Quenya/2-letter words
Neo-Quenya has a number of words that end in a long vowel, but they all have only two letters:
- a~M cú "crescent, arc"
- e~V fé "last hour"
- 9~N hó "owl"
- j~M lú "moment"
- t~C má "hand"
- 5Ì~V nyé "bleat"
- q~V pé "lip"
- q~B pí "fly, insect"
- z~C quá "duck"
- 7~V ré "day (of 24 hours)"
- 8~V sé "eyeball"
- 8~M sú "rushing (of the wind)"
- 1Î~V tyé "tea"
and the proper names y~V Vé and 7~M Rú.
The following words also have this form, but in Neo-Quenya they sound old-fashioned, so they are replaced most of the time with the word next to them:
- a~C cá "jaw" → `Cf# anca
- e~C fá "air, atmosphere" → nTjnD - yTjnE wilwa / vilwa
- j~N ló "night" → j~Nt$ lómë
- 5~B ní "woman" → 5~B8 nís
- 7~C rá "arm" → 7Ef^ ranco
- 8~C sá "fire" → `M7U uru
- n~C wá "wind" → ylDnE vaiwa
- hÎ~N yó "son" → hÎY2^ yondo
The words 7~C rá "lion", 1~N tó "wool" and 5~N nó "idea" don't belong to this category because they have a stem-form with 3 letters (see Exceptional stems).
They have some special features:
- When the case ending contains a double consonant, the vowel is shortened:
- 7R,R ressë "on a day" (locative)
- `B t#5:#6 i mannar "to the hands" (allative)
- In the u-duals the –u joins with the final vowel to make a diphthong:
- q.F peu "a pair of lips"
- In the plural the -i- also joins with the final vowel:
- alU5$5 cuinen "with arcs" (instrumental)
- tlDyE maiva "of hands" (possessive)
- In the words ending with –é, the diphthong ei is not a possible combination in Quenya. Instead, it is left as it is, having no distinction from singular/plural forms:
- 7~V5 rén "to a day/ to the days" (dative)
- To further define the singular/plural difference if need be, numbers can be expressed to distinguish quantity of a noun:
- 7~V5 `C1;E rén atta "to the two days"
- The genitive singular is not known for most nouns. The words on -é don't give any problems because éo is acceptable:
- 7~V ré "day" → 7~V`N réo
- q~V pé "lip" → q~V`N péo
- Those already with an \~N -ó have a genitive that is identical to the nominative.
The complete declination for má "hand" can be found in next table:
| Case | Singular | Plural | Dual | Partitive Plural | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | t~C má |
t~C6 már |
t~C1 mát |
t~Cj% máli | ||
| Genitive | t~C`N máo |
t~C7Y5 máron |
t~C1Y máto |
t~Cj%`N5 málion | ||
| Possessive | t~CyE máva |
tlDyE maiva |
t#1nE matwa |
t#j~ByE malíva | ||
| Dative | t~C5 mán |
tlD5 main |
t#4 mant |
t~Cj%5 málin | ||
| Ablative | t#j°^ mallo |
t#j°^5 mallon |
t#j°^6 mallor - (alt.) |
t#j1Y malto |
t~Cj%j°^5 málillon - (var. 1) [1] |
t~Cj%j°^6 málillor - (var. 2) [1] |
| Allative | t#5:# manna |
t#5:#6 mannar |
t#4# manta |
t~Cj%5:# málinna |
t~Cj%5:#6 málinnar - (alt.) | |
| Locative | t#,R5 massë |
t#,R5 massen |
t#1R+ matsë |
t~Cj%,R málissë |
t~Cj%,R5 málissen - (alt.) | |
| Instrumental | tlD5$5 mainen [2] |
tlD5$5 mainen |
t#4$5 manten |
t#j~B5$5 malínen | ||
| Respective | t~C8 más |
tlD8 mais |
t#1R8 mates |
t~Cj%8 mális | ||
- ↑ a b Endings might be different depending on plural form. Both -n and -r partitive plural forms have been added until further notice.
- ↑ Irregular form for singular instrumental of má, as Tolkien provided it as mainen, not mánen. Other two letter words in the -á category would still be regular.
The complete declination for ré "day" can be found in next table:
| Case | Singular | Plural | Dual | Partitive Plural | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | 7~V ré |
7~B rí |
7~V1 rét |
7~Vj% réli | ||
| Genitive | 7~V`N réo |
7T`N5 rion |
7~V1Y réto |
7~Vj%`N5 rélion | ||
| Possessive | 7~VyE réva |
7~ByE ríva |
7R1nE retwa |
7Rj~ByE relíva | ||
| Dative | 7~V rén |
7~B5 rín |
7R4 rent |
7~Vj%5 rélin | ||
| Ablative | 7Rj°^ rello |
7Rj°^5 rellon |
7Rj°^6 rellor - (alt.) |
7Rj1Y relto |
7~Vj%j°^5 rélillon - (var. 1) [1] |
7~Vj%j°^6 rélillor - (var. 2) [1] |
| Allative | 7R5:# renna |
7R5:#6 rennar |
7R4# renta |
7~Vj%5:# rélinna |
7~Vj%5:#6 rélinnar - (alt.) | |
| Locative | 7R,R ressë |
7R,R5 ressen |
7R1R+ retsë |
7~Vj%,R ›5› rélissë |
7~Vj%,R ›5› rélissen - (alt.) | |
| Instrumental | 7~V5$5 rénen |
7~B5$5 rínen |
7R4$5 renten |
7Rj~B5$5 relínen | ||
| Respective | 7~V8 rés |
7~B8 rís |
7~V1R8 rétes |
7~Vj%8 rélis | ||
The complete declination for pí "fly, insect" can be found in next table:
| Case | Singular | Plural | Dual | Partitive Plural | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | q~B pí |
q~B6 pír |
q~B1 pít |
q~Bj% píli | ||
| Genitive | q~B`N pío |
q~B7Y5 píron |
q~B1Y píto |
q~Bj%`N5 pílion | ||
| Possessive | q~ByE píva |
q~ByE píva |
qG1nE pitwa |
qGj~ByE pilíva | ||
| Dative | q~B5 pín |
q~B5 pín |
qG4 pint |
q~Bj%5 pílin | ||
| Ablative | qGj°^ pillo |
qGj°^5 pillon |
qGj°^6 pillor - (alt.) |
qGj1Y pilto |
q~Bj%j°^5 pílillon - (var. 1) [1] |
q~Bj%j°^6 pílillor - (var. 2) [1] |
| Allative | qG5:# pinna |
qG5:#6 pinnar |
qG4# pinta |
q~Bj%5:# pílinna |
q~Bj%5:#6 pílinnar - (alt.) | |
| Locative | qG,R pissë |
qG,R5 pissen |
qG1R+ pitsë |
q~Bj%,R pílissë |
q~Bj%,R5 pílissen - (alt.) | |
| Instrumental | q~B5$5 pínen |
q~B5$5 pínen |
qG4$5 pinten |
qGj~B5$5 pilínen | ||
| Respective | q~B8 pís |
q~B8 pís |
q~B1R8 pítes |
q~Bj%8 pílis | ||
The complete declination for hó "owl" can be found in next table:
| Case | Singular | Plural | Dual | Partitive Plural | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | 9~N hó |
9~N5 hór |
9~N1 hót |
9~Nj% hóli | ||
| Genitive | 9~N hó |
9~N7Y5 hóron |
9~N1Y hóto |
9~Nj%`N5 hólion | ||
| Possessive | 9~NyE hóva |
9lYyE hoiva |
9Y1nE hotwa |
9Yj~ByE holíva | ||
| Dative | 9~N5 hón |
9lY5 hoin |
9Y4 hont |
9~Nj%5 hólin | ||
| Ablative | 9Yj°^ hollo |
9Yj°^5 hollon |
9Yj°^6 hollor - (alt.) |
9Yj1Y holto |
9~Nj%j°^5 hólillon - (var. 1) [1] |
9~Nj%j°^6 hólillor - (var. 2) [1] |
| Allative | 9Y5:# honna |
9Y5:#6 honnar |
9Y4# honta |
9~Nj%5:# hólinna |
9~Nj%5:#6 hólinnar - (alt.) | |
| Locative | 9Y,R hossë |
9Y,R5 hossen |
9Y1R+ hotsë |
9~Nj%,R hólissë |
9~Nj%,R5 hólissen - (alt.) | |
| Instrumental | 9~N5$5 hónen |
9lY5$5 hoinen |
9Y4$5 honten |
9Yj~B5$5 holínen | ||
| Respective | 9~N8 hós |
9lY8 hois |
9~N1R8 hótes |
9~Nj%8 hólis | ||
The complete declination for lú "moment" can be found in next table:
| Case | Singular | Plural | Dual | Partitive Plural | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | j~M lú |
j~M6 lúr |
j~M1 lút |
j~Mj% lúli | ||
| Genitive | j~M`N lúo |
j~M7Y5 lúron |
j~M1Y lúto |
j~Mj%`N5 lúlion | ||
| Possessive | j~MyE lúva |
jlUyE luiva |
j&1nE lutwa |
j&j~ByE lulíva | ||
| Dative | j~M5 lún |
jlU5 luin |
j&4 lunt |
j~Mj%5 lúlin | ||
| Ablative | j&j°^ lullo |
j&j°^5 lullon |
j&j°^6 lullor - (alt.) |
j&j1Y lulto |
j~Mj%j°^5 lúlillon - (var. 1) [1] |
j~Mj%j°^6 lúlillor - (var. 2) [1] |
| Allative | j&5:# lunna |
j&5:#6 lunnar |
j&4# lunta |
j~Mj%5:# lúlinna |
j~Mj%5:#6 lúlinnar - (alt.) | |
| Locative | j&,R lussë |
j&,R5 lussen |
j&1R+ lutsë |
j~Mj%,R lúlissë |
j~Mj%,R5 lúlissen - (alt.) | |
| Instrumental | j~M5$5 lúnen |
jlU5$5 luinen |
j&4$5 lunten |
j&j~B5$5 lulínen | ||
| Respective | j~M8 lús |
jlU8 luis |
j~M1R8 lútes |
j~Mj%8 lúlis | ||
It should be noted that irregular forms for noun declension appear to be frequent in two letter words, and careful consideration is to be taken to ensure no word clashes within the letter itself (such as diphthongs or long vowels before a consonant group, vowel combinations that don't exist, such as ei) and with other attested words provided by Tolkien.
As to demonstrate in the table below, the word q~V pé has an another plural form q~V1T péti, as attested by Tolkien, instead of pei which cannot be formed in Quenya.
Irregular noun pé "lip" table:
| Case | Singular | Plural | Dual | Partitive Plural | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | q~V pé |
q~V1T péti |
q.F peu |
q~Vj% péli | ||
| Genitive | q~V`N péo |
q~V1T`N5 pétion |
q.F1Y peuto |
q~Vj%`N5 pélion | ||
| Possessive | q~VyE péva |
q~V1TyE pétiva |
q.FyE peuva |
qRj~ByE pelíva | ||
| Dative | q~V5 pén |
q~V1T5 pétin |
q.F5 peun |
q~Vj%5 pélin | ||
| Ablative | qRj°^ pello |
q~V1Tj°^5 pétillon |
q~V1Tj°^6 pétillor - (alt.) |
qRj1Y pelto |
q~Vj%j°^5 pélillon - (var. 1) [1] |
q~Vj%j°^6 pélillor - (var. 2) [1] |
| Allative | qR5:# penna |
q~V1T5:#6 pétinnar |
qR4# penta |
q~Vj%5:# pélinna |
q~Vj%5:#6 pélinnar - (alt.) | |
| Locative | qR,R pessë |
q~V1T,R5 pétissen |
qR1R+ petsë |
q~Vj%,R pélissë |
q~Vj%,R5 pélissen - (alt.) | |
| Instrumental | q~V5$5 pénen |
q~V1T5$5 pétinen |
q.F5$5 peunen |
q~Vj~B5$5 pélínen | ||
| Respective | q~V8 pés |
q~V1T8 pétis |
q.F8 peus |
q~Vj%8 pélis | ||
The behaviour of the final long vowel before possessive endings is discussed on the page about Possessive pronouns.
>> Neo-Quenya >> Nouns >> 2-letter words