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 "crescent, arc"
  • e~V "last hour"
  • 9~N "owl"
  • j~M "moment"
  • t~C "hand"
  • 5Ì~V nyé "bleat"
  • q~V "lip"
  • q~B "fly, insect"
  • z~C quá "duck"
  • 7~V "day (of 24 hours)"
  • 8~V "eyeball"
  • 8~M "rushing (of the wind)"
  • 1Î~V tyé "tea"

and the proper names y~V and 7~M .

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 "jaw" → `Cf# anca
  • e~C "air, atmosphere" → nTjnD - yTjnE wilwa / vilwa
  • j~N "night" → j~Nt$ lómë
  • 5~B "woman" → 5~B8 nís
  • 7~C "arm" → 7Ef^ ranco
  • 8~C "fire" → `M7U uru
  • n~C "wind" → ylDnE vaiwa
  • hÎ~N "son" → hÎY2^ yondo


The words 7~C "lion", 1~N "wool" and 5~N "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 "day" → 7~V`N réo
  • q~V "lip" → q~V`N péo
Those already with an \~N -ó have a genitive that is identical to the nominative.


The complete declination for "hand" can be found in next table:

Case Singular Plural Dual Partitive Plural
Nominative t~C
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
  1. a b Endings might be different depending on plural form. Both -n and -r partitive plural forms have been added until further notice.
  2. Irregular form for singular instrumental of , as Tolkien provided it as mainen, not mánen. Other two letter words in the -á category would still be regular.


The complete declination for "day" can be found in next table:

Case Singular Plural Dual Partitive Plural
Nominative 7~V
7~B
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
  1. a b Both -n and -r partitive plural forms added until further notice.


The complete declination for "fly, insect" can be found in next table:

Case Singular Plural Dual Partitive Plural
Nominative q~B
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
  1. a b Both -n and -r partitive plural forms added until further notice.


The complete declination for "owl" can be found in next table:

Case Singular Plural Dual Partitive Plural
Nominative 9~N
9~N5
hór
9~N1
hót
9~Nj%
hóli
Genitive 9~N
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
  1. a b Both -n and -r partitive plural forms added until further notice.


The complete declination for "moment" can be found in next table:

Case Singular Plural Dual Partitive Plural
Nominative j~M
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
  1. a b Both -n and -r partitive plural forms added until further notice.


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 has an another plural form q~V1T péti, as attested by Tolkien, instead of pei which cannot be formed in Quenya.

Irregular noun "lip" table:

Case Singular Plural Dual Partitive Plural
Nominative q~V
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
  1. a b Both -n and -r partitive plural forms added until further notice.

The behaviour of the final long vowel before possessive endings is discussed on the page about Possessive pronouns.



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