13.54 Cardinal Number Q. canta num. “four” The Quenya word for “four” derived from the root √KANAT of the same meaning (PE17/95; VT42/24; VT48/6; Ety/KÁNAT). Conceptual Development: The word ᴱQ. kanta “four” dates all the way back to the Early Qenya Grammar (EQG) of the 1920s (PE14/49, 82), but in
Select Elvish Words
Studies on selected elvish words to sort out their semantics.
Select Elvish Words: 13.41-13.45 Three
13.41 Three Q. neldë num. “three” The Quenya word for “three” derived from √NEL(ED) of the same meaning (VT47/10-11; Ety/NEL). Conceptual Development: This use of nelde for “three” dates back all the way to Early Qenya Grammar (EQG) of the 1920s (PE14/49, 82). However, in the Qenya Lexicon of the
Select Elvish Words: 13.38 Double, Twice
13.38 Double, Twice Q. at(a)- pref. “double, [repeat a] second time; [ᴱQ.] bi-, twi-; ⚠️[ᴹQ.] back, again, re-” A prefix for “double” based on √AT of similar meaning used in various words like atendëa “double-middle” (RC/728) and atamaitë “two-handed” (PE17/162). In notes from around 1959 Tolkien said it could also
Select Elvish Words: 13.37 Second
13.37 Second Q. attëa adj. “second” The usual Quenya word for “second”, an adjectival form of atta “two” (VT42/25). Conceptual Development: The word ᴱQ. potsina appeared in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with the glosses “rearward, back, rear, hinder”, and based on ᴱQ. pote “after, behind (of place)” under
Select Elvish Words: 13.36 Two
13.36 Two Q. atta num. card. “two” This is the usual Quenya counting number for “two”, derived from √ATATA (VT42/27; VT48/19), which in turn is based on √AT “bi-, double, again (a second time)” (PE17/148, 166). It may be contrasted with yúyo “both” referring to both elements of a pair.
Select Elvish Words: 13.35 Last
13.35 Last Q. métima adj. “last, ultimate, final” A word for “last, ultimate, final” from the 1960s version of the Markirya poem (MC/221-222), clearly based on the root √MET “end, finality”. Conceptual Development: The version of the poem from around 1930 had ᴱQ. oilima “last” instead (MC/213-214). It had variants
Select Elvish Words: 13.34 First
13.34 First Q. eteminya adj. “prominent, *eminent” A word for “prominent” in notes from the late 1960s, a combination of et(e)- “out” and minya “first” (VT42/24). ᴹQ. héra adj. “chief, principal, *main” A word for “chief, principal” in The Etymologies of the 1930s, an adjective form of ᴹQ. heru “master”
Select Elvish Words: 13.33 Alone, Only
13.33 Alone, Only Q. er adj. and adv. “one, alone; ⚠️[ᴱQ.] only, a single” The Quenya word for “one, alone” used for isolated or unique things and derived from the root √ER (PE23/142; Ety/ERE). This is contrasted min “one” used when counting: min, atta, neldë, etc. (VT48/6). Conceptual Development: The
Select Elvish Words: 13.32 One
13.32 One ᴱQ. ellume n. “once, one time” A word appearing as ᴱQ. ellume “*one time” in the Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s, a combination of ᴱQ. er “one” and ᴱQ. -llume “times” (PE14/51, 84). This document had an alternate ᴱQ. eru “once” as an adverbial form of er,
Select Elvish Words: 13.25 Fraction, Division
13.25 Fraction, Division Q. caista n. “one tenth” A word appearing as kaista or kast “1/10” in notes on numbers from the late 1960s, a combination of √KAYAN “ten” with the fractional suffix -sta. Neo-Quenya: Since I prefer quëan for “ten”, I would use ᴺQ. quaista “one tenth” for purposes