Quenya 

Ilma

starlight

Ilma noun "starlight" (GIL)

Ilmarë

starlight

Ilmarë noun "starlight", also fem. name, referring to a Maia (GIL, SA:ilm-)

silmë

starlight

silmë noun "starlight", also name of tengwa #29 (Appendix E), though in the pre-classical Tengwar system presupposed in the Etymologies, the name silmë instead applied to tengwa #3 (VT46:13). Silmë nuquerna "_s reversed", name of tengwa #30, similar to normal silmë but turned upside down (Appendix E)_. In the Etymologies, stem SIL, silmë is defined as the "light of Silpion" (Telperion), and also a poetic word for "silver".

silmë

noun. starlight, starlight; [ᴹQ.] silver [light], moonlight, light of Silpion

A word for “starlight” and also the name of tengwa #29 [i] (LotR/1123), clearly derived from the root √SIL.

Conceptual Development: The earliest hint of this word was in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s where ᴱQ. silmea seems to be an adjective meaning “✱lunar” (QL/56). ᴱQ. silme also seems to be an adjectival element “gleaming, silver” in ᴱQ. silmerána “gleaming moon, silver moon” from the Oilima Markirya poem and its drafts from around 1930 (MC/220; PE16/75). In The Etymologies of the 1930s ᴹQ. silme was derived from primitive ᴹ✶silimē “light of Silpion, †silver” under the root ᴹ√SIL “shine silver” (Ety/SIL) and thus seems to mean “moonlight”. Indeed, silme had the gloss “moonlight” in notes on The Feanorian Alphabet from the 1930s and 40s (PE22/22, 51), where it was already the name of tengwa #29. It became “starlight” in Appendix E of The Lord of the Rings, however (LotR/1123), and elsewhere “moonlight” was isilmë (MC/223).

Derivations

  • SIL “shine (white or silver)”

Element in

Variations

  • silme ✧ LotR/1123

ilma Reconstructed

proper name. Starlight

An (archaic?) name for “Starlight”, it is not directly attested in Tolkien’s later writing, but appears as an element in several names (SA/ilm). It is a derivative of the root √(Ñ)GIL “shine (white)”. Elsewhere, the usual Quenya word for “starlight” is given as silmë (LotR/1123).

Conceptual Development: ᴱQ. ilma “air” appeared in Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s (PE16/142). The name ᴹQ. Ilma “Starlight” is directly attested in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (LR/205), where it first appeared as Silma (SM/240). Ilma also appeared in The Etymologies as a derivative of ᴹ√GIL (Ety/GIL), which is the source of the etymology noted above.

Derivations

  • (Ñ)GIL “shine (white); silver glint; white or silver light”

Element in

  • Q. Ilmarë ✧ SA/ilm
  • Q. Ilmarin “Mansion of the High Airs” ✧ SA/ilm
  • Q. Ilmen “*Place of Starlight” ✧ SA/ilm

Variations

  • ilm- ✧ SA/ilm

Sindarin 

Gil-galad

noun. star of radiance

gîl (“star, bright spark”) + galad (“light, radiance”) Reinterpreted from gil + calad “star light” [Etym. KAL-]

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

Gil-galad

noun. 'Star of light'

prop. n. 'Star of (clear) light'. >> gal-

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:15:169] -. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

Gil-galad

noun. 'Radiant Star

pl1. Gilgelaid** ** prop. n. 'Radiant Star(s), Star-light'. See also the (prob. primitive) form Gillingalati. >> galad

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:50:59] < _Gill calad_. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

gil-galad

masculine name. Starlight, (lit.) Star of Radiance

Last high-king of the Noldor and leader of the elves in the Last Alliance against Sauron at the end of the Second Age (LotR/52). His name is a compound of S. gil “star” and S. galad “radiance, glittering reflection”, the latter also an element in the name S. Galadriel “Glittering-garland” (RGEO/65, Let/425). In The Lord of the Rings his name was translated “Starlight” (LotR/191) but elsewhere Tolkien translated this name in various ways all roughly with the meaning: “Star of Radiance” (PM/347), which was the translation used by Christopher Tolkien in The Silmarillion index (SI/Gil-galad).

Conceptual Development: This name appeared in The Etymologies from the 1930s as N. Gil-galad “Starlight” (Ety/GIL). At this stage, the final element was probably the lenited form of N. calad “light” (PE17/50), though N. galad also appeared in The Etymologies with the gloss “light” (EtyAC/GAL).

Derivations

  • Gillingalati “radiant stars, Gil-galad” ✧ PE17/050; PE17/152

Elements

WordGloss
gil“star; (bright) spark, silver glint, twinkle of light”
galad“radiance, glittering reflection; light, fire, brightness, shining; bliss, radiance, glittering reflection; light, fire, brightness, shining; bliss; [ᴱN.] dawn”

Variations

  • Gilgalad ✧ PE17/084; PE17/152; WJI/Gilgalad
Sindarin [Let/279; Let/425; Let/426; LotR/0191; LotRI/Gil-galad; NM/186; PE17/015; PE17/023; PE17/050; PE17/059; PE17/084; PE17/152; PE17/169; PM/347; PM/350; PMI/Gil-galad; PMI/Rodnor; RGEO/65; SA/gil; SA/kal; SI/Gil-galad; UTI/Gil-galad; WJI/Gilgalad] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Gil-galad

Gil-galad

Gil-galad is a Sindarin name, meaning "Star of bright light". The name consists of the elements gil ("star") + galad ("radiance"). According to a note this name was given to him because of the brightness of his eyes .

Sindarin [Tolkien Gateway] Published by

gilgalad

starlight

1) gilgalad (i ngilgalad = i ñilgalad, o n**gilgalad, pl. gilgelaid (in gilgelaid = i ñgilgelaid) if there is a plural form. 2) gilith (also used = Quenya Ilmen, the region of stars) (i ngilith = i ñilith, o n**gilith) _These mutations presupposed that the root is Ñ, as in MR:388, rather than _ as in the Etymologies (LR:358).

gilgalad

starlight

(i ngilgalad = i ñilgalad, o n’gilgalad, pl. gilgelaid (in gilgelaid = i ñgilgelaid) if there is a plural form.

gilith

starlight

(also used = Quenya Ilmen, the region of stars) (i ngilith = i ñilith, o n’gilith) These mutations presupposed that the root is

Primitive elvish

gillingalati

masculine name. radiant stars, Gil-galad

Derivatives

  • S. Gil-galad “Starlight, (lit.) Star of Radiance” ✧ PE17/050; PE17/152

Elements

WordGloss
ñgillē“silver glint”
ñ(g)alatā“(reflected) radiance, glitter (of reflected light), glory”

Variations

  • gilicalat- ✧ PE17/152
Primitive elvish [PE17/050; PE17/152] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Noldorin 

gil-galad

masculine name. Starlight

Elements

WordGloss
geil“star”
calad“light”

Variations

  • gilgalad ✧ Ety/GIL
  • Gilgalad ✧ SDI2/Gilgalad
Noldorin [Ety/GIL; LRI/Gil-galad; RS/179; RS/215; RSI/Gilgalad; SDI2/Gilgalad; TII/Gil-galad; WRI/Gil-galad] Group: Eldamo. Published by

gilgalad

noun. starlight

Noldorin [Ety/358] Group: SINDICT. 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!

Qenya 

ilma

proper name. Starlight

This name first appeared in Silmarillion drafts from the early 1930s as ᴹQ. Silma >> Ilma >> Ilmen as a name for the “Place of Light”, home of the stars (SM/240-1). It reappeared in the mid-30s as a word for “Starlight” (LR/205), and also appeared in The Etymologies as a derivative of ᴹ√GIL, alongside (and perhaps an element of) Ilmen “region above air where stars are” (Ety/GIL).

Changes

  • SilmaIlma ✧ LRI/Silma
  • SilmaIlma ✧ SM/240
  • IlmaIlmen ✧ SM/240
  • IlmaIlmen ✧ SMI/Ilma
  • SilmaIlma ✧ SMI/Ilma
  • IlmaIlmen ✧ SMI/Ilmen
  • SilmaIlma ✧ SMI/Silma

Cognates

  • N. gilith “starlight, *region of the stars” ✧ Ety/GIL; Ety/GIL

Derivations

  • ᴹ√GIL “shine (white or pale)” ✧ Ety/GIL

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√GIL > Ilma[gilma] > [ɣilma] > [ilma]✧ Ety/GIL

Variations

  • Silma ✧ LRI/Silma; SM/240; SMI/Ilma; SMI/Silma
Qenya [Ety/GIL; LR/205; LRI/Ilma; LRI/Silma; SM/240; SMI/Ilma; SMI/Ilmen; SMI/Silma] Group: Eldamo. Published by