Sindarin
tol brandir
place name. Tindrock, (lit.) Isle of the Great Steeples
Elements
Word Gloss tol(l) “island, (high steep-sided) isle” brand “steeple” ? Variations
- Brandir ✧ RC/333
Noldorin
tol brandor
place name. Tindrock
Changes
- Tol Brandor → Tol Brandir ✧ TI/359
Variations
- Tol Brandir ✧ TI/359; TII/Tol Brandir
- Tolbrandir ✧ TI/367
An island in S. Nen Hithoel translated “Tindrock” (LotR/373), but more literally meaning “Isle of the Great Steeples” (PE17/22, PE17/61). The first element of this name is tol(l) “island”, but the origin of the second element is unclear. In one place, Tolkien indicated it was an elaboration of brand “steeple” (PE17/22, PE17/61), in another that it was a corruption of baradnir “tower-steep” (RC/333).
Conceptual Development: In Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, Tolkien considered many different names for this island: first N. Toll-ondren “Carrock” with many minor variations (TI/268, 285) and then N. Tolharn or Tollernen “Stoneait” (TI/324), revised to N. Eregon “Stone Pinnacle” (TI/345), briefly N. Emris before reverting back to Eregon (TI/367) and then finally N. Tol Brandor >> Tol Brandir (TI/359, 367).