-ndil (also -dil) ending occurring in many names, like Amandil, Eärendil; it implies devotion or disinterested love and may be translated "friend" (SA:(noun)dil); this ending is "describing the attitude of one to a person, thing, course or occupation to which one is devoted for its own sake" (Letters:386). Compare -ndur. It is unclear whether the names derived with the ending -ndil are necessarily masculine, though we have no certain example of a woman's name in -ndil; the name Vardilmë (q.v.) may suggest that the corresponding feminine ending is -(n)dilmë.
Quenya
-nil
-wine
-nil
suffix. -friend, -lover
-ndil
friend
-dil
-wine
-dil, -ndil, ending that Tolkien likened to Old English "-wine", sc. "-friend" as part of names, e.g. Elendil, Eärendil (NIL/NDIL); see the entry -ndil. Also long -dildo (VT46:4), and possibly -(n)dilmë as the corresponding feminine form (see Vardilmë).
-dil
suffix. -friend, -lover
-(n)dil
suffix. -friend, -lover; devotion, disinterested love
Cognates
- S. -dil “friend, lover”
Derivations
Element in
- Q. Aiwendil “Lover of Birds”
- Q. Aldanil “Lover of Trees”
- Q. Amandil “Lover of Aman” ✧ SA/(n)dil
- Q. Anardil “*Lover of the Sun” ✧ PE17/152
- Q. arandil “king’s friend, royalist” ✧ Let/386
- Q. Atandil “Friend of Men”
- Q. Firindil “Friend of Men”
- Q. Aulendil “Servant of Aulë”
- Q. Ciryandil “*Ship Lover”
- Q. Eärendil “Lover of the Sea” ✧ PE17/152; SA/(n)dil
- Q. Eärnil “*Lover of the Sea” ✧ PE17/152; SA/(n)dil
- Q. Eldandil “Elf-friend”
- Q. Elendil “Elf-friend, Star-lover” ✧ Let/386; PE17/152; SA/(n)dil
- Q. Hrávandil “*Wild Beast Friend”
- Q. Urundil “Copper-lover” ✧ PM/366
- Q. Mámandil “*Sheep-friend”
- Q. Manwendil “*Friend of Manwë”
- Q. Mardil “Devoted to the House” ✧ Let/386; SA/(n)dil
- Q. Meneldil “*Lover of the Heavens” ✧ PE17/152
- Q. meneldil “astronomer, *(lit.) lover of the heavens” ✧ Let/386
- Q. Minardil “?Friend of the Tower”
- Q. nendil “beast that lives in the water”
- Q. Nendili “Water-lovers”
- Q. Nolondil “?Friend of Knowledge”
- Q. Númendil “*Friend of the West”
- Q. Ornendil “*Tree-friend”
- Q. Oromendil “*Friend of Oromë”
- Q. Quendil “Elf-friend”
- ᴺQ. sailiendil “philosopher”
- Q. Siriondil “*Sirion-lover”
- Q. Telumendil “*Sky-lover”
- Q. Uinendili “Lovers of Uinen”
- Q. Valandil “Lover of the Valar” ✧ Let/386
- Q. Vardilmë “?Friend of Varda”
- Q. Vorondil “*Ever-friend”
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √(N)DIL > ndil [-ndil] ✧ Let/386 √NIL > ndil [-ndil] ✧ PE17/152 Variations
- ndil ✧ Let/386; PE17/152
- -nil ✧ PE17/152
- dil ✧ PE17/152
- -ndil ✧ PM/366
nildo
friend
nildo noun "friend" (apparently masc.; contrast nildë) (NIL/NDIL)
nildë
friend
nildë noun "friend" (fem.) (NIL/NDIL)
nilmo
friend
nilmo noun "friend" (apparently masc.) (NIL/NDIL)
-ndur
friend
-ndur (also -dur), ending in some names, like Eärendur; as noted by Christopher Tolkien in the Silmarillion Appendix it has much the same meaning as -ndil "friend"; yet -ndur properly means "servant of" (SA:(noun)dil), "as one serves a legitimate master: cf. Q. arandil king's friend, royalist, beside arandur 'king's servant, minister'. But these often coincide: e.g. Sam's relation to Frodo can be viewed either as in status -ndur, in spirit -ndil." (Letters:286)
-ser
friend
-ser noun "friend" (SER)
meldo
friend, lover
meldo noun "friend, lover". _(VT45:34, quoting a deleted entry in the Etymologies, but cf. the pl. #_meldor in Eldameldor "Elf-lovers", WJ:412) **Meldonya *"my friend" (VT49:38, 40). It may be that meldo is the distinctly masculine form, corresponding to feminine #meldë** (q.v.)
meldo
noun. friend, lover
Cognates
- S. mellon “friend” ✧ WJ/412
Derivations
- √MEL “love, love, [ᴹ√] love (as friend)”
Element in
- Q. Eldameldor “Elf-friends, Elf-lovers” ✧ WJ/412
- Q. nai elen siluva parma-restalyanna meldonya “*may a star shine upon your book-fair, my friend” ✧ VT49/40
heldo
friend
[heldo, also helmo, fem. heldë, noun "friend" (VT46:3)]
meldë
friend
#meldë noun "friend", feminine (meldenya "my friend" in the Elaine inscription [VT49:40], Tolkien referring to Elaine Griffiths). Compare meldo.
málo
noun. friend
friend, comrade
málo
friend
málo noun "friend" (MEL, VT49:22)
seron
friend
seron noun "friend" (SER)
sondo
friend
[sondo noun "friend" (VT46:15)]
sermo
friend
sermo noun "friend" (evidently masc., since sermë is stated to be fem.) (SER)
sermë
friend
sermë noun "friend" (fem.) (SER)
-nil, final element in compounds, similar in meaning to Old English "-wine", sc. "-friend" as an element in names (NIL/NDIL). Also long -nildo (VT46:4). Variant of -ndil. In Eärnil, contraction of Earendil.