Mellonath Daeron has for some time laboured in compiling a list of handy Elvish words and phrases for the use of the Forodrim (The Stockholm Tolkien Society). Below are some of the more useful or funny ones we have discovered or constructed to date.
For brief subject-oriented vocabularies in Quenya and Sindarin, see also Ardalambion's Taste of Elvish.
S = Sindarin, Q = Quenya, f = feminine, m = masculine
Hello | S Suilad | Lit. 'greeting', can be used in most situations. |
Hello | S Mae govannen | Lit. 'well met', used when meeting someone, but not in written messages. |
Friend/Friends | S Mellon/Mellyn | A fitting start to a written message to one / more than one person. |
A star shines on the hour of our meeting | Q Elen síla lúmenn' omentielvo | |
Live well! | S Cuio mae! | (First recorded usage by D. Daniel Andriës.) |
Goodbye | Q Namárie | |
Be seeing you | Q Tenn' enomentielva | Lit. 'until we meet again' |
Many greetings | S Meneg suilaid | Lit. 'thousand greetings', useful for ending written messages. |
Yes! | Q Tancave! Q Ná! | Lit. 'certainly'. Lit. '[It] is [so]!' |
No! | Q Lau! | |
Thanks! | Q Hantale! | Lit. 'thankgsgiving'. |
Listen! | S Lasto! | |
Don't! | S Baw! | |
Stop! | S Daro! | |
Open! | S Edro! | |
Horray! | Q Alayambo! | |
Horray! I have found it! | Q Yé! Utúvienyes! | |
Praise! | S Eglerio! Q A laita! | |
Cheers! | Q Almien! | Lit. 'to good fortune'. |
Into the fog! | Q Hísenna! | This is a Swedish phrase used as an alternative to 'cheers!' |
Best wishes! | Q Merin sa haryalye alasse! | Lit. 'I wish that you shall possess joy!' |
Fare well! | S Cuio nin mellon! | Lit. 'live [and be] to me a friend'. |
Fare well! | S Cuio nin mellyn! | Lit. 'live [and be] to me friends'. |
Merry Christmas! | Q Ná merye i turuhalmeri! | Lit. 'may the christmas days be joyful'. |
Happy Tolkien's birthday! | Q Alasse merendenna i Carmo! | Lit. 'Merriment at the feast of the Subcreator'. |
Q Alasse i Lirillon merendenna! | Lit. 'Merriment at the feast of early January'. | |
Happy New Year! | Q Ná alya i vinya loa! | Lit. 'may the new year be blessed'. |
Have a good summer vacation! | Q Nai áre laireva calyuva i falassi! | Lit. 'may summerlike sunshine illuminate the beaches'. |
I don't speak Quenya. | Q Quetin ú quenyo. |
Your hair shines like gold. | Q Findelya cala ve laure. |
Come outside with me and look at the constellations. | Q A hótule asinye i meneltannar tirien. |
Your place or mine? | Q Mano mardenna? |
Take off your clothes and lie down on the bed! | Q A helta ar caita caimanna! |
I will love you for better for worse till death us do part. | Q Le meluvan úne ar alye lúmessen tenna nurucilie. |
Rise for the entrance of the Grand Council! | S Minnar in Ernilath rîn, erio Forodrim! | Lit. 'the crowned princes enter, may Forodrim rise'. |
The Grand Council | S (in) Ernilath rîn (Forodrim) Q (i) Carmacundor (Formenyaliéva) | Lit. 'the crowned princes of Forodrim'. |
decree | Q canwa | |
Middle-earth name | Q cilmesse | Lit. 'name of personal choice'. |
astronomer | S meneldir Q elentirmo | |
chirurgeon | S nethron Q nestar | |
dame | S híril / heryn Q roquen | |
doyen | S einior Q anyáro | Lit. 'eldest (one)' |
earl | S conen Q (f) cáni (m) cáno | |
editor | S siniathron Q vinyardur | |
guild | S mellonath Q otornasse / otornas | |
guildmaster | S herdir Q (f) turce (m) turco | |
herald | Q tercáno | |
historian | S gobethron Q lúmequentaro | |
household | S herth | |
keeper of the hall | Q mardur / sambetur | |
keeper of the treasure | Q harmavaryon / harmavaryar | |
king of arms | S teithir Q turmangolmo / sandangolmo | |
knight | S rohir Q roquen | |
librarian | S parvastur Q parmandur | |
magician | S ithron Q istar | |
maid of honour | S camwen Q hérince | |
master of the feast | S merethir | |
prince, princess | S ernil Q (f) aranel (m) cundu | |
scribe | S tegilbor Q tecilquar | |
secretary | S tegor / teithron Q tecar | |
squire | S magor Q ohtar | |
treasurer | S maldir Q harwendur | |
webmaster | S nathron Q natsendur |