Sindarin 

Elwing

noun. Elwing

star foam; êl (“star”) + wing (“spray, foam”) The meaning of wing is uncertain and could have been taken from Nandorin, but its interpretation is but a guess; later on p.369 this element is said to come from Bëorian tongue; in [Etym. WIG-], the S, Ilk word for “spindrift, flying spray” is given as gwing.

Sindarin [Tolkiendil] Group: Tolkiendil Compound Sindarin Names. Published by

elwing

feminine name. Star-spray

Granddaughter of Lúthien, beloved of Q. Eärendil and mother of Elrond and Elros, her name is translated “Star-spray” (S/235, Let/448). This name is a combination of êl “star” and the lenited form of gwing “spray” (SA/wing; PM/365 note #55, 376 note #24).

Conceptual Development: Her name appeared as G. Elwing in the earliest Lost Tales (LT2/241), but in the Gnomish Lexicon from this period her name was translated “Lake Foam”, a variant of the name G. Ailwing (GL/17, 32). In The Etymologies from the 1930s, Tolkien revised the meaning of the initial element of N. Elwing, first deriving it from ᴹ√ƷEL “sky” (Ety/ƷEL), then from ᴹ√EL “star” (Ety/EL). Thereafter, her name remained “Star-spray”, but Tolkien did at times consider that the second element -wing might be borrowed from a non-Sindarin language, either from the language of the Green Elves (PM/349) or from Bëorian (PM/369).

Elements

WordGloss
êl“star”
gwing“foam, spindrift, foam, spindrift, [N.] flying spray; [G.] wave-crest”
Sindarin [Let/282; Let/448; LotRI/Elwing; MRI/Elwing; PM/349; PM/365; PM/369; PM/376; PMI/Elwing; S/235; SA/wing; SI/Elwing; SI/Lanthir Lamath; UTI/Elwing; WJI/Elwing] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Noldorin 

elwing

feminine name. Star-spray

Elements

WordGloss
el“star”
gwing“spindrift, flying spray”
Noldorin [Ety/EL; Ety/ƷEL; LRI/Elwing; RSI/Elwing; SDI2/Elwing; SMI/Elwing; TII/Elwing; WRI/Elwing] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Beware, older languages below! The languages below were invented during Tolkien's earlier period and should be used with caution. Remember to never, ever mix words from different languages!

Gnomish

elwing

feminine name. Lake Foam

Gnomish [GL/17; GL/32; LT2A/Elwing; LT2I/Elwing] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ailwing

feminine name. Lake Foam

Changes

  • AilungAiluin ✧ PE13/108

Cognates

  • Eq. Ailuvin “Lake Foam” ✧ GL/17

Elements

WordGloss
ail“lake, pool”
gwing“wave-crest, crest, foam”

Variations

  • Ailuin ✧ PE13/108
  • Aelwyn ✧ PE13/108
  • Ailung ✧ PE13/108 (Ailung)
Gnomish [GL/17; GL/32; PE13/108] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Quenya

ailuvin

feminine name. Lake Foam

A Qenya equivalent of G. Elwing, more obviously related to the archaic form of that name G. †Ailwing, appearing in the Gnomish Lexicon from the 1910s (GL/17). Tolkien indicated that its stem form as Ailuving-. Assuming it has the same meaning as its Gnomish equivalent, it is probably a compound of ailo “lake” and some form of winge “foam”. The Quenya form of this name did not appear in later writings.

Cognates

  • G. Ailwing “Lake Foam” ✧ GL/17

Elements

WordGloss
ailo“lake, pool”
winge“(blowing) foam, spindrift, froth, scud, spray; wave”
Early Quenya [GL/17] Group: Eldamo. Published by