Enquië
From Tolkien Gateway
Enquië is the Quenya word for week. The word derives from the Quenya word for "six", enquë, because in the Reckoning of Rivendell the week had six days.
An Elvish yén (144 solar years) contains 8,766 enquier. The observation of the week was more for ritual than for practical purposes; the chief day was Valanya, the last day ordinally.[1]
| Quenya | Sindarin | Dedication |
|---|---|---|
| Elenya | Orgilion | Stars |
| Anarya | Oranor | Sun |
| Isilya | Orithil | Moon |
| Aldúya | Orgaladhad | Two Trees |
| Menelya | Ormenel | Heavens |
| Valanya or Tárion | Orbelain or Rodyn | Valar or Powers |
The Númenóreans had renamed Aldúya to Aldea/Orgaladh, and inserted the day Earenya/Oraearon dedicated to the Sea, resulting to a seven-day week in their reckoning.[note 1]
Other versions of the legendarium[edit]
In the early legendarium, Tolkien used the Qenya word otsola (otso "seven") for a seven-day week.
Later, in The Etymologies, Tolkien mentioned a five-day week, lemnar (lempe "five") that was probably used by the Calaquendi in Valinor.
| The Days of the Week in Arda | |
| Elvish week (Quenya): | 1. Elenya 2. Anarya 3. Isilya 4. Aldúya 5. Menelya 6. Valanya (Tárion) |
|---|---|
| Elvish week (Sindarin): | 1. Orgilion 2. Oranor 3. Orithil 4. Orgaladhad 5. Ormenel 6. Orbelain (Rodyn) |
| Númenórean week (Quenya): | 1. Elenya 2. Anarya 3. Isilya 4. Aldëa 5. Menelya 6. Eärenya 7. Valanya |
| Númenórean week (Sindarin): | 1. Orgilion 2. Oranor 3. Orithil 4. Orgaladh 5. Ormenel 6. Oraearon 7. Orbelain |
| Hobbit week (archaic): | 1. Sterrendei 2. Sunnendei 3. Monendei 4. Trewesdei 5. Hevenesdei 6. Meresdei 7. Hihdei |
| Hobbit week (late T.A.): | 1. Sterday 2. Sunday 3. Monday 4. Trewsday 5. Hevensday (Hensday) 6. Mersday 7. Highday |
Notes
- ↑ Considering that enquie contains the word for "six", it is not known if the Númenóreans still used the word enquie for their seven-day week; if they introduced a new word, it is not recorded in Appendix D. See however #Other versions of the legendarium
References
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix D, "The Calendars"
