Quenya 

Varda

the sublime

Varda fem. name "the Sublime", name of a Valië, spouse of Manwë, the Queen of the Valar, called Elbereth in Sindarin (BARATH, BARÁD, WJ:402; in Letters:282 Varda is translated the "Lofty"). As a general adjective "sublime", †varda could still occur as a poetic word in verse (PE17:23), but normal prose would apparently rather use the related word varanda (q.v.) Genitive Vardo (for Vardao). (Nam, RGEO:66). Vardamir masc. name, "Varda-jewel" (Appendix A, UT:210); vardarianna ?"Varda-gift", name of a tree (but the ri element is obscure) (UT:167)

varda

feminine name. Exalted, Lofty, Sublime

Valië of the stars, spouse of Manwë (S/26). Her name is variously translated “Exalted” (RGEO/61), “Lofty” (Let/282) or “Sublime” (WJ/402). It is derived from the primitive name ✶Baradā from the root √BARAD “lofty, high” (PE17/22).

Conceptual Development: The name ᴱQ. Varda dates back to the earliest Lost Tales (LT1/58), though at this early stage it was a derivative of the root ᴱ√VṚÐṚ along with ᴱQ. varni “queen” and the verb ᴱQ. vard- “rule, govern” (QL/102, LT1A/Varda). In The Etymologies from the 1930s, Tolkien changed the derivation of ᴹQ. Varda to the one given above (Ety/BARAD), and this etymology reappeared in writings from the 1950s (PE17/22).

Cognates

Derivations

  • Baradā “Varda” ✧ PE17/022
    • BARAD “lofty, high, height combined with strength/size/majesty” ✧ PE17/022
    • BAR “[ᴹ√] raise; uplift, save, rescue(?)”
  • BARAD “lofty, high, height combined with strength/size/majesty” ✧ PE17/022
    • BAR “[ᴹ√] raise; uplift, save, rescue(?)”

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
baradā > Varda[baradā] > [bardā] > [βardā] > [βarda] > [varda]✧ PE17/022
BARAD > Varda[baradā] > [bardā] > [βardā] > [βarda] > [varda]✧ PE17/022

Variations

  • Várda ✧ RGEO/58
Quenya [Let/282; LotR/0377; LotRI/Elbereth; LotRI/Varda; MRI/Varda; PE17/022; PE17/023; PE17/065; PE17/067; PE17/069; PE21/82; PE21/85; PE22/161; PMI/Varda; RGEO/58; RGEO/59; RGEO/61; RGEO/66; SI/Varda; UTI/Varda; WJ/369; WJ/402; WJI/Varda] Group: Eldamo. Published by

varanda

sublime

varanda adj. "sublime" (PE17:23), related to the name Varda.

varanda

adjective. sublime

Cognates

  • S. brand “towering; tall and massive, towering, tall and massive, [N.] high; lofty, noble, fine” ✧ PE17/023

Derivations

  • BARAD “lofty, high, height combined with strength/size/majesty” ✧ PE17/022
    • BAR “[ᴹ√] raise; uplift, save, rescue(?)”

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
BARAD > varanda[baranda] > [βaranda] > [varanda]✧ PE17/022

arta

exalted, lofty

arta (1) adj. "exalted, lofty" (PM:354), "high, noble" (PE17:118, 147); cf. names like Artaher, Artanis.

tára

lofty

tára (1) adj. "lofty". (SA:tar, LT1:264, TĀ/TA3 (AYAK, TÁWAR), VT45:6), "tall, high" (WJ:417). Compare antara. Adverb táro in an early "Qenya" text (VT27:20, 26). The adj. tára is not to be confused with the continuative form of the verb #tar- "stand".

an sí tintallë varda oiolossëo ve fanyar máryat elentári ortanë

for now the Kindler, Varda, the Queen of the Stars from Mount Everwhite has uplifted her hands like clouds

Ninth and tenth lines @@@

Element in

Variations

  • An sí Tintallë Varda Oiolossëo ve fanyar máryat Elentári ortanë ✧ LotR/0377
  • An sī́ Tìntálle Várda Óiolóssëò ve fányar mā́ryat Élentā́ri órtanè ✧ RGEO/58
Quenya [LotR/0377; RGEO/58] Group: Eldamo. Published by

-o

of goodness

-o (1) genitive ending, as in Altariello, Oromëo, Elenna-nórëo, Rithil-Anamo, Rúmilo, Lestanórëo, neldëo, omentielvo, sindiëo, Valinórëo, veryanwesto, q.v. In words ending in -a, the genitive ending replaces this final vowel, hence atto, Ráno, Vardo, vorondo as the genitive forms of atta, Rána, Varda, voronda (q.v.) Following a noun in -, the ending can have the longer form -no, e.g. *máriéno "of goodness" (PE17:59, but contrast sindiëo "of greyness" in PE17:72). Where the word ends in -o already, the genitive is not distinct in form, e.g. ciryamo (q.v.) = "mariner" or "mariners". Pl. -ion and -ron, q.v.; dual -to (but possibly -uo in the case of nouns that have nominative dual forms in -u rather than -t). The Quenya genitive describes source, origin or former ownership rather than current ownership (which is rather covered by the possessive-adjectival case in -va). The ending -o may also take on an ablativic sense, "from", as in Oiolossëo "from (Mount) Oiolossë" (Nam), sio "hence" (VT49:18). In some of Tolkiens earlier material, the genitive ending was -n rather than -o, cf. such a revision as Yénië Valinóren "Annals of Valinor" becoming Yénië Valinórëo (MR:200).

Varda

Varda

Varda is a Quenya name, meaning "sublime" or "lofty", from Primitive Quendian baradâ, merged with barathî.[source?] In Telerin she was called Baradis, and in Sindarin Elbereth. All these come from the Root BARÁD/BARATH. In Adûnaic, her name was adapted rather than translated; it became Avradî. Some older forms were Baráda, Bridhil, Timbridhil and Tinwetári. Elbereth derives from elen-bereth meaning "star-queen". It represents evolution of Primitive Quendian *elen-barathî (the final -i umlauted the word to berethi) > elemberethi > elbereth.

Quenya [Tolkien Gateway] Published by

Sindarin 

raud

lofty

adj. lofty. Q. rāta. >> arod, taer

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:186] < RAT tower up. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

taer

lofty

adj. lofty. Q. tāra.

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:186] < TAG. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

taer

adjective. lofty, lofty, *high

Cognates

  • Q. tára “lofty, tall, high” ✧ PE17/186; PE17/186

Derivations

  • TĀ/TAƷ “high, high, [ᴹ√] lofty; noble” ✧ PE17/186
  • tagra ✧ PE17/186
    • TĀ/TAƷ “high, high, [ᴹ√] lofty; noble” ✧ PE17/186

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
tagra > taer[taɣra] > [tagra] > [taɣra] > [taira] > [tair] > [taer]✧ PE17/186
Sindarin [PE17/186] Group: Eldamo. Published by

elbereth

varda

arth

lofty

1) arth (noble, exalted), pl. erth, 2) brand (high, noble, fine), lenited vrand, pl. braind, 3) orchall (superior, eminent), pl. erchail (for archaic örchail), 4) taur (also tor-, tar- in compounds) (high, sublime, noble; vast, masterful, mighty, overwhelming, huge, awful), lenited daur, pl. toer. Note: homophones mean ”king (of a people)” and also ”great wood, forest”.

arth

lofty

(noble, exalted), pl. erth

arth

exalted

1) arth (lofty, noble), pl. erth;

arth

exalted

(lofty, noble), pl. erth

taur

lofty

(also tor-, tar- in compounds) (high, sublime, noble; vast, masterful, mighty, overwhelming, huge, awful), lenited daur, pl. toer. Note: homophones mean ”king (of a people)” and also ”great wood, forest”.

taur

sublime

taur (also tor-, tar- in compounds) (lofty, high, noble; vast, masterful, mighty, overwhelming, huge, awful), lenited daur, pl. toer. Note: homophones mean ”king (of a people)” and also ”great wood, forest”.

taur

sublime

(also tor-, tar- in compounds) (lofty, high, noble; vast, masterful, mighty, overwhelming, huge, awful), lenited daur, pl. toer. Note: homophones mean ”king (of a people)” and also ”great wood, forest”.

brand

lofty

(high, noble, fine), lenited vrand, pl. braind

hall

exalted

hall (high); lenited chall; pl. hail. Note: a homophone means ”veiled, hidden, shadowed, shady”.

hall

exalted

(high); lenited chall; pl. hail. Note: a homophone means ”veiled, hidden, shadowed, shady”.

orchall

lofty

(superior, eminent), pl. erchail (for archaic örchail)

Adûnaic

avradî

feminine name. *Varda

An Adûnaic name for a goddess with the title Gimilnitîr “Star-kindler” (SD/428). Though Tolkien never made it explicit, it is clearly the Adûnaic name of Varda (S. Elbereth). This name is curious, since [v] is not one of the phonemes used in Adûnaic (SD/418). Most likely it is pronounced [awradī]. Tolkien said that to represent the sound [w], he sometimes “used ‘v’ in the Anglicanizing of Adunaic names” (SD/434). Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynne suggested (AAD/12) that it may be a derivative of Primitive Elvish ✶Baradā.

Cognates

  • Q. Varda “Exalted, Lofty, Sublime”
  • ᴹQ. Varda “Lofty, Sublime” ✧ SDI2/Avradî

Derivations

  • Baradā “Varda”
    • BARAD “lofty, high, height combined with strength/size/majesty” ✧ PE17/022
    • BAR “[ᴹ√] raise; uplift, save, rescue(?)”

Variations

  • Avradī ✧ SD/428
Adûnaic [SD/428; SDI2/Avradî] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Primitive elvish

baradā

adjective. Varda

Derivations

  • BARAD “lofty, high, height combined with strength/size/majesty” ✧ PE17/022
    • BAR “[ᴹ√] raise; uplift, save, rescue(?)”

Derivatives

  • Ad. Avradî “*Varda”
  • Q. Varda “Exalted, Lofty, Sublime” ✧ PE17/022

Variations

  • baradā ✧ PE17/022
Primitive elvish [PE17/022] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Noldorin 

bredhil

feminine name. Varda

A Noldorin name for Varda appearing in the earliest Silmarillion drafts from the late 1920s, replacing older G. Bridhil (SM/43). It also appeared in The Etymologies from the 1930s as a derivative of ON. Bradil (Ety/BARÁD), but these names were rejected and possibly replaced by N. Berethil or N. Elbereth (Ety/BARATH).

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. Varda “Lofty, Sublime” ✧ Ety/BARÁD

Derivations

  • On. Bradil “Varda” ✧ Ety/BARÁD
    • ᴹ✶b’radil- ✧ Ety/BARÁD
    • ᴹ√BARAD “*lofty, noble” ✧ Ety/BARÁD
      • ᴹ√BAR “raise; uplift, save, rescue(?)” ✧ Ety/BAR

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
On. Bradil > Breðil[bradil] > [braðil] > [breðil]✧ Ety/BARÁD

Variations

  • Breðil ✧ Ety/BARÁD (Breðil)
  • -breðil ✧ Ety/TIN
Noldorin [Ety/BARÁD; Ety/TIN; SMI/Bridhil] Group: Eldamo. Published by

gilbrennil

feminine name. Varda

A name for Varda appearing in The Etymologies from the 1930s (Ety/GIL), a combination of geil “star” and brennil “lady”. This name was probably replaced by Elbereth.

Elements

WordGloss
geil“star”
brennil“lady”

brand

adjective. lofty, noble, fine

Noldorin [Ety/351, TAI/150, X/ND1] Group: SINDICT. Published by

brand

adjective. high (in size)

Noldorin [Ety/351, TAI/150, X/ND1] Group: SINDICT. Published by

brann

adjective. lofty, noble, fine

Noldorin [Ety/351, TAI/150, X/ND1] Group: SINDICT. Published by

brann

adjective. high (in size)

Noldorin [Ety/351, TAI/150, X/ND1] Group: SINDICT. Published by

hall

adjective. exalted, high

Noldorin [Ety/363] 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 

varda

feminine name. Lofty, Sublime

Cognates

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶Baradā “lofty, sublime” ✧ Ety/BARÁD; Ety/BARATH
    • ᴹ√BARAD “*lofty, noble” ✧ Ety/BARÁD; Ety/BARATH
    • ᴹ√BAR “raise; uplift, save, rescue(?)” ✧ Ety/BAR

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶barádā > Varda[baradā] > [bardā] > [βardā] > [βarda] > [varda]✧ Ety/BARÁD
ᴹ✶baradā > Varda[baradā] > [bardā] > [βardā] > [βarda] > [varda]✧ Ety/BARATH
Qenya [Ety/BARÁD; Ety/BARATH; LRI/Varda; RSI/Varda; SDI2/Avradî; SMI/Varda; TII/Varda; WRI/Varda] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Old Noldorin 

bradil

feminine name. Varda

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. Varda “Lofty, Sublime” ✧ Ety/BARÁD

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶b’radil- ✧ Ety/BARÁD
    • ᴹ√BARAD “*lofty, noble” ✧ Ety/BARÁD
    • ᴹ√BAR “raise; uplift, save, rescue(?)” ✧ Ety/BAR

Derivatives

  • N. Bredhil “Varda” ✧ Ety/BARÁD

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶b’radil- > Bradil[bradilǝ] > [bradil]✧ Ety/BARÁD
Old Noldorin [Ety/BARÁD] Group: Eldamo. Published by

tōra

adjective. lofty

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. tára “lofty, high” ✧ Ety/TĀ

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶tārā “lofty” ✧ Ety/TĀ
    • ᴹ√TĀ/TAƷ “high, lofty; noble” ✧ Ety/AYAK; Ety/TĀ

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶tārā > tōra[tārā] > [tāra] > [tǭra]✧ Ety/TĀ

Variations

  • tára ✧ EtyAC/TĀ
Old Noldorin [Ety/TĀ; EtyAC/TĀ] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Middle Primitive Elvish

baradā

adjective. lofty, sublime

Derivations

  • ᴹ√BARAD “*lofty, noble” ✧ Ety/BARÁD; Ety/BARATH
    • ᴹ√BAR “raise; uplift, save, rescue(?)” ✧ Ety/BAR

Derivatives

  • ᴹQ. Varda “Lofty, Sublime” ✧ Ety/BARÁD; Ety/BARATH
  • On. barada “steep” ✧ Ety/BARÁD
    • N. baradh “steep” ✧ Ety/BARÁD
  • ᴹT. Baradis ✧ Ety/BARÁD; Ety/BARATH

Variations

  • barádā ✧ Ety/BARÁD; EtyAC/BARATH
  • baradā ✧ Ety/BARATH
Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/BARÁD; Ety/BARATH; EtyAC/BARATH] Group: Eldamo. Published by

tārā

adjective. lofty

Derivations

  • ᴹ√TĀ/TAƷ “high, lofty; noble” ✧ Ety/AYAK; Ety/TĀ

Derivatives

  • ᴹQ. tar- “high; king or queen (in compounds)” ✧ EtyAC/TĀ
  • ᴹQ. tára “lofty, high” ✧ Ety/TĀ; Ety/TÁWAR
  • On. tōra “lofty” ✧ Ety/TĀ

Element in

Variations

  • tāra ✧ Ety/AYAK; Ety/KHIL
  • Tára ✧ Ety/NIK-W
  • tára ✧ EtyAC/AYAK
Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/AYAK; Ety/KHIL; Ety/NIK-W; Ety/TĀ; Ety/TÁWAR; EtyAC/AYAK; EtyAC/TĀ] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Gnomish

dara

adjective. lofty

Cognates

  • Eq. tára “lofty, high, tall” ✧ LT1A/Qalmë-Tári

Derivations

  • ᴱ√DAHA “*high” ✧ LT1A/Qalmë-Tári

Element in

  • G. daroth “summit, peak” ✧ GL/29; LT1A/Qalmë-Tári
Gnomish [GL/29; LT1A/Qalmë-Tári] Group: Eldamo. Published by

annuir

adjective. lofty

annor(in)

adjective. lofty

Changes

  • andorannor ✧ GL/19

Derivations

Variations

  • annor ✧ GL/19
  • annorin ✧ GL/19
  • andor ✧ GL/19 (andor)
  • annuir ✧ PE13/110
Gnomish [GL/19; PE13/110] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Quenya

súlimi

feminine name. Varda

A name of Varda, feminine equivalent of Súlimo appearing in the Qenya Lexicon and Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa from the 1910s (QL/86; PME/86).

Variations

  • i·Sūlimi ✧ GL/18
  • Sūlimi ✧ QL/086
  • Sûlimi ✧ QL/102
Early Quenya [GL/18; LT1A/Súlimo; PME/086; QL/086; QL/102] Group: Eldamo. Published by

varda

feminine name. Varda

Cognates

  • G. Bridhil “*Queen” ✧ GL/18; GL/24; LT1A/Tinwetári; LT1A/Varda; PE14/014
  • En. Bredhil ✧ LBI/Bridhil; PE13/139

Derivations

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ✶vṝđa > Varda[βṝðā] > [βṝða] > [vṝða] > [varða] > [varda]✧ QL/102
Early Quenya [GL/18; GL/24; LBI/Bridhil; LBI/Varda; LT1A/Tinwetári; LT1A/Varda; LT1I/Varda; LT2I/Varda; PE13/139; PE14/014; PME/102; QL/102] Group: Eldamo. Published by

orda

adjective. lofty

tahóra

adjective. lofty

Changes

  • dahóratahóra “lofty” ✧ PE12/021

Derivations

  • ᴱ✶taχsođa “seated high” ✧ PE12/021
    • ᴱ√DAHA “*high”
  • ᴱ√DAHA “*high” ✧ QL/087

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ✶taχ-sṓđā́ > tahóra[taxsōðā] > [taxsōða] > [taxsōza] > [taxsōra] > [tahōra]✧ PE12/021
ᴱ√TAHA > tahōra[taxsōðā] > [taxsōða] > [taxsōza] > [taxsōra] > [tahōra]✧ QL/087

Variations

  • dahóra ✧ PE12/021 (dahóra)
  • tahōra ✧ PME/088; QL/087 (tahōra)
  • tayóra ✧ QL/087
Early Quenya [PE12/021; PME/088; QL/087] Group: Eldamo. Published by

orwa

adjective. lofty

Derivations

  • ᴱ√ORO “steepness, rising” ✧ QL/070

Element in

  • Eq. ordie “height, loftiness” ✧ QL/070

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√ORO¹ > orwa[orwā] > [orwa]✧ QL/070

Variations

  • orda ✧ QL/070
Early Quenya [QL/070] Group: Eldamo. Published by