DOMO, Silm:438, VT45:12,
TAN/VT46:17
STATE (more or less = *"condition", not a
"state" as a political unit) indo (perhaps
especially a state of mind, since indo is
translated "heart, mood" in the Etymologies,
stem ID) -VT39:23
STATUTE namna -MR:258
STEADFAST tulca (firm, strong,
immoveable; Note: there is a homophone
meaning "fix, set up, establish"), vrima,
voronda ("steadfast in allegiance, in keeping
oath or promise, faithful"). -TULUK cf. LT1:270,
UT:317
STEADY tulunca (firm) -LT1:270
STEEL er, eren (meaning either iron or
steel), yaisa -LT1:252, GL:37
STEEP aiqua, oronta; STEEP ISLE toll -
AYAK, LT1:256, VT47:13, 26
*STELLAR elenya (no gloss is actually
given; the word is simply defined as "an
adjective referring to stars". There are also the
adjectives elda and elena, translated "of the
stars". But in normal Quenya, elda primarily
means "Elf", pl. Eldar. Use elenya or elena.) -
WJ:362, Silm:431
STEM telco (leg), sirp (stalk) -LotR:1154,
QL:84
STENCH, see STINK
STEWARD arandur (king's servant,
minister) -Letters:386, UT:313
STICK TO himya- (cleave to, abide by,
adhere), STICKING himba (adhering) -KHIM,
VT45:22
STICKER-UP tolyo, a term used in
children's play for "middle finger" or "middle toe".
-VT47:10
STIFF norna (tough), tarya; STIFF, DRY
GRASS sara () (bent) -WJ:413, TRAG, STAR
STILL (= *"yet, despite that", not in the
sense "unmoving":) er (only, one, alone, but,
still) -LT1:269
STING nasta- (prick) -NAS
STINK (noun, = *"stench") holw,
STINKING *holwa (given as "olwea" in source;
see Quenya-English wordlist for further
discussion of why the form with initial h- may be
preferred) -PE13:162, 145
STIR (or, make spin) quir-, pa.t. quind -
QL:77
STIRRING coir (according to the Calendar
of Imladris a period of 54 days in early spring) -
LotR:1141, 1142
STONE ondo (defined as stone "as a
material" in Etym, but used of natural rocks in
MC:222: ondoliss morn, *"upon dark rocks".
LT1 and LT2 has simply on, ondo "stone, a
stone"), sar (sard-) (= small stone); OF STONE
sarna. STONE SONG Ondolind (Gondolin).
See also ELFSTONE, FLINTSTONE. -GONOD
(see GOND), Silm:431, LT1:254/LT2:342, SAR,
Silm:415
STOOP nta- (sink, set [of Sun and Moon])
-LT1:263 cf. ND
STOP hauta- (take a rest, cease), pusta-
(put a stop to, but also intr: cease), #tap- (cited
in the form tap, 3rd person sg. aorist;
misreading "tpe" with a long vowel in the
Etymologies as printed in LR, see VT46:17. The
pa.t. tamp is given) (block), STOP SHORT
nuhta- (stunt, prevent from coming to
completion, not allow to continue). FULL STOP
("in punctuation" - according to VT46:10, 33 a
dot placed under a consonant to indicate that it is
not followed by a vowel) putta, pusta;
STOPPED CONSONANT (i.e. consonant with
such an underposed dot) punta; STOPPER
tampa -KHAW, PUS/VT46:10, 33, TAP/VT46:17,
WJ:413
STORM raumo (glossed "[noise of a] storm"
in MC:223)
STORY quenta (narrative, history) -
KWET/VT39:16
STRAIGHT tra (right), lenwa (long, thin,
narrow); STRAIGHT LINE ta (road) (note: not
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to be confused with the verb ta- "indicate") -
TE3, TE, LT2:341
STRANGER ettela (reading uncertain;
ettela seems to be primarily an adjective
"foreign", though perhaps it can also be used as
a noun "foreign (one)" = "stranger") -VT45:13
STRAP latta (Note: a homophone means
"hole, pit") -LATH
STRAY ranya- (note: ranya or aranya is
also the adjective "free"), STRAYING (noun)
rn (wandering) (pl. probably *rner not rni;
cf. the similar formation tyv "taste" pl tyver.)
-RAN
STREAM (vb) celu- ("streem out swiftly";
there is also a noun celu "stream"), STREAM
(noun) celum (flow, flowing, flood, tide), celu,
sr (river); STREAM IN THE WIND hlapu- (fly
in the wind; part. hlpula is attested) -UT:446,
LT1:265, MC:223, 222/LT1:257
STRETCH lenu-; STRETCH OUT (intr.)
*rahta- (reach) (Emended from the actual
reading rakta; Tolkien later decided that kt
became ht in Quenya) -LT1:341, 335
STREET mall -MBAL, LT1:263
STRENGTH tr (mastery, might, victory),
(physical strength:) tuo -QL:95, TUG
STRENGTHENING antoryam (used of
various manipulations of a stem, such as
lengthening vowels or consonants or turning a
consonant or a vowel into a "blend" [see
BLEND]) -VT:39:9
STRETCHED taina (elongated, lengthened,
extended) -VT39:7 cf. TAY
STRIDER Telcontar -MR:216
STRIKE #pet- (knock), pa.t. pent given.
The verb is cited as "pete", perhaps with a
suffixed stem-vowel. -QL:73
STRIPPED #racina (only pl. racin is
attested) (deprived). STRIPPED SIGN #racina
tengw (only pl. racin tengwi is attested). Also
translated "deprived sign", this was in early
Elvish analysis of Quenya the term for a
consonant with no following vowel; the vowel
was held to have disappeared or been omitted. -
VT39:16
STRIPPED BARE helda (naked) -SKEL
STROKE (verb) palta- means to "pass the
sensitive palm over a surface: feel with the hand,
stroke etc." -VT47:8-9
STROKE (noun) ("of pen of brush [] when
not used as long mark") tecco. Cf. also QUICK
STROKE rinc (stem *rinci-) (flourish) -TEK,
RIK/VT46:11 (VT indicating that the proper
reading is "quick stroke", not "quick shake" as in
the Etymologies as printed in LR)
STRONG tulca (firm, immoveable,
steadfast. Note: there is a homophone meaning
"fix, set up, establish"), STRONG (physically)
polda (burley). In the Etymologies as printed in
LR, the word sarn is glossed "strong place"
(entry SAR), but according to VT46:12, the gloss
should actually read "stony place". -TULUK, POL
STUDY (long) nl (wisdom, lore,
knowledge). (In Etym this word is spelt with initial
, that is, ng. Initial ng had become n in Third
Age Quenya, and I follow the system of LotR and
transcribe it accordingly. Nl is so spelt also in
Silm:432. But if this word is written in Tengwar,
the initial n should be transcribed with the letter
noldo, not nmen.) -GOL, Silm:432
STUB, STUMP tolbo (read perhaps *tolvo
in the more usual form of Quenya) (said to be a
stub or stump "as of a truncated arm or branch").
-VT47:28
STUNT nuhta- (prevent from coming to
completion, stop short, not allow to continue) -
WJ:413
STUNTED nauca -VT39:7
SUBLIME, THE Varda (this word should
probably not be used as a normal adjective. It is
also translated "the Lofty".) -WJ:402
SUCCESSOR neuro (follower) NDEW
SUCH may be rendered by the adjective
sit of that sort (VT49:18)
SUFFICE farya- (pa.t. farn; VT46:9 also
lists the curious pa.t. form fariny). (Note:
#farn also means "dwelling" and "foliage");
SUFFICIENCY fr, farm (plenitude, all that is
wanted), SUFFICIENT fara (enough) -
PHAR/VT46:9
SUFFOCATE quoro- (choke) Verbs in -o
seem not to occur in later Quenya; read *quor-?
It has also been questioned whether the
combination quo- is still possible in Tolkien's
later Quenya. -LT1:264
SUIT camta- (sic; the cluster mt seems
unusual for Quenya, and while the source does
not explicitly say that this word is Quenya, it is
difficult to understand what other language could
be intended) (to [make] fit, accomodate, adapt) -
VT44:14
SUMMER lair (Note: a homophone means
"poem". In the Calendar of Imladris, lair was a
precisely defined period of 72 days, but the word
was also used without any exact definition),
saiwen (cf. saiwa "hot".) "EVER-SUMMER"
oiolair, "SUMMER-SNOW-WHITE" laireloss
(evergreen trees brought to Nmenor by the
Eldar) -LotR:1141, 1145/VT45:26, Letters:282,
LT1:265, UT:167, 458, UT:167, 449
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SUMMIT (of a mountain) ingor (PM:340).
LT1:256 gives orm "crest, summit", but in
Tolkien's later Quenya orm means "wrath,
haste, violence, rushing".
SUMMON tulta- (send for, fetch), naham-
(passive participle nahamna "summoned"
given), yal- (dative infinitive #yalien is attested in
enyalien "for the re-calling"). Noun (A)
SUMMONS nahm. -TUL, VT45:21, UT:317
SUN Anar, rin (rind-) (the latter was a
"name of the Sun"; in LT1:271 rin is glossed
"blazing hot", and the word for "Sun" is r ["r"]
or ri, rinci, Urwen.The stem rin is derived
from was struck out in Etym. However, several
words that must be derived from the same stem
occur in LotR, indicating that Tolkien restored it.)
Naira ("the heart of flame"), Calavn,
Calavent (other names for the Sun). Yet
another term was Ancal or "Radiant One", but
it is unclear whether or not Tolkien rejected this
form (see LR:362 s.v. KAL). NEW SUN AFTER
SOLSTICE ceuranar (VT48:7). SUNLIGHT r
(older [MET] z); SUNRISE anarr,
ambaron/Ambarn (uprising, Orient) (a similar
but untranslated word, Ambarna, occurs in
LotR), rmen (glossed "uprising, sunrise, east"
in Silm:437, but the normal meaning of the word
is always "east"). SUNSET andn (west,
evening). (Amunt in LT2 is certainly obsolete in
LotR-style Quenya.) RAY OF THE SUN firin
(this may not be a valid word in LotR-style
Quenya; in a later source, firin is the adjective
"dead"). -ANR, UR, LotR:1157, LotR:254,
ORO, AM, LotR:490, NDU, MR:198, Silm:428,
LT2:335, 341
SUP salpa- (so in Etym; "take a sup of" in
LT1:266) (sip, lick up) -SLAP, LT1:266
SUPPORT (noun) tulco (stem *tulcu-; pl.
*tulqui) (prop) -TULUK
SUPPOSE intya-; SUPPOSITION intya
(guess, idea) -INK
SUPREME The Supreme Aratar (pl; sg
#Arata). The Aratar are the mightiest of the
Valar: Manw, Varda, Ulmo, Yavanna, Aul,
Mandos, Nienna, and Orom. Aratar is also
rendered "High Ones, Exalted Ones" -Silm
32/381, WJ:402
SURE tanca (firm, fixed) -TAK
SURF solor, soloss (surge). LINE OF
SURF falass (beach, shore) -SOL, LT1:266,
Silm:431
SURFACE palr (bosom, bosom of Earth -
Tolkien equated palr with the Old English
word folde), palm -PAL
SURGE (noun) soloss (surf) -LT1:266
SWALLOW tuilindo (lit. "spring-singer"). -
TUY/LIN
2
/LT1:269/LT2:338
SWAN alqua; HAVEN OF THE SWANS
Alqualond -LAK/Silm:427/LT1:249, VT42:7,
LT2:335 (LT1:249 also has alqu), UT:417
SWARD palis (lawn) -LT1:264
SWARM umba; SWARMING ma
(abundant, teaming but elsewhere ma is
defined as "evil", so the word va of related
meaning may be preferred) -VT48:32
SWART varn (stem varni-) (brown, dark
brown) The form varni- is evidently used in
compounds. -BARN
SWEET liss. Other sources use liss as a
noun "sweetness", and liss is also used for the
"grace" of God (specifically Eruliss or *"God-
sweetness"). Another word glossed "sweet" is
melda, but since it is also defined as "beloved"
and "dear", this adjective may describe a "sweet"
person rather than sweet taste. -Nam, RGEO:66,
VT43:29, VT45:34 cf. MEL
SWEET-FACED raina (smiling, gracious).
NOTE: A homophone means "nettled, enlaced".
-VT44:35
SWELL tiuya- (grow fat) -TIW
SWIFT #linta (only pl lint is attested),
tyelca (agile, hasty), larca, alarca (rapid),
arauca (rushing). SWIFT HORSE, see HORSE.
-Nam, KYELEK, LAK
2
, LT2:347
SWIRL hwinya- (eddy, gyrate) -SWIN
SWORD macil; BROAD SWORD lango
(also = prow of a ship), LARGE SWORD
falquan; SHORT STABBING SWORD, BROAD-
BLADED SWORD ecet, SWORD BLADE maica
(also blade of any cutting tool or weapon, but
esp. sword-blade), russ (corruscation),
SWORDSMAN macar. -MAK/LT1:259/VT39:
11/VT45:32, LAG, LT2:341, UT:284/432,
VT39:11, RUS, VT39:11
SWORN BROTHER otorno (associate) -
TOR
SYRUP pirya- (juice) -PIS
SYSTEM (OR CODE) OF SIGNS
tengwesta (language, grammar); DECIMAL
SYSTEM maquanoti -VT39:15, VT47:10
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T
TAKE, see GRASP
TALE nyr (saga, history), nyarna (saga) -
NAR
2
TALK (verb) quet- (pa.t. quent) (say,
speak). TALK (noun) quetil (language, tongue) -
LT2:348, VT45:25 cf. KWET
TALL halla, tunda (Note: the latter has a
homophone meaning "kindle"), tra (high) -
LotR:1157, TUN, WJ:417
TALON nappa, namma (claw) -VT47:20
TANGLE fasta- -PHAS
TAP tamin ("I tap", 1st pers. aorist) (pa.t.
tamn) -TAM
TAPER lcuma (candle) -MC:223
TARN moil -LT2:349
TARRY lemya- (remain). Possibly this verb
should have the past tense *lemn rather than
?lemyan, since intransitive verbs in -ya may
seem to surrender this suffix in the past tense. -
VT45:26
TASSEL fas, fats -GL:34
TASTE (vb) #tyav- (cited in source as
tyavin "I taste", 1st pers. aorist); TASTE (noun)
tyv (pl. tyver is attested in the compound
lmatyver "sound-tastes"; see SOUND-
TASTE.) -KYAB, MR:215
TAUT tunga (tight, [of strings:] resonant) -
TUG
TEAR nr, ni -NEI, LT1:262
TEEM (verb) ma-; TEEMING ma
(abundant, swarming but elsewhere ma is
defined as "evil", and for "teeming" one could
simply say *mala as the participle of ma-) -
VT48:32
TELEPATHY see THOUGHT
TELL #nyar- (cited as nyarin "I tell", 1st
pers. aorist) (relate); NOT TO BE TOLD OR
RELATED avanyrima -NAR
2
, WJ:370
TEMPLE corda -LT1:257
TEMPTATION #sahti (inducement to do
wrong). Earlier variants, possibly abandoned by
Tolkien: #terfanti, #terpelli, #insangar (all
attested in the allative: sahtienna,
terfantienna etc.) -VT43:23, 22
TEN quan, quain. (In earlier sources the
word cainen occurs, but according to VT48:12,
Tolkien eventually rejected this word.) GROUP
OF TEN (10 similar things) maquat (actually the
dual form of maqua "hand", referring to the ten
fingers on both hands). Ordinal TENTH quaina.
The fraction ONE TENTH is given as caista (and
cast) in VT48:11, but since Tolkien later decided
that the word for "ten" was to have the initial
sound qu- rather than c-, we must apparently
read *quaista (and *quast, but normally Quenya
words do not end in consonant clusters). -
VT48:6, 11, VT47:7, VT42:25, cf. KAYAN,
KAYAR
TENDRIL liant (but in Etym, this word is
glossed "spider", q.v.) -LT1:271
TENTH quaina -VT42:25
TERRIBLE rcima, aica (fell, dire, sharp);
VERY TERRIBLE CREATURE rauco -WJ:415,
PM:347, VT39:10
TERRIFY ruhta- -WJ:415
TERROR oss (Oss is also the name of a
Maia held to be responsible for storms at sea.) -
GOS, Silm:33, 34
TEST (put to the test) tyasta-, pa.t.
tyasant -QL:49
THANKSGIVING #hantal (isolated from
Eruhantal "thanksgiving to Eru". A verbal stem
#hanta- "thank" can also be isolated.) -UT:436
THAT (1) (demonstrative): tana (an
adjectival word, VT49:11; in one version of
Quenya also tanya, as in tanya wend "that
maiden", MC:215-16). Also yana with meaning
the former (e.g. *loa yana that year referring
to a former year). Adj. OF THAT SORT tait -
TA, YA, VT49:18
THAT (2) (pronoun) ta, also translated it.
(Notice that in some versions of the language,
Tolkien wanted ta to be a plural pronoun they,
them used of non-living things. See the various
entries on ta in the Quenya-English wordlist.) -
TA
THAT (3) (relative pronoun "who[m], which,
that"). According to VT47:21, the relative
pronoun is ye with reference to a person (*i Elda
ye tirnen "the Elf who/that I watched"), plural i
(e.g. *Eldar i... "Elves that..."). The impersonal
relative pronoun ("that = which") is ya (e.g. *i
parma ya hirnen "the book that/which I found"),
pl. presumably *yar (*i parmar yar... "the books
that..."). This gives a system with great
symmetry, but Tolkien also used i in a singular
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sense, in the sentence i Eru i or ily mahalmar
a "the One who is [or, that is] above all
thrones", though i is indeed plural in i carir
quettar mainen "those who [or, those that]
form words with voices". A relative pronoun ya
*"which" is found in the "Arctic" sentence; a long
variant y also occurs in the corpus (VT43:27-
28). Case-forms: The plural locative of ya is
attested as yassen "in which" in Nam (sg.
*yass), the genitive and ablative forms of ye
are attested as yo and yello respectively in
VT47:21, and the same source gives ion and
illon as the corresponding plural forms. -
VT47:21, WJ:391, UT:305, 317, Arct
THAT (4) (conjunction, as in "I know that
you are here") i, cf. the sentence savin Elessar
ar i nn aran Ondro I believe Elessar really
existed and that he was a king of Gondor
(VT49:27). In one version of early Qenya, this
conjunction appeared as ne instead (PE14:54).
THATCH tups -TUP
THE i In Quenya, the definite article is
generally used as in English. However, notice
that it is not used before plural words denoting
an entire people or race, such as Valar, Quendi,
Noldor, Sindar, Eldar, Ainur, Frimar etc. This
is evident from examples like lamb Eldaron
"the language of the Eldar [lit. simply "Eldar"]",
Valar valuvar "the will of the Valar [lit. simply
"Valar"] will be done". Cf. Tolkien's use of "Men"
with no article, meaning the entire human race or
humans in general, while "the Men" would be a
group of individuals. Anar "the Sun" and Isil "the
Moon" are probably treated like proper names in
Quenya; they do not take the article. When a
noun is determined by a following genitive, it is
evidently optional whether it takes the article or
not: mannar Valion "into the hands [lit. simply
"hands"] of the Lords", Indis i Ciryamo "The
Mariner's Wife, *The Wife [lit. simply "Wife"] of
the Mariner" but contrast I Equessi Rmilo
"the Sayings of Rmil", i arani Eldaron "the
Kings of the Eldar". If the genitive precedes the
noun, the article must probably be left out in all
cases, as in English (*Eldaron arani, ?Eldaron i
arani). Note: i is also the relative pronoun "who,
that" and the conjunction that; see THAT #3
and #4. -I, WJ:404, 368, FS, UT:8, WJ:398, 369
THEE (object form of THOU, or singular
YOU) lye, tye; see THOU for full discussion and
references. l in VT43:29 probably meant
*"with thee" at the time of writing, but Tolkien
apparently decided to go for -lye rather than just
-le as the relevant ending; compare asely with
thee in a later source. -VT43:29, VT47:31
THEFT pilw (robbery) -QL:73
THEIR may be expressed as the ending -lta
(or -ltya) added to nouns (VT49:16), e.g.
*aldalta or *aldaltya = their tree. In some
sources Tolkien gives the ending as -ntya
instead, just as he hesitated between -lt and -
nt as the ending for they (VT49:17; see
THEY). In colloquial Quenya, the ending -rya
could also be used for their because it was felt
to contain the plural ending -r, but in correct
written Quenya this was rather the ending for
his, her, its (VT49:17). All these words for
their are plural; the ending for dual their
(describing something owned by two persons) is
given in VT49:16 as -sta, but this clashes with a
similar ending belonging to the second rather
than the third person. The corresponding ending
for they was (according to VT49:51) changed
from -st to -tt, seemingly implying *-tta as the
ending for dual their: *aldatta, the tree of the
two of them. No independent words for their,
theirs are attested. Analogy may point to *tenya
(plural) and *tnya or *tunya (dual), based on
(attested) ten and (unattested) *tn as the dative
forms of the pronouns te, t they (plural and
dual, repectively). Compare such attested forms
as ninya my and menya our vs. the dative
pronouns nin for me, men for us.
THEM, see THEY
THEMSELVES int (for older imte,
asterisked by Tolkien) -VT47:37
THEN t (VT49:11); the Qenya form san
occurring in early material (MC:216) rather looks
like the dative form of sa it in Tolkiens later
versions of the language.
THERE ts, tass; THERE, LOOK! (as
interjection) en (yonder).-VT49:11, EN, VT45:12
THEREFORE etta -VT42:12
THEY, THEM (3rd person pl. and dual
forms): As the pronominal ending for they,
Tolkien hesitated between -lt and -nt. For
instance, a verb like they do is attested both as
carilt and carint (VT49:16, 17). The form -
nte- occurs in UT:317, with a second pronominal
marker (-s it, denoting the object) following:
Tiruvantes "they will keep it". General
considerations of euphony may favour -lt rather
than -nt (e.g. *quentelt rather than
*quentent for they spoke in the past tense,
many verbs end in -nt even before any
pronominal endings are supplied, like quent
spoke in this example). The ending -lt (unlike
-nt) would also conform with the general
system that the plural pronominal endings
include the plural marker l (VT48:11). In
Tolkiens early material, the ending -lt appears
as -lto instead (e.g. tulielto they have come,
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LT1:270). In the independent pronouns,
distinct forms may be used depending on
whether they, them refers to living beings
(persons, animals or even plants) or to non-living
things or abstracts. The personal independent
pronoun is te, which may have a long vowel
when stressed (t, VT49:17). It is also attested in
object position (laita te bless them, LotR:989
cf. Letters:308, VT43:20). It can also receive
case endings, e.g. dative ten (VT49:14; variant
forms tna and tien, VT49:14, VT43:12, 21). As
the impersonal they, them referring to non-
living things, Tolkien in some sources used ta
(VT43:20; 8, 9), but this apparently caused
dissatisfaction because he also wanted ta to be
the singular pronoun that, it. According to
VT49:32, the form tai was introduced as the
word for impersonal they, them (in some places
changed to te, apparently suggesting that
Tolkien considered using te for both personal
and impersonal they/them, abandoning the
distinction). Another source (VT49:51) lists sa as
the pl. impersonal form, but all other published
sources use this pronoun for singular impersonal
it, not pl. they. The object them can also
be expressed by the ending -t following another
pronominal suffix (laituvalmet, we shall bless
[or praise] them", LotR:989 cf Letters:308).
Presumably this ending -t makes no distinction
between personal and impersonal forms.
Quenya also possesses special dual forms of
they, them, used where only two persons or
things are referred to (none of these pronouns
distinguish between personal and impersonal
forms). In VT49:16, the old ending for dual they
is given as -st (marked as archaic or poetic),
but this would clash with the corresponding 2nd
person ending. According to VT49:51, this
ending was changed (also within the mythos)
from -st to -tt (*caritt, the two of them do).
The independent dual pronoun is given as t
(ibid.) However, it may also be permissible to
use te for they, them even where only two
persons are involved (te is seemingly used with
reference to Frodo and Sam in one of the
examples above, laita te bless them).
Genitive forms, see THEIR; reflexive pronoun,
see THEMSELVES.
THICK tiuca (fat) -TIW
THIEF pilu (robber) -QL:73
THIGH tiuco -TIW
THIN - long and thin: lenwa (straight,
narrow) -LT2:341
THING nat, engw; THING MADE tanw
(device, construction, craft) -N
2
, VT39:7, TAN
THINGOL Singollo, short for Sindacollo
(so in Silm:421; MR:217 and WJ:410 have
Sindicollo, where the s represents original th,
cf. PM:337, where the spelling indikollo is
used [ = th as in thin]. Hence, these variant
forms should be spelt with in initial sl, not
silm, in Tengwar writing). However, it appears
that Thingol was usually called Elw in Quenya.
-MR:385
THIRD nelda, also nelya (cf. Nelyar
"Thirds", the third clan among the Elves).
Fraction ONE THIRD nelesta, neldesta, nelta,
nelsat -VT42:25, WJ:420, VT48:11
THIRTEEN yunquent (also yunquenta); a
Common Eldarin form nelekwe listed elsewhere
could yield *nelequ or *nelqu in Quenya. The
form quainel seems to be another, possibly
experimental, word for "13" in Quenya, and so is
nelqua. -VT47:15, 40, VT48:21
THIRSTY soica, fauca (open-mouthed,
parched) -VT39:11, PHAU
THIS sina (following its noun in our one
attested example: vanda sina, "this oath"; sina
is also mentioned by itself in VT49:18). THIS
DAY (or, "today") sra (other variants, possibly
rejected by Tolkien: siar, siar, hyr [archaic
hyz]); THIS HOUR sillum; IN THIS PLACE
sinom [variant snom]; OF THIS SORT st -
UT:305, VT43:18, VT44:35, LotR:1003/VT44:36,
VT49:11, 18
THITHER tar (this word may mean literally
"to it" and therefore presuppose ta as the word
for "it, that"; if so, tar may have become obsolete
when Tolkien decided that ta was to be a plural
pronoun "they/them" instead; see IT). THITHER
LANDS (as seen from Valinor) Entar, Entarda
(Outer Lands, Middle-earth, East) -TA, EN
THORN nass (spike) -NAS
THORONDOR Sorontar -Silm:438
THOU (singular 2nd person pronoun,
distinct from plural you the Quenya forms
here discussed are not archaic like English
thou, but simply express singular you).
Quenya makes a distinction between a formal or
polite thou and an intimate or familiar thou,
the latter being reserved for use between close
friends, family members, and lovers. The formal
pronoun normally appears as the ending -ly or -
l that is added to verbs, e.g. hiruvaly thou
shalt find [it] (Nam), caril or carily *thou dost
or *you (sg.) do (VT49:16). The short form in -l
may be the more usual, though the long form -
lye- must be used if a second pronominal ending
denoting the object of the verb is to be added
(e.g. *cenuvalyes thou shalt see it, with the
ending -s it appended). The ending -ly may
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also be added to prepositions (asely with
thee, VT43:29). The independent pronoun is
lye, with a long vowel (ly, VT49:51) when
stressed. This pronoun can also appear in object
position (English thee), e.g. nai Eru lye
mnata God bless you (VT49:39). Case
endings may be added, e.g. allative lyenna
upon thee (VT49:40). There is also ely thou,
even thou (Nam, RGEO:67) as an emphatic
pronoun (Nam); apparently this can also receive
case endings. Such independent pronouns may
also be used in copula-less constructions, e.g.
aistana ely "blessed [art] thou", VT43:30).
The intimate or familiar pronoun is similar in
form, only with t instead of l. The pronominal
ending is thus -ty, as in carity thou dost, you
(sg.) do (VT49:16). It is uncertain whether -ty
has a short form *-t (no such form is listed in
VT49:16), though at one conceptual stage
Tolkien mentioned such an ending that could be
added to imperatives (hecat get thee gone,
WJ:364). The independent pronoun is tye, with a
long vowel when stressed (ty, VT49:51);
presumably there also exists an emphatic
pronoun *ety (still unattested). Like lye, the
pronoun tye may also appear in object position
(ar iny, yonya, tye-mla and I too, my son,
love thee, LR:61); we must also assume that
tye (and emphatic *ety) can receive case
endings. Genitive forms, see THY.
THOUGH, see ALTHOUGH
THOUGHT sanw; COMMUNICATION OF
THOUGHT, INTERCHANGE OF THOUGHT (=
telepathy) sanw; THOUGHT-OPENING
sanw-latya (direct, telepathic thought-transfer);
THOUGHT-SENDING sanwe-menta (mental
message) -VT39:23, 30, MR:415, VT41:5
THOUSAND: No term is yet known for LotR-
style Quenya; in one version of early "Qenya"
this numeral was hm (PE13:50). Pl. hmi is
attested (used after other numbers, as in "two
thousand", i.e. "two thousands"). In later Sindarin
the word was apparently meneg (as in
Menegroth, the Thousand Caves). The Quenya
cognate has been theorized to be *menc, but
hm may be used until a later term becomes
available.
THRALL ml (slave) -M
THREAD (fine) lia (spider filament. Note:
lia- is also the verb "twine".) -SLIG
THREE neld (obsoleting ol in LT1:258) -
NEL, SA:neldor, VT47:11, VT48:6
THRESHOLD fenda -PHEN
THROAT lanco (This was changed by
Tolkien from lango, pl. langwi [the latter form is
erroneously marked with an asterisk in the
printed Etymologies, but langwi is transparently
the plural and not an ancestral form, and
Tolkien's own manuscript had no asterisk: see
VT45:26]. The plural form indicates that lango
had the stem-form langu-. If the replacement
form lanco is to behave similarly, it should have
the stem *lancu- and the plural form *lanqui.) -
LAK
1
, LANK
THRONE mahalma (loc. pl. mahalmassen
is attested) -UT:317
THRONG sanga (crowd, press); THRONG-
CLEAVER Sangahyando (personal name, the
"throng" being a closely formed body of enemy
soldiers) -STAG, LT2:342, LotR:1085 cf.
Letters:425
THROUGH ter, ter; "THROUGH-ABIDE"
(i.e., stand [fast]) #termar- (only fut. termaruva
is attested) -TER, UT:305, 317, VT44:35
THROW: the verb hat- fling may be used.
THUMB npo; in children's play also called
atto or atya ("daddy"), a term also used of the
big toe. Other terms for "thumb" (toltil, toll and
tolp) were apparently abandoned by Tolkien. -
VT47:10, 13, 26, VT48:4
THY (= singular YOUR) -lya, -tya (endings
used on nouns, VT49:16), e.g. *aldalya,
*aldatya "thy tree". The semantic distinction
between -lya and *-tya is that -lya is formal or
polite, whereas -tya is intimate or familiar (see
THOU). In UT:51 (cf. 22), -lya is translated
"your" instead of "thy", following modern English
usage (tielyanna "upon your path", with the
allative ending -nna upon following -lya your).
Independent words for thy/thine or your/yours
(sg.) could possibly be *lyenya and *tyenya,
derived from *lyen and *tyen as the theoretical
dative forms of the independent pronouns lye,
tye thou (compare ninya my and menya
our as attested pronouns seemingly derived
from the dative pronouns nin for me, men for
us).
THYSELF (reflexive pronoun), see
YOURSELF
TIDE lowtide: nanw (ebb); high tide:
luim (flood). Partially illegible glosses referred
to in VT48:30 may suggest that luim can also
refer to any tide, or the spring tide. -VT48:26, 23,
24, 30
TIE (vb.) #nut- (cited in source as nutin "I
tie", 1st person aorist) -NUT
TIGHT tunga (taut, [of strings:] resonant) -
TUG
TILL an (for, to) -Arct
TILTED talta- (sloping, leaning) -TALT
TIME lm (translated "hour" in LotR:94;
allative lmenna is attested. Note: lm also
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means "darkness"); l (= "a time, occasion").
FIXED TIME asar (Vanyarin athar) (festival); pl.
asari is attested. ONCE UPON A TIME yass,
yalmess, yress (Note: the first of these
seems to clash with *yass "in/on which".)
MEAL TIME mat (matt-) AT ONE TIME (in the
past), see ONCE. -LU, WJ:399/VT39:31, YA,
QL:59
TIMID caura -LT1:257
TIN latcen; OF TIN latucenda -LT1:268
TINDER tustur -LT1:270
TINFANG Timpando -LT1:268
TINY titta (little) -TIT
TIP till (point) (also used of fingers and
toes; see UP-POINT, UNDER-POINT) -VT47:10,
26
TISSUE lann (cloth) -LAN
TITLE see NICKNAME.
TO, TOWARDS ana, na, an (for, till);
(prefix:) ana-. English "to, towards, -wards" will
often be rendered by the allative ending -nna, pl
-nnar, as in Elenna "Starwards" (Elen + [n]na).
The dative case in -n may also express to or
for in English, and shares the same origin as
the preposition na. -N, Plotz letter, UT:432,
Silm:313, VT49:14
TODAY (or, "this day") sra (other variants,
possibly rejected by Tolkien: siar, siar, hyr
[archaic hyz]) -VT43:18
TOE taltil (taltill-) (said to be the word for
toe in "ordinary language", VT47:10). The term
ntil (ntill-, pl. ntilli given), "under-point", is
also used to mean "toe". BIG TOE taltol, also
tolbo (read perhaps *tolvo in the more usual
form of Quenya). The word atto, atya, basically
"daddy", is said to be used for "big toe" (and
"thumb") in children's play, like the word nett
(prob. netti-) "sister" is said to be used for "fourth
toe" (or "fourth finger", or even referring to the
ninth digit when both hands/feet are considered).
The word sely "daughter" was also introduced
as a name for the fourth finger/toe (counting from
the big toe/thumb) in children's play (VT47:10),
but Tolkien apparendly abandoned it (VT47:15).
The terms yonyo "big boy, son" and tolyo (also
tollo) "stricker-up" could be used of the middle
finger or toe. The word winimo "baby" (exilic
*vinimo) was used for "little finger" or "little toe".-
VT47:10-12, 15, 26, VT48:6
TOGETHER o- (prefix) -W
TOIL mta- (labour) -M
TOKEN tengw (indication, sign, writing - pl
tengwi is attested) -WJ:394, 395 cf. TEK
TOMB #noir (isolated from Noirinan,
"Valley of the Tombs"; unless this compound is
meant to contain a plural form noiri, it would
suggest that #noir has the stem-form noiri-). -
UT:166
TOMORROW enwa -QL:34
-TON (reduced form of "town" in names) -
mas (-by) -LT1:251
TONGUE (physical tongue:) lamba,
(language:) lamb, quetil (the latter also = "talk"
or "language"). (In LT2:339, it is said that lamb
covers both "physical tongue" and "speech", but
Tolkien later thought better of that. WJ:394
states that in non-technical use, lamb was the
normal word for "language"; only the
Loremasters used the technical term tengwesta
instead.) LOREMASTER OF TONGUES
#Lambengolmo (only pl Lambengolmor is
attested, in VT48:6 also translated "linguistic
loremasters"). -LAB/LotR:1157/WJ:394, 396,
KWET/VT45:25, VT48:6
TOO (= overly, excessively, as in "too big")
acca -PE13:108
TOOL, see IMPLEMENT
TOOTH nelet (nelc-), also nelc; carca
(fang, tusk); ROW OF TEETH carcan (LT2 has
carcass, carcaras "row of spikes or teeth".) -
NL-EK/VT46:3, KARAK/LT2:344
TOP inga (referring "primarily to position
and could be used of tops relatively broad".
Note: a homophone means "first"). MOUNTAIN-
TOP orotinga; TREE-TOP aldinga -VT47:28
TOPMOST PINNACLE see FINISH.
TORMENT (vb) nwalya-. (Though spelt this
way also in Etym, nwalya- must be from older
*ngwalya, for the stem is GWAL. In Tengwar
spelling, the letter nwalm (< older ngwalm)
should be used to transcribe the initial nw of
nwalya.) TORMENT (noun) nwalm (older
[MET] ngwalm), angaitya -LotR:1157 cf.
GWAL; LT1:249
TORTURE ungwal; ("Qenya" also:)
malcan, valcan -GWAL, LT1:250
TOUCH appa- ("to touch" in a literal sense),
#ap- (given as aorist stem ap) figurative "to
touch (one)" = "concern, affect". TOUCHING pa,
p (as regards, concerning) -VT44:26
TOUGH norna (stiff), tarya (stiff) -WJ:413,
TRAG
TOWARDS ana, na, an (for); (prefix:) ana-
(to) -N
TOWER mindon (also translated "Lofty
Tower"; allative pl mindonnar or mindoninnar
is attested) (turret), mindo (=isolated tower),
tirion (= watchtower; also defined as "a mighty
tower, a city on a hill), tirin (= tall tower; Note: a
homophone means "I watch") See also TOWN
WITH WALLS AND TOWERS. -
LT2:346/MC:222, MINI, LT1:258, TIR
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TOWN osto (= town with wall) (city), opel
(walled village/house), irin; TOWN WITH
WALLS AND TOWERS tirios, TOWNSHIP
ostar -OS, PEL(ES), LT1:258, LT2:343, 336
TRADE (vb) manca-, TRADESMAN macar
-MBAKH
TRAILING sra (long) -LT2:344
TRANSPARENCE liquis,
TRANSPARENCY - the word vrin is defined as
"a magic glassy substance of great lucency used
in fashoning the Moon. Used of things of great
and pure transparency." -LT1:262, LT2:339
TRAVEL lelya- (pa.t. lend) (go, proceed) -
WJ:363
TREASURE harma, harw (both words
also used of a single treasured thing), foa, mr
(jewel, precious thing); TREASURY harw (also
used = treasure). -3AR/LotR:1157, LT2:340, MIR
TREE alda (gen.pl. aldaron is attested),
orn (= high, isolated tree), taul (= great tree).
HAVING TREES, TREE-GROWN aldarwa,
TREE-TOP aldinga, TREE-SHADOWED alda,
AVENUE OF TREES aldon; LORD OF TREES
Aldaron (a name of Orom) -
GALAD/Nam/LotR:1147/1157/VT39:7, VT47:28,
OR-NI/LotR:488 cf. Letters:308, LT1:267,
LT1:249, Silm:32, 378
TRESPASS (noun) #car (isolated from
caremmar "our sins/trespasses"; verb car- "to
sin, trespass" (pl. aorist carer, carir attested).
The noun #car was the word used in Tolkien's
final version of the Quenya Lord's Prayer; a draft
version has #rohta (pl. rohtar) = "trespass" or
"debt". Compare TRESPASSERS #rohtali or
#ruhtali (i.e. "trespass-people", incorporating
li "people"?) from the same source. For other
words for "trespasser" or "debtor", see DEBTOR.
-VT43:19, 21
TRESS find (lock of hair) (probably
obsoleting findil in LT2) -SPIN, LT2:341
TRIANGLE neltil (stem neltild-, as in pl.
neltildi), nasta (spear-head/spear-point, gore) -
TIL, SNAS, VT46:14
TRIBE hostar -LT2:340; the conceptual
validity of this "Qenya" word may be questioned,
since in later Quenya it looks like the pl. form of
hosta "large number"
TRICK (noun) rinca (twitch, jerk, sudden
move) -VT46:11 cf. RIK(H)
TRIM netya- (adorn). (Note: netya- is also
an adj. "pretty, dainty".) -VT47:33
TRINITY Neldi -VT44:17
TRINKET (small thing of personal
adornment) netil -VT47:33
TRIUMPH - CRY OF TRIUMPH yello (call,
shout) -GYEL, VT45:16
TROOP hoss (army, band) -LT2:340
TROTH vr (bond, compact, oath) (Pl.
probably *vrer not *vri; cf. the similar
formation tyv "taste", pl tyver.) -WED
TRUE anwa (real, actual), sanda (firm,
abiding). For "true" = "faithful", see FAITHFUL. -
ANA, STAN
TRUMP hyla -SD:419
TRUMPET romba (horn), tumb;
TRUMPET-SOUND rma (loud sound) (Note:
rma means "shoulder" in one of Tolkien's early
"Qenya" lexicons.) -WJ:400/ROM, LT1:269
TRUNCATED ARM OR BRANCH, see
STUB, STUMP
TRUST (noun) estel (hope) -MR:320
T-SERIES tincotma (dental series) -
LotR:1154
TUBE rta -LT2:347
TN (Old English) see FENCED FIELD -
PEL(ES)
TUNE lind (air, song, singing); HARPING
ON ONE TUNE vorongandel ("vorogandele" in
the published Etymologies is a misreading; see
VT45:7) (continuous repetition) -LIN
2
TUNIC laup (shirt) -QL:51
TUNNEL rotto (cave, small grot) -PM:365,
VT46:12
TURGON Turucno (so in PM:345,
obsoleting Turondo in LT1:115)
TURN (transitive) #quer-, attested as pa.t.
quern (VT49:20). English intransitive to turn
requires a reflexive pronoun in Quenya: mo
quern immo *one turned oneself (VT49:6), in
idiomatic English simply one turned.
TURRET mindon (tower) -LT1:260
TUSK carca (tooth, fang) -Silm:429,
LT2:344
TWANG ting, tango. LT1:256 has quingi-
"twang, of strings, harp". In Etym, there is also
the unglossed verb tanga- = *"make a
twang"??? -TING, TANG
TWELVE yunqu ("q"), archaic (pre-
historic?) form yunc (VT48:7, 8). Also (or in
another conceptual phase, or in duodecimal
counting?) #rasta (only the stem RSAT is given
in the Etymologies, but cf. yurasta "24", i.e. 2 x
12, in PE14:17). TWELVE HOURS ("day" when
not meaning 24 hours) arya (day). Fraction ONE
TWELFTH yunquesta -VT47:41, VT48:6,
PE14:82, RSAT, AR
1
, VT48:11
TWENTY-FOUR yurasta -PE14:17
TWI- (prefix) y-, yu- (both) -VT45:13,
VT46:23
TWILIGHT tindm (usually of the time
near dawn, glossed "starry twilight" in Silm:438),
undm (= evening twilight), ycal, yual,
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lm (stem lmi-) (night, dusk, gloom, darkness.
Cf. Lmion "Child of the Twilight".) -LotR 1145,
KAL, LT1:255, Silm:160
TWIN onna (also = adj "twinborn", the
primary meaning of the word), pl. noni
(surprisingly, a dual form is not used) -WJ:367
TWINE lia- (Note: lia is also a noun
meaning "fine thread, spider's filament") -
LT1:271
TWINKLE #tintila- (only pl tintilar is
attested) -Nam, RGEO:67
TWINKLING STAR tingilya, tingilind -TIN
TWIST #ric- (only the perfect irci "has
twisted" is attested) (VT39:9)
TWISTED nauca (hard, ill-shapen, *small -
see SMALL.) -WJ:413
TWITCH (verb:) rihta- (jerk, give quick twist
or move), (noun:) rinca (jerk, trick, sudden
move) -RIK(H), VT46:11 cf. RIK(H)
TWO atta -AT(AT)/Letters:427, VT48:6
U
UDN Utumno (stem *Utumnu-) -Silm:438
UGH horro, orro (alas! ow!) ("exclamation
of horror, pain, disgust") -VT45:17
UGLY vanima (not fair). See also
WITHOUT BEAUTY.-VT39:14
ULCER: The early "Qenya" term sist with
stem sisty- may perhaps be updated to LotR-
style Quenya as *sist with stem *sisti-.
ULCERATED sistina (QL:86)
ULTIMATE mtima (final, last) -MC:222 cf.
215
UN- (prefix denying presence or possession
of thing or quality) - (no-, not, un-, in-)
(according to LR:396 s.v. UGU, this prefix
usually has a "bad sense", cf. vanimor "fair folk"
vs. vanimor "monsters"), il- (denoting "the
opposite, the reversal, i.e., more than the mere
negation"), also pretonic prefix la- "un-, not-". -
VT39:14, UGU, UMU, LT1:255, VT45:25
*UNCOUNTABLE ntima (pl. ntim is
attested). Translated "numberless"; the
interlinear translation in RGEO:66 has "not-
count-able", while VT39:14 offers the translation
"countless". -Nam
UNCOUNTED unot, unota (read *not,
*nota?) (not counted) -VT39:14
UNDER undu, nu (so in Nam; Etym has
no); UNDERNEATH nn (down below);
"UNDER-POINT" (lower digit = "toe") ntil
(ntill-, pl. ntilli given) -UNU, N, VT47:10
UNDERSTAND hanya- (know about, be
skilled in dealing with); UNDERSTANDING
(noun) hand (knowledge); UNDERSTANDING
(adjectival) handa (intelligent) -KHAN
UNFOLDING (noun) panti (opening,
revealing) -QL:72
UNFURL panta- (spread out, open) -PAT
UNIVERSE ilu, ilv (the whole, the all,
Allness). The term ilu used of the universe
includes God and all souls and spirits, that are
not properly included in the term E. -ILU (see
IL), VT39:20
UNWILL avanir (VT39:23)
UNPRONOUNCEABLE qutima
(impossible to say/put into words, unspeakable) -
WJ:370
UNSPEAKABLE qutima (impossible to
say/put into words, unpronounceable) -WJ:370
UNTIL, UNTO tenna (also in shortened form
tenn' before a word in a-) -LotR:1003, VT44:35-
36
UNWISE alasaila -VT41:13, 18
UP, UPWARDS amba, ama (prefix:) am-.
(The "Qenya" form amu in LT2:335 is prob.
obsolete.) "UP-POINT" (upper digit = "finger")
ortil (ortill-, pl. ortilli given). UPWARD SLOPE
amban; UPHILL (adj) ambapenda, ampenda -
AM
2
, UNU, VT47:10
UPON - this English preposition may be
rendered by the allative case, endings -nna pl. -
nnar, dual -nta. Cf. falmalinnar "upon foaming
waves", tielyanna "upon your path". -Nam,
UT:22 cf. 51
UPPER AIRS AND CLOUDS fanyar
(skies) -MC:223
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UPRISING ambaron, Ambarn (sunrise,
Orient) (a similar but untranslated word,
Ambarna, occurs in LotR:490). Rmen is
glossed "uprising, sunrise, east" in Silm:437, but
the normal meaning of the word is always "east".
Cf. also: "UPRISING-FLOWER" *ambalots
("referring to the flower or floreate device used
as a crest fixed to [the] point of a tall [illegible
word, possibly 'archaic'] helmet", "pointed helm-
crest". Tolkien asterisked the word because it
was not attested, only a possible Quenya form of
the name Amloth) -AM
2
, LotR:490, WJ:318
URANUS Luinil (or less probably Nnar; it
is not known for certain which of the two is
Uranus and which is Neptune) -Basic
Quenya:24, cf. Silm:55
URGE horta- (speed, send flying); URGING
(noun, not adjectival participle) hortal
(speeding), URGENCY horm -KHOR
US: The exclusive pronoun (us = I and
some others, not you) is me (suffixed to la do
not in lam tulya, "do not lead us, VT43:12,
22). This pronoun evidently connects with the
ending -lm, see WE. Inclusive "us" (i.e. "you
and me") should apparently be *ve (for older
we), connecting with the subject ending -lv
(older -lw). If the pronouns me, *ve are
stressed, the vowel may be lengthened (m, v,
VT49:51). In another conceptual phase,
Tolkiens word for inclusive "we, us" may have
been *ngw (Third Age Quenya *nw), VT48:11.
The dual forms receive the ending -t, hence met,
wet > *vet as the words for us referring to only
two persons (exclusive met = me and one other
[not you]; inclusive wet/*vet = thee and me).
Evidently me, *ve would be the same as subject
and object, so that these forms could also be
translated "we" as a short independent pronoun,
and they can also receive case endings, e.g.
attested forms like locative mess "on us",
allative mello "from us", dative men "for us". The
forms atarm, meterm "for us" also seem to
include me, but these forms were evidently
ephemeral ("for us", exclusive, is better rendered
as men, itself an attested form). -Nam/RGEO:67,
VT43:15, 19, VT44:18
USEFUL mra (fit, good) -MA3
V
VAGUE nca (faint, dim to see) -MC:223
VALE (dark) tumb (deep valley); DEEP
VALE imb (dale) (Note: imb is also the
preposition "between") -LT:269, VT45:18
*VALIAN valarinwa, attested in Lamb
Valarinwa "the language of the Valar, *Valian
Language". Cf. also valaina "of the Valar,
belonging to the Valar" (divine) -WJ:395, BAL
VALLEY nan (nand-), tumbo (stem
*tumbu-) (deep valley under/among hills, dark
vale; so in Etym, Silm:438 and LT1:269.
Letters:308 gives tumba "deep valley".) VALLEY
(adj.) nalda; "VALLEY OF SINGING GOLD"
Laurelindorinan (Lrien). -TUB, LotR:488 cf.
Letters:308, LT1:261, UT:449
VALOUR cn -KAN
VANISHED vanwa (gone, departed, dead,
lost, past and over) -WAN, Nam, WJ:366
VAST - LT2 gives aica "broad, vast", but
aica is said to mean "sharp" in later writings. -
LT2:338
VEIL (vb) halya- (conceal, screen from
light), fanta- (to cloak, mantle). "VEILS,
RAYMENT" fana (pl fanar is attested. This word
was used of the visible bodies in which the Valar
presented themselves to incarnates.) VEILED
halda (hidden, shadowed, shady) -SKAL,
VT43:22, RGEO:74
VENUS Erendil (Basic Quenya:24, cf.
Silm:55), Tancol ("Signifer", "the significant star"
- MR:385)
VERDIGRIS lairus (lairust-) -VT41:10
VESSEL ven (small boat, dish) -LT1:254
VESTMENT colla (cloak) -MR:385
VICTORY tr (mastery, might, strength),
apair -TUR, GL:17
VIGIL tiriss, also short tiris (tiriss-)
(watch) -QL:93, LT1:258
VIGOUR tuo (muscle, sinew, strength), vi
(manhood), vass, laito/laisi (new life, youth);
VIGOROUS va (adult, manly); SET
VIGOROUSLY OUT TO DO horya- (be
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compelled to do, have an impulse) -TUG,
LT1:267, WEG, VT45:22
VILLAGE masto, (walled village:) opel
(town) -LT1:251, PEL(ES)
VINE liantass -LT1:271
VIOLENCE orm (rushing, wrath, haste);
VIOLENT naraca (harsh, rending) (possibly "of
sounds", but Tolkien's extra comment is partially
illegible) -GOR, KHOR, NRAK, VT45:37
VIOLET helin, Helinyetill ("Eyes of
heartsease") (pansy) -LT1:262
VIRGIN, see MAID, MAIDEN
*VIRGINAL (or, *MAIDENLY) *vna (only
attested in elided form vn') -VT44:10
VIRGINITY vn (with the alternative, older
[MET] form wn), veness WEN
VISION olos (olor- for older oloz-, as in the
archaic pl. olozi, later olori) (dream) -UT:396.
VOCALIC EXTENSION mataina (i.e., the
addition to the base of a final vowel identical to
the base vowel [sundma]) -WJ:417
VOICE ma (pl instrumental mainen "with
voices" is attested. In some words, ma is
translated "vowel", q.v.) VOICELESS malra -
OM, WJ:391, VT39:16 (the latter source defines
ma as "voice, resonance of the vocal chords"),
VT45:28
VOID lusta (empty), cma (the Void) -LUS,
KUM
VOMIT quama- (be ill) -QL:76
VOWEL #ma (only pl. mar attested),
also #ma-tengw, #matengw (this term
refers to vowels considered as independent
phonemes, according to Fanor's new insights
on phonemics; only pl. matengwi is attested),
man (pl. "amandi" in LR:379 is a misreading for
omandi, VT46:7; this term from the Etymologies
may in any case be obsoleted by the above-
mentioned forms), #lehta tengw (lit.
"free/relased element"; only pl. lehta tengwi is
attested; we would rather expect *leht tengwi).
(Note: In some compounds, ma seems to mean
"vowel" instead of "voice": VOWEL SIGN
#matehta (only pl matehtar is attested),
DETERMINANT VOWEL sundma, VOCALIC
EXTENSION mataina (q.v. for definition). Yet
another term for "vowel", #penna pl. pennar, is
given in VT39:16, but this is taken from a draft
and not included in the final text Tolkien wrote. -
The term #muss tengw "soft element" (only
attested in the pl.: muss tengwi) covers
vowels, semi-vowels (y, w) and continuants (l, r,
m, n). -VT39:8/16, OM, WJ:396, 319, 417,
VT39:17
W
WAIF hecil (gender-spesific forms are hecilo
m. and hecil f.) (one lost or forsaken by friends,
outcast, outlaw) -WJ:365
WAILING (noun) yaim; WAILING (adj)
yaima -MC:223
WAIN lunca (VT43:19); as for the constellation
(aka the Great Bear), see SICKLE OF THE
VALAR
WAKENING (adj) cuiva (awakening) -KUY
WALK (vb) vanta-; WALK (noun) vanta -BAT
WALL ramba; WALL AND MOAT ossa; TOWN
WITH WALLS AND TOWERS tirios -
RAMB/Silm:436, LT1:258, LT2:336
*WANDER ranya- (only glossed "stray" under
RAN, but cf. Silm:436: "ran- 'wander, stray'" and
the following word:) WANDERING (noun) rn
(straying) (pl. probably *rner not rni; cf. the
similar formation tyv "taste" pl tyver.)
WANDERER Rna (a name of the Moon), #ran
(isolated from Palarran "far-wanderer", the name
of a ship) -RAN, Silm:436, UT:460, 461
WANT #mer- (cited in the form mer, evidently
the 3rd person aorist; pa.t. given as mern)
(wish, desire) -MER
WAR ohta -OKT, KOT
WARM lauca -LAW
WARRIOR ohtatyaro, ohtar, #mehtar
(isolated from Telumehtar "Orion, warrior of the
sky", a word occurring in LotR. Etym gives
mahtar "warrior" under MAK, but Telumehtar
not **Telumahtar under TEL). LT1:268 also has
mordo "warrior, hero", but in Tolkien's later
Quenya mordo means "obscurity, shadow,
stain, smear, dimness". -KYAR (see KAR),
UT:458, LotR:1146, MAK, TEL
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WARWICKSHIRE Alalminr (Land of Elms) -
LT1:249
WATCH (vb) #tir- (cited in source as tirin "I
watch", 1st pers. aorist), also attested as pa.t.
tirn, imperative tira and fut. tiruva is attested
(the last is translated "shall heed" in the source),
WATCH-TOWER tirion; WATCH (noun) tiriss,
also short tiris, tiriss- (vigil) -TIR, VT47:31,
MC:222 cf. 215, LT1:258, QL:93, LT1:268
WATER nn (nen-) (LT1:262 also has linqu),
WATER-FALL - LT1:249 gives axa, but this is
probably obsoleted by axa "narrow path" in
Etym; WATERY *nenda (wet - in the
Etymologies as printed in LR, nenda seemed to
be a Quenya word, but according to VT46:3 it
actually appears as a primitive form nend in
Tolkien's manuscript; the Quenya form would still
be *nenda, but it is unattested). WATER-MEAD,
WATERED PLAIN nanda; WATER-LOVERS
Nendili (used of the Lindar), WATER-VESSEL
calpa; DRAW WATER calpa- (scoop out, bale
out); ISSUE OF WATER ehtel (fountain, spring,
also cehtel, see FOUNTAIN), WATER
FALLING OUT SWIFTLY FROM A ROCKY
SPRING celuss (freshet), YELLOW WATER-
LILY nnu -NEN, WJ:410, NAD, KALPA, KEL,
UT:426, LT1:248
WAVE (crested), WAVE-CREST falma
(partitive plural allative falmalinnar is attested.
LT1:266 has solm instead of falma.) -PHAL,
VT42:15, Nam/RGEO:67
WAX lco (evidently with stem *lcu-), neit -
MC:223, GL:60
WAY ti (path, course, line, direction, road),
#vanda (isolated form Qualvanda "Road of
Death" in LT1:264; cf. vand- "way, path" on the
same page) See ROAD. -TE3/RGEO:67,
LT1:264
WE, US: The relevant Quenya pronouns make
two distinctions not found in English. We can
be either inclusive or exclusive, depending on
whether the party addressed is included in we
or not. Furthermore, we can be either plural
(involving at least three persons) or dual
(involving only two persons, the speaker and one
other). Tolkien repeatedly revised the relevant
endings. According to VT49:16, 51 one late
resolution goes like this: The ending for plural
exclusive we is -lm, corresponding to dual
exclusive -mm. Hence e.g. carilm *we [not
including you] do, carimm *the two of us do; I
and one other [not you] do. The ending for plural
inclusive we is to be -lw or -lv,
corresponding to -ngw for dual inclusive we
(VT49:16; variant -nqu in VT49:51): Carilw
we [including you] do, caringw the two of us
do; thou and I do. The corresponding
independent pronouns were pl. exclusive me, pl.
inclusive we or later *ve; when stressed these
could have long vowels (m and w > v,
VT49:51). They may also appear in object
position (us rather than we), e.g. suffixed to
la do not in the negative command lam
tulya, "do not lead us" (VT43:12, 22). If these
pronouns are to be dual, they receive the dual
ending -t (exclusive met, inclusive wet > *vet;
compare imb met between us [two] in
Namari). The dual pronouns do not have a long
vowel even when stressed. The pronouns me,
we/*ve and their long variants can also receive
case endings, like dative men or vna for us
(VT43:27, 28, 33, VT49:14) or locative mess
"on us" (VT44:12). An emphatic pronoun is
attested as emm we (VT43:20), this reflects
an earlier conceptual stage where Tolkien used
the forms in -mm for plural rather than dual
exclusive we (cf. forms like vamm, WJ:371);
presumably he would later regard emm as a
dual exclusive form, corresponding to pl. *elm
(and with *elw > *elv and *engw as the
emphatic pronouns for inclusive you, plural and
dual, respectively). These emphatic pronouns
can also receive case endings; the dative form
emmen for us is attested (VT43:12, 20).
Genitive forms, see OUR; reflexive pronouns,
see OURSELVES.
WEAK milya (soft, gentle) (Note: milya- is also
a verb "long for".) The adjectives npa and
*nimp (the latter given in archaic form nimpi),
meaning "small", are said to be used "usually
with connotation of weakness". -VT45:34,
VT48:18
WEAL, WEALTH alma (good fortune), ausi,
aut (prosperity, also adj: rich) WEALTHY
herenya (blessed, fortuneate, rich) -GALA,
LT2:336, KHER
WEAR see BEAR. WEAR (OUT) yerya- (get
old) (Note: yerya is also the adjective "old,
worn") -GYER
WEARY lumba -VT45:29
WEATHER - dark weather: lr -LT1:259
WEAVE lanya-; EVER-WEAVING Vair (name
of a Vali) -LAN, VT39:10
WEB nats (net); SPIDER'S WEB ungw -
NAT, LotR:1157
WED vesta-; WEDDING vestal; a later source
also gives veryanw -BES, WED, VT49:45
WEDGE neht (spearhead, gore, narrow
promontory. Note: a homophone means
"honeycomb".) -UT:282
WEEK lemnar (from a root meaning "five",
since the Valian week had five days), enqui
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(from a root meaning "six", since the Eldarin
week had six days), otsola (evidently meaning a
seven-day week like our own, as otso = "seven")
-LEP, LotR:1141 cf. NEK, GL:62
WEEPING nyny -LT1:262
WEFT lanat, wist -LAN , LT1:254
WELL (adverb) mai -VT47:6
WELL (noun): the form ln or ln (pl. lni
given) has the partially illegible gloss "deep pool,
or river-[?feeding] well". -VT48:28
WENT lend (departed) (past tense of lelya-
/lenna- "go") LT1:264 gives v, but this is
probably not a valid word in LotR-style Quenya. -
LED cf. VT45:27, WJ:363
WEREWOLF nauro (In Etym, this word is spelt
with initial , that is, ng. Initial ng had become n
in Third Age Quenya, and I follow the system of
LotR and transcribe it accordingly. But if this
word is written in Tengwar, the initial n should be
transcribed with the letter noldo, not nmen.) -
NGAW
WEST nmen (so in Etym and LotR; Nmen is
capitalized in UT:305. According to VT45:38 the
form nme- also occurs in Tolkien's Etym
manuscript, and nm is attested in LT1:263 as
well), andn (sunset, evening); WESTERN
nmenya; IN THE WEST nma; WESTLAND
see WESTERNESSE; WESTLANDS Andustar
(a region in Nmenor) "WEST-WINGS" (the
name of a ship) Nmerrmar -LotR:1157/ND,
Nam, UT:305, Silm:428, LT1:263, UT:165, 419,
UT:175, 458
WESTERNESSE, WESTLAND Nmenor (full
form Nmenr) -Silm:313, 414
WET mixa, linqu (obsoleting liquin in
LT1:262), *nenda (watery - in the Etymologies
as printed in LR, nenda seemed to be a Quenya
word, but according to VT46:3 it actually appears
as a primitive form nend in Tolkien's
manuscript; the Quenya form would still be
*nenda, but it is unattested.) -MISK, NEN,
LINKWI
WHAT, evidently mana as in mana i coimas
Eldaron[?] "what is the coimas [lembas] of the
Eldar?" (PM:396). See also WHO. Where "what"
means "that which", it may be translated by a
relative pronoun, as in l carita i hamil mra
"not to do what you judge good" -VT42:33
WHAT IS MORE ya, y (Note: y is also an
interjection "lo! now see!"); see MOREOVER
under MORE. -VT47:31
WHENEVER quiqui -VT49:23
WHEREIN yassen (refering back to a pl word;
sg #yass). See WHICH. -Nam, RGEO:66, 67
WHICH ya (known from the Arctic sentece and
attested with a plural locative ending in Nam:
yassen "which-in, wherein". See WHO
concerning relative pronouns.) -Nam, RGEO:66
WHINING miul (mewing) -MIW
WHIRLPOOL hwind -SWIN
WHISPER (vb) lussa-; WHISPERING SOUND
luss -SLUS (and because this is the basic root
here, and Tolkien elsewhere indicated that older
initial sl- produces Quenya hl-, it may be that
these words should properly be cited as
*hlussa-, *hluss.)
WHICH (relative pronoun) ya, y; this relative
pronoun may receive case endings, e.g. yassen
"in which, wherein" (pl.) in Namri. See THAT
#3. - It is unclear what the interrogative "which"
would be in Quenya; maybe mana "what" (?)
can be substituted. -VT43:34, VT47:21
WHITE ninqu (stem *ninqui-) (chill, pallid),
fna/fn (associated with the whiteness of
clouds, fanyar), loss (snow-white). -NIK-W-
/GL:60/Silm:435 cf. WJ:417, SPAN/VT46:15,
RGEO:69, MC:221-223
WHO (interrogative pronoun) man (so in Nam
and MC:222; MC:221 one place has men, but
that is evidently an error, for man occurs in the
same text. In FS and LR:59/63, man is
translated "what". Either Tolkien later adjusted
the meaning of the word, or man covers the
meaning of both "who" and "what", but mana is
seemingly attested in PM:396 as a distinct word
for "what".) NOTE: this "who" is used only in
questions. As for "who" as a relative pronoun, as
in "the man who did this", see THAT #3. -
Nam/MC:222
WHOEVER aiquen (if anybody) -WJ:372
WHOLE ilya (all), THE WHOLE ilv (the All,
Allness, universe). According to early material,
"the whole" (followed by some noun) is rendered
by i quanda, e.g. *i quanda cemen "the whole
earth" -IL, Silm:433, QL:70
WHOLLY aqua (fully, completely, altogether) -
WJ:392
WICKED olca (bad). Compare ulca "evil", q.v. -
VT43:23-24
WIDE palla, landa; FAR AND WIDE palan (or
"wide, over a wide space, to a distance",
VT45:21); THE WIDE WORLD Palurin -PAL,
LAD, Silm:435, LT1:264
WIELD #tur- (cited in source as turin "I wield",
1st pers. aorist), pa.t. turn (control, govern).
WIELD, esp. WIELD A WEAPON mahta- (deal
with, fight, handle, manage) -TUR,
MAK/VT39:11, MA3, VT47:6, 18, 19
WIFE veri, in earlier material also vess (In
UT:8, indis is translated "wife", but in Etym this
word is glossed "bride".) -VT49:45, BES, UT:8
cf. NDIS
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WILD verca, #hravan (only pl. hravani is
attested; Hravani the "Wild" was used in Exilic
Quenya to designate Men not belonging to the
three houses of the Edain.) -BERK, WJ:219
WILDERNESS rva (Note: a homophone
means "riverbank"). The form ravanda (or
possibly rovanda) mentioned in VT46:10 may be
either a Quenya word or an etymological form
cited to explain the "Noldorin" word rhofan. -
RAB, VT46:10
WILL (#1) (noun) nra (= "will" as a potential or
faculty, while "act of will" is nirm), *selma ()
("a fixed idea, will". In WJ:319, the word is given
as elma, but (th) would become s in the
Noldorin Quenya. Cf. ind, sind in WJ:384)
Other words for "will" turn up in Tolkien's various
translations of "thy will be done" in the Lord's
Prayer: indm, replacing #mend (mendelya
"thy will"); according to VT43:16, Tolkien in his
notes defined indm as "settled character, also
used of the 'will' of Eru". -VT39:30/VT41:6, 17;
WJ:319, VT43:15-16
WILL (#2) (verb) as part of English
circumlocutions expressing futurity, this verb will
be rendered by the Quenya future tense in -uva,
e.g. #maruva "will abide". WILL BE, see BE.
WILL NOT - I will not: v (exclamation, also =
Do not!); avan, vn, vany "I won't", avamm,
vamm "we won't" -WJ:371
WILLOW-TREE tasar, tasar () (probably
obsoleting tasarin in LT2:346) -
TATHAR/Silm:438
WIND #sr (?) (instrumental form srinen is
attested, indicating a stem-form sri-), slim
() (also the name of the month of March),
vaiwa, waiwa (the latter is probably an older
[MET] form); SOUND/NOISE OF WIND s,
WINDY wanwavoit (pl. wanwavoisi) -MC:222
cf. 215, LT1:266, Nam/RGEO:66, VT47:12, W,
LT1:266
WIND UP telya- (transitive) (conclude, finish) -
WJ:411
WINE miru, limp (the drink of the Valar, or of
the fairies). The word mruvr, mruvor is
defined as "a special wine or cordial.") -LT1:261,
LIP, LT1:258, WJ:399
WING rma (Pl. rmar and plural instrumental
form rmainen are attested. The form #rm,
occurring in the ship-name Errm "Sea-Wing",
evidently has a feminine ending.)
HAVING WINGS rmavoit (pl. prob.
*rmavoisi, cf. LEAPING, WINDY), "WEST-
WINGS" (the name of a ship) Nmerrmar -
RAM/LT2:335, MC:222, Silm:295, UT:175, 458
WINTER hrv, (in early [TLT] material:) Yelin,
Hesin. (In the Calendar of Imladris, hrv was a
precisely defined period of 72 days, but the word
was also used without any exact definition.)
Lasselanta "leaf-fall" could be used for the
beginning of winter, but the usual translation of
this word is "autumn". "WINTER ONE" Hescil (a
title of Nienna "who breedeth winter", LT1:66,
255) -LotR:1141, 1145; LT1:255, LT1:260
WISDOM nolw (secret lore, obsoleting
nlem in LT1:263), nl (long study, lore,
knowledge) (In Etym these words, as well as
nla below, are spelt with initial , that is, ng.
Initial ng had become n in Third Age Quenya,
and I follow the system of LotR and transcribe it
accordingly. Nl is so spelt also in Silm:432.
But if these words are written in Tengwar, the
initial n should be transcribed with the letter
noldo, not nmen.) WISE #saila (isolated from
alasaila "unwise"), nla (learned), saira, istima
(having knowledge, learned), iswa, isqua -
NGOL, VT41:13, 18, Silm:432, IS, SAY/VT46:12,
LT2:339
WISH (vb) #mer- (cited in the form mer,
evidently the 3rd person aorist; pa.t. given as
mern) (desire); WISH TO GO TO A PLACE
mna- (desire to go in some direction, make for
it, have some end in view). -MER, VT39:11
WITCH (of the good magic) curuni -LT1:269
WITH: For the purpose of Neo-Quenya writing,
the best translation of "with" (in the sense of
"together with") is probably #as, attested with a
pronominal suffix (see below). A string of various
prepositional elements meaning "with" are
attested, but all are probably not meant to
coexist in the same form of Quenya; rather
Tolkien often changed his mind about the details.
The preposition l, le found in early material
(QL:52) is probably best avoided in LotR-style
Quenya (in which langauge le is rather the
pronoun "you"). Tolkien later seems to be
experimenting with yo and /o as words for
"with"; yo hildinyar in SD:56 probably means
*"with my heirs", and VT43:29 reproduces a
table where various pronouns are suffixed to -,
probably meaning "with" (ni *"with me", l
*"with you", etc.) In the essay Quendi and Eldar,
Tolkien assigns a dual meaning to - as a prefix;
it was used "in words describing the meeting,
junction, or union of two things or persons, or of
two groups thought of as units" (WJ:367; cf. 361
regarding the underlying stem WO, said to be a
dual adverb "together"). The plural equivalent of
dual - is yo- (as in yomeni, WJ:407 cf. 361
regarding the underlying root J), and it may
seem to be this yo that occurs as an
independent preposition in yo hildinyar in
SD:56. The idea that - is a distinctly dual form
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does not appear in all sources; in VT43:29 we
have forms like *m *"with us", implying at least
three persons. In Tolkien's drafts for a Quenya
rendering of the Hail Mary, he experimented with
various prepositional elements for the phrase
"with thee" (see VT43:29). A form carely was
replaced with asely in the final version.
Removing the ending -ly "thee" and the
connecting vowel before it leaves us with #as as
the word (or a word) for "with"; this is ultimately
related to the conjunction ar "and" (see VT43:30,
47:31). In English, the preposition "with" may
also have an instrumental force, which is best
rendered by the Quenya instrumental case (e.g.
*nambanen "with [= using] a hammer").
WITHER hesta-, WITHERED hessa (dead) -
LT1:255
WITHIN mi (see IN) -MI
WITHOUT (adj & prep) (usually followed by
genitive: calo "without light [cala]") (destitute
of). WITHOUT BEAUTY van, adj. vana.
(As for a suffix "-less", also glossed "without" by
Tolkien, see entry -LESS.) -VT39:14
WIZARD istar (nom. pl. istari and gen.pl.
istarion are attested), sairon, curuvar
WIZARDRY - in LT1:269, curu is glossed
"magic, wizardry", but in Etym the gloss is simply
"skill". -LotR:1121, UT:388, cf. IS, SAY; LT1:269
WOLF rca, narmo, WEREWOLF nauro;
WOLFHOWL naul (In Etym, narmo, nauro and
naul are spelt with initial , that is, ng. Initial ng
had become n in Third Age Quenya, and I follow
the system of LotR and transcribe it accordingly.
But if these words are written in Tengwar, the
initial n should be transcribed with the letter
noldo, not nmen.) -DARK, NGAR(A)M,
NGAW
WOMAN ns (so in MR:213, Etym gives nis,
but both sources agree that the pl is nissi (the
alternative pl. form nsi in VT43:31 seems
abnormal, since this would be expected to
become *nzi > *nri). A longer form of ns/nis is
niss, clashing with *niss "in me". For clarity
writers should probably use the short sg ns, as
Tolkien himself does in MR:213, with the stem
niss- before endings, as in the pl. nissi). At the
end of compounds the form -nis may occur, as
in Artanis (see NOBLE WOMAN). A poetic word
for "woman" is n (female). The form #nna
(gen. pl. nnaron attested, VT43:31) may have
been but an ephemeral word for "woman" in
Tolkien's conception. LARGE WOMAN nisto -
NDIS/N/NIS, MR:213, VT43:31, N, INI, VT47:33
WOMB #mna (isolated from mnalyo "of thy
womb"). Another word, #carva, was possibly
rejected by Tolkien. -VT43:31
WONDER (noun) elmenda -PM13:143
WON'T see WILL NOT
WOOD toa (probably "wood" as a material
rather than "wood" = "forest"; not to be confused
with the homophone adj. toa "of wool, woollen"),
GREAT WOOD taur (pl. tauri is attested)
(forest), wood as material: tavar (also toa),
rough piece of wood: runda, piece of shaped
wood: pano, smouldering wood (ember): yulm
(Note: yulm also means "drinking, carousal")
firewood: turu ("firewood" was the proper
meaning, but the word was used for "wood" in
general); OF WOOD taurina, WOODEN turva,
WOODEN POST samna (); WOODEN HALL
ampano, WOODPECKER tambaro,
WOODLAND tavas (LT1:261 also gives nan(d),
but this means "valley" in LotR-style Quenya.) -
VT39:6, TWAR/Silm:438/MC:222 cf. 215, RUD,
PAN, YUL, LT1:270, STAB, TAM, LT1:267
WOOF winda -LT1:254
WOOL t (obsoleting oa in LT1:249; GL:71 has
toa, but cf the following:) OF WOOL, WOOLLEN
toa (not to be confused with the homophone toa
"wood") -TOW
WORD quetta (pl. quettar is attested. LT2:348
gives quent; this word is no doubt obsolete in
LotR-style Quenya. GL:28 has "qetta-") -
Silm:436, WJ:391
WORLD Ambar (earth), THE WIDE WORLD
Palurin. (LT2 gives irmin "the world, all the
regions inhabited by Men"; this is probably not a
valid word in LotR-style Quenya.) OF THE
WORLD marda (an adjective, *"wordly"); THE
ENDING OF THE WORLD Ambar-metta,
ambarmetta; "WORLD-ARTIFICER" Martamo
(a title of Aul) REDEEMER OF THE WORLD
Mardorunando (it is not clear whether the initial
element #mardo means "world" or "of the world";
cf. marda above. It may be that mardo is the
genitive of mar, mard-, translated "earth" in
Friel's Song.) -LotR:1003 cf. MBAR, VT44:36,
LT1:251, 264, LT2:343, LT1:266, VT44:17
WORN yerna (old [of things]), colla (passive
participle of #col- "bear, *wear") (borne). The
latter is also used as a noun = "vestment, cloak".
-GYER, MR:385
WORTH, WORTHY valda (dear) -GL:23
WOSE R, Ratan (pl Ratani is given) -
UT:385
WOUND (vb) harna-; WOUNDED harna;
WOUND (noun) harw -SKAR
WRAP vaita- (enfold) -LT1:271, VT46:21
WRATH orm (haste, violence, rushing) -GOR,
KHOR
WREATHE ra (garland) -PM:347
WRIGHT samno () (carpenter, builder) -STAB
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WRIST mlim (literally "hand-link", m +
#lim). Stem *mlimi-, given primitive form m-
limi. -VT47:6
WRITE #tec- (3rd pers. aorist tec is given);
noun WRITING sarm (in the Etymologies also
tengw, but in a later source this word is said to
mean "indication, sign, token", and this meaning
may be predominant in Tolkien's later Quenya; pl
tengwi is attested); WRITING SYSTEM tencel
(spelling); WRITINGS parma (book) -VT39:8,
TEK cf. WJ:394, 395, LT2:346
WRONG raica (crooked, bent). INDUCEMENT
TO DO WRONG #sahti (temptation), attested
in the allative case (sahtienna) -RYAK,
VT43:23
Y
YARD ranga (pl rangar is attested). The
basic meaning of ranga was "full pace". This
Nmenrean linear measure was "slightly longer
than our yard, approximately 38 inches [= 96.5
cm]". -UT:285, 461
YAWN yanga-, #hac- (only attested as
participle: hcala "yawning") -YAG, MC:222
YEAR loa (lit. "growth"), coranar (lit. "sun-
round", used when the year was considered
more or less astronomically - but loa is stated to
be the more usual word for "year"). The pl.
coranri is attested (PM:126). LONG-YEAR yn
(pl. yni is attested in Nam; the Etymologies as
printed in LR cite the stem-form as yen-, but
according to VT46:22 Tolkien's manuscript
actually has the pl. form yni as in Nam). A
"long-year" is a period of 144 solar years, an
Elvish "century" - the Eldar used duodecimal
counting, in which 144 is the first three-digit
number, like our 100. But sometimes it seems
that yn simply means "year". Cf the following
words: LAST YEAR yenya, HAVING MANY
YEARS linyenwa (old), *RECKONING OF
YEARS Ynonti -LotR:1141, YEN, MR:51
YELLOW malina, tulca (the latter was
adopted from Valarin and used in Vanyarin
Quenya only),YELLOW POWDER malo (stem
*malu-) (pollen), "YELLOW HAMMER" (yellow
bird) ammal, ambal, YELLOW WATER-LILY
nnu -SMAL, WJ:399, LT1:248
YES n (literally "is", i.e. "[so it] is"). In one
conceptual phase, Tolkien used l for "yes", but
in both earlier and later material, l is the
negation "no, not" instead. -QL:64, VT42:33
YESTERDAY noa (shortened from the full
phrase noa r former day). In another
conceptual phase, noa meant tomorrow
instead. Not to be confused with noa
conception; idea. -VT49:34
YOKE yanta (bridge), yalt -YAT, GL:37
YON, YONDER (adj) enta (note: a
homophone means "another, one more");
YONDER (interjection?) en (there, look!) -EN,
VT45:12
YOU (plural and dual only; for singular
"you", see THOU): Plural you is normally
expressed by the ending -ld that is added to
verbs, e.g. carild you do (VT49:16; in earlier
texts Tolkien also used the ending -ll for pl.
"you, VT43:36). The reduced form -l may be
attached to an imperative: hecal! "you be gone!"
(WJ:364). Independent pronoun le, with long
vowel (l, VT49:51) when stressed. Case
endings may be added, e.g. dative *len for you
(cf. nin for me). YOUR, ending -lda (VT49:16),
e.g. onnalda your child (VT49:42); as an
independent word perhaps *lenya (compare
ninya my vs. ni I, nin for me). Dual forms
of you, involving only two persons: ending -st,
independent pronoun tyet (intimate/familiar) or
let (polite/formal), YOUR (dual): ending -sta, as
independent word perhaps *tyentya, *lentya
derived from dual dative forms *tyent, *lent for
you (two). Compare such attested forms as
ninya my and menya our vs. the dative
pronouns nin for me, men for us.
YOUNG nessa, vinya, cana; YOUTH ns
(), ness, vri, vn, laito/laisi (vigour, new
life). Note: all of these words seem to mean
"youth" as an abstract; for "youth" = "young
person", see YOUNGSTER. YOUNG OR
SMALL WOMAN, see GIRL. YOUTHFUL
nessima -NETH, VT46:22, VT47:26, LR:25,
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GL:37, LT1:267 YOUNGSTER winyamo (read
*vinyamo in Exilic Quenya) -VT47:26
YOUR, see YOU
YOURSELF (or "thyself", reflexive pronoun)
immo (a general sg. reflexive pronoun, covering
English "myself, him/herself, yourself"). Also
specific 2nd person forms: inty (apparently
familiar), iml (apparently formal). Plural
YOURSELVES ind (a form imde is also listed,
but may be intended as the older form that
yielded ind) -VT47:37
YOUTH, see YOUNG
Z
ZIMRAPHEL Mriel -UT:224, Silm:324
ZIMRATHN Hostamir -UT:222