Eldo

marchers

Eldo noun, archaic variant of Elda, properly one of the "Marchers" from Cuiviénen, but the word went out of use (WJ:363, 374)

eldo

proper name. one of the Marchers

An archaic variant of Elda “Elf” meaning “Marcher”, as in “those who marched to Valinor”. It was derived from the root √DEL “walk, travel” by inversion of its letters: ✶edelō > eledo > Eldo (WJ/363). It fell out of use in Quenya and was replaced (blended with) Elda (WJ/374), but it survived in Sindarin as the primary word for Elf: S. Edhel (WJ/364).

Conceptual Development: This was a reworking of an older, rejected etymology of ᴹQ. Elda (“Departed Elf”) from the root ᴹ√LED “go, fare, travel” (Ety/ELED).

Cognates

• S. Edhel “Elf” ✧ WJ/363
• T. Ello “Elf” ✧ WJI/Eldar

Derivations

• ✶edelō “one who goes, traveller, migrant, marcher” ✧ WJ/363
  • √DEL “walk, go, proceed, travel” ✧ WJ/360; WJ/363

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶edelō > eledo > Eldo	[edelō] > [eledō] > [eldō] > [eldo]	✧ WJ/363

elda

of the stars

elda 1. originally adj. "of the stars", but wholly replaced (WJ:362) by: 2. noun (Elda) = one of the people of the Stars, (high-)elf, an Elf (SA:êl, elen, Letters:281, ELED, ÉLED; notice that Tolkien abandoned a former etymology with "depart"), chiefly in the pl. Eldar (WJ:362, cf. GAT(H), TELES).The primitive form Tolkien variously cited as ¤eledā / elenā(Letters:281, PE17:152) and ¤eldā(WJ:360). Partitive pl. Eldali (VT49:8), gen. pl. Eldaron (WJ:368, PM:395, 402);dative pl.eldain "for elves", for Eldar (FS); possessive sg. Eldava "Elf's" (WJ:407); possessive pl. Eldaiva (WJ:368), Eldaivë governing a plural word (WJ:369). The word Eldar properly refers to the non-Avari Elves only, but since Eldar rarely had any contact with the Avari, it could be used for "elves" in general (in LT1:251, Elda is simply glossed "Elf"). See also Eldo. The plural form Eldar should not require any article when the reference is to the entire people; i Eldar refers to a limited group, "(all) the Elves previously named"; nevertheless, Tolkien in some sources does use the article even where the reference seems to be generic (i Eldar or i-Eldar, VT49:8).

elda

noun. Elf, (lit.) one of the Star-folk

The most common Quenya word for “Elf”. Its literal meaning is “one of the Star-folk” (WJ/374), a name given to them by Oromë (S/49) and derived from the same primitive root √EL as Q. elen “star”. Strictly speaking, this term excludes the Avari who chose not to journey to Valinor, so that the proper term for all of Elvenkind is Q. Quendë “one of the Elven race”. The Elves of the West rarely encountered the Avari, however, so that term Elda was ordinarily broad enough to describe all Elves.

Conceptual Development: This word dates back to the earliest stages of Tolkien’s languages. At its first appearance, ᴱQ. Elda was glossed “a beach-fay” (QL/35), but was soon extended to describe all Elves (LT1/113). In Tolkien’s earliest writings the word was not given a clear etymology. In the Lhammas “Account of Tongues” from the 1930s (LR/168-180), Tolkien gave ᴹQ. Elda the sense of “one who departed” (LR/169), as opposed to the ᴹQ. Lembi “Lingerers” who remained behind (precursors of the Avari). With this sense, Elda was derived from ᴹ√LED “go, fare, travel” (Ety/LED).

Tolkien soon revised the etymology of Elda so that it was derived instead from ᴹ√ELED “star-folk” (Ety/ELED). In some later writings, he considered both etymologies of this word to be valid, so that Elda was blending of both “star-folk” (from √EL) and Q. Eldo “marcher” (from √LED or √DEL), as discussed in the Quendi and Eldar essay from 1959-60 and elsewhere (WJ/362-3, PE17/139). However, the sense “star-folk” is probably better known.

In some notes from 1957, Tolkien considered deriving this word from a variant root √DEL “fair” so that its meaning would be “the fair” (PE17/151), but this seems to have been a transient idea.

Cognates

• S. Eledh “Elf” ✧ Let/281; SA/êl; PE17/141
• S. Ell “Elf” ✧ Let/281; WJ/362
• S. Edhel “Elf” ✧ LRI/Edhil; PE17/045; PE17/151; PE17/152; SA/êl; SA/êl; RC/780
• S. Ellon “Elf-man” ✧ PE17/151
• T. Ello “Elf” ✧ WJ/375; WJ/373
• T. Ella “Elf” ✧ WJ/362; WJI/Eldar

Derivations

• ✶eledā “star-folk, of the stars” ✧ Let/281; PE17/141; SA/êl; WJ/360; WJ/364; WJ/364
  • √EL “lo, behold; star, lo, behold; star, [ᴹ√] starry sky” ✧ Let/281
• ✶elenā “connected with or concerning the stars” ✧ PE17/139; PE17/152
  • ✶elen “star” ✧ PE17/139
  • √EL “lo, behold; star, lo, behold; star, [ᴹ√] starry sky” ✧ Let/281; PE17/067; VT42/11; WJ/360
• ✶edelā “the fair” ✧ PE17/139; PE17/151
  • √DEL “*fair” ✧ PE17/151
• ✶edelō “one who goes, traveller, migrant, marcher” ✧ PE17/152
  • √DEL “walk, go, proceed, travel” ✧ WJ/360; WJ/363

Derivatives

• S. Ell “Elf” ✧ PE17/141
  • S. Elleth “Elf-maid” ✧ PE17/141
  • S. Ellon “Elf-man” ✧ PE17/141

Element in

• Q. Amaneldi “*Elves of Aman”
• Q. ar súlë Manwëo etsurinyë ar Eldaron indor turyaner “*and the spirit of Manwe went out and the hearts of the Eldar were comforted / or obeyed” ✧ NM/239
• Q. Eldacar “Elfhelm”
• ᴺQ. eldafindë “maidenhair fern, (lit.) elf tress”
• Q. Elda-lambë “Language of the Eldar” ✧ WJ/369
• Q. Eldalië “People of the Elves, Elven-folk, People of the Eldar, Elven-folk, [ᴹQ.] Elf-folk” ✧ WJ/374
• Q. Eldalondë “Haven of the Eldar”
• Q. Eldalótë “Elven-flower” ✧ PM/346
• Q. Eldamar “Elvenhome”
• Q. Eldameldor “Elf-friends, Elf-lovers”
• Q. Eldandil “Elf-friend”
• Q. Eldanna “*Elf-wards” ✧ UTI/Eldanna
• Q. Eldanor “Elvenland”
• Q. Eldanyárë “History of the Elves”
• Q. eldar ataformaiti “the Elves were ambidexters” ✧ VT49/08
• Q. Eldarin “of the Eldar; Elvish (language)”
• Q. Eldarion “*Son of the Eldar”
• Q. Eldar oronter “the Elves arose” ✧ PE21/77
• Q. Eldar Sindar “Grey Elves” ✧ PE21/77
• Q. Eldar sindaron “Grey Elves’” ✧ PE21/77
• Q. Eldavehtë “a habitation, haunt or place occupied by Eldar” ✧ PE17/189
• Q. Elendil “Elf-friend, Star-lover”
• Q. Hecel “Elf who stayed in Beleriand”
• Q. i arani Eldaive “The kings of the Eldar” ✧ WJ/369
• Q. i arani Eldaron “The kings of the Eldar” ✧ WJ/369
• Q. lambe Eldaiva “the language of the Eldar” ✧ WJ/369
• Q. lambe Eldaron “the language of the Eldar” ✧ WJ/368
• Q. mana i coimas Eldaron? “What is the ‘coimas’ of the Eldar?” ✧ PM/395
• Q. mana i·coimas in·Eldaron? “What is the ‘coimas’ of the Eldar?” ✧ PM/403
• Q. Oärel “Elf who left Middle-earth for Aman”
• Q. Pereldar “Half-elven”
• Q. Sinda Eldō “a Grey Elf’s” ✧ PE21/77
• Q. Sindar Eldar “Grey Elves” ✧ PE21/77
• Q. Sindar Eldaron “Grey Elves’” ✧ PE21/77
• Q. Sindar i Eldar Malariando “Grey are the Elves of Beleriand” ✧ PE21/77
• Q. Sindel “Grey-elf”
• Q. Tareldar “High-elves” ✧ SI/Eldar
• Q. tas cennen nótimë eldali “I saw a few elves there” ✧ PE22/155
• Q. vanimelda “beautiful and beloved, elven-fair” ✧ PE17/056; PE17/057

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶eledā/elenā > Elda	[eledā] > [eldā] > [elda]	✧ Let/281
✶elenā > Elda	[elenā] > [elnā] > [eldā] > [elda]	✧ PE17/139
✶edelā > Elda	[edelā] > [edlā] > [eldā] > [elda]	✧ PE17/139
✶eledā > elda	[eledā] > [eldā] > [elda]	✧ PE17/141
✶edelā > elda	[edelā] > [edlā] > [eldā] > [elda]	✧ PE17/151
✶elenā > elda	[elenā] > [elnā] > [eldā] > [elda]	✧ PE17/152
✶edelā > eledā > elda	[edelā] > [eledā] > [eldā] > [elda]	✧ PE17/152
✶elda > Elda	[elda]	✧ SA/êl
✶eldā > Elda	[eldā] > [elda]	✧ WJ/360

Variations

• elda ✧ PE17/045; PE17/056; PE17/057; PE17/141; PE17/141; PE17/151; PE17/152; PE17/152

elena

of the stars

elena adj. "of the stars" (SA:êl, elen); also elenya