Sindarin 

êl

noun. star (little used except in verses)

Sindarin [WJ/363, MR/373, RGEO/73, Letters/281] Group: SINDICT. Published by

êl

star

pl1. elin, pl2. elenath** ** n. star. Q. elen, pl1. eldi, eleni, pl2. elelli. >> elen

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:24:67:127:139-40:151] < EL star. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

êl

noun. star

A Sindarin word for “star” that is largely archaic and poetic, and is mainly used as element in names like Elrond (Let/281; WJ/363; Ety/EL); the more usual word for “star” in ordinary speech was gil (RGEO/65). However, the collective form elenath is still used in common speech to refer to the entire host of stars (WJ/363). The plural of êl is elin, as this word was derived from ancient ✶elen, and the final n that was lost in the singular was preserved in the plural. In some cases Tolkien posited a restored analogical singular elen from the plural form (PE17/24, 67, 139), but this isn’t in keeping with the notion that the word was archaic, so I would ignore this for purposes of Neo-Sindarin.

Conceptual Development: This word and its root first appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s, where N. el “star” was derived from the root ᴹ√EL of similar meaning, but was “only [used] in names” (Ety/EL). It seems Tolkien introduced the root to give a new etymology for names like N. Elrond and N. Elwing, which initially appeared under the root ᴹ√ƷEL “sky” (Ety/ƷEL).

Cognates

  • Q. elen “star” ✧ PE17/024; PE17/024; PE17/067; PE17/127; PE17/151; SA/êl; WJ/362

Derivations

  • EL “lo, behold; star, lo, behold; star, [ᴹ√] starry sky” ✧ Let/281; RGEO/65; SA/êl
  • elen “star” ✧ PE17/067; PE17/139; PE22/150; WJ/360
    • EL “lo, behold; star, lo, behold; star, [ᴹ√] starry sky” ✧ Let/281; PE17/067; VT42/11; WJ/360

Element in

  • S. Anglachel “*Iron-of-the-flaming-star”
  • S. Anguirel “*Iron-of-the-fiery-star”
  • S. Eladar “Starfather”
  • S. elanor “pimpernel, small golden star-shaped flower, (lit.) sun-star” ✧ PE17/055
  • S. Elbereth “Queen of Stars, (lit.) Star-queen” ✧ PE17/022; RGEO/65
  • S. Elrond “Star-dome”
  • S. Elros “Star-foam”
  • S. Elu ✧ PM/369
  • ᴺS. elui “starry”
  • S. Elwing “Star-spray” ✧ PM/369
  • S. Nan Elmoth “*Valley of Starry Dusk”
  • S. Narn en·Êl “*Tale of the Star” ✧ MR/373
  • S. Narn e·Dant Gondolin ar Orthad en·Êl “*Tale of the Fall of Gondolin and the Raising of the Star” ✧ MR/373
  • S. o menel aglar elenath “from heaven on high the glory of the starry host” ✧ LotR/0238; PE17/024; RGEO/63; RGEO/64

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
EL > êl[elen] > [ele] > [el] > [ēl]✧ Let/281
elen > êl[elen] > [ele] > [el] > [ēl]✧ PE17/067
ELEN > êl[elen] > [ele] > [el] > [ēl]✧ PE17/139
elenī > elin[elenī] > [eleni] > [elini] > [elin]✧ PE22/150
EL > êl[elen] > [ele] > [el] > [ēl]✧ RGEO/65
ele > êl[elen] > [ele] > [el] > [ēl]✧ SA/êl
elen > êl[elen] > [ele] > [el] > [ēl]✧ WJ/360

Variations

  • Êl ✧ MR/373
  • el- ✧ PE17/022
  • elen ✧ PE17/024; PE17/067; PE17/139
  • el(en) ✧ PE17/025
  • el ✧ PE17/055; PM/369
Sindarin [Let/281; LotR/0238; MR/373; PE17/022; PE17/024; PE17/025; PE17/055; PE17/067; PE17/127; PE17/139; PE17/151; PE22/150; PM/369; RGEO/63; RGEO/64; RGEO/65; RGEO/67; SA/êl; WJ/363] Group: Eldamo. Published by

el

star

n. star.

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:55] -. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

elen

star

pl1. elin, pl2. elenath _n._star. Its collective plural (pl2.) designates 'the (host of all the) stars, (all) the (visible) stars of the firmament'. Q. elen, pl1. eldi, eleni. o menel aglar elenath ! lit. 'from Firmament glory of the stars !'. >> êl

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:20-1:24-5:67:139:151] < EL star. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

elen

noun. star

gil

noun. star, bright spark

In The Etymologies (Ety/358, corrected by VT/45:15), this word was given as geil , plural gîl. However, later in LotR/E and RGEO/73, Tolkien seems to consider gil as a singular (with no hints in the sources of what the plural would be, besides the collective plural giliath )

Sindarin [LotR/E, S/431, RGEO/73] Group: SINDICT. Published by

gil-

noun. star

Sindarin [PE 22:159] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

gill

noun. star

giliath

noun. all the host of stars

Sindarin [Ety/358, RC/232] Group: SINDICT. Published by

gîl

star

gîl (i ngîl = i ñîl, o n**gîl, construct gil) (bright spark, silver glint), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gîl = i ñgîl), coll. pl. giliath** (RGEO, MR:388). Poetic †êl (elen-, pl. elin, coll. pl. elenath) (RGEO, Letters:281, WJ:363).

gîl

star

(i ngîl = i ñîl, o n’gîl, construct gil) (bright spark, silver glint), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gîl = i ñgîl), coll. pl. giliath **(RGEO, MR:388). Poetic †êl (elen-, pl. **elin, coll. pl. elenath) (RGEO, Letters:281, WJ:363).

gilion

of stars

(lenited ngilion; pl. gilioen). Archaic ✱giliaun.