ithildin

noun. magical alloy that glows in moonlight, (lit.) moon-star

The magic alloy from which the Moria-gate runes were made, a combination of S. Ithil “moon” and S. tîn “star” and hence “moon-star” (LotR/317; PE17/39, 66). In one place Tolkien considered the form ithildim (PE17/39). The term first appeared in Lord of the Rings drafts of the 1940s (TI/180).

Elements

Word	Gloss
Ithil	“Moon”
tîn	“spark, sparkle, twinkle of stars”

Variations

• Ithildin ✧ LotRI/Ithildin; RSI/Ithildin
• ithildim ✧ PE17/039
• ithil-din ✧ PE17/066