The Encyclopedia of Arda - an interactive guide to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien
Dates
Devised in Valinor during the Years of the Trees
Origins
Invented by Fëanor, based on the work of Rúmil
Pronunciation
tinkoteh'ma
Meaning
'Tinco series' (tinco means 'metal', but is used here for purely phonetic reasons)

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 19 December 2019
  • This entry is complete

Tincotéma

The ‘t-series’ of the Tengwar

The témar of the Tengwar

A series of six characters that composed part of the Fëanorian writing system. The series took its name from the first of its signs, tinco (literally meaning 'metal', but here simply representing the Elvish character for 't'). Each of the symbols in the series was characterised by variations on an unclosed bow, or lúva, curving downwards and to the right from a stem, or telco.

tinco ando thúle anto númen óre

In principle, the characters in the series could represent a variety of different sounds, though in practice their use became essentially standardised by the Third Age. The first four signs in the series, tinco, ando, thúle and anto, each represented a variant of the basic 't' sound: 't', 'd', 'th' and 'dh', respectively. The fifth sign, númen, represented 'n', and finally óre indicated a weak 'r' sound.


See also...

Lúva, Telco, Témar, Tyeller

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 19 December 2019
  • This entry is complete

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