THE

i. – In Quenya, the definite article is generally used as in English. However, notice that it is not used before plural words denoting an entire people or race, such as Valar, Quendi, Noldor, Sindar, Eldar, Ainur, Fírimar etc. This is evident from examples like lambë Eldaron "the language of the Eldar [lit. simply "Eldar"]", Valar valuvar "the will of the Valar [lit. simply "Valar"] will be done". Cf. Tolkien's use of "Men" with no article, meaning the entire human race or humans in general, while "the Men" would be a group of individuals. Anar "the Sun" and Isil "the Moon" are probably treated like proper names in Quenya; they do not take the article. When a noun is determined by a following genitive, it is evidently optional whether it takes the article or not: mannar Valion "into the hands [lit. simply "hands"] of the Lords", Indis i Ciryamo "The Mariner's Wife, *The Wife [lit. simply "Wife"] of the Mariner" – but contrast I Equessi Rúmilo "the Sayings of Rúmil", i arani Eldaron "the Kings of the Eldar". If the genitive precedes the noun it connects with, the article must probably be left out in all cases, as in English (*Eldaron arani, ?Eldaron i arani). Note: i is also the relative pronoun "who, that" and the conjunction “that”; see THAT \#3 and \#4. –I, WJ:404, 368, FS, UT:8, WJ:398, 369