appx = Appendix [Silmarillion
- Elvish roots]
D =
Dwarvish
Dor = Doriathrin
Etym = The Etymologies
Ilk = Ilkorin
[see Dark Elves]
M = Men, Mannish
N = Númenórean,
Adûnaic
Nol = Noldorin
ON = Old Noldorin
plur = plural
Q = Quenyan
[High Elven]
S = Sindarin
LOTR = Lord of the Rings Dictionary
Roots in BOLD TYPE CAPITALS refer to listing in
The
Etymologies section, The Lost Road,
J.R.R. Tolkien,
Del Rey Books, ©1987 -- bracketed [Etym]
Roots in bold small type refer to listing in The
Silmarillion, Appendix, J.R.R. Tolkien and Christopher
Tolkien, Houghton Mifflin
Company, ©1977 -- bracketed [appx]
Words of the languages of the Rohirrim, Hobbits and Common
Speech are traced to possible roots in the
ancient Elven tongue,
although there is no authority for confirming such a derivation; the terms
are
derived from ancient English,
especially Anglo Saxon
=====
Cabed-en-Aras S; see KAP-
leap, Nol cab- [Etym]; -ed likely forms a gerund [verb
form used as a
noun] - 'a leaping' -
in Dor, but see also ET- forth, Nol -ed- [Etym], which may
be implied - 'leap(-ing)
forth'; -en- forms
a possessive article; the term is defined as 'Deer's Leap' or 'Leap of
the Deer'; Aras
is problematical as 'deer';
perhaps a Dor construct of 3AR- have [Etym], and RAS- stick
up [Etym],
S ras horn [appx]
= 'having horns' or 'deer'; perhaps ar(a)- high [appx] is implied,
but then more at
KHARÁS-
precipice, sheer height, Nol i-rass [Etym; i- likely being
the same as im- in 'Imladris':
'steep'] - 'Lofty Precipice';
called originally by Tolkien Mengas Dûr [MEN- place
[Etym] + GAS-
gape, Nol 'gap' [Etym]
+ DO3, DÔ- night, Nol dûr somber: 'Dark
Chasm] - 'a grim place'; a deep
narrow gorge with sheer
sides that was nearly dark at the bottom; see Cabed Naeramarth
Cabed Naeramarth S; cabed-
see previous; see also NAY- lament, Nol noer sad [Etym],
S naer; see
also
amarth doom
[appx], from MBARAT- fate, doom, Nol
ammarth [Etym; Tolkien
uses the
'reduplicated base vowel'
as an intensifying principle]; 'Leap of Dreadful Doom'; also called
Cabed-
en-Aras
before Nienor leapt from its heights
Calacirya Q; see kal-
(gal-)
shine [appx], from KAL- shine, Q kala light [Etym]; the -a-
could also
imply a possessive; see
also kir- cleave [appx; the -ya suffix is an adjectival element
in Q; kir-
sometimes became confused
in Q with KIL- divide, Q kilya cleft [Etym]; 'Cleft of Light',
on which
was the green hill of
Túna
Calaquendi Q; cala-
see previous; see also quen- (quet-) say, speak [appx],
from KWEN(ED)- Elf, Q
qende - 'speakers'
[Etym; the name was given before Men 'awoke', and thus was used to mean
'people'; later it was
used for 'Elves' only]; -i forms a plur in Q; 'Elves of the Light';
those who had
lived in the light of
the Two Trees in Aman; see Moriquendi
Calenardhon S; see KAL-
shine, Nol calen green [Etym; 'green' as a bright color;
-en forms an
adjectival suffix in S];
see also 3AR- have, hold, Nol ardh realm [Etym]; the S -on
ending is difficult
to assign; in at least
some words it is an augmentative [amon 'hill, mountain' < AM²-
up (Etym);
annon 'great gate'
< AD- (Etym)], and in his lettersø Tolkien
defines Calenarðon as 'the (great) green
region'; however, in one
source¤ Christopher Tolkien appears to assign the element
to S lond, from
either a primitive root
LON haven, or LOD- narrow path, pass [Etym; the -l- becomes
a sycope and
the final -d is
dropped in long S names]; the region is a long grassy strip between two
mountain
chains, but not specifically
'narrow'; 'The (Great) Green Province', original name of Rohan;
also
Ard-galen
ø The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, #297, p. 383
¤ Unfinished Tales, Part Three, Chapter II, note #49
Camlost S; see KAB-
hollow, Nol cam hand [Etym]; see also LUS- Nol lhost
empty [Etym], S lost;
'Empty-handed'; name of
Beren
Caragdûr S [Northern]?
see
carak- fang [appx], from KARAK- spike, Nol carag
'spike of rock' [Etym;
possibly compound of KAR-
make (Etym) + AK- narrow (Etym); and see Charcharoth];
similarly,
KHARÁS-
precipice [Etym]; see also dûr dark [appx],
from DO3, DÔ-, Nol dûr dark [Etym]; 'Fell
Fall'; the precipice of
Gondolin on Amon Gwareth
Caranthir S-ized Q and
ON [the Q form was Carnistir]; see caran red [appx], from
KARÁN-
red, Q
karne, Nol caran
red, crann ruddy of face [Etym]; see also THE- look, Nol
thîr
face, countenance
[Etym; no Q forms under
this entry in Etym, yet here we see the Q derivative -stir, giving
rise to a
possibility of a divergent
stem in Q]; 'Ruddy-face'; the text says he was 'dark-haired' and 'red-faced';
one of his original names
was [Q] Morifinwë [MOR- black, Q móre
(adjective) dark (Etym) + SPIN-,
Q finde hair (Etym)
+ WEG- (manly) vigour, -we in names (used agentally - 'one
who is' - Etym)]
'Dark-haired One'; called
'the Dark'; one of Fëanor's seven sons
Carcharoth S; see KARAK-
fang, Nol carch tooth, fang [Etym; and see Caragdûr];
see also GAY-
red, Nol gaer [Etym],
?Northern S char [presumed], or perhaps a shortening of KARÁN-
red, Nol
caran [Etym; see
next]; see hoth host, horde [appx; [the -h- is suppressed
here], used as a intensive
plural suffix ?for fang
= 'countless teeth' = 'huge jaw'; possibly the final element derives from
GOS-,
GOTH- dread, Nol
-oth [Etym (addendum)] = 'dreaded fangs' = 'huge jaw'; 'the Red
Maw'; a great
wolf; also Anfauglir
Cardolan S; car-
see
caran red [appx; the form may be shortened (see Carcharoth
above)]; see also
NDOL- knoll, Nol
dôl
[Etym]; see also LAD- Nol lhann,
land wide, and LAT-
open, Nol lhand open
space [Etym], S lan(n)
[the final -d was often dropped in names]; 'Red Hill Land', where
also were
Bree and later the Barrowdowns;
the reason for 'red' in the name is nowhere given
Carnil Q; see KARÁN-
red, Q karne [Etym]; see also GIL- star, Nol gíl,
Q il [Etym], although more at
an associated base NGIL
silver glint, Q ñil, S gil [not in Etym; Q does not
use initial 'g']; a 'red star'
Celeborn¹ S; see
KYÉLEP-
silver, Q t(y)elpe, Telerin
telpe, Nol celeb
[Etym], Q telep, telpë [appx]; see
also ORO- high
... ÓR-NI- high tree, Nol and Dor orn tree [Etym];
'Tree of Silver [Light]'; off-shoot
of the original [Q] Telperion
[S Galathilion, one of the Two Trees of Valinor],
planted on Tol
Eressëa and named
by those Nol exiles returning to Valinor at the end of the First Age
Celeborn² S; see
previous; Elf of Doriath and later an Elven lord in Lothlórien
Celebrant S; celeb-
see previous; see also rant course of a river [appx], from RAT-
walk, Nol & Ilk
rant vein, course
of river [Etym]; 'Silver Lode', a river that had confluence with the Anduin
Celebrimbor S-ised form
of Telerin Telperimpar, and Q Tyelpinquar; see celeb
silver, Telerin
adjective telperin,
S adjective celebrin silver-like [appx], from KYÉLEP-
silver [see Celeborn¹]; see
also KWAR- fist,
Q qáre, Nol paur, -bor [Etym], Q quárë
[the grasp of the smith, not a fighter's fist;
appx]; 'Silver Grasp';
a great Elven smith, maker of the Three Rings of the Elves; devised the
name
Mithril
Celebrindal S; celeb
(-rin) see previous; see also TAL- foot, Q tál,
Nol tâl, -dal 'lower end' [Etym];
'Silverfoot'; in one place
the Q form is given: Taltelepta [TAL- foot + KYÉLEP-
silver, Q telep
(Etym); the -ta
ending is indicative of a 'pair', probably related to the bases AT(AT)-
again, and
TATA- 'two' (Etym)];
also see Idril
Celebros S; celeb-
see previous; see also ros foam, spray [appx] - 'white-water' or
'waterfall'; 'Silver
Foam' or 'Silver Rain';
a river of Brethil
Celegorm S-ised form of
Q and ON Tyelkormo; see KYELEK- swift, Q tyelka, Nol
celeg
[Etym]; the
final element presents
some problems; the likely source is GOR- violence, haste, Q orme,
Nol gormh
vigour,
gorn impetuous
[Etym; the form gormh was apparently dropped; yet in notes dated
1968,
Tolkien claims that the
-m was retained, and did not soften to -v because the name
had been adapted
into Northern S dialect];
'swift and passionate'; however, the Q form was translated as 'Hasty-riser',
which points towards ORO-
rise [Etym], but there are no -orm derivatives offered in either
Q or Nol;
the form may possibly
be influenced by the name of the Vala Oromë, with whom
this Noldorin Prince
spent some time before
the Exile [and which name is associated with ORO- and the dawn or
'rising-
Sun' in this author's
view]; a son of Fëanor, quick to temper
Celon S; see KEL-
run (especially of water), Ilk celon river [generic; Etym]; in Etym
the stem KEL-
states the name 'Celon'
is kelu + n, but offers no explanation of -n; perhaps
the -on ending is
augmentative [see discussion
at Calenardhon], although the text states that the name means
'Stream
Flowing Down from Heights';
the last element may be from TUN- hill, Nol -don [?the -d-
becoming a
syncope]; Tolkien was
dissatisfied with the previous construct and stated his intention to change
the name to Limhir
[lim clear, sparkling (see LOTR entry
Limlight) +
sir river > hir as suffix in
names (appx) = 'clear
stream'], but never effected the change
Children of Ilúvatar
Elves and Men; also Híni Ilúvataro, Eruhíni
Círdan S; see KIR-
ship, Nol ceir [Etym], S cír [appx]; the first element
closely relates to KIRIS- cut,
Q kirisse slash,
Nol criss [Etym], as a prow of a ship cuts through the water;
see also TAN- make,
fashion, Nol -than
[Etym], S -dan [appx]; 'The Shipwright'; a Telerin Elf, lord of
the Grey Havens,
keeper of Narya, the Ring
of Fire; perhaps the oldest Elf of all the tales
Cirith Ninniach S? see
KIRIS-
cleft, Q kirisse gash, Nol criss slash [Etym; see Crissaegrim
below], S
cirith cleft(-ing)
[presumed:
kir cleave (appx) + ris cleave (appx) = (augmentative)
= 'deep cleft' or
'high pass']; S
-ith indicates a verb form - 'cleft-ing' - used as a noun (gerund);
see also NIN-DI-
fragile, slender, Nol
ninn
thin [Etym], although perhaps nen water, nîn wet [appx]
is implied; also see
YAK- neck [Etym]
S -iach [presumed; see discussion at Brithiach], although
YAT-
join, Nol ian(w)
'bridge' [Etym] would
seem related; 'crevasse of the thin (water-) neck' or 'Rainbow Cleft';
a word for
'rainbow' is presented
under 3EL- sky, Q helyanwe 'skybridge', Nol eilian(w)
[Etym], but Tolkien
chose to be metaphoric
in this case, perhaps because these rainbows were not in the sky, but in
the
spray of the fast-flowing
stream; see Annon-in-Gelydh
Cirith Thoronath S; cirith
'cleft', see previous; see THOR-, THÓRON- eagle [Etym;
... THOR- come
swooping down (Etym) +
-ron, an agental suffix (see Sauron; -on is
taken at times as a genitive
singular suffix; if so
in this case, the plur is achieved with the -ath affix) = 'one that
swoops down'];
ath is a S collective
plural - see note following Argonath; 'Eagles´ Cleft';
a lofty pass
Cirth S; singular certh;
see KIRIS- cut, N criss cut [Etym], S *kirte cutting,
Q [borrowed from S later]
certa, plur certar
[these forms not listed in Etym]; related stems are KIR- ship [as
'dividing' water],
Nol
ceir [Etym],
and KIRIK- sickle, Nol critho reap [Etym]; the older lexicons
give the root KIRI cut,
split [see Cirith
above], here in the sense of
dividing words into syllables and letters;
'The Runes'
[cuttings]; the runes
were 'devised' by
Daeron of Doriath
Ciryon Q; cir-
see
KIR- ship, Nol ceir [Etym]; the suffix is from YO,
YON-
son, Q yondo, Q and Nol
-ion, masculine
ending; ship-man or 'Mariner'; Tolkien originally assigned Ciryon
the name
'Vëandur' [vê
(Nol gwi-) is identified in the older lexicons as deriving from
a Q root VEHE, without
meaning or derivatives;
however, in the Index to The Lost Road vean- is defined
as 'sea'; -(n)dur
friend of (appx); 'devoted
to the sea']; a son of Isildur, grandson of Elendil, the great N mariner
Corollairë Q; a combination
word - Coron Oiolairë; see coron mound [appx], from
KOR-
round
[Etym] + -ron,
an agental suffix (see Sauron) = coron = 'that which
is round'; also see OY- eternal, Q
oi, oia
ever(-lasting), oio- [Etym]; see also LÁYAK- green,
Q laiqa [Etym]; the Q form
laira 'summer'
does not appear in this
Etym entry; it is mentioned in one of Tolkien's letters as a derivative
of an
associated base LAY [not
much used in S]; in the older lexicons lairë means 'meadow',
which is
close to the intention
here, from an old Q root LAYA flourish; it is on this rise that stood the
Two
Trees that bathed the
Undying Lands with their golden and silver light; 'The Green Mound' [of
Valinor]; also 'the Ever-Summer
Mound'; see Túna; also Ezellohar
Crissaegrim S; see KIRÍS-
cut, cleft, Nol criss [Etym]; in Tolkien's early notes this word
was
fashioned upon KHARÁS-
precipice, mountain wall, Nol rhass [older form in Nol i-chrass;
Etym];
either changes the meaning
little - deep ravines between sheer towering peaks; see also AYAK-
sharp, pointed, Nol oeg
sharp [Etym], S aeg peak; -rim plur suffix, from RIM-
numerous [Etym];
'inaccessible heights',
'Clefted Peaks'; mountains south of Gondolin, so steep that only the eagles
[of Manwë] could
traverse them
Crossings of Teiglin see
Teiglin
Cuiviénen Q; see
KUY-
come to life, Q kuive, kuivie awakening [*kuiwe; Etym;
-ië can form a gerund
(using a veb form as a
noun) in Q - '(the) awakening'; still, -vie may hint at WEG-
Q vie vigour
(Etym)]; see also
NEN-
Q
nén water [Etym]; 'Water of Awakening', where the first
Elves 'awoke'
Culúrien Q; see
KUL-
gold, golden-red, flame-coloured [Etym], cul- golden-red [appx];
see also UR-
be hot, Q úr
fire [Etym]; -ië can form a gerund (using a veb form as a noun)
in Q - '(the) burning', and
final -n here denotes
a dative ending: 'The Burning of Gold-red Flame'; the name refers to Laurelin,
the Golden Tree of Valinor;
-ien here might also imply YAN- sanctuary, holy place [Etym],
which in
turn is related to AYAN-
holy [Etym]; 'Sacrarium of the Golden Flame'
Curufin S-ised form of
Q and ON Kurufinwë; see KUR- craft, Nol curu
[Etym]; see also PHIN- skill,
Nol phin,
fin
[Etym], although in Q and ON -wë was used as an agental element
in names of nobility -
'Noble One of Craft';
also one name of his father; called 'the Crafty'; apparently the last element
did
not carry over into S
as 'skill', but is derived from a separate stem SPIN- braid of hair
[Etym], S fin-
hair [appx]; a son of
Fëanor and father of Celebrimbor [above]; not surprisingly,
a friend of the
Dwarves
Curufinwë Q and ON;
curu-
see previous; -we is a masculine ending from WEG- (manly)
vigour,
taking Q and Nol form
-we in names [Etym], and used as an agental suffix; for finwë
see Curufin
[previous]; a name of
Fëanor
Curunír S; curu-
see previous, also S curu 'skill' [appx]; see also DER- man
[and the emphatic form
NDER-], Nol dîr,
also used as agental ending [Etym], S nir; '[man] of cunning devices
[craftiness]' -
Saruman
Cúthalion S; see
KU3-
bow, Nol cû- [Etym], cú 'bow' [appx]; see also
STÁLAG-
stalwart, firm, Nol
thala,
thalion
hero [Etym], thalion 'dauntless' [appx]; the -ion ending
could be a masculine marker,
derived from YO,
YON-
son, Q and Nol -ion [Etym], but here may be a genitive plur suffix
used to
strengthen the previous
element; 'Strongbow'; see Beleg
Daeron S; daer is
from a S root DAY - 'large' or 'great' [found in Tolkien's later notes;
not in Etym, and
not connected with DAY-
shadow]; the ending -ron is an agental suffix ['one who is' or 'one
who
does'] possibly from a
Common Eldarin source:
hröa body, S rhón, -ron
[also seen, for example, in
Sauron and
Tauron];
minstrel, creator of a
Cirth (Runes); 'one who does great
things', 'Great One'
Dagnir S; see NDAK-
slay, Nol dagr battle, dagro to battle [Etym], S dagor
'battle' [appx]; -nir is a
masculine suffix, derived
from DER- man, Nol dîr [Etym], used here as an agental
ending - 'doer,
maker'; 'Slayer'; there
may be a M form of the name on which the Elvish was patterned; dag
is an old
European base found in
the modern word 'dagger', believed to possibly have Celtic origins: a 'blade-
man' or 'warrior'; an
Adan
Dagnir Glaurunga S; Dagnir
see previous; see Glaurung; in this Dor construction the
-a ending
seems to signify a possessive
form; 'Glaurung´s Bane' - Túrin
Dagor Aglareb S; see NDAK-
slay, Nol dagr battle [Etym], dagor 'battle' [appx; the ending
may
intend to imply GOR-
violence (Etym)]; see also AKLA-R- brilliance, Nol aglareb
glorious [Etym;
the -eb ending
forms an adjective in S]; 'The Glorious Battle', third of the Wars of Beleriand
Dagor Bragollach S; dagor
see previous; see also BERÉK- Nol bregol violent,
sudden [Etym], S
bragol [appx];
also see
lhach leaping flame [appx; the term has not been sourced;
the closest in
Etym is LAK²-
swift; however Tolkien uses the element lach variously for 'flame'
without noting an
etymology]; 'The Battle
of Sudden Flame', fourth of the Wars of Beleriand
Dagorlad S; dagor
see previous; see also lad plain [appx], from LAD- wide [Etym],
also from LAT-
cleared (of land) [Etym];
'Battle Plain'; a battlefield at the end of the Second Age
Dagor-nuin-Giliath S;
dagor
see previous; see also NU- underneath, Nol no under, with
article 'the'
nui(-n)
[Etym]; GIL- shine, Nol gîl star [Etym]; -ath
is a S collective plur [see note following
Argonath];
'The Battle-under-Stars', the second of the Wars of Beleriand
Dairuin S; dair
may be from a base DAY - 'large' or 'great' [not in Etym], or it may derive
from DAY-
shadow, Ilk dair
shadow of trees [Etym]; see also ruin red flame [appx], from /RUN
red, glowing, S
ruin fiery red,
a stem not in Etym; either 'Great Red Flame' or perhaps 'Savage Shadow';
an Adan
Dark Elves (Moriquendi);
the Elves that never saw the Two Trees of Valinor; includes Danas,
Green
Elves [Silvan],
Nandor
[both terms from NDAN- back, Q nan, Nol Dân,
plur Danas (Etym) = those
who stayed 'back'], Lembi
Elves remaining behind [see LEB-, LEM- stay, (Etym)], and
the term
Ilkorindi: LA-
not, Q il- [Etym; blended with AR²- outside, Nol al-
'without' (Etym)] + Kôr [Túna] +
Quendi [Elves]
= Elves not of Valinor
Dark Lord, The Morgoth
and Sauron; see Sauron Appendix
Deldúwath S; see
DYEL-
feel fear, abhor, Nol del- [Etym]; see also DO3, DÔ-
night, Nol dû [Etym];
also see WATH-
shade, Nol gwath [Etym], S wath ['dim light', not shadows
cast by light; appx];
'Horror of Night-shadow',
'Deadly Nightshade'; later name of Dorthonion (Taur-nu-Fuin)
Denethor ?Silvan [the
first Elf of this name was of the Nandor]; 'Tall and Supple'; an etymology
is
offered in The War
of the Jewels, Volume XI of The History of Middle-earth series,
p 412; *dene- is
given as meaning 'strong
and supple'; it likely relates to TAY- make long(er), Q taina
extended, Nol
taen long (and
thin) [Etym; Silvan forms not available], or perhaps STINTA- short
[in the sense of
'thin' or 'lacking'],
Q sinta, Nol thent [Etym], S then; the text assigns
the last element of Denethor to
thara 'tall and
slender'; it likely relates to TER-,
TERES- pierce, Q tere-
slender, Nol trîw fine, slender
[Etym; Silvan forms not
available, but see Drengist (below)]; appx defines S thar-,
thara as 'across',
which would not seem to
apply here; another possibility for thara might be a combination,
such as
TA3- high and AWA-
forth, beyond, Nol ar [Etym], although it seems less likely; the
final element
would more likely derive
dialectally from STAR- stiff, Nol thâr(a) stiff
grass [Etym], but it seems to
contradict 'supple'; it
would be myopic to ignore the fact that Denethor was the leader
of the Dana
Elves; see
DAN-
Nandor [Etym - see Dark Elves] - the Green-elves - from NDAN-
back [Etym - since
they turned back
from their journey to Aman]; however, for a different etymology see LOTR
Dictionary Denethor;
chief of the First Age Danas or Nandorin Elves
Dimbar S; see DEM-
sad, Ilk dimb [(Ilk only); Etym; the 'Ilkorin' identity was abandoned,
and its forms
generally transferred
to S; however, see Dimrost (next)]; the appx lists the element
dîn
'silent' but no
root source has ever been
proposed; perhaps dîn 'silent' has a common source with dim
'empty,
forlorn' that has never
been published [see LOTR Rath Dínen 'the Silent Street' and
Dor
Dínen
below]; see also MBAR-
inhabit, Nol -bar (land) [Etym]; 'empty country', 'Forlorn Land'
Dimrost S; the first element
is problematical as 'stair'; perhaps it relates to TEÑ- Nol
tî
line, row, Q
téma series
[Etym; perhaps: Q tém-, Nol tî-, Dor dím-
series (of steps)]; see also ROS¹- Nol rhoss
[fine] rain, spray [Etym;
there was a subset stem in S, ROSS- (not in Etym), which indicated 'wind-
swept spray'; -rost
is presumably derived from this stem, although in Etym the element rost
occurs
under ROS²-,
Dor (S) rost plain, valley]; 'the Rainy Stair'; a waterfall; later
called Nen Girith
Dior S; see NDEW-
follow, (*ndeuro) Dor [S] Dior successor (i.e. of King Thingol)
[Etym; Nol Dûr
(addenda)]; TA-,
TA3-
high, lofty, noble, Nol -dor [Etym] could be implied; in Anglo-Saxon
deor
means 'wild', also 'brave';
called Aranel, and Eluchil 'Thingol´s
Heir'; son of an Adan, Beren, and
Lúthien, Princess
of Doriath
Dol Guldur S; see NDOL-
knoll, Nol dôl [Etym], dol head, hill [appx]; see also
gûl
sorcery [appx],
from ÑGOL-
wisdom, Nol gûl magic [Etym]; the last element derives from
dûr
dark [appx], from
DO3, DÔ-
night, Nol dûr dark [Etym], i.e. guldur = 'dark wisdom';
'Hill of Sorcery'
Dolmed S [Dor]; dol-
see previous [in Dor the term apparently indicated more than a 'hill',
perhaps a
flattened peak]; see also
MIZD-
Q miste fine rain, Dor [S] mid moisture, adjective
med
wet [Etym];
'Wet Head', a great mountain
Dor Caranthir S; see dôr
land [appx], from NDOR- dwell, Nol dor land [Etym]; 'Land
of Caranthir';
see Thargelion;
see Caranthir
Dor-Cúarthol S;
dor-
see previous; see KU3- bow, Q kú, Nol
cû
arch [Etym]; see also AR²- beside, Q
ar 'and' [Etym;
while ar as 'and' does not appear as S in Etym, it is attested in
the King's Letter
(Sauron Defeated,
Part One, Chapter XI, pp. 128-9)]; see also
thôl helm [appx;
perhaps from TEL-,
TELU- hood, covering,
Nol ortheli roof (OR- high; note the mutation of t
> th in compounds) - Etym,
perhaps in S influenced
by NDOL- head (Etym) - 'head covering']; 'Land of Bow and Helm'
Dor Daedeloth S; dor-
see previous; see dae shadow [appx], from DAY- shadow, Nol
dae [Etym];
also see DYEL-
fear, Nol deloth abhorrence [Etym; the text derives -oth
from GOS-, GOTH- terror
(Etym), although hoth
host (appx), used as an augmentative suffix, serves as well]; 'Land of
the
Shadow of Horror'
Dor Dínen S; dôr
land [appx]; see also dîn silent [appx; see commentary underDimbar
above]; the
source of dîn
is not given; it may relate to TIN- sparkle, which is extended in
Nol to tinw small star,
and tinnu dusk,
twilight [Etym], as a 'quiet' time of day; the -en suffix comprises
a singular adjectival
formation in S; 'The Silent
Land', between two rivers in Beleriand
Dor Firn-i-Guinar S; dor-
see previous; see also PHIR- Nol fern, plur firn dead
(of mortals) [Etym];
-i- indicates a
possessive with an article - 'of the' - shortened from [plur] -in-
with the 'n' a syncope
perhaps due to following
'g'; see also
KUY- awake, Nol cui-, chui-,
guino to be alive [Etym], S chui-,
gui- [appx]; the
final -ar seems to be a plural verb form - 'they live'; 'Land of
the Dead that Live'; in
late writings Tolkien
rendered the term Dor Gyrth i chuinar [ÑGUR- death,
Nol gûr, also guruth
(Etym), S gurth
(appx), plur gyrth; 'Land of the Dead that Live']
Doriath S; said to be
a compound of Dôr Iâth; dor- see previous; -i-
implies a possessive; see also
iâth fence
[appx] - 'Land of the Fence'; there is no attested source for iâth;
it could be related to
GAT(H)- cave, Dor
gad
fence [Etym]; gad is a late additon, as Tolkien originally termed
Doriath as
'Land of the Cave' due
to its 'thousand caves'; the relation of iâth 'fence' to GAT(H)-
is not given,
but is likely; the closest
stem is GAT- catch, hook [Etym], which is what this fence
did; also called
the Girdle of Melian,
this barrier was to keep things out; another word for fence
Tolkien used was
cail, which came
from a stem KEG- 'snag' [not in Etym]; the 'barbs' of Doriath's
fence
were the
enchantments of the Queen
of Menegroth; iâth may be a compound of WAY- to enfold,
Nol ui(a)
[Etym] and GAT-
to catch, hook [Etym] - to 'catch and enfold', 'surround with a fence';
'Land of the
Fence'; also the 'Hidden
Kingdom'; see Menegroth
Dorlas the name may be
M; ?Anglo Saxon deor brave; the Gaelic offers dòrn
fist, dòrlach a handful,
Gaulish *durno;
in S, the element dor- can be derived from a root element DORO -
firm, unyielding
[not in Etym], related
to the stem
NDOR- dwell, stay, (land) [Etym]; -las would
seem to derive from
LAS¹- leaf
[Etym; but see discussion of this final element at Finduilas];
Dorlas went to the attack
on Glaurung, but retreated
in fear
Dor-lómin ?Northern
S; see NDOR- dwell, Nol dor land [Etym]; see also GLAM-
Nol glamor echo,
Dor lómin
[Etym], but the S more at LAM- to sound, Dor [S] 1óm
echo [Etym], lómin ?genitive plural;
'Land of Echoes'
Dor-nu-Fauglith S; dôr
land [appx]; see NU- below, under [Etym]; see also PHAU-
gape, Nol faug
thirsty [Etym], also faug-
gape [appx]; see also lith ash [appx], from LIT- sand, Nol
lith
(ash) [Etym];
'Land under Choking Ash';
see Anfauglith
Dorthonion S; dor-
see previous; see also THON- Ilk [S] thôn pine-tree,
Nol thaun, plur thuin [Etym];
-ion is here used
as a genitive plural [see ERÉK- in Etym], often generalised
to be inclusive: 'lands';
'Land of (the) Pines';
after its destruction called Taur-nu-Fuin, an ironic pun
of the 'Nol' form Dor-
na-Thuin [-na-
is a genitive sign similar to -in- (see Dor Firn-i-Guinar
above); translated in the
Elvish chant A Elbereth
Gilthoniel as 'to' (NA¹-; Etym)], although this construction
was abandoned
Draugluin S; see draug
wolf [appx], from DARÁK- Nol draug wolf [Etym]; see
also luin blue [appx],
from LUG²-
blue, Dor luin pale [Etym]; 'Pale (Blue) Wolf'; a great werewolf
Drengist S; a difficult
term, perhaps the somewhat-S dialect Falathrin; dren- is
almost certainly an
evolved form from TER-,
TERES-
pierce, Q teren, Ilk [S] trêw slender [Etym]; the dilaect
of the Falas
could relate to the older
Q form teren: [initial t > d] and drop the first duplicated
vowel = dren
'slender', although the
element is too rare to attest this analysis; see Denethor
[above] and LOTR
Thranduil; the
last element likely derives from
KIRIS- cut, Nol crist cleft,
gash [Etym; ?the -r-
becoming a syncope, presumably
due to the initial 'r' in dren-]; 'Slender Gash' or 'Long
Firth'; a less
likely possibility might
be from KHIS-, KHITH- mist, fog, Q híse, N
hîth, Dor. hiðum [Etym;
?Falathrin -gist]
- 'Foggy Furrow'; a long narrow estuary at Nevrast
Duilwen S; see DUI-
Ilk [S] duin, duil river [Etym]; while the appx offers
wen
as 'maiden', part of the
element was transferred
to
gwen indicating sheen; GWEN- green, Ilk. gwên
greenness, fresh [Etym];
'River Verdant'; a tributary
of Gelion
Dúnedain S; see
NDU-
sink, set (of Sun), Nol dûn west [Etym]; see Atani
- S Adan, plur Edain; 'The
Edain of the West'; see
Númenóreans
Dungortheb See Nan
Dungortheb
Durin D; see LOTR Dictionary;
a lord of the Dwarves
Dwarrowdelf M; 'Delving
of the Dwarves': translation of Khazad-dûm (S Hadhodrond);
see LOTR
Dictionary
Dwarves see Nauglamír;
also Naugrim
Eä Q; the term is
a root metaphysical concept, and likely has no derivation; other roots
are closely
associated to Eä,
however; WA- wind, Ilk. gwau [Etym]; also WAY- enfold
[as the Outer Void
enveloping the world],
Nol ui [Etym]; 3AR- have, hold, Q arwa possessing,
harma
treasure [Etym];
ëar means
'sea' [appx and next], as a 'vast expanse' and as the 'eternal mother',
and is associated by
Tolkien with Q áya
awe, wonder [GAYA awe, dread; associated with GÁYAS- fear
- Etym];
ëala
means 'spirit' in Q, and
likewise
fëa is 'soul'; Eä implies change, and
since no Elvish word is found for
'change' in Etym, perhaps
it is implied in the term; likewise, Tolkien says that the element ilú(ve)
[of
Ilúvatar]
means 'the all' [Etym IL- all], and is equivalent to 'Eä';
the creative word of Ilúvatar; in
Elvish 'It is' or 'Let
it be'; the material universe, or simply 'the world'
Eärendil Q; see ëar
sea [appx], from AY- pool ... AYAR-, AIR- sea, Q ear
(earen, perhaps implying a
genitive article 'of the')
[Etym; see a more complete discussion at Belegaer]; see also
-(n)dil devoted
[appx]; son of Tuor, a
mortal who violated the ban and sailed West to the Undying Lands to plead
with the Valar; his judgment
was to sail the heavens in his ship with a Silmaril appearing in the night
sky as a star; 'Lover
of the Sea'
Eärendur¹ Q;
eären-
see previous; -(n)dur is same as -(n)dil [appx], except -ndur
refers more to a
detached dedication rather
than an emotional affection; 'dedicated to the sea'; a lord of Númenor
Eärendur² Q;
see previous; a king of Arnor
Eärnil Q; variant
of
Eärendil; a king of Gondor
Eärnur Q; variant
of
Eärendur; last King of Gondor
Eärrámë Q;
eär-
see previous; see also RAM- Q ráma wing [Etym]; 'Sea-wing';
name of a ship
Eärwen Q; see ëar
sea [appx]; see also wen maiden [appx]; GWEN- freshness,
Q wen youthful vigour
[Etym] is probably implied;
'Sea Maiden'; a Telerin Elf
Echoing Mountains see
Ered
Lómin
Echoriath S; see echor
encircle [appx]; *ek(e)- is an ambiguous element in S; most
obvious is EK-
spear, point, Nol. êg,
ech-
[Etym], which here could refer to mountain peaks; there was also a
primitive root element
*HEK, which essentially means 'out', and also descended into S as *ek;
it is
probably reflected in
the stem ET- out, forth [Etym]; echor- would seem to be ET-
[or *HEK] plus
KOR- round, circle
[Etym] - 'out-circle' or 'surround'; see also iâth fence [appx;
see discussion at
Doriath,
above]; -ath is also a S collective plural ending, and is likely
implied here; 'encircling fence',
'The Encircling Mountains'
Ecthelion S; see EK-, EKTE-
spear [Etym]; also see thalion strong, dauntless [appx], from
STÁLAG- stalwart, Nol thalion hero [Etym]; 'Valiant Spear'; however, Etym assigns the name to
STELEG- point, N thela [Etym], which would make the name simply 'Spear-point'; the intent is likely
the same; in Tolkien's notes he cites a stem STEL 'remain firm', S verb thel resolve [not in Etym; see
discussion under Astaldo]; the -ion suffix is presumably the usual masculine suffix from YO, YON-
son, Q & Nol -ion [Etym]; in the volume Unfinished Tales Tolkien identifies this Elf as 'Lord of
Fountains', hinting that this was the meaning of the name; the older lexicons give Q ektelë, (Nol)
ecthel 'fountain', relating to the stems ET- 'out' and KEL- 'go, flow' [Etym], but this etymolgy runs
into hurdles in the S at the time of The Lord of the Rings; this is seen in appx: kel- 'flow away',
et-kele = Q ehtelë, S eithel; a gate warden of Gondolin
Edain See Atani
Edrahil ?S; the name is
a matter of much speculation; the name was fashioned to replace the name
Enedrion - which
presents problems of its own: ?ÉNED- middle, center (Etym)
+ ?RI- edge, border
(Etym) + -ion (traditional
male suffix - see Ecthelion) = ?'inner circle' or perhaps
?'palace guard';
similarly, Edrahil
might derive from ?ET- out (Etym) + ?REG- border, Nol rhain,
edrain, [plur]
edrein [Etym] +
?KHIL- follow (not in 'Nol'; the S was -chil) = ?'border
follower' or 'March Warden';
some have argued that
the name is Adûniac, a M tongue, but this is unlikely since the name
belongs
to an Elf of Nargothrond;
since this Elf is described as the 'chief' of a group of knights, this
author
leans towards 'inner circle'
by implication; notwithstanding, the name does not decode easily in S
Eglador S; see ELED-
depart, ÉLED- departed Elf, Q Elda, Dor
egla
Elf [the letters transposed to edel
(?or edla- in compounds)
to indicate 'left behind' or forsaken (ET- out; Etym) - those
who did not
'depart' for Aman; Etym];
Tolkien's notes expand on this mutation; the form egla is taken
from early
Q hekla - 'put
aside', 'left out', from *HEK [see Echoriath above; also
see discussion under Ekkaia
below]; see also dôr
land [appx]; 'Land of the (Forsaken) Elves' - early name of Doriath,
including a
great part of western
Beleriand; likely related to the name
Eglath [below]
Eglarest S [dialectic?];
egla-
see previous; originally there was a 'River Eglor' in Beleriand [probably
rendered 'River Nenning'
in present maps], and the term Eglarest, according to The Etymologies,
means 'ghyll of the River
Eglor'; see
RIS- cleave, Nol rhest, Ilk [S] rest a
deep ravine [Etym]; the
meaning of Eglor
is given as 'Elf River' in Ilk, as outlined in Eglador above;
-(g)lor as 'river' perhaps
derives from GLAW(-R)-
gold, Nol glor, lor in many names [Etym], in the sense of
'muddy', or
perhaps from a combining
form from SOL- Q solor surf [Etym]; the name may be in the
Falathrin
dialect; the southern
coastal havens of Beleriand, a region under the lordship of Círdan
Eglath S; egla-
see previous; -ath is a S collective plural - see note after Argonath;
'The Forsaken
People', the Telerin Elves
who tarried in Beleriand seeking for King Thingol
Eilinel ?S; in other writings
described as 'the White' and 'the fair'; see GIL- shine white or
pale, [?Nol]
singular geil [Etym;
geil is identified as 'singular' in a recent addendum to Etym];
also see LIND- fair
[Etym], often blended
with LIN²- sing [Etym] with an intent of 'beautiful' or 'sweet';
see also êl,
elen
star [appx]; the Nol feminine
ending -iel [from YO,
YON- son, -iel daughter
(Etym)] may be implied;
presuming the 'g' being
dropped in geil in a dialectal form of S [as it would, for example,
in Q], 'Fair
White-shining Star'; in
'Nol' and Telerin 3EL- sky, also 'pale blue' [Etym] was mixed with
êl 'star', and
seems to be implied here;
the name could be fashioned after an original M name; eil occurs
in Welsh
and Gaelic, meaing 'second'
or 'other', used in Celtic dialects as allo- 'foreign' [see 'Allobrox'];
lin
could relate to lain,
Celtic elements generally meaning 'gem' or 'bright-shining'; 'second light'
or
perhaps 'Moon-light';
wife of Gorlim the Unhappy
Eithel Ivrin S; see eithel
well [appx], from KEL- run (especially of water), Nol eithel
spring [Etym; ET-
forth, out + KEL-
run]; 'Ivrin's Well'; see also
Ivrin
Eithel Sirion S; eithel
see previous; see also SIR- flow, Nol sîr river [Etym];
the -ion suffix forms a
genitive plural used in
place names as an augmentative, and here implying '[all of] the waters
of the
[great] river'; 'Sirion's
Well'; see Barad Eithel
Ekkaia Q; see KHAYA-
distant, Q ekkaira (intensive), haya (adverb) far off [Etym];
the root *HEK is
found in ancient Q, with
a sense of 'removed' or 'gone', and is likely the source of ek-;
the stem ET-
forth, out [Etym] is related
to this ancient source [see discusion at Echoriath and Eglador
for more
on the relationship of
ET- to *HEK]; 'the Outer Sea'; since this area of the cosmos is
called 'the Outer
Ocean' or 'Encircling
Sea', some derive the term as ET- out + GAYA awe, dread [not in
Etym; for 'awe'
as 'sea' see discussion
at Eä], but this seems to raise some etymological problems
in Q; ek + (k)haya
= 'far-away distant';
the stem
AY- pool, Q ai- [Etym] may be implied, referring
to a body of water or
'ocean'; the -ia
ending would also seem to imply WAY- enfold [as a ring 'encloses'
the finger], Q vaia
the enfolding airs [Etym];
the stem seems to be implied in such as iâ void - as enclosing
the Earth
[appx], iant bridge
- as enclosing a chasm [Sil], and iâth fence - as an enclosure
[Sil]; the original
name assigned by Tolkien
was Vaiya 'the Enfolding Ocean'
Elbereth S; see êl,
elen
star [appx], from EL- star [Etym]; -bereth from
BARATH-
lofty [Etym], the
same as BARÁD-
lofty [Etym] and barad tower [appx; see 'Gallery' for a picture
of goddess crowned
with a tower]; they both
derive from BAR- to uplift, protect [Etym; see Varda];
in The Road Goes
Ever On, Tolkien
says that the S used the form
barath because it implied a queen
as a royal spouse
of a king; furthermore,
in his notes Tolkien derives 'Elbereth' from elen-barathi, noting
that since the
b is not mutated
in S to v, the resulting base form of the name would be elmbereth;
this proves
interesting because it
implies the stem MBARAT- fate, destiny [Etym]; 'Star-Queen'; S name
of
Varda 'The Exalted';
see Elentári
Eldalië Q; el-
see previous; the present form relates to ELED- depart, Nol Eledh,
Q elda, plur Eldar
[Etym; those Elves that
'departed' for Aman]; see also LI- many, Q lie people [Etym];
'The Elven-folk'
Eldamar Q; elda-
see previous; see also bar dwelling, Q már [appx],
from MBAR- dwell, home [Etym];
'Elvenhome'
Eldar Q; see ELED-
depart, Nol Eledh, Q elda [Etym]; -r forms a Q plur;
it is often blended in usage
with EL- star [Etym],
Q (adj.) elda 'of the stars' [appx]; 'People of the Stars', although
generally
applied to those Elves
that departed for Aman in the twilight years; Elves, High Elves;
see Elves of
the Light (Calaquendi);
see
Dark Elves (Moriquendi); see Úmanyar;
see Eldalië
Eldarin Q; see EL-
star [Etym], blended with ÉLED- 'Star-folk', Q Elda(-r);
-in denotes a dative plur
ending in Q, applied here mostly
to Elvish languages; '(Languages) of the Eldar'
Elder King see Manwë
Eledhwen S; see ELED-
depart, blended with ÉLED- 'Star-folk', Nol Eledh
Elf [Etym]; see also wen
maiden [appx], used poetically
as 'sheen', perhaps blended with GWEN- green, fresh [Etym]; 'Elf
Sheen'; an Adan; see
Morwen
Elemmírë¹ Q;
elem-
= elen- star [appx], with assimilation; see also mîr
jewel, Q mírë [appx]; 'Star-jewel'
or 'Elf-treasure' by extension;
a 'star', perhaps Mercury in some of Tolkien's notes
Elemmírë²
see previous; a minstrel Elf
Elendë Q; see êl,
elen
star [appx], from EL- star [Etym], and extended to ÉLED-
'Star-folk'; see also
LED- go, travel,
Q lende went [Etym; in a recently published addenda to Etym, there
is another stem
LED-
way (no forms given except lembas |see LOTR|)]; a name of
'Elvenhome' in the West; the name
is interpreted as 'where
Elves walked under the stars of the West'
Elendil Q; see êl,
elen
star [appx; by extension 'Elf' (see Elendë above)];
see also -(n)dil [appx], from
NIL-,
NDIL-
friend [Etym; -(n)dil means an emotional commitment ('lover
of'), while -(n)dur means
more of a professional
detachment ('devoted to')]; 'Elf-friend' or 'Star-lover'; escaped the Drowning
of Númenor and
founded the Edain realms in Middle-earth
Elendili Q; Elendil
see previous; -i forms a plur in Q, although LI- many [Etym]
would seem implied;
'Elf-friends'
Elendur Q; see Elendil
above; -(n)dur is a variant of -(n)dil friend [appx]; 'Elf
Friend'; son of Isildur
Elenna Q; see êl,
elen
star [appx]; see also NA¹- Q an, ana,
na
to, towards [Etym]; 'Starwards'; also
Elenna nóreo
[NDOR- dwell, Q nóre land (Etym) blended with NO-
beget, Q nóre people (Etym);
the -o ending is
genitive ('realm of Starwards')]; a Q name of Númenor
Elentári Q; elen-
see previous; see also tar- high, tári Queen [appx];
'Star-Queen', a name of Varda,
said to have kindled the
stars; see Elbereth; see
Tintallë
Elenwë Vanyarin; elen-
see previous; -wë is a suffix that derives from
WEG-
(manly) vigour [Etym;
often used agentally -
'vigorous one'], a masculine ending in Q and Nol, but in the tongue of
the
Vanyar it appears to be
non-gendered; those Vanyar that came to Middle-earth with the exile of
the
Noldor assumed S forms
of their names; Elenwë however died crossing the Grinding Ice and
never
saw Beleriand; 'Elven
Lady', wife of Turgon
Elerrína Q; el-,
elen-
see previous; see also RIG- Q rie crown, rína
crowned [Etym]; 'Crowned with
Stars'; the towering royal
peak of the Valar; also Taniquetil
Elf-friends the Edain;
see Elendili
Elostirion S; see êl,
elen
star [appx], and by extension 'Elves' [see Elendë and
above]; see also os(t)
fortress [appx]; the last
element derives from tir watch [appx], from TIR- watch, guard,
Nol tiri to
watch [Etym; -ion
is a genitive plural often used as an augmentative: '(tower) for watching'];
el
'star'
+ ost 'fort' +
tirion
'watch-tower'; 'star-citadel of the watch' or 'Fortress of the Stars' [see
Osgiliath in
LOTR]; there is
a play on el as 'star' as well as 'Elf', since it was here that
the Elves went to look
through the only one of
the palantíri that communicated with their families
in the Uttermost West; a
tower on Emyn Beraid
Elrond S; el- see
previous; see also rond a vaulted or arched roof [appx]; builder
of Rivendell and
holder of the ring Vilya;
also known as 'Half-elven'; 'Star-dome', or if el- be taken from
3EL-
sky
[Etym], then 'Vault
of Heaven' [see discussion at Eilinel above]
Elros S; el- see
previous; see also ros foam [appx]; 'Star Foam', although in one
place Tolkien gives
the meaning as 'Star Glitter',
an interpretation from ROS¹- drip [Etym], S ros(s)
'spray' [appx], 'as
scattered by a wind';
an Adan, first King of Númenor
Elu Old S form of Elwë;
while the name is said to have no particular meaning, the Q -wë
ending
indicates one who is alive
['vigour'; WEG- (manly) vigour - Etym], most often a male; the Old
S -u
ending here can be taken
to mean a [live] being; el- is taken to imply 'star', thus rendering
the name
by implication 'Star Being';
Elu
also hints at 3EL- sky, ON [adj.]
elwa (pale) blue, Nol
elw
pale
[grey?], Dor gelu
[Etym; the possibility of grey is of special interest - see Sindar];
the text says that
the two forms êl
and 3EL- were ever confusingly entertwined in the minds of the Elves
Eluchíl S; elu-
see previous; see also KHIL- follow [Etym], khil- 'follow'
... Eluchil [appx]; 'Heir of Elu
(Thingol)'; in various
notes Tolkien says this stem does not appear in S; still, it seems to occur
here
in 'Dor'; also see next;
see Dior
Eluréd S; elu-
see previous; see also ERÉD- seed [Etym], from RED-
sow [Etym]; in one note Tolkien
attributed the last element
to a M [Bëorian] element rêda heir, but this track was
presumably
abandoned; but see next;
said to 'mean the same as Eluchíl'; son of Dior, brother
of
Elurin [next]
Elurín S; elu-
see previous; the final element derives from REN recall, have in mind,
S rîn, a stem that
is not in Etym; Eluréd
may relate to the same stem; 'Remembrance of Elu (Thingol)'; son of Dior,
brother of Eluréd
[above]
Elvenhome See Eldamar
Elves see Eldar,
Dark
Elves (Moriquendi), Elves of the Light Calaquendi
Elwë Q or Telerin;
also see Elu; -wë is a masculine suffix derived
from WEG- (manly) vigour [Etym],
often used agentally;
the name is said to have no assigned meaning, two twins being named Elwë
and Olwë due
to having a similar sound; still,
Elwë implies 'star' or 'Star
Being', as well as 'grey' [see
Elu]; leader
of the Sindar, ruler in Doriath; see
Dark Elves (Moriquendi),
also Thingol
Elwing S; see êl,
elen
star [appx]; see also wing foam, (flying) spray [appx], from WIG-
crest of wave,
foam, spindrift, Nol.
Ilk gwing flying spray [Etym]; 'Star-spray' ['Elf-foam' in one of
Tolkien's letters
(for El- as 'Elf'
see Elendë)]; daughter of Dior; see Lanthir Lamath
Emeldir S; the 'reduplicated
base vowel': e ··· e, is a device in
S to express intensity, but here initial e-
is probably a feminine
affix; see mel- love [appx], from MEL- love, Nol meldir
friend [Etym; -dir
used agentally - see following];
also see DER- adult male, ON dîr, Nol -dir [Etym;
often used
agentally: 'one who is'
or 'one who does']; 'much love (for) man', 'man-lover', defined in the
text 'Man-
hearted'; the name could
well be fashioned after a M equivalent; mel- occurs in Latin as
'honey' or
'sweetness', which may
carry over into Celtic mela 'to grind', but to 'grind softly', Irish
root mel, mal
'soft', Old Irish meld
pleasant, Middle Irish melaim 'I enjoy' [English: 'mellow']; the
Elvish -dir suffix
may have been adapted
in this name from Latin vir man, Gaulish viro-, Old Irish
fer; wife of Barahir
and mother of Beren
Emyn Beraid S; see amon
hill, plur emyn [appx]; see also barad tower [appx]; beraid
is a S plur form
of barad; 'The
Tower Hills'; see Elostirion
Encircling Mountains see
Echoriath
Encircling Sea see Ekkaia
Endor Q; see ÉNED-
centre, and NÉD- middle, Q ende [Etym], S en(n)-
['Ennor']; see also NDOR-
dwell, Q nóre
land [Etym]; see detailed discussion under Andor; 'Middle
Land', 'Middle-earth'
Engwar Q; see GENG-WA-
Q engwa sickly [Etym]; -r forms a plur in Q; 'The Sickly',
an Elvish name
for mortal Men
Eöl Q or Telerin?
Tolkien says it is an ancient name without specific meaning; the appended
name
'Dark Elf' is said in
one place to derive from his being an Avari ['refused' (to
travel to Aman)];
otherwise it is said he
loved the dark shadows of the forest in memory of the starlight of old;
quite
likely it is a combined
word of
êl,
elen star [appx; 'Elf' by extension (see
Elendë)]
and Q 1ó night
[from DO3, DÔ-
Etym] - spelled backwards [due to his obtuse nature]; there is a form under
GAYA
awe, S goeol fell,
dire [not in Etym], but there is no known rule for dropping the base element
go-;
Eöl was considered
a gloomy [joyless] Elf and a loner; a possible correlation might
be found in YUL-
smoulder, ON [?> Nol]
iûl
embers [Etym] - smithy; called the Dark Elf and known as
a great smith
Eönwë Q; Tolkien
states that there is no known Elvish etymology for this name; described
as 'the
Herald of Manwë',
the chief Vala; the name may simply relate to the primal Valarin word axan
law,
commandment; the ending
is a masculine suffix in Q taken from
WEG- (manly) vigour, Q -we
[Etym],
used broadly in Common
Eldarin as a non-gendered mark of distinction, often agentally; 'Deputy';
a
related stem might be
KHAN- understand, Q hanya be skilled in dealing with, Exilic
Nol henio [Etym];
one of the mightiest of
the Maiar
Ephel Brandir S; see PEL(ES)-
'fenced' field, Nol [& S] pel-, bel-, walled house or
village [Etym],
related to the verb
PEL- go round [Etym]; see also ET- out [Etym]; et-pel
= ephel 'outer fence' [appx];
'The Stockade of Brandir';
see Brandir
Ephel Dúath S;
ephel
see previous; see also DO3, DÔ-, Nol
dû
night, gloom [Etym]; also see gwath,
wath shadow [appx];
-ath also forms a S collective plur (see Argonath),
and may be implied to
indicate a whole mountain
chain; 'Fence of Shadow', also called the [Encircling]
Mountains
of
Shadow
Erchamion S; see ERE-
be alone, Nol [& S] er(-e) one, alone [Etym]; see also
KAB-
hollow, Nol cam
hand [Etym], from kamba
'hand', S cam, -cham [appx]; -ion is a masculine name
suffix from YO, YON-
son, Nol -ion [Etym];
'One-handed', a name of Beren after losing a hand in his escape from Angband
Erech ancient M; a hill
in Gondor; see LOTR Dictionary
Ered Engrin S; see ORO-
high, ÓROT- mountain, Nol orod [Etym], plur ered
[appx]; see also ANGA-
iron [Etym], S [genitive]
angren 'of iron', plur engrin [appx]; 'mountains of iron',
'The Iron Mountains'
Ered Gorgoroth S; ered
see previous; see also gor horror, dread, gor + gor
= terrible horror [appx],
from ÑGÓROTH-
horror, Gorgoroth deadly fear (*gor-ngoroth) [Etym; see KHOTH-
gather, Nol
hoth host (Etym),
-oth as a plur intensifier 'nearly always in a bad sense' (appx)];
one sees the Elven
play on words here with
orod and Gorgoroth, something in which they delighted;
'The Mountains
of Terror'
Ered Lindon S; ered see
previous; another name for Ered Luin, the 'Blue Mountains'; see
also Lindon
Ered Lómin S; ered
see previous; see also lóm echo [appx], from
LAM-,
Dor 1óm echo [Etym; the -in
ending appears to indicate
a participial modifier ('echoing'), although in the name Dor-lómin
it seems
more of a genitive plural
ending ('of echoes'); in Etym the Dor participial form is 1ómen
'echoing', but
then is said to be 'Noldorinized'
to -in, confusing the issue; as a conjunctive compound in S the
-in-
form is taken as a possessive
plural article, and is likely best interpreted here the same: 'of (the)
echoes']; 'The Echoing
Mountains' or 'Mountains of (the) Echoes'; the echoes because, by
some of
Tolkien's writings, this
is where the cries of Morgoth and Ungoliant rang forth in their super-earthly
combat at the dawn of
time, and any subsequent noise awakened anew those ancient echoes
Ered Luin S; see ORO-
high, ÓROT- mountain, Nol orod [Etym], S plur ered
[appx]; see also LUG²-
blue, Nol lhûn,
Dor [?plur adj.] luin pale [Etym], S luin 'blue' [appx];
'The Blue Mountains'; also Ered
Lindon
Ered Nimrais S; ered
see previous; see also nim white [appx], from NIK-W- snow,
Nol nim- white
[Etym; Q kw > Nol
m(p)]; see also RAS- stick up, horn [Etym], S plur
rais [appx]; the 'White [-horn]
Mountains'
Ered Wethrin S; ered
see previous; see also WATH- shade, Nol gwath [Etym], S gwath,
wath
'shadow' [appx]; in late
notes Tolkien states that there is an extended stem in Common Eldarin:
WATHAR, which explains
the intrusion of -r- in the plur weth-rin, singular
S adjectival form
wathren 'shadowy';
'The Mountains of Shadow'
Eregion S; see ereg
thorn, holly [appx], from ERÉK- thorn, Nol ereg holly
tree [Etym]; -ion is used in
place-names as a genitive
plur augmentative implying 'lands'; 'Land of Holly'; called by Men Hollin
[Middle English holin
holly tree]; 'Noldorin' realm of the Second Age
Ereinion Nol; see 3AR-
have, hold, Nol aran king, plur erain [Etym; the plur form
erein
may have
later become archaic];
-ion masculine name suffix [YO, YON- son, Q and Nol
-ion; Etym]; 'Scion of
Kings'; surnamed Gil-galad
Erellont ?dialictal S;
the name raises a number of problems, which seemingly are best explained
by
considering a dialect
of S, such as Falathrin, or a combination of S and M; with some doubt would
be KHER- rule,
Q héra chief, heru master, ON khéro,
Nol hîr master [Etym; in his letters Tolkien
extends the stem to KHERU,
S hîr 'lord']; see also
LOD- narrow path, Q londe
road (in sea), Nol
lond entrance to
harbour [Etym] - i.e. 'sea-road master' or 'Navigator', or even 'harbour
master'; a
possible Q form occurs
in the index to Unfinished Tales as Hirilondë 'Haven-finder'
[there is no base
in Etym for 'find'; (proposed)
*KHIR-I find, Q hírø + londë
haven (appx)]; an alternate analysis might
take the name as a combination
of M and Elvish: Welsh eryl [E ril; see LOTR entry
Erelas]
'look-out'
or Old Irish, Gaelic aire
'watch (for)' + S [?Falathrin] lont = 'Haven-finder'; a mariner
ø Namárië, The Road Goes Ever On, Ballantine
Books, NY, pp. 58-9: (Q)
híruválye 'you will find'
Eressëa See Tol
Eressëa
Eriador S [early]; in
the earliest tales the name was Ariador, from AR²- outside
[Etym], referring to Ilk
Argad place 'outside
the fence' [see
GAT(H)- ... Dor gad fence (Etym; see discussion
at Doriath
above); argad 'outside
the fence' - the 'Girdle of Melian'] denoting 'outside of Doriath', which
included a good portion
of Beleriand at first; this construct was apparently abandoned for the
meaning 'Wilderness',
denoting the wild lands east of Beleriand and the Blue Mountains; see ERE-
be alone, Q erya
isolated, lonely [Etym; which form apparently carried over into Nol and
S 'in ancient
compounds' (according
to Tolkien's notes)]; in these older compounds -i- is maintained
as a medial
vowel and does not itself
denote a possessive; see also dôr land [appx]; 'wild land';
see Arnor
Eru Q; while the name
is primeval, it relates to ERE- be alone, Q er one, alone,
and in Nol eru means a
desert [Etym - a metaphysical
concept]; erin means 'remains'; the name is also closely associated
with IL- all ...
ILU-
universe [Etym] and Ilúvatar [ilúvë all
(appx) and atar father (appx) = 'Father of
all']; in the earliest
lexicons eru- is derived from AR²- Q ara outside
[Etym]; this should not be
discounted, since, as
far as can be determined, Eru remained 'outside' his creation of Middle-earth;
another element intimately
related is 3AR- 'have, hold', from which come such forms as Q arda
realm
and arwa, an adjective
(with genitive) 'in control of', and aran king [Etym], as well as
ar(a)-
'high,
noble, royal' [appx];
from AR¹- comes Q are day ['light'], and ara
dawn [Etym; 'beginning']; before
and after Middle Earth's
existence, Eru 'remains'; 'The One', 'He that is Alone': Ilúvatar;
also see Eä
Esgalduin S; see esgal
screen [appx]; the form derives from SKAL¹- 'screen, hide',
Ilk esgal 'screen,
hiding, roof of leaves'
[Etym; the 'Ilkorin' designation was abandoned and its forms mostly absorbed
into S]; the initial vowel
would seem to derive from EZGE- 'rustle, noise of leaves', Q eske,
Ilk esg
[Etym], although there
is a question of whether this stem was abandoned; the original gloss was
'shade'; if the stem is
retained, there is a conflict with
ESEK- Ilk esg sedge [Etym],
which appears to
have been retained, and
its forms are 'Ilk' only; it is this author's guess that Tolkien's original
inspiration was 'shade',
with 'a rustle of leaves', and that he elected to keep the name after changing
the lexicons; see also
DUI-
Ilk duin water, river [Etym]; it may also be noted that the stem
DO3-,
DÔ-
(darkness) has the Nol
form dû 'night, gloom', and may be implied here in duin,
although the
derivative forms are not
'Ilk'; the text translates the term 'River under Veil' [when Tolkien spoke
of
veil, he almost
always meant 'clouds' or 'shadows', and not a material curtain]; a river
of Doriath
Estë Q; see EZDE
(and SED-) rest, Q Este, Nol
Idh [Etym], and in other
places is found Telerin Edë, S
îdh 'rest',
N sîdh 'peace' [these latter two not used as a proper name];
'Rest'; also called 'the Pale'
because she eschewed the
sunlight and walked under starlight in the time of dreams; thus she little
attended the councils
of the Valar, but is noted for arguing for a period of 'nightime' after
the first
appearance of the Sun;
ISI was a root form in the older Q glossaries, with derivatives iska
'pale' and
is 'light snow',
possibly a hint to a name for 'pale' that Tolkien might have had in mind
due to its
similarity to Estë;
a Valier
Estolad ?Dor; see EZDE
rest, Q este [Etym], Ilk ed [addendum
to Etym]; this form might combine in
'Ilkorin' with KHAW-
rest [verb], Nol
haust bed, *khau-sta resting [noun] [Etym;
no Ilk or Dor forms
offered]; Ilk might form
a verb *esto- 'to rest', in somewhat the same way that it forms
esgal
from
SKAL¹- [see
Esgalduin];
while this analysis is in doubt, it may be the answer to the odd form esto-;
see also LAD- Nol
lan(d)
wide, open [Etym], lad 'plain' [appx], although perhaps as much
at LAT- lie
open, Nol lhad
[Etym]; 'Resting Spot'; an alternate approach to the leading element might
be KHAD
cleave, a stem not in Etym but
intertwined with SYAD- shear through, Q hasto hack through,
hast
axe-stroke [Etym]; this
stem may explain the Q word hastaina 'marred' [where -ina
is a participial
ending in Q] and appear
in Ilk as a verb esto- 'cleared' - 'cleared opening (in the forest)';
translated in
the text as 'the Encampment',
where Men dwelt after they first crossed into Beleriand
Ezellohar of pre-Elven
[Valarin] origin; Tolkien's notes define ezel, ezella as
'green'; a stem likely
related to that source
is SALÁK-(WE) Q salqe grass, Ilk salch herb
[Etym]; however, the first
element could possibly
also be related to ESE-, ESET- Q esta first, esse
beginning [Etym], i.e.:
'primeval'; given that,
lohar
might well relate to LÁWAR- Q laure [golden] light
[Etym], since the
Two Trees grew there before
the times of the Sun-cycles; -har might point towards KHAG-
pile,
mound, Q hahta
[Etym], and also KARAK- spike [Etym], and KHARÁS-
precipice [Etym], as the
rise was said to
be 'steep'; the stem 3AR- 'hold' [Etym] leads to 'high, noble' [appx],
implying 'raised
up'; in the ancient Q
Lexicon the form lairë meant 'meadow', from a root LAYA 'flourish',
implying
'green'; 'The Green Mound';
see Túna; also
Corollairë
