Quenya For Everyday Life

[Ohtarien]

This thread is the Quenya equivalent to Wilwarin's "Elvish Phrases for Everyday Life". I will post new sayings as often as possible - usually they will be pretty general in context. Requests for sayings are greatly appreciated - if no one expresses a need for Quenya translations, then us Quenya linguists will never know if what we're translating is useful or not! So do not hesitate to request translations - the only things that I won't accept for translating (and I'm sure the other Quenya linguists agree with me here) are any innapropriate or racist phrases. Other than that, I usually have a fair amount of spare time and would be happy to help you out! :grin: So any contributions, requests, and new ideas are welcome.

To start this thread off, I've translated the well-loved card game of "Go Fish" into Quenya. (Will post below.) I figured that it's about time there was a funner (yes, funner lol) way for people to learn Quenya. So, what better way to learn and have fun at the same time than to be able to play Quenya games?
If you have any feedback, ideas for more games to translate, ideas for new games, etc. - please PM me, so that we can keep this thread fairly clean.

(Note: I am also thinking of translating the Parker Brother's board game "Clue" into Quenya - please PM me to let me know if you are interested in this game also, or if you have any alternative suggestions.)

[Wilwarin]

This is a very good idea, Ohtarien. Sounds very interesting. I can't wait to see what you come up with! :thumbs:

[Ohtarien]

RULES FOR "GO FISH"

Introductory Note: In Quenya, there is no verb for "to fish". So, in light of being grammatically correct, I will not say "Á Lelya Hala", which means (in English), "go fish", because here "hala" is a noun). So, although it sounds right in English, in Quenya this could be the equivalent of saying "Go Table" or "Go Computer". (Which really doesn't make any sense at all! ;) ) So, instead I use, "Catch a Fish". Yes, I realize that the playing cards are not actually fish, but I'm trying to keep as close as possible to the English 'heart' of the game. So you get the main idea, and enlarge your Quenya vocabulary along the way! :grin:

~Quenya words will be blue~

"Catch a Fish" [Go Fish]
"Á Raita Hala"
awe RYE-ta HA-la

TO START:
Deal out the cards according to whatever version of "Go Fish" you play. (I know there are some that play with six cards, or seven, and you can play for pairs or books, it doesn't matter.) Now proceed as normal, but say all the phrases in Quenya - remember that the whole aim of the game is to talk only in Quenya, so that you learn not only how to read and write Quenya, but how to speak it, and learn to recognize the words as someone else is speaking.

ON YOUR TURN
"Do you have a [insert card name here]?"
"Ma haryalyë [essë sinomë]?"
mah har-YAHL-yeh…

CARD NAMES
Here are all the names of the cards - simply insert whichever name you are looking for into the empty slot of the sentence above to ask someone whether they have that card or not.

One = Minë (MEE-neh)
Two = Atta (AT-tah)
Three = Neldë (NEL-deh)
Four = Canta (KAN-tah)
Five = Lempë (LEM-peh)
Six = Enquë (EN-kweh)
Seven = Otso (OUGHT-sew) here "ought" as in "thought"
*Eight = Tolto (TOL-toe) here "tol" sounds like in "doll"
Nine = Nertë (NEHR-teh )
Ten = Cainen (KIE-nen) here "cie" rhymes with "tie"
Jack = Cundu (COON-doo)
Queen = Tári (TAWR-ee) here the "aw" is in "awe"
King = Aran (AHR-an)

REPLIES
Here is what you say when someone asks you if you have the card(s) they are looking for.

Yes = Tancavë (TAN-kah-veh) Literally = "Certainly"
No = Lá (pronounce like English "law")
Catch a Fish! = Á raita hala! (awe RYE-ta HA-la)

*Note: Although in true Tolkien pronunciation this should sound more like TOL-to, with both short o's sounding like the o in "box", this is very hard to do, not to mention harsh-sounding. For native speakers of English, it is a tendency to pronounce either one or both of the o's long, as in "toe". The same problem arises with short u's - ideally, they should all be pronounced as in English "put", yet English speakers (myself often included) tend to pronounce short u's, especially if they're at the end of a word, with an "oo" sound, like in "food". So, if you want your Quenya to be 100% genuine Tolkien, pronounce all short o's as in "box", and all short u's as in "put". If this is hard to do, then we can always say that we just speak Quenya with an English accent! ;)

Well, that's it for how to play Go Fish in Quenya - enjoy! :grin:

Special Thanks go out to Manalinya for helping me with this project, and also to Wilwarin for being so helpful and encouraging. :thumbs:

[Wilwarin]

That's great Ohtarien! I never thought of learning a language that way! I should do something like this in Sindarin.

[Ohtarien]

I suppose that since this is supposed to be a thread where I post new phrases, that I should actually do that, no?
Here's a couple to start off:

"How can I help you?" (Literally = How can I aid you?)
"Manen polinyë restalyë?"
MAH-nen poll-EEN-yeh rest-AHL-yeh

"It's a beautiful day today!"
"Ta ná calwa arya sinaurë!"
tah naw CAHL-wah AR-yah sin-OW-reh ("ow" as in "cow")
Note: you can replace "calwa" with any of the other Quenya words for 'beautiful'. (vanya, vanima, linda, etc.)

I should now state that the only dictionaries I use to find Quenya words are from Ardalambion.com and from the Parma Penyanë Quettaron (PPQ). (Can be found at: http://www.elvish.org/gwaith/ppq.htm) If I find words from other sources, I will list the source next to the word.

[Cuiel Rilwen]

This is soooo great...if only I had someone to play that fish- game with I'd have you explain the rules!:grin:

[Ohtarien]

:elfeek: Gasp! You don't know how to play "Go Fish"? Haha, well, I suppose that I can't assume that everyone knows card games from North America! lol My mistake for being ignorant.

You may know it under another name down in Norway, Cuiel. It's a simple game, played by 2 players (or more), where the object of the game is to have the most cards at the end. You usually deal out 6-8 cards per person at the beginning, leaving all the leftover cards in a pile, placed in the center of the table. Then players take their turns asking the other players if they have any cards matching their own. If you play for "pairs", then everytime you get two matching cards (for example, two queens) you get to keep them. If you play for "books", then every time you get four matching cards you keep them. If the person you asked for a card does not have a matching card, then they tell you "Go Fish!", and you pick a card from the center pile and it is the next player's turn.

Anyways, that's pretty much the basics of "Go Fish" - I could write down a more complete set of rules for you if you find that you need them. :cool:

Hm, that's a good point too - that you need someone else who's willing to learn Quenya (or at least humor you) to play this game. Well, if you know of any good one-player games that you'd like to try in Quenya, please send the ideas my way! :thumbs:

[Wilwarin]

I have the same problem. I would make up a Sindarin version of "Go Fish", but I don't know anyone who would be willing to play it with me! :(

[Ohtarien]

Maybe we could set up on online version of Go Fish where WotRingers could type in Quenya to each other, seeing as it's hard to find someone to play with otherwise! (I have no idea how we'd go about doing this - just a suggestion, if anyone out there would like to try!)

After I finish translating a few more phrases, I'll post them up here. This time they'll be quotes from the Lord of the Rings books, for all the fans out there! (I think these quotes would be neat to have for sigs, no?)

[Wilwarin]

Hey Ohtarien, clean out your PM box! I can't get a hold of you! :(

[Ohtarien]

Ah, sorry Wilwarin!!! :trout: (Smacks self with trout) If I move some messages out of my "inbox" to a different folder, will that allow me to recieve new messages, or do I have to delete them?

[Wilwarin]

You would have to delete them. Why don't you just delete all the files in your Sent Items folder. That should free it up enough I would think.

[Ohtarien]

OK Wilwarin, I deleted a bunch of stuff - but now your PM box is full! roflmao

[Wilwarin]

This is getting funny lol OK I cleaned my box out too. Now, expect a PM from me ;)

[Ohtarien]

I'm glad we finally got our PM boxes organized, Wilwarin! lol

Here's some quotes in Quenya!

"They do not see what lies ahead, when sun has faded and moon is dead." =
Umintë cenir mana caita ento, írë Anar isintië ar Isil ná firnë.
Literally = "They do not see what lies next, when sun has failed and moon is dead."

"A shadow and a threat has been growing on my mind. Something draws near...I can feel it." ~ Legolas
Huinë ar caurë lumnëar sámanyassë. Engwë tulë har…polinyë tenyatas. ~ Laiqualassë
Literally = "A shadow and a fear is lying heavy on my mind. Something comes near…I can feel it."

If anyone wants the pronunciation of these, just PM me! More phrases to come.

[Ohtarien]

Here's some more quotes, with the inspiration coming from other members of War of the Ring! If you would like a quote of your own translated, please post! Also, I will PM any member whose quote I use to inform them that there is a Quenya translation available.

"Go not to the Elves for counsel, for they will say both no and yes."
Lelya lá Eldannar roitala nangwesar, an quetuvantë yúyo laumë ar tancavë.
Literally = "Go not to the Elves pursuing answers, for they will say both yes and no."

"There may be a light beyond the darkness; if so, I would have you see it and be glad."
Calma cé pella i mornië ná; ai sina anwa, nai cenuvalyes ar ná alassëa.
Literally = "A light may beyond the darkness be; if this (is) so, may it be you will see it and be glad."

[Ohtarien]

Here's a couple more phrases, since I'm in the mood for Quenya this afternoon! :grin:

"Life is too short to waste it being unhappy."
Cuivië ná acca sinta ná úlassëa.
Literally = "Life is too short to be unhappy."

Haldir: "The Dwarf breathes so loud we could have shot him in the dark."
Haldir: "I Nauco súya sië ilmoica pilindimma polle itíriës mornassë."
Literally = "The Dwarf breathes so un-quiet our arrows could have found him in the dark."

[Goldilocks Underhill]

gosh, this is sooo cool. ;)

What is: 'The only thing you have to decide, is what to do with the time that is given to you.' ?

woohoo! lol

[Ohtarien]

Hi Goldilocks,

I'm glad you enjoyed the translation! Here's the phrase you asked for:

"I eressë engwë haryalyë ista, ná mana carë yo i lúmë yana ná antanelyen."

If you would like your name translated into Quenya, be sure to visit the "Find out what your name is in Elvish" thread!

I must thank Mánalinya for her help in this translation that we did together! ;)

Haryalyë vanya aurë!
(Have a beautiful day!)
Ohtarien

[Ohtarien]

Alrighty, here's a couple more Quenya phrases for anyone who's interested! Also, just a note to let people know that I'm working on the Quenya half of Wilwarin's Pronunciation Guide, and it should be posted pretty soon. I've just got some revisions to make. :thumbs:

"My love, please be gentle with my heart."
Melindonya, nai nalyë moica hóninyan.
Literally = "My love, may it be you are gentle to my heart."

Note that "Melindonya" is masculine; when talking about a female you should instead say "Melissenya".

That's all for right now. ;)

[elvenrocker]

awww :) I have a few very random things you could add if you felt like it: umm...

- Feed the cat/dog
- I love archery
- Is anyone a lotr freak?

[Ohtarien]

Hi Elvenrocker:

Wow, you've been in a Quenya mood lately, huh? Awesome. :grin:

"Feed the cat/dog":
Á anta apsa i huonna" (Literally = "Give food to the dog")
Unfortunately, I don't know any "modern" Quenya word for cat. The only one I know of is "mëoi" - but this is obviously an awkward form. Note that it's pronounced "MEH-oy"; so at least it doesn't sound like "mee-ow"! lol
So, "Feed the cat" could be rendered as "Á anta apsa i mëoinna".

"I love archery":
Well, there's no word for archery that I'm aware of, but you could say "I love to play with arrows". Not the same effect, I know, ( :rolleyes: ) but there's no word for "shoot" either; so that's the best I could come up with. (Feel free to let me know if you think of a circumlocution, and I'll try to translate that.)
"I love to play with arrows":
"Mélanyë tyalë pilindinen."

"Are you a Lord of the Rings lover?"
I believe that Isiltári translated this way back when. I'll take a look around the forum and double-check for you. And if I don't find it, then I'll translate this for you. ;)

There you are! :cool:

[Ohtarien]

Well, I've been so preoccupied with translating names and the like that I've totally neglected this little thread. Time to put a little more work into it!

The following phrases are for general use; in fact, I write little phrases like these all the time when communicating with Mánalinya, and I hadn't even thought of putting them up for people to learn! Thanks to Cuiel who mentioned that these phrases would be good to post. ;) :grin:

And Wilwarin/Mánalinya, if you'd like to post these phrases in the Elvish Book of Phrases go right ahead: I've even translated a few that you only have for Sindarin, Wil. ;)

"I'll talk to you again/soon."
Quetuvanyel ata/rato

"Please speak slowly."
Iquista quetë lencavë.

"Hello, my name is ____"
Aiya, essenya (ná) ____" (The "ná" can be left out and understood, although sometimes it is easier to translate phrases literally.)

"Have a happy birthday."
Nai alassëa nosta elyen. (Literally = "May it be a happy birthday for you.)

[Ohtarien]

Time to try and get this thread a little active again. :grin:

Since Valentine's Day is quickly approaching, I thought that a Valentine-themed Quenya update would be nice to have. The phrases below would be pretty cool to send to your LotR-obsessed friends and loved ones, don't you think? ;)
(English in pink and Quenya in silver )

"Happy Valentine's Day!"
Alassëa Auremelo! (Literally = "Happy Day-of-Love!")
[ah-LASS-eh-ah ow-REH-me-loh]

"To my sweetheart, with love."
Lissehónyan, yo melmë.
[lees-seh-HON-yan, yoh MEL-meh]

For the below, just fill in the last word with any of the choices.
"From your...." = "Ho...." [ho]
-Friend (male) = Nildolya [neel-DOL-yah]
-Friend (female) = Nildelya [neel-DEL-yah]
-Husband = Vernolya [vair-NOL-yah]
-Wife = Vesselya [ves-SEL-yah]
-Boyfriend (Literally: Lover (male)) = Melindolya [mel-een-DOL-yah]
-Girlfriend (Literally: Lover (female)) = Melisselya [mel-ees-SEL-yah]

If you need any other addressee names, let me know and I can easily add them. :thumbs:

"I love you"
Melinyel
[meh-LEEN-yel]

If you have any more requests, be sure to ask and I'll add them! :cool:

[Ohtarien]

Here is the request for the poem "Steward of Gondor" by Herenyë:

Arandur Gondoro
[ahr-AND-ur GON-dor-oh]
Tecindo: Pippin Took
[tek-EEN-doh]

Már ná apa i ambar han
[mahr naw AH-pah ee AM-bar han]

Ar limbë tier lelya nár.
[ar LEEM-beh TEE-ehr LEL-yah nawr]

Ter lumbulë, i rénanna lómëo
[ter LUM-boo-leh, ee ray-NAH-nah LOH-meh-oh]

Mennai i eleni ilyë cálëa.
[MEN-eye ee EL-en-ee EEL-yeh CAW-leh-ah]

Hísië ar huinë, lumbo ar laimë.
[HEE-see-eh ar HU-ee-neh, LUM-boh ar LEYE-meh]

Oar Sintuva! Oar Sintuva!
[OH-ar SEEN-tuv-ah]


Original English:

Steward of Gondor By Pippin

Home is behind the world ahead
And there are many paths to tread.
Through shadow, to the edge of night
Until the stars are all alight.
Mist and shadow, cloud and shade.
Away shall fade! Away shall fade!

I rather like it! A short, sweet little poem. :grin:

[Herenyë]

thanks!!! umm but how do you pronounce it?? heehee... thanks so much!!!! i love that song my pippin... SO AWESOME!!

[Cuiel Rilwen]

Oh it's very beautiful..and nice translation Ohtarien! Very moving moment in RotK, really made me well up! Billy did such a fab job with that! In fact I didn't realize where in the book the lyric was taken from til I started reading it in english just a week ago!:p Norwegian translation completely unrecognizable even if good!

[Ohtarien]

I added the pronunciation to the original post now, Herenyë. If you are still unsure about how to pronounce it, go to the "Elvish Pronunciation Guide" thread - there's tons of great information compiled there. ;)

Thanks Cuiel. :grin: I really enjoyed translating it. (Very short and sweet.) He did sound really good, didn't he? Such a haunting melody. Haha, I was welling up a bit too at that part. :)

[Cuiel Rilwen]

One of many moments...in fact it would be easier to count the moments I didn't well up lol! The tune si very different from what I had imagined, set into a different context so to speak. I don't mind that at all tho.

[Herenyë]

thank you so much!! heehee :):) i hope this thread doesnt die!!

[HanaiSnape]

hey guys i've started to learn quenya as aparently one can use it more than sindarin (please correct me if this is not so)
and as i talk in it with my friends (one word or so!! lool!)
i would like to know how to say,
~i don't know
~who is that? / what is that?
~ thats okay.
thank you, that would be wikked.

also i was looking over the internet in search of sentance structure, i havn't found much. can you give me a hand?