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The Quenya Workbook

Short lessons by Malinornë for The Council of Elrond, based on Helge
Fauskanger's Quenya Course at Ardalambion.

Contents

Lesson 1: Pronunciation and stress......................................................2

Lesson 2: Nouns, plurals, the definite article......................................4

Lesson 3: Dual number and stem variation.........................................6

Lesson 4: Adjectives, the copula............................................................7

Lesson 5: The present tense of the verb, adjectival comparison......9

Lesson 6: The past tense.......................................................................11

Lesson 7: The aorist and future tense of the verb............................12

Lesson 8: The perfect tense, personal pronouns...............................14

Lesson 9: The infinitive, the negative verb and the active participle
...................................................................................................................16

Lesson 10: Adverbs, pronouns, verbs in -ya, the passive participle

...................................................................................................................18

Lesson 11: The genitive case................................................................20

Lesson 12: The possessive case , verbal nouns..................................22

Lesson 13: Dative, gerunds, endings for "we"...................................23

Lesson 14: The allative and ablative cases, possessive pronominal

endings.....................................................................................................25

Lesson 15: The locative case, relative sentences..............................27

Lesson 16: The instrumental case, the imperative...........................29

Lesson 17: Demonstratives, u-stem nouns, ordinal numbers...................31

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Lesson 1: Pronunciation and stress

Vowels
The vowels in Quenya are pronounced distinctly in all positions. The
difference between long and short vowels lies mainly in the length, not
the
quality, of the sound.

á = long a, like in "father"

a = short a, like the a in "aisle"
é = long e, like in German "Mehr"
e = short e, like in "end"
í = long i, like in "machine"
i = short i, like in "pit"
ó = long o, like in "sore"
o = short o, like in "box"
ú = long u, like in "brute"
u = short u, like in "put"

A diphthong is a combination of vowels that represent a single sound.

There are 6 diphthongs in Quenya:
ai (as in "aisle"), au ("cow"), eu (British "so"), iu ("yule"), oi, ("oil") ui
("ruin"). Vowels in all other combinations are to be pronounced
separately. This, as well as final e, is often marked by dieresis (two dots).
The use of dieresis is optional, and it is not used in Tengwar writing.

Consonants
c = always pronounced as "k" ("come")
h = pronounced as "h" (hand) in the beginning of words, and as "ch"
(German
"Bach") between consonants. Not pronounced at all in the combinations
hw,
hw, hl, hr.
l = always like in "let"
r = trilled, as in Scottish English
s = always unvoiced as in "so"
y = always a consonant, pronounced like in "yes"
qu = "kw": the "u" in this combination does not count as a vowel; it is just
another way to spell the "w" sound
A combination of consecutive consonants is called a consonant cluster.

Word stress
In words with two syllables, the stress falls on the first syllable.
In words with three or more syllables, the stress falls on the second to
last syllable if it meets one of the following criteria:
- it contains a long vowel (long vowels are marked with an accent)
- it contains a diphtong
- it contains a short vowel followed by a consonant cluster
Otherwise, the stress falls on the third to last syllable.

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Notice that, as a diphtong counts as one single sound, both vowels are
stressed. This is the only case where more than one vowel can receive the
stress.

Examples (names):
Manwë (2 syllables, stress on first: MAN-we)
Elerína (4 syllables, stress on second to last: e-le-RI-na
Úlairi (3 syllables, stress on second to last: u-LAI-ri)
Eärendur (4 syllables, stress on second to last: e-a-REND-ur)
Aratan (3 syllables, stress on third to last: A-ra-tan)

Yes, but how does Quenya *really* sound?

A sound file of Tolkien reciting "Namárië" (Galadriel's Lament) can be
found here:
http://www.salon.com/audio/2000/10/05/tolkien_elvish/index.html
The words are on the Elvish translations page:
http://www.councilofelrond.com/modules.php?
op=modload&name=EZCMS&file=index&page_id=2
Notice that this information is provided as extra help with pronunciation.
It is not a mandatory part of the lesson.

***

Vocabulary list 1

1. apsa "cooked food, meat"

2. masta "bread"
3. sáva "juice"
4. pirya "juice, syrup"
5. sulpa "soup"
6. yávë "fruit"
7. porë "flour, meal"
8. culuma "orange"
9. sulca "edible root"
10. coimas "lembas"
11. miruvórë "mead"; a drink poured out at festivals in Valinor
12. limpë "wine, drink of the Valar"

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Lesson 2: Nouns, plurals, the definite article

Plurals
The normal Quenya plural is formed by adding the ending –r or –i to the
words.
Nouns ending in a vowel, except –ë, add –r. This also goes for words
ending in the combination –ië.
Nouns ending in just –ë replace this final ë with i.
Nouns ending in consonants add –i.

Example:
orco > orcor
nórië > nórier
lótë > lóti
amil > amili

Quenya does not have any indefinite article that would correspond to “a”
in English. There´s only the definite article i.

Example:
orco (an orc, or just “orc”)
i orco (the orc)
i orcor (the orcs)

Translation of words used in the examples:

nórië - country
lótë - flower
amil - mother

***

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Vocabulary list 2

1. culuma “orange” (the fruit)

2. cundu “prince”
3. aranel “princess”
4. heru “lord”
5. heri “lady”
6. roquen “knight, rider”
7. cáno “commander”
8. istyar “scholar”
9. sairon “wizard”
10. lambengolmo “linguist”
11. tano ”craftsman, smith”
12. mahtar “warrior”

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Lesson 3: Dual number and stem variation

Dual numbers
In addition to the normal plural, Quenya also has a dual number, which is
used to denote two things naturally forming a pair, such as the two feet of
one person.

Quenya has two dual markers: -t and -u

- Words that don't already contain a “t” or “d” form their duals by adding
“-t”
Example: aiwë (“bird”) > aiwet (“a pair of birds”)
- Words that contain a “t”or “d” add “-u” instead. If the word ends in a
vowel, that vowel is displaced by the “u”. Example: Alda (tree) > Aldu
(“the Two Trees of Valinor”)
Notice: Body parts form their duals with “-u”, even if the word does not
contain a “t” or “d”.

Stem variation
Some nouns have a special form, the so-called stem, which is the form all
endings are added to. In wordlists, this form is often given in brackets.
Example: hen (hend-)
This means that when forming the plural or dual of the noun “hen” (eye),
the ending should be added to the form “hend-“, producing “hendi”
(plural) and “hendu” (dual).
Notice that “hendi” would mean “eyes” in general, while “hendu” would
be the two eyes of one person.

***

Vocabulary list 3

1. car (card-) "building, house"

2. falas (falass-) "shore, beach"
3. lis (liss-) "honey"
4. meren (merend-) "feast, festival"
5. pilin (pilind-) "arrow"
6. seler (sell-) "sister"
7. toron (torn-) "brother"
8. atar "father"
9. amil "mother"
10. hína (plural: híni) "child"
11. huan (hún-) "hound"
12. laman (lamn-) "animal"

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Lesson 4: Adjectives, the copula

Adjectives
Quenya adjectives usually end in "-a" or "-ë", or, less often, in "-in".

The normal word order is to let the adjective come before the noun, as in
English, e.g. "malina lótë" (a yellow flower).
Reversed word order may be used for emphasis or when the adjective is
part of a title e.g. "Sauron Úmëa" (Sauron the Evil)

When the word "is" is used to connect a noun with an adjective in phrases
such as "the flower is yellow" it´s referred to as the "copula". The Quenya
copula is "ná" (singular) and "nar" (plural). Examples: I lótë ná malina.
(The flower is yellow), I lóti nar malinë (The flowers are yellow). The
copula is sometimes understood (left out), but the normal way is to use it.

Adjectives agree in number with the noun they describe, so with a plural
noun the adjective must be pluralized. The same rule applies when the
adjective describes more than one noun.
The plural endings are:
-ë (for adjectives ending in "-a" in singular)
-ië (for adjectives ending in "-ëa" in singular)
-i (for adjectives ending in "-ë" or "-in" in singular)

Examples:
malina lótë (a yellow flower) > malinë lóti (yellow flowers)
úmëa atar (an evil father) > úmië atari (evil fathers)
sindë car (a grey house) > sindi cardi (grey houses)
firin orco (a dead orc) > firini orcor (dead orcs)

***

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Vocabulary list 4

1. vanima "beautiful, fair"

2. halla "tall"
3. anda "long"
4. titta "tiny"
5. úvëa "very large, abundant"
6. nindë "slender"
7. culuina "orange" (the colour)
8. laurëa "golden"
9. luin "blue"
10. malina "yellow"
11. sindë "grey"
12. laiqua "green"

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Lesson 5: The present tense of the verb, adjectival comparison

The present tense

The present tense in Quenya corresponds closely to the present
continuous in English; it is used to describe ongoing actions, such as e.g.
"the child is eating" (i hína máta) as opposed to "the child eats" (i hína
matë). ). Notice that there is no "is" in the Quenya present tense - "máta"
means "is eating" all by itself.

Most verbs in Quenya fall into one of the two main categories:
* a-stem verbs, also called "derived verbs" (end in "-a")
* primary or "basic" verbs

The main vowel of a verb is referred to as the "stem vowel". This is

usually the first vowel, unless that one is part of a prefix.

The present tense of basic verbs is formed by lengthening the stem vowel
and adding "-a". Example: suc- > súca

The present tense of a-stems is also formed by adding "-a", but since
there would now be two "a" in a row, they turn into "-ëa" instead. The
stem vowel is lengthened unless it is followed by more than one
consonant. Example: anta > antëa

Verbs agree in number with their subjects. The plural is formed by adding
the plural ending "-r" to the singular form. Example: i hína máta > i híni
mátar

Adjectival comparison
The comparative form of adjectives is not known, but this lack can be
circumvented by using "malda" (more) or "lá" (beyond). Examples: laiqua
(green) > malda laiqua (greener, literally: more green). I toron ná halla lá
i seler. (the brother is taller than the sister; literally: the brother is tall
beyond the sister).

The superlative of adjectives is formed by adding the prefix "an-".

Examples: vanima > anvanima (fair > fairest)
Assimilation occurs when the adjectives begins in l, r,s or m. Example:
laiqua > allaiqua (green > greenest), ringa > arringa (coldest), saila >
assaila (wisest), melda > ammelda (dearest)

***

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Vocabulary list 5

1. harya- "possess, have"

2. ista- "know"
3. móta- "labour, toil"
4. anta- "give"
5. cen- "see"
6. hlar- "hear"
7. mat- "eat",
8. mer- "wish, desire, want"
9. tul- "come"
10. quet- "speak"
11. hir- "find"
12. mel- "love" (as friend)

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Lesson 6: The past tense

The past tense

The past tense of a-stem verbs is formed by just adding the ending "-në"
to the stem. Example: anta- (give) > antanë (gave)

Primary verbs also form their past tense with this ending, but there are
some things to think about:
* the past tense ending can be added directly to verb stems ending in -r, -
m, -n. Example: cen- (see) > cennë (saw)
* when the verb stem ends in another consonant the "n" changes place
with the last consonant of the verb stem. This is called nasal infixion.
Example: mat- (eat) > mantë (ate)
But when the last consonant of the verb stem is "p", the "infixed" "n"
becomes "m" instead. Example: cap- (jump) > campë (covered)
*verb stems ending in "-l" form their past tense by adding "-lë". Example:
mel- (love) > mellë (loved)

There are some irregular verbs as well, such as "túlë" (from "tul-") and
"sintë" (from "ista-") but most follow this pattern.

Just as for the present tense, the ending "-r" is added after the tense
ending when the verb has a plural subject. Example: "i atar mótane" (the
father worked) - "i atari mótaner" (the fathers worked)

***

Vocabulary list 6

1. lir- "sing"
2. mac- "hew with a sword"
3. varya- "protect"
4. vinya "new"
5. yerna "old, worn" (of things)
6. nessa "young"
7. linyenwa "old" (of people)
8. qualin "dead"
9. lindë "song"
10. macil "sword"
11. lómë "night"
12. aurë "day"

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Lesson 7: The aorist and future tense of the verb

Aorist
Just like English, Quenya can be said to have two tenses that are used to
describe actions in the present; the present tense (see Lesson 5), that is
used for ongoing actions, and the so called aorist, that is used for
"general" or "timeless" actions.

The aorist tense of A-stem verbs looks the same as the verb stem; e.g.
harya- (stem: to have) > harya (aorist: has, have).
The aorist tense of primary verbs is formed by adding -i to the stem, *but*
this "i" changes to "ë" unless another ending follows after it; e.g. mat- (to
eat) > matë (eats, eat)

Just as for the previously discussed tenses, "-r" is added when the verb
has a plural subject. Example: "i laman matë" (the animal eats), but "i
lamni matir" (the animals eat). Note that the "real" aorist ending "-i-" is
visible here, because of the added plural ending "-r".

The future tense

The future tense is used to describe actions in the future; things that are
going to happen. The future tense of both kinds of verbs is formed by
adding the ending "-uva". The final "-a" of A-stems is dropped when the
future tense ending is added.
Examples: harya- > haryuva (will have); mat- > matuva (will eat).

The plural is formed by adding the plural marker "-r". Example: "i roquen
haryuva rocco" (the knight will have a horse), but "i roqueni haryuvar
rocco" (the knights will have a horse).

***

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Vocabulary list 7

1. feuya- "abhor"
2. tur- "rule, control, govern"
3. fir- "die"
4. mitta- "enter"
5. sí "now"
6. mal "but"
7. osto "town"
8. anga "iron"
9. telpë "silver"
10. nórë "country, land, nation"
11. vessë "wife"
12. venno "husband"

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Lesson 8: The perfect tense, personal pronouns

The perfect tense

The perfect tense of basic verbs is formed by adding the ending -ië to the
verbal stem. The stem vowel (usually the first vowel in the stem) is
reduplicated and added as a prefix. It is also lengthened, unless it is
followed by more than one consonant.
Step for step example: "mel-" (love)
1. change ending > "melië"
2. reduplicate stem vowel > "emelië"
3. lenghten stem vowel if necessary > "emélië" ("has loved")

The perfect tense of A-stem verbs is formed in exactly the same way,
except that the final -a has to be removed before the ending -ië is added.
Example: "mitta-" (enter) > "imittië" (has entered)
Note that the Quenya perfect tense consists of one word only; it is not
like English, where we need the auxiliary verb "has" or "have".

Exceptions:
1. Verbs in "-ya" drop this ending before "-ië" is added. Example: "varya-"
(protect) > "avárië" (has protected)
2. Verbs beginning in a vowel get no prefix. Example: "anta-" (give) >
"antië" (has given)

Pronouns
Most pronouns in Quenya occur as pronominal endings.
"I" is written as the ending "-n" or "-nyë". Example: "antan" (I give)
"You" is "-l" or "lyë" Example: "antal" (you give)
"He, she, it" is "-s" or "-ryë" Example: "antas" (he/she/it gives)

The short form is the one most often used in simple constructions like
these, but if a second ending is to be added, the long form must be used
instead. The pronoun denoting the subject comes first, then the pronoun
for the object. Examples: "antanyel" (I give you), "antalyen" (you give
me).

***

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Vocabulary List 8

1. hehta- "abandon, forsake, put aside, exclude"

2. col- "bear, wear, carry"
3. car- "build, make, do"
4. rista- "cut"
5. tec- "write"
6. parma "book"
7. carnë "red"
8. mára "good, useful"
9. morna "black"
10. ninquë "white"
11. lissë "sweet"
12. ringa "cold"

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Lesson 9: The infinitive, the negative verb and the active participle

The infinitive
The infinitive of basic verbs is formed by adding the ending -ë to the
verbal stem. Example: "tecë" (to write)
The infinitive of A-stem verbs is identical to the verbal stem. Example:
"anta" (to give)

The Quenya infinitive is used much the same as in English; to make it

possible to combine several verbs in a sentence. Example: "Melin tecë." (I
love to write.) Notice that Quenya does not have the particle "to" that
English has.

The negative verb

Quenya has a special verb that is used together with the infinitive in
negative expressions such as "not to do (something)". It can also be used
by itself to mean "not to be". The verbal stem is "um-", past tense "úmë",
future tense "úva".

Examples:
Umin atar. Úmen atar. Úvan atar. (I am not a father. I was not a father. I
will not be a father.)
I híni umir hallë. (The children are not tall.)
I roquen úva móta. (The knight will not toil.)
I toron úmë merë quetë. (The brother did not want to speak) Notice the
use of two infinitives here.

The active participle

The active participle is an adjectival word derived from a verb and it is
used to describe nouns the same way normal adjectives are. Example:
"mótala amil" (a toiling mother)

The active participle is formed by adding the ending -la to the verbal stem
and lengthening the stem vowel (unless it is followed by more than one
consonant). Example: "antala" (giving, from "anta-")
For basic verbs, an "a" is added to the stem to avoid "impossible"
consonant combinations. Example: "mátala" (eating, from "mat-")

Notice that, unlike adjectives, the active participle does not agree in
number with the word it describes. Example: "mótala amil" (a toiling
mother), "mótala amili" (toiling mothers)

***

Vocabulary List 9

1. minë "one"
2. atta "two"

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3. neldë "three"
4. canta "four"
5. um- "not to be, not to do"
6. ramya- "to fly"
7. alqua "swan"
8. quetta "word"
9. wilwarin "butterfly"
10. ve "as, like"
11. yondo "son"
12. yeldë "daughter"

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Lesson 10: Adverbs, pronouns, verbs in -ya, the passive participle

Adverbs
Adverbs can be formed by adding the ending -vë to adjectives ending in -
a. Example: linta ("swift", adjective) > lintavë ("swiftly", adverb)
There are also adverbs not formed from adjectives, such as sí (now), rato
(soon), aqua (fully, completely).

Pronominal endings for "they" and "them"

In Quenya, the pronoun "they" is expressed with adding the ending "-ntë"
to the verb. Examples: Mótantë (They labour), Mótuvantë. (They will
labour), Mótanentë (They laboured).

"them" is expressed with the ending "-t". Example: I amil cennet. (The
mother saw them.)
Exception: when "-t" is added to an infinitive of a basic verb, the ending "-
ta" is inserted before "-t". Example: I amil merne cenitat. (The mother
wished to see them.)

Two pronominal endings can be added to the same verb. Example:

Cenuvantet. (verb stem "cen-" + future tense ending "-uva" + pronominal
ending "-nte" (subject) + pronominal ending "-t" (object)) Translation:
They will see them.

The simple plural ending "-r" is not used when the verb has a pronominal
ending.
Example: I atari quetuvar. (The fathers will talk) BUT Quetuvantë (They
will talk.)

Past tense of verbs ending in "-ya"

Intransitive verbs (verbs that can't have an object) that end in "-ya" drop
this ending in the past tense. Example: "ranya-" (to stray) > p.t. "rannë"
(NOT "ranyanë")
Transitive verbs in "-ya" keep this ending in the past tense. Example:
"hilya-" (to follow) > p.t. "hilyanë"

The passive participle

The passive participle is an adjectival word derived from a verb and it is
used to describe nouns. Example: "quétina quetta" (a spoken word).

The passive participle of A-stem verbs is formed by adding the ending -ina
to the verbal stem Example: "lantaina" (fallen, from "lanta-")
The ending -ina is also used with basic verbs ending in -c, -t or -p. The
stem vowel is lengthened unless it is followed by more than one
consonant. Example: "quétina" (spoken, from "quet-").
The passive participle of basic verbs ending in other consonants is formed
by just adding the ending -na to the verbal stem. Example: "carna" (made,
from "car-"). Exception: in verbs ending in -l, the ending changes into "-

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da" to avoid the impossible consonant combination "ln". Example: "melda"

(loved, from "mel-")

Just like adjectives, passive participles agree in number with the word
they describe. Example: "lantaina lassë" (a fallen leaf), "lantainë lassi"
(fallen leaves)

***

Vocabulary List 10

1. lempë "five"
2. enquë "six"
3. otso "seven"
4. tolto "eight"
5. lanta- "to fall"
6. ranya- "to stray"
7. hilya- "to follow"
8. linta "swift"
9. rato "soon"
10. aqua "fully, completely, wholly"
11. oialë "forever"
12. lassë "leaf"

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Lesson 11: The genitive case

The genitive case

Just like Russian, German and many other languages, Quenya uses 'cases'
and 'case endings' to show the function of a noun in the sentence, but
also often instead of prepositions like to, from, on etc. An example from
English is the '-s' used to show ownership: "the woman's house".

The endings for the genitive case are "-o" for singular and "-on" for plural.

Example: vessë > vessëo (genitive singular). If the word ends in "-a", this
is removed before the ending is added. Example: quetta > quetto. Words
with special stem forms add the genitive ending to this form. Example:
car (card-) > cardo.

For dual, the ending -o is added to the dual form. Examples: car (singular)
> cardu (dual) > carduo (genitive dual), hína (singular > hínat (dual) >
hínato (genitive dual)

For plural, the ending "-on" is added to whichever form the word has in
plural. Examples: vessi (plural of vessë) > vession (genitive plural),
quettar > quettaron, cardi > cardion.

Genitives can either precede or follow its noun; the important thing to
remember is that the ending is added to the 'main' word. Example: "i
ataro hína" and "hína i ataro" both mean "the father's child", but "i híno
atar" would mean "the child's father".

The genitive case is used for several things and situations in Quenya:
- for family relationships between people
- for relationships between a ruler and the thing that is ruled
- for relationships between places and things located there
- to show that x is a physical part of something else
- to show that x is one of a group of something
- to show origin, source or former ownership
- to mean "of" in the sense "about", "concerning"
- after the preposition "ú" (without)

Notice that the genitive case is not used for denoting current ownership
of things.

***

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Vocabulary List 11

1. nertë "nine"
2. cainen "ten"
3. ú "without, destitute of"
4. lauca "warm" (adjective)
5. parca "dry" (adjective)
6. lusta "empty, void" (adjective)
7. nén (nen-) "water"
8. cuile "life" (noun)
9. lossë "snow" (noun)
10. mistë "rain" (noun)
11. anta "face" (noun)
12. tál (tal-) "foot" (noun)

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Lesson 12: The possessive case , verbal nouns

The possessive case

The possessive case is formed by adding the ending -va (-wa if the word
ends in a consonant). Example: "i parma vesseva" (the wife's book / the
book of the wife), "i parma mahtarwa" (the warrior's book / the book of
the warrior).
The plural ending is -iva. Example: "i parma mahtariva" (the book of the
warriors). If the word ends in -ë or -i, this vowel merges with the ending
to produce a long í. Example: "i parma vessíva" (the book of the wives)

Special case:
If the noun ends in two short syllables, the final vowel becomes long
when the ending -va is added. The same happens if the word has the
diphtong "ui" in the second to last syllable.

The possessive case is used to denote:

- the current ownership of things
- characteristics and permanent attributes
- the material of which something consists
- the object of a verbal noun

Verbal nouns
Verbal nouns are nouns formed from verbs, such as "lindalë" (singing,
from linda-), and describe an action as a process or thing. They can be
made from A-stem verbs by adding the ending -lë to the stem.

***

Vocabulary List 12

1. malta "gold"
2. tavar "wood" (as a material)
3. ondo "stone, rock"
4. cú "bow"
5. sicil "knife, dagger"
6. tópa "roof"
7. ramba "wall"
8. colla "cloak"
9. maita "hungry"
10. soica "thirsty"
11. mapa- "to grasp, to seize"
12. nu "under"

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Lesson 13: Dative, gerunds, endings for "we"

The dative case

The dative case is used for the following:
- the indirect (dative) object of a sentence (I gave the book *to the smith*)

- to express "for" in the sense "for someone" (The boy works *for the
smith*)
- with gerunds to express purpose (I came *in order to meet* the king)
- with impersonal verbs (It seems *to me*)

The ending for dative case singular is -n. Example: "i tanon" (to/for the
smith). If this ending is to be added to a word that ends in a consonant,
an "e" is slipped in to avoid impossible consonant combinations. Example:
"i aranen" (to/for the king).
The plural ending is -in for words with plurals in "-r" (this "r" is dropped
before the dative ending is added), but if the word has a plural in "-i",
only "-n" is added. Example: "i tanoin" (to/for the smiths), i vessin (to/for
the wives)
The dual ending is -nt. Example: "i tanont" (to/for the twin smiths)

The gerund
A gerund is a form of the verb that works like a noun. Quenya gerunds
can be formed by adding -ië to the verbal stem (A-stems lose their final -a,
and verbs ending in -ya drop this entire ending). Example: turië
(controlling, from tur-) , mótië (toiling, from móta-), hilië (following, from
"hilya-").
The gerund in the dative case is used to express the idea of "in order to" /
"with the purpose of". Example: I aran tullë turien i nórë. (The king came
(in order) to rule the land; literal translation: The king came for ruling the
land).

Pronominal endings for "we"

Confusingly enough for mortals, Quenya has several pronominal endings
for "we":
- lvë ("inclusive we", including the person(s) addressed)
- lmë ("exclusive we", excluding the person(s) addressed)
- mmë ("dual we" - whether inclusive, exclusive or both is unknown)

Examples:
"Turuvalvë i nóre, quentë i aran ar i aranel". Inclusive "we" - the king and
princess expect to rule with the persons addressed, so perhaps they're
addressing their council.
"Turuvalmë i nórë, quente i aran ar i aranel." Exclusive "we" - the king
and princess don't expect to rule with the persons addressed, so this is
what they might say to the people.
"Turuvammë i nórë, quente i aran." Dual "we" ("the two of us") - the king
might be addressing the princess he'll rule with (inclusive dual), or

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talking to the people, but with "we" meaning himself and the princess
(exclusive dual).

***

Vocabulary List 13

1. mal "but"
2. var "or"
3. or "over"
4. laire "poem"
5. alassë "joy"
6. minya "first"
7. métima "last, final"
8. melda "dear, beloved"
9. voronda "faithful"
10. valin "happy"
11. laita- "to bless, to praise"
12. mahta- "to fight"

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Lesson 14: The allative and ablative cases, possessive pronominal

endings

The allative case

The allative case is used to express "to" in the sense "towards", and can
also mean "on, upon" and "into".

The ending for allative case singular is -nna. Example: "i ostonna" (to the
town). If this ending is to be added to a word that ends in a consonant, an
"e" is slipped in to avoid impossible consonant combinations. Example: "i
cardenna" (to the house).

The plural ending is -nnar. Examples: "i ostonnar" (to the towns), "i
cardinnar" (to the houses). Notice that for plural, the connecting vowel is
"i".

The dual ending is -nta. Example: "i ostonta" (to the twin towns). It is not
known how nouns with dual forms in "-u" form the ablative case; two
possibilities are "cardunta" and "cardunna" (from the twin houses).

The ablative case

The ablative case is used to express "from", and can also mean "of" (as in
"Rúmil of Tirion") and "out of". The preposition "et" (out) and the verb
"ruc-" (to fear) are followed by the ablative case. Example: "et cardello"
(out of/from the house), "rucin i orcollo" (I fear the orc.)

The ending for ablative case singular is -llo. Examples: "i ostollo" (from
the town); "i cardello" (from the house).

The plural ending is -llon (with -llor as a valid alternative). Examples: "i
ostollon" (from the towns), "i cardillon" (from the houses).

The dual ending is -lto. Example: "i ostolto" (from the twin towns). A noun
with dual in "-u" may take the ablative form "cardulto" or "cardullo" (from
the twin houses).

Another possibility to avoid unwanted consonant combinations when

adding endings for these two cases is to omit the final consonant. This is
commonly used with directions. Examples: Hyarmenna (to the South),
Formello (from the North)

Possessive pronominal endings

These endings are similar to the personal pronominal endings for verbs;
they just end in -a instead of -ë.

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-nya (my)
-lya (your)
-rya (his, her, its)
-lva (our; inclusive)
-lma (our; exclusive)
-mma (our; dual)
-nta (their)

When added to a noun ending in a consonant, an "e" is inserted *but* for

"-nya" an "i" is used instead. Examples: atarelya (your father), atarinya
(my father)

Endings for case and number are added *after* the possessive
pronominal endings.
Examples: ostonya (my town; singular), ostonyar (my towns; plural),
ostonyanna (to my town; allative singular ), ostonyallon (from my towns;
ablative plural)

Two special verbs

"Equë" means "says" or "said" and is used in direct quotations with a
name or full pronoun. This verb has no tenses or plural and is always
placed before its subject. Example: "Equë Teleporno:" (Celeborn says/said

"Auta-" (to go away, leave, pass) has two sets of irregular past and perfect
tense forms with different meanings. Oantë/oantië means "went
away"/"has gone away" in a physical sense, while "vánë/avánië" means
"passed"/"has passed" in the sense of being lost, having disappeared or
died.

***

Vocabulary List 14

1. ilya "all, whole" (plural: ilyë)

2. rimba "numerous" (plural: rimbë, "a great number, many")
3. equë "says, said"
4. auta "to leave, to go away, to pass away"
5. ruc- "to fear" (+abl.)
6. caita- "to lie" (e.g. in a bed)
7. hosta- "to collect, to gather"
8. et "out", "from" (+abl)
9. ëar "sea"
10. an "for" (in the sense "because")
11. Formen "(the) North"
12. Hyarmen "(the) South"

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Lesson 15: The locative case, relative sentences

The locative case

The locative case is used to express “location”, in time as well as space,
and is most often translated “in”, but also “on”.

The ending for locative singular is –ssë. Example: "i ostossë" (in the
town). If this ending is to be added to a word that ends in a consonant, an
"e" is slipped in to avoid impossible consonant combinations. Example: "i
cardessë" (in the house).

The plural ending is -ssen. Examples: "i ostossen" (in the towns), "i
cardissen" (in the houses) Note that for plurals, the connecting vowel is
"i".

The dual ending is -tsë. Example: "i ostotsë" (in the twin towns).

Some nouns end in –ssë without being locatives, and for these it is better
to use the preposition “mi” than the endings. Example: mi Víressë (in
April), mí lossë (in the snow).

Relative sentences
Quenya has two relative pronouns that can be used in relative sentences;
“the flower which you saw is beautiful” can be expressed as “i lóte *ya*
cennel ná vanima”, but also as “i lótë *i* cennel ná vanima”. Both “ya”
and “i” can refer back to persons as well as things, and the translation
who/which/that would depend on the context. The relative pronoun “i”
cannot receive any endings, so where a case ending is needed, “ya” must
be used instead.
Word order: The verb is usually placed directly after the relative pronoun:
Example: “i osto *yassë* turë i aran” (the town *in which* the king rules”)
.

Nominative: ya (sing.), yar (plur.) - which

Genitive: yo (sing.), yaron (plur.) – of which, whose
Possessive: yava (sing.), yaiva (plur.) – of which, whose
Dative: yan (sing.), yain (plur.) – for/to which, for/to whom
Allative: yanna (sing.), yannar (plur.) – to which, whither
Ablative: yallo (sing.), yallon (plur.) – from which, whence
Locative: yassë (sing.), yassen (plur.) – in which, wherein

The relative pronoun "i" can also be put in front of a verb to express “the
one/s who”. Example: “i marir ostossë” (those who live in a town), “i
mótëa ná halla” ([the one] who is working is tall).

***

Vocabulary List 15

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1. mar- “to dwell, to abide”

2. mi “in”
3. mí “in the”
4. ya “that, which, who”
5. nossë “family, clan, kin”
6. caima “bed”
7. caimassëa “sick, bedridden”
8. lairë “summer”
9. hrívë “winter”
10. nauva “will be”
11. Rómen "(the) East"
12. Númen "(the) West"

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Lesson 16: The instrumental case, the imperative

The instrumental case

The instrumental case is used to express how something happened or was
done, in the sense by what means, using what or by whom, i.e. I came *by
foot*, I hit the enemy *with a stone*, the tree was felled *by me*. It
cannot be used to mean "with" in the sense "together with".

The ending for instrumental singular is -nen. Example: "rocconen" (by

horse). If the ending is to be added to a word that ends in a consonant
other than -n and -r, an "e" is slipped in to avoid impossible consonant
combinations.

The plural ending is -inen. Example: "roccoinen" (by horses). If the ending
is to be added to a word ending in -e, this merges with the -i, forming a
long í. Example: lassë (leaf) - **lasseinen (wrong form) - lassínen
(instrumental: by/with leaves).

The dual ending is -nten. Example: "rocconten" (by a pair of horses). It is

not known how nouns with dual forms in "-u" form the instrumental case;
one possibility is "hendunen" (with two eyes).

The imperative
The imperative is a verb form used for requests and commands. A few
'old' imperative forms ending in -a exist (heca! [be gone], ela! [look]), but
the normal way of forming imperatives is with the particle "á".

A-stem verbs use á + the verb stem. Example: "á móta!" (work!)
Basic verbs use á + add -e to the verb stem. Example: "á sucë!" (drink!)
Negative requests/commands are made with the particle "áva" (don't)
Example: "áva móta!" (don't work!), "áva sucë!" (don't drink!)

Wishes can be expressed using the word "nai" (be it that) with the future
tense of the verb. Example: "Nai hiruvalyë alassë." (be it that you will find
joy = I hope that you will find joy = may you find joy).

***

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Vocabulary List 16

1. as "with" (= together with)

2. lelya "to go, to travel" pa. t.: lendë
3. alya "rich, prosperous, blessed"
4. úmëa "evil"
5. lunga "heavy"
6. anna "gift"
7. nér (ner-) "man" (= adult male)
8. nís (niss-) "woman"
9. rocco "horse"
10. alda "tree"
11. taurë "forest"
12. pelecco "axe"

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Lesson 17: Demonstratives, u-stem nouns, ordinal numbers

Demonstratives
Demonstratives are words like this/these and that/those, but Quenya has
several words for "that", with different shades of meaning. The Quenya
demonstratives are placed after the noun they determine, and the plurals
are formed like for adjectives ending in -a.

sina - this. Example: "osto sina" (this town)

tana - that. Example: "osto tana" (that town)
enta - that [that over there, yonder; that in the future]. Examples: "osto
enta" (that town yonder), "lómë enta" (that (coming)night )
yana - that [that in the past, former]. Examples: "lómë yana" (that night
(in the past))

It is not known if the demonstratives can be used by themselves in

phrases like "this is a large town", so it's safer to use them as "adjectives"
only.

The Quenya case endings are normally used with nouns, but when there
is an adjectival word (adjective, participle or demonstrative) *following*
the noun it describes, the case ending is often added to that word instead.

Examples:
osto sinanna (to this town; allative)
osto tanallo (from that town; ablative)
macil entanen (by that sword over there; instrumental)
lómë yanassë (in that night in the past; locative)

If the noun is plural, it would still receive its normal plural ending (-r or -
i), even though the ending for case is attached to the adjectival word
instead. Example: "ostor sinassën" (in these towns). Notice that it is
always a valid alternative to use the case ending with the noun, and that
it is preferable to do so if the case ending would somehow "clash" with
the other word.

U-stem nouns
A few nouns in -o have stems in -u, which are used whenever a case
ending or pronominal ending is added. Example: ango (snake) - angun (to
a snake; dative) - angulya (your snake)
U-stems ending in -go or -co have plural forms in -gui / -qui. Example:
angwi (snakes), rusqui (foxes, from "rusco"), ranqui (arms, from "ranco").
This is maintained with all case endings beginning in "i", e.g. "rusquinen"
(by foxes; instrumental). But, if the case ending does not contain "i", it's
added to the normal stem of the word; "ruscullor" (from foxes; ablative).

Ordinals

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Most ordinal numbers end in -ëa, just replacing the final vowel of the
corresponding cardinal number with this ending:

minë (one) - minya (first)

atta (two) - attëa (second)
neldë (three) - neldëa (third)
canta (four) - cantëa (forth)
lempë (five) - lempëa (fifth)
enquë (six) - enquëa (sixth)
otso (seven) - otsëa (seventh)
tolto (eight) - toltëa (eighth)
nertë (nine) - nertëa (ninth)

***

Vocabulary List 17

1. sina "this"
2. tana "that"
3. enta "that" (over there, yonder; in the future)
4. yana "that" (former, in the past)
5. ango (angu-) "snake"
6. sangwa "poison"
7. vendë "maiden"
8. tuile "spring" (the season)
9. yávië "autumn"
10. attëa "second" (ordinal number)
11. neldëa "third"
12. pol- "be [physically] able to"

Updated: May 13th, 2004