Working analysis of Earendel (MC:216)

Sketch notes on words:

San "then": used to introduce historical descritption, seen also in Narqelion (cf. VT40:8,24)

ninqeruvisse:
[A] ninqe-: "white" in QL, developped by nasal infission of the root NIQI with the well known final shift -i > -e.
[B] -ruv(i)-: is still the mysterious word for "horse", probably related with the root RU'U in QL, leading also to rúva"steady, still, tranquil". To this (or similar) root can be related also the verb *rúma- "shift, move, heave (of large and heavy things)" finded in the last version of Markirya (rúmala), proposed by Roman Rausch as possible source, or (but this is a speculation) the root ROM- in QL. However, this is probably a standing alone word *ruve derived from a root for “horse” coniated by Tolkien (*RUV, *RUVI, related to the earlier RU'U), that should be considered a temporary soultion between LOPO in QL (and GL, cf. lop- with Q lopo-), and ROK- in Etym. The suggested form *ruve features a final e developped, probably, from an original i (a frequent model especially in QL, see ninqe(i) above), in relation to the inflected locative form ruvisse, where the i is now in a non-final position, and so mantained. It's also possible that the i is simply a connecting vowel placed before the suffix in a word ening in consonant, but a form **ruv it's wrong, as a final v was never allowed in any stage of Qenya; prallely with rá“lion” (stem ráv ), a word for “horse” *ru (stem ruv) is possible (note that in QL we have a word rú “dwelling, village “)
[C] -(i)sse is the sg. Locative ending, featured also in BD.

lútier: evidently a past tense (see l###) of a verb *lut-“to float, to sail” related to the root LUTU “ship” in QL, and LUT- “float” in Etym. This verb is perfectly declined in the pattern for past formation (vocalic lengthened + ie) described in EQG and in all later works, while in the '16-'17 “Qenya Verb Forms” (PE14:25-34), it's lacked the lenghting, as it was a later idea of Tolkien (cf. tulielto“they have came” and I·Eldar tulier “the Eldar have came” in I. 114). While in later texts, the final -r was the plural marker in verbs, here evidently marks a 3rd singular nueter/generic/“impersonal”. This is evidently related to the later -s derived from the same demonstrative stem S- of the other two, probably, as suggested by Ales Bican (l569) changed in -r for rhotacism. Its usage for a 3rd neuter person it's probably to be related with the ending -r we find in EQG to characterize the impersonal form of a verb (PE14:56); Tolkien may have decided that this ending should not be used only when the (3rd) subject is not expressed, but also when it's expressed but neuter, beeing the general 3rd ending both for singular and plural. Apparently this is not an innovation of the post-EQG period, but it seems rather a feature on which Tolkien was experminting already in the QL and immediatly after period. It's used for as 3rd singular in:

kiryasse: sg. locative of kirya“ship”, in Etym under KIR- (this word was used also in OM1 and OM2). Probably the extended meaning “on board (place)” given in EQG (PE14:46) is still valid, even if it's not an adverb (in EQG -sse was a “locative adverbial suffix”).

Earendil: for an analysis of this name cf PE15:22-23.

or: a preposition founded in QL glossed “on” under ORO; the same root is present also in Etym giving the N on “above”. Or in I.256 is translated also with “over”.

vea: this word for “sea” isn't included neither in QL (were it's translated “aj. Similar, like” under VÍ, VI 'I) nor in Etym (“adult, manly, vigorous” under WEG-). However it's interpretation is certain, not only because the english translation of Earendel has “sea”, but also because it's used three time in OM, where the later version displays ëar. Vea is seen in the compound veaneldar “sea-elves” in V.403 (however this word is subsequent to Earendel, because it employs the -n as genitive like in Entu, Ensi, Enta declension, where Earendel and BD have -o while -n is used for the nominative, see below). A possible derivation for vea is the root VAYA in QL that gives Vai “the outer-ocean”. (for a compendium of other suggested derivations of vea see Lambengolmor message 822)

ar: a well known conj. for “and”, cf. GL ar “and, too”, and the version of the Atalantë in V.27).

laiqali: plural (acc.) form of the adj laiqa “green” given in QL under LAYA. The ending -li is a well known plural marker closely related/derived to the multiplicative suffix -li given in QL under LÎ. However while in EQG -li was the common ending for plural nouns, in Earendel Tolkien seems to have experimented it as adj plural marker, as it's used only in the two adjs laiqali, aiqalin (for talalínen see below).

linqi: Tolkien translates it with “wet”, and usually it was though to be an adjectivized form of linqe “water” given in QL under LIQI. (where “wet” is liqin(a) or úqa under UQU). However as in this poem the two adjs always recive the plural ending -li, while the nouns -i, linqi is certainly the (acc.) pl. of the noun “water”, used in a loose compound (see EQG) with falmari.

falmari: acc. pl. of falmar“wave as ot beak” in QL under FALA. The plural ending -i characterize the nominal declension in Earendel (and BD).

langon: from lango“broad sword, also prow of a ship” in Etym under LAG-. Poetically the prow could be considered the “throat” of the ship (as translated by Tolkien), infact always in Etym we find the root LANK- we find Q. _lanko_ throat; emendations of LANG- and _lango_ (translated with “neck”, see A&C). “Prow” is evidently the subject of the verb _kírier_, for this reason as in BD (and possibly in the Entu, Ensi, Enta declesion, see VT36:18-21) we find the subjective ending _-n_ used to distinguish subject from object (especially when they are not in the usual SVO order).

_veakiryo_: genitive singular of the the compound _vea_”sea”+_kirya_”ship”. The g.sg. ending _-o_ is found in BD, while in later and earlier attestations have _-n_ (here and in BD used as subjective marker, see _langon_).

_kírier_: 3rd singular past (see _lútier_) of a verb _*kir-_ “to cut” evidently related wth the roots KIRI “cut” (PE14:47) and KIRIS- “cut” in Etym; and the adj _kirte_ “sharp” in X.396.

_wingildin_: nom pl ( _-i_ (see _falmari_ )+ _-n_ (see _langon_ ) of _wingil(d)_ “sea nymph, foam-maid” in QL under GWINI- and Etym under WIG- (see its usage in I.64). An alternative plural form _wingilli_ is given in the earlier EQG (PE14:74).

_o_: conjunction “with” related to the root WO- in Etym, producing the prefix _o-_ “together, with” whose declination has been written by Tolkien on the verso of the sheet wth versions of the “Átaremma”, “Aia María” and “Sub Tuum Praesidium” (VT43:29, retro printed in VT44:6): this declination supports the existance of the uninflected conj _o_ not used as prefix, like here. Cf. the conjunction _o_ “and” used by Tolkien in two versions of the Lowdhams's Fragments (those labeled L anf F by Ales Bican in his analysis).

_silqelossëen_: [SEE L#971]
[A] _silqe-_ glossed in QL “tress of hair” under SILI or “glossy hair” under SKRK (same derivations in PME).
[B] _-losse-_ glossed “rose” in QL under LORO and “blossom (usually, owing to association with _olosse_ “snow”, only used of white blossom [see GOLÓS])” under LÓT-,LOT(H). Patrick Wynne on e23757 argumented that the meaning of _losse_ could be a blending of the glosses of both QL and Etym, however this hypothesis is not necessary because Tolkien seems having changed is mind about this word that from a single kind of flower, in Etym identifes now an ensemble of flowers that for its resemblance with _olosse_ (in QL “snow” was _niqis(ss)_ from NIQI) are usually white. The old word for “white”, _ninqe_ has been mantained by Tolkien (see _ninqeruvisse_), but it's possible that for poetical extension of meaning in the 30s, _losse_ could be used simpler as an alternative word for “white”, see _losselie telerinwa_ in Nieninque and _ondoli losse karkane_ in OM2.
[C] _-en_ seems to be an ending for the Similative case (or with a meaning closer to the similative one) founded also twice in Nieninque (_wilwarindëen_ and _paptalasselindëen_), probably related with the root SÉ, SENE in QL giving _se_ “as, like” ~~(or in meaing with VÍ, VI'I “as”)~~.

_alkantaméren_:
[A] _alkanta_ is evidently a past participle. In QL there's a verb _alkana_ meaning “to blaze” under LKL, and _alkanta_ seems to be formed by infission of a _t_. However a similar construction is quite uncommon and, unless Tolkien sperimented a new way to form that verbal adjective, is possible that this is formed on a verb _*alkata_ under the same root and with similar meaing of _alkana_; featuring the well-known verbal suffix _-ta_ added to the word _alka_ “ray” given in QL under the same root LKL (derivated from the alternative form KAL, that is found also in KAL “light”).
[B] _mé_ ?? probably _*me_ (see _kautáron_)
[C] _ren_ 3rd fem pl ending (see _kautáron_)

_úrio_: genitive sing of _úri_ “sun” given in QL under URU as an alternative form for _úr/ur_ (in Etym the g.sing. is _úrinden_ from _úrin_, featured also in EQD, under UR-). There's an exemple of a noun ending in _i_ that forms the gen adding _-o_ to the ending _i_, and not by replacing it: _aire-tário_ “holy queen's” (R:67), and “queen” is glossed _tári_ both in QL (under TAHA) and Etym (under TÂ/TA3).

_kalmainen_: inflected form of _kalma_ “(day) light”given in QL under KALA and in Etym under KAL-. This word is inflected in the instrumental plural _-inen_ as shown in BD (sg _kiryain_, pl _kiryainen_). The translation given by Tolkien “in the lights of the sun” supports the interpretation of _-inen_ beeing plural (see VT36:22-24 and PE10:25-51).

_i_: no surprise, beeing the defintie article.

_lunte_: nom sing (here the subjective ending _-n_ is not needed because there's no object that may lead to a confusion) of “boat”. This word is given in QL under LUTU as “ship”, but it has been preserved in Etym under LUT- as “boat”, while “ship” is now (already in this poem) _kirya_ (see above).

_linganer_: the verb _linga-_ is given in Etym under LING-/GLING- as “hang, dangle”. This form is follows the “regular” (if we can call somethin “regular” while studying Elvish languages) pattern for the formation of the past tense of a vocalic verb (using Tolkien own words), the addition of _-na_ (like _tanga-_ > _tangane_ “beat”), cf. PE14:56,58. The ending _-r_ as in all the poem it's the pronomial ending for 3rd singular “general/neuter/impersonal”.

_tyulmin_: nom pl with the subective ending _-n_ of _tyulma_ glossed “mast” in both QL (under TYULU-) and Etym (under TYUL-).

_talalínen_: [SEE L#973] evidently a instrumental plural (see _kalmainen_) of a word for “sail” related neither with the root RAM- in Etym nor with _velunte_ in QL (under VELU) nor _velu_ in GL (PE11:22). As above we have analysed that in this poem _-li_ is the plural marker for adjectives, evidently here the _-l(í)-_ is to be analysed in another way. I propose to consider the uninflected form of this word as _*talale_ beeing derived from the verb in QL _tala-_ “carry, bring” (under TALA) and the agental ending _-le(é)_ founded for exemple in _tuilé < TUY-, keglé < keg-, nenle < NEN-, aicale < AYAK-_ (note that the note on Q&E published on VT39:16 is later); meaning “*carrier”, that in a ship is of course the “sail”. The reason of the long _-í-_ is the abitual Qenya assimilation of _ei > í_ (_*lantale+inen > lantalínen_).

_aiqalin_: plural (see _laiqali_ above) of the adjective _aiqa_ glossed “high, lofty, sublime – also used in sense 'high, chief'” in EQD, “steep” in QL under an unkonwn root (note that in Etym it's glossed “sharp” under AYAK-, but it's not necessarly a contrast because that gloss could be born from the assumption that usually tall things, like trees, have a sharped skyline). It recives the subjective ending _-n_ because it agrees with _tyulmin_; this word is important because inform us that also adjectives recives the subjective ending as well the plural when in agreement.

_kautáron_: evidently an aorist of a verb _*kauta-_ derived from the root KAWA “stoop” in QL (that gives also _kauka_ “bent, humped”) and the common verbal suffix _-ta_. Now it's time to talk about the 3rd person endings found in this poem; _-ro_ (male) and _-re_ (female) has been long discussed in this years (for easy reference look at VT36:13-15), Note that _ro_ and _re_ recives the _-n_ where the subject is plural; _-n_ is featured as a plural marker added in some cases ending in BD, i.e.: genitive (_-o > -(r)on_). Note also that _ro_ and _re_ usually cause a lenghting of their nearest vowel: _kautáron, alkantaméren_ (and many exemples from OM).

_i_: see above.

_súru_: clearly derivd from SUHYU/SUHU in QL. This word for “wind” is featured in OM (e.g.: _súru laustanéro taurelasselindon_), and in GL (PE11:68) _súru pl. súruli_. In addition we can find it in I.66 as “one of Manwe's two clans of air spirits”.

_laustaner_: as above, a 3rd general/neuter/impersonal past form of a verb _*lausta_ “laust/make noise of wind” of uncertain derivation. (not to be confused with the _lausta_ given in QL under LAWA meaning “lead a life, gain a living”).

Sketch notes on Grammar:

	sing.	pl.
n. / general	-r
m.	-ro	-ron
f.	-re	-ren

text
[5]	San ninqeruvisse lútier kiryasse Earendil or vea, ar laiqali linqi falmari langon veakiryo kírier; wingildin o silqelossëen alkantaméren úrio kalmainen; i lunte linganer, tyulmin talalínen aiqalin kautáron, i súru laustaner.

translation by Tolkien
[5]	Then upon a white horse sailed Earendel, upon a ship upon the sea, and the green wet waves the throat of the sea-ship clove The foam-maidens with blossom-white hair made it shine [] of the sun [in the lights]; the boat hummed like a harp-string the tall masts [] with the sails [bent] ; the wind 'lausted' (made a windy noise).