ó-

usually reduced to o- when unstressed a prefix "used in words describing the meeting, junction, or union of two things or persons, or of two groups thought of as units". In omentië, onóna, ónoni, q.v. WJ:367, PE17:191; in the Etymologies, stem WŌ, the prefix o-, ó- is simply defined as "together". In VT43:29 is found a table showing how pronominal endings can be added to the preposition ó-; the resulting forms are onyë or óni *"with me", ómë *"with us" also in VT43:36, where "us" is said to be exclusive, ólyë or ólë *"with you" olyë only sg. "you", whereas ólë can be either sg. or pl., ósë *"with him/her", ótë *"with them" of animates – where "them" refers to non-persons, óta or shortened ót is used, though the conceptual validity of ta as a pl. pronoun is questionable, ósa or shortened ós "with it". Two additional forms, ótar and ótari, presumably mean “with them” of inanimate things; see VT49:56 for a possible second attestation of tar as the word for plural inanimate “they”. However, Tolkien's later decision to the effect that ó- refers to two parties only may throw doubt upon the conceptual validity of some of these forms, where at least three persons would be implied like ótë "with them", where one person is "with" two or more others – though Tolkien indicates that two groups may also be involved where the preposition ó- is used. The explicit statement in WJ:367 that the prepostion o variant of ó did not exist independently in Quenya is however difficult to get around, so instead using the preposition ó/o with or without endings for "with", writers may rather use as, the form appearing in the last version of Tolkien's Quenya Hail Mary also attested with a pronominal suffix: aselyë "with you".