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Q. cirya¹ n. “(sharp-prowed) ship; swift gliding” (Category: Ship)

Q. cirya¹, n. “(sharp-prowed) ship, ⚠️[ᴹQ.] boat; [Q.] swift gliding” (Category: Ship)

Cirya has been the Quenya word for “ship” for much of Tolkien’s life, and is very well-attested with this meaning. ᴱQ. kirya “ship” first appeared in the Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s (PE14/46, 79) and in the English-Qenya Dictionary of this same period, where Tolkien described it as the “general term” for a ship, as opposed to ᴱQ. lunte “boat” (PE15/77).

Tolkien regularly used ᴹQ. kirya “ship” in lists of noun declensions from the late 1920s and early 1930s (PE16/112-115; PE21/4, 46, 53). In one of these it was glossed “boat” rather than “ship” (PE21/53). ᴹQ. kirya “ship” appeared in The Etymologies from around 1937 under the root ᴹ√KIR (Ety/KIR), and it was derived from the root √KIR in later notes as well (PE22/150). It continued to be used in declension examples all the way up to the famous Plotz letter of 1966-7 (VT6/14).

The second version of Tengwesta Qenderinwa (TQ2) from around 1950 specified that its primitive antecedent had two variants: noun ✶kíryā “small swift sailing ship” and adjective kiryā́ “swift (especially of things that pass easily through obstacles)”, distinguished only by ancient patterns of stress (PE18/106). Hints of this second adjectival meaning can be seen in Late Notes on Verb Structure (LVS) from 1969, where Tolkien glossed kirya as an adjective meaning “swift gliding” in a note where he tried to distinguish the meaning of the roots √KIR and √KER (PE22/150).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would use cirya only as a noun for “ship”, and would assume its adjectival use “swift” was archaic. I would further assume cirya is used of faster ships with deeper hulls that cut through the water (especially if driven by sails or other motor), as opposed to a slower or flatter Q. luntë “boat” which moves mainly by floating on top of the water. Thus [in my opinion] the distinction between cirya and luntë is mainly the relative depth of the hull rather than the size of the vessel, so that luntë could refer to a large barge and cirya to a small but swift sailboat.

References ✧ Let/427; MC/221-222; PE17/58, 74, 147; PE21/80; PE22/150; Plotz/1-10; S/265; SA/kir

Glosses

Variations

Inflections

ciryalya 2nd-sg-poss “your ship” ✧ PE17/58
ciryallo ablative   ✧ Plotz/9
ciryalto ablative dual   ✧ Plotz/9
ciryalillo(n) ablative partitive-plural   ✧ Plotz/9
ciryallon ablative plural   ✧ Plotz/9
†ciryā accusative   ✧ Plotz/2: only in classical Quenya, no longer used in spoken Quenya
†ciryai accusative plural   ✧ Plotz/2: only in classical Quenya, no longer used in spoken Quenya
ciryanna allative   ✧ Plotz/5
ciryanta allative dual   ✧ Plotz/5
ciryalinna(r) allative partitive-plural   ✧ Plotz/5
ciryannar allative plural   ✧ Plotz/5
ciryan dative   ✧ Plotz/6
ciryant dative dual   ✧ Plotz/6
ciryalin dative partitive-plural   ✧ Plotz/6
ciryain dative plural   ✧ Plotz/6
ciriat dual “2 ships” ✧ Let/427: [possibly a misprint of ciryat as in Plotz]
ciryat dual   ✧ Plotz/1
ciryō genitive   ✧ Plotz/3: ciryo in spoken Quenya
kiryo genitive “from some ship, of some ship” ✧ PE21/80
ciryato genitive dual   ✧ Plotz/3
ciryalion genitive partitive-plural   ✧ PE17/147; Plotz/3
ciryaron genitive plural   ✧ Plotz/3
ciryanen instrumental   ✧ Plotz/4
ciryanten instrumental dual   ✧ Plotz/4
ciryalínen instrumental partitive-plural; prosodic-lengthening   ✧ Plotz/4
ciryainen instrumental plural   ✧ Plotz/4
ciryasse locative   ✧ Plotz/7
ciryatse locative dual   ✧ Plotz/7
ciryalisse(n) locative partitive-plural   ✧ Plotz/7
ciryassen locative plural   ✧ Plotz/7
ciryalī partitive-plural   ✧ Plotz/1: ciryali in spoken Quenya
ciryar plural   ✧ Plotz/1
ciryava possessive   ✧ Plotz/10
kiryava possessive “of the ship” ✧ PE21/80
ciryalíva possessive partitive-plural; prosodic-lengthening   ✧ PE17/147; Plotz/10
ciryas s-case   ✧ Plotz/8
ciryalis s-case partitive-plural   ✧ Plotz/8
ciryais s-case plural   ✧ Plotz/8
kiryando(n) similative “like a ship” ✧ PE17/74: [this sense for the -ndo suffix was abandoned according to PE17/58]

Element In

Cognates

Derivations

Phonetic Developments

√KIR > kirya [kirja] ✧ PE22/150
√kir- > círya [kirja] ✧ SA/kir

ᴹQ. kirya n. “ship, boat” (Category: Ship)

References ✧ Ety/KIR; PE19/60; PE21/4, 8, 44, 46-47, 53-54, 69; PE22/120-121; VT28/8

Glosses

Variations

Inflections

kiryallo ablative   ✧ PE21/4; PE21/46; PE21/53; VT28/8
[kiry]atollo ablative dual   ✧ VT28/8
kiryallos ablative dual   ✧ PE21/54
kiryallot ablative dual   ✧ PE21/46
kiryallut ablative dual   ✧ PE21/4
†[kiry]alillo ablative plural   ✧ PE21/8
[kiry]alinde(n) ablative plural   ✧ PE21/46
†[kiry]allon ablative plural   ✧ PE21/8
[kiryallo]n ablative plural   ✧ VT28/8
kiryalillo ablative plural   ✧ VT28/8
kiryalillon ablative plural   ✧ PE21/4
kiryallon ablative plural   ✧ PE21/46; PE21/53
kiryallor ablative plural   ✧ VT28/8
kirya accusative   ✧ PE21/4; PE21/46; VT28/8
[kiry]ato accusative dual   ✧ VT28/8
kiryat accusative dual   ✧ PE21/4
[kiry]ali accusative plural   ✧ PE21/46
†kiryai accusative plural   ✧ PE21/8
kiryai accusative plural   ✧ PE21/46; VT28/8
kiryali accusative plural   ✧ PE21/4; VT28/8
†kirye accusative plural   ✧ PE21/8
kiryanda allative   ✧ VT28/8
kiryande allative   ✧ PE21/46
kiryanta allative   ✧ PE21/4; PE21/53
[kiry]atonda allative dual   ✧ VT28/8
[kiryan]to allative dual   ✧ PE21/4
kiryandet allative dual   ✧ PE21/46
kiryantas allative dual   ✧ PE21/54
kiryantau allative dual   ✧ PE21/4
[kiry]alillo(n) allative plural   ✧ PE21/46
kiryalinda allative plural   ✧ VT28/8
†kiryalinta allative plural   ✧ PE21/8
kiryalintan allative plural   ✧ PE21/4
kiryandar allative plural   ✧ VT28/8
kiryanden allative plural   ✧ PE21/46
†kiryantan allative plural   ✧ PE21/8
kiryantar allative plural   ✧ PE21/53
kiryako comitative   ✧ PE21/53
kiryal comitative   ✧ PE21/47
kiryalte comitative dual   ✧ PE21/47
kiryauko comitative dual   ✧ PE21/54
kiryaiko comitative plural   ✧ PE21/53
kiryaile comitative plural   ✧ PE21/47
kiryalil comitative plural   ✧ PE21/47
kiryalíle comitative plural; prosodic-lengthening   ✧ PE21/47
kiryel comitative plural   ✧ PE21/47
kiryan dative   ✧ PE21/53
kiryar dative   ✧ PE21/4; PE21/46
kiryas dative   ✧ VT28/8
[kiry]atos dative dual   ✧ VT28/8
kiryatar dative dual   ✧ PE21/46
kiryau dative dual   ✧ PE21/4
kiryauno dative dual   ✧ PE21/54
[kiry]alir dative plural   ✧ PE21/46
[kiry]alíre dative plural; prosodic-lengthening   ✧ PE21/46
kiryaino dative plural   ✧ PE21/53
kiryaire(n) dative plural   ✧ PE21/46
kiryais dative plural   ✧ VT28/8
kiryaisi dative plural   ✧ VT28/8
kiryalir dative plural   ✧ PE21/4
kiryalis dative plural   ✧ VT28/8
†kiryer dative plural   ✧ PE21/8
kiryau dual   ✧ PE21/54
kiryo genitive   ✧ PE21/4; PE21/46; PE21/53; VT28/8
kiryo genitive “ship’s” ✧ PE21/69
[kiry]atu genitive dual   ✧ VT28/8
kiryahta genitive dual   ✧ PE21/4
kiryatos genitive dual   ✧ PE21/54
kiryatu genitive dual   ✧ PE21/46
[kiry]alion genitive plural   ✧ PE21/46
†kiryaion genitive plural   ✧ PE21/8
kiryalion genitive plural   ✧ PE21/4; PE21/8; VT28/8
kiryaron genitive plural   ✧ PE21/46; PE21/53; VT28/8
kiryain instrumental   ✧ VT28/8
kiryanen instrumental   ✧ PE21/4; PE21/46; PE21/53
[kiry]atoinen instrumental dual   ✧ VT28/8
kiryamet instrumental dual   ✧ PE21/4
kiryanwen instrumental dual   ✧ PE21/46
kiryaunen instrumental dual   ✧ PE21/54
[kiry]alínen instrumental plural; prosodic-lengthening   ✧ PE21/46
kiryainen instrumental plural   ✧ PE21/4; PE21/8; PE21/46; PE21/53; VT28/8
†kiryalínen instrumental plural; prosodic-lengthening   ✧ PE21/4
kiryalínen instrumental plural   ✧ VT28/8
kiryasse locative   ✧ PE21/4; PE21/44; PE21/46; PE21/53; VT28/8
[kiry]atosse locative dual   ✧ VT28/8
kiryasset locative dual   ✧ PE21/4; PE21/46; PE21/54
[kiry]alisse(n) locative plural   ✧ PE21/46
†[kiry]assen locative plural   ✧ PE21/8
[kiryasse]n locative plural   ✧ VT28/8
kiryalisse(n) locative plural   ✧ VT28/8
kiryalissen locative plural   ✧ PE21/4
kiryassen locative plural   ✧ PE21/46; PE21/53
kiryasser locative plural   ✧ VT28/8
kirya nominative   ✧ PE21/53
kiryan nominative   ✧ PE21/4; PE21/46; VT28/8
[kiry]aton nominative dual   ✧ VT28/8
kiryant nominative dual   ✧ PE21/4
kiryat nominative dual   ✧ PE21/46; PE21/54
†kiryain nominative plural   ✧ PE21/8
kiryain nominative plural   ✧ PE21/46
kiryalin nominative plural   ✧ PE21/4; PE21/46; VT28/8
kiryar nominative plural   ✧ PE21/53; VT28/8
†kiryen nominative plural   ✧ PE21/8
†kiryar nominative plural   ✧ PE21/46
[kiry]alíka partitive-plural; prosodic-lengthening   ✧ PE21/46
†kiryahta partitive-plural   ✧ PE21/46
kiryaika partitive-plural   ✧ PE21/4; PE21/8; PE21/46; VT28/8
kiryali partitive-plural “some ships” ✧ PE22/120
kiryalīnen partitive-plural instrumental; prosodic-lengthening   ✧ PE19/60
[kiry]ali plural   ✧ PE21/46
kiryai plural   ✧ PE21/46; PE21/53
kiryava possessive   ✧ PE21/4; PE21/46; VT28/8
kiryava possessive “of a ship” ✧ PE21/69; PE22/120
kíryăvă possessive   ✧ PE19/60
kiryahta possessive dual   ✧ PE21/4
[kiry]alíva possessive plural; prosodic-lengthening   ✧ PE21/46
kiryaiva possessive plural   ✧ PE21/46
kiryalinwa possessive plural   ✧ PE21/4
kiryandon similative   ✧ PE21/4; PE21/46; PE21/53; VT28/8
kiryandon similative “like or as a ship” ✧ PE21/69
[kiry]alindon similative plural   ✧ PE21/46
kiryalindon similative plural   ✧ PE21/4
kiryandon similative plural   ✧ PE21/46
kirya stem   ✧ PE21/46

Element In

Cognates

Derivations

Phonetic Developments

ᴹ√KIR > kirya [kirja] ✧ Ety/KIR
ᴹ✶kiryā́ > kíryā [kirjā] > [kirja] ✧ PE19/60
ᴹ✶kiryā́va > kíryăvă [kirjāwa] > [kirjawa] > [kirjava] ✧ PE19/60
ᴹ✶kiryālī́nen > kiryalīnen [kirjālīnen] > [kirjalīnen] ✧ PE19/60

ᴱQ. kirya n. “ship, boat” (Category: Ship)

References ✧ MC/213-214, 216, 220-221; PE14/46, 79; PE15/70, 77; PE16/56-57, 60-62, 72, 74, 77-78, 100, 104, 112-115, 147

Glosses

Variations

Changes

Inflections

kiryallo ablative “from on board” ✧ PE14/46
kiryallo ablative “overboard” ✧ PE15/70
kiryallo ablative   ✧ PE16/113
[kiryall]ut ablative dual   ✧ PE16/114
†kiryallot ablative dual   ✧ PE16/114
†kiryailon ablative plural   ✧ PE16/115
kiryalillon ablative plural   ✧ PE16/115
kirya accusative   ✧ PE16/112; PE16/113
kiryali accusative plural   ✧ PE16/112
kiryaite adjectival   ✧ PE16/113
kiryea adjectival   ✧ PE16/113
kiryăva adjectival   ✧ PE16/113
[kirya]linwa adjectival plural   ✧ PE16/115
kiryalinya adjectival plural   ✧ PE16/115
kiryanta allative “onboard, aboard” ✧ PE15/70
kiryanta allative   ✧ PE16/113
kiryatta allative “on board (motion)” ✧ PE14/46
[kiryant]as allative dual   ✧ PE16/114
†kiryantat allative dual   ✧ PE16/114
kiryalinta(n) allative plural   ✧ PE16/115
kiryaiko comitative   ✧ PE16/56; PE16/57; PE16/60; PE16/113
kiryaiko comitative   ✧ PE16/61
kiryaikut comitative dual   ✧ PE16/114
kiryuhto comitative dual   ✧ PE16/114
kiryalinko comitative plural   ✧ PE16/115
†kiryaien dative   ✧ PE16/113
†kiryain dative   ✧ PE16/113
kiryar dative   ✧ PE16/112; PE16/113
†kiryare dative   ✧ PE16/113
kiryur dative dual   ✧ PE16/114
†kiryair dative plural   ✧ PE16/115
kiryalir dative plural   ✧ PE16/112; PE16/115
kiryat dual   ✧ PE16/112
kiryat dual   ✧ PE16/114
kiryo genitive   ✧ PE16/77; PE16/113
kiryu genitive   ✧ PE16/112
kiryu genitive dual   ✧ PE16/114
†kiryaion genitive plural   ✧ PE16/115
kiryalion genitive plural   ✧ PE16/112; PE16/115
kiryain instrumental; short-instrumental   ✧ PE16/113
kiryainen instrumental   ✧ PE16/112; PE16/113
†kiryaimet instrumental dual   ✧ PE16/114
kiryaine(n)t instrumental dual   ✧ PE16/114
†kiryainen instrumental plural   ✧ PE16/115
kiryalínen instrumental plural   ✧ PE16/112; PE16/115
kirjasse locative   ✧ PE16/104
kiryasse locative “upon a ship” ✧ MC/216; PE16/100
kiryasse locative “on board (place)” ✧ PE14/46
kiryasse locative “onboard, aboard” ✧ PE15/70
kiryasse locative   ✧ PE16/113
kiryassea locative; adjectival “that is on board a ship” ✧ PE14/79
kiryasset locative dual   ✧ PE16/114
†kiryaisen locative plural   ✧ PE16/115
kiryalissen locative plural   ✧ PE16/115
kiryan nominative   ✧ PE16/57; PE16/57; PE16/60; PE16/60; PE16/112; PE16/113
kiryant nominative dual   ✧ PE16/112
kiryant nominative dual   ✧ PE16/114
†kiryat nominative dual   ✧ PE16/112
†kiryain nominative plural   ✧ PE16/115
kiryalin nominative plural   ✧ PE16/112; PE16/115
†kiryahta partitive   ✧ PE16/113
kiryahta partitive “of ships” ✧ PE16/115
†kiryaihta partitive   ✧ PE16/113
kiryaika partitive   ✧ PE16/112
kiryahta partitive dual   ✧ PE16/114
†kiryai plural   ✧ PE16/115
kiryali plural   ✧ PE16/112; PE16/115
kiryandon similative “like a ship” ✧ PE14/46
kiryandon similative   ✧ PE16/113
kiryandos similative dual   ✧ PE16/114
kiryalindon similative plural   ✧ PE16/115

Element In

Derivations