Quenya 

Taniquetil

high white horn

Taniquetil (Taniquetild-), place-name: the highest of the mountains of Valinor, upon which were the mansions of Manwë and Varda. Properly, this name refers to the topmost peak only, the whole mountain being called Oiolossë (SA:til). The Etymologies has Taniquetil, Taniquetildë ("q") (Ta-niqe-til) ("g.sg." Taniquetilden, in LotR-style Quenya this is the dative singular) "High White Horn" (NIK-W, TIL, TA/TA3, OY). Variant Taníquetil with a long í, translated "high-snow-peak"(PE17:26, 168).

Taniquetild-

place name. Taniquetil

Quenya [PE 22:125] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

taniquetil

place name. High White Peak

Tallest mountain in the world, where Manwë and Varda made their home (S/26). The name was adapted from its Valarin name of unknown meaning (PE17/168, 186), perhaps Val. Dahanigwishtilgūn (WJ/417). The Valarin name was altered to give it meaning as Quenya word. In Ancient Quenya, the name became ✶tār(a)-ninqui-tilte “High White Peak” (PE17/186). Taniquetil was thereafter interpreted as a compound of tar- (ta-) “high”, ninquë “white” (or niquë “cold, snow”) and tildë “point”, once its true origin was obscured.

Conceptual Development: This name dates back to the earliest Lost Tales (LT1/58), and ᴱQ. Taniqetil “Lofty Snowcap” appeared in the Qenya Lexicon, where it was a compound of ᴱQ. “high” and ᴱQ. niqetil “snow cap” (QL/66, 86; LT1A/Taniquetil). ᴹQ. Taniqetil “High White Horn” appeared in The Etymologies from the 1930s as a compound of ᴹ✶tāna “✱high” (Ety/TĀ), ᴹQ. ninqe “white” (Ety/NIK-W) and ᴹQ. tilde “horn” (Ety/TIL). The concept of the Valarin origin of this name did not emerge until the 1950-60s (PE17/168, 186; WJ/416-7).

In The Etymologies, Tolkien indicated that its (ᴹQ) genitive form was Taniqetilden (Ety/TIL, EtyAC/TIL), so that its stem form would be Taniqetild-, which was also its stem form in the Qenya Lexicon (QL/87). In the 1950s, Tolkien gave its ancient form as ✶tār(a)-ninqui-tilte (PE17/186), perhaps indicating a stem form of Taniquetilt-. Since the later stem form of this name is unclear, I have omitted it in this entry.

Derivations

Elements

WordGloss
tar-“high, high; [ᴹQ.] king or queen (in compounds)”
ninquë“white; chill, cold; pallid”
tildë“a fine sharp point, fine sharp point, [ᴹQ.] spike; (mountain) horn, [ᴱQ.] tip, ️peak”

Variations

  • Taníquetil ✧ PE17/026; PE17/168
  • níquetil ✧ PE17/168
  • taniquetil ✧ PE17/186
  • Tániquetil ✧ RGEO/61
Quenya [LotRI/Taniquetil; MRI/Taniquetil; PE17/026; PE17/168; PE17/186; PE21/86; PMI/Taniquetil; RGEO/61; SA/til; SI/Taniquetil; SI/White Mountain; TII/Taniquetil; UTI/Taniquetil; WJ/403; WJ/416; WJ/417; WJI/Ras-Arphain; WJI/Taniquetil] Group: Eldamo. Published by

níquetil

snow peak

níquetil noun "snow peak" (PE17:168), stem probably *níquetild-, cf. Taniquetil, q.v.

Arfanyaras

variant or close equivalent

Arfanyaras, Arfanyarassë place-name, a "variant or close equivalent" of Taniquetil (WJ:403)

Taniquetil

Taniquetil

Taniquetil (or Taníquetil) is Quenya (pronounced [taˈnikʷetil]) and means "high-snow-peak". The name can be analyzed as ta- (cf. tára) "high", nique "white" and til "point".

Quenya [Tolkien Gateway] Published by