Quenya/Inflected adjectives

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Contents 1 Usage 1.1 adjectives used as a noun 1.2 adjectives following the noun 2 Paradigms

[edit] Usage

[edit] adjectives used as a noun

We translate this in English by using the word "one" with the adjective:

laica "a keen one";    i laica "the keen one"

carnë "a red one";    i carnë "the red one"

hwarin "a crooked one";    i hwarin "the crooked one"

In this case the adjective is inflected with the noun endings:

laicar "keen ones";   carni "red ones";   hwarindi "crooked ones"

Dual and partitive plural are also possible:

laicat "a pair of keen ones"   carnit "a pair of red ones";   i hwarindu "both crooked ones"

laicali "some keen ones";   carnili "some red ones";   hwarindeli "some crooked ones"

These nouns can of course take all case endings, e.g.

laicaron (genitive plural);   carnillo (ablative singular);   i hwarindun (dative dual) ...

[edit] adjectives following the noun

When the adjective is put behind its noun, the rule of the last declinable word applies. This means that the adjective takes the case endings and the noun loses them:

coa carninna "to a red house" (allative)

coa carnillo "from a red house" (ablative)

In the plural the adjective has the plural case-endings and the noun is in the nominative plural:

coar carninnar "to red houses" (allative)

In the dual the adjective has the dual case-endings and the noun is in the nominative dual:

coat carnilto "from a pair of red houses" (ablative)

Note: adjectives only have t-duals even if they contain a d- or t-sound:

i aldu tiucatsë "in both thick trees" (locative)

The other types of words that are inflected in this way are:

• participles when they follow the noun (see Quenya Verbal forms)
• demonstrative pronouns
• titles also always follow the noun, so it is also the title and not the noun itself that is inflected:

Elendil Voronda "Elendil the Faithful"

Elendil Vorondan "to Elendil the Faithful" (dative)

Elendil Vorondallo "from Elendil the Faithful" (ablative)

But there are two cases in which this rule isn't followed:

• When the noun is in the partitive plural, the case ending remains with the noun and the adjective has its original (plural) form:

coalissë carni "in some red houses" (locative)

• The adjectives on –ëa only have a plural form and no other cases so the ending remains with the noun:

coanna laurëa "to a golden house" (allative)

coannar laurië "to golden houses" (allative)

[edit] Paradigms

A few remarks:

• The forms of the plural can only be used when the adjective follows the noun, not when it is used as a noun. But in that case it follows the ordinary rules of Quenya Declension Paradigms.
• Adjectives on -ëa cannot be inflected so they aren't included in these tables. They can be used as nouns but in that case they are inflected like the nouns ampa "hook" or alda "tree".
• The partitive plural can only be used when the adjective is used as a noun so it isn't included in the table.

Adjectives on -a (but not -ëa) are inflected as follows (anda "long"):

	singular	plural	dual
nominative	anda	andë	andat
genitive	ando	andëon	andato
possessive	andava	andaiva	andatwa
dative	andan	andain	andant
ablative	andallo	andallon(r)	andalto
allative	andanna	andannar	andanta
locative	andassë	andassen	andatsë
instrumental	andanen	andainen	andanten
respective	andas	andais	andates

Adjectives on -ë are inflected as follows (ninquë "white"):

	singular	plural	dual
nominative	ninquë	ninqui	ninquit
genitive	ninquio	ninquion	ninquito
possessive	ninquiva	ninquíva	ninquitwa
dative	ninquin	ninquín	ninquint
ablative	ninquillo	ninquillon(r)	ninquilto
allative	ninquinna	ninquinnar	ninquinta
locative	ninquissë	ninquissen	ninquitsë
instrumental	ninquinen	ninquínen	ninquinten
respective	ninquis	ninquís	ninquites

Adjectives on -n are inflected as follows (melin "dear"):

	singular	plural	dual
nominative	melin	melini/melindi	melindet
genitive	melindo	melindion	melindeto
possessive	melinwa	melindiva	melindetwa
dative	melinden	melindin	melindent
ablative	melindello	melindillon(r)	melindelto
allative	melindenna	melindinnar	melindenta
locative	melindessë	melindissen	melindetsë
instrumental	melindenen	melindinen	melindenten
respective	melindes	melindis	melindetes

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