Quenya 

aicassë

mountain peak

aicassë ("k") (1) noun "mountain peak" (AYAK)

oron

mountain

oron (oront-, as in pl. oronti) noun "mountain" (ÓROT; the root occurs in orotinga, q.v.) Oron Oiolossë "Mount Everwhite" (WJ:403)

oron

noun. mountain

A word for “mountain” in Quenya whose stem form was oront-, so that it’s plural would be oronti (Ety/Ety/ÓROT).

Conceptual Development: There were a number of competing “mountain” words in Quenya of similar derivation, all based on the root √ORO “rise”; its Sindarin cognate S. orod “mountain” was much more stable in form. The earliest iteration of these Quenya words was ᴱQ. oro “hill” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s as a derivative of the early root ᴱ√ORO, unglossed but with other derivatives like ᴱQ. oro- “rise” and ᴱQ. orto- “raise” (QL/70). The word oro “hill” also appeared in the Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa from this period, alongside a variant form oron(d) of the same meaning (PME/70).

The variant oron reappeared in the Declension of Nouns from the early 1930s, now with the gloss “mountain” (PE21/33); its inflected forms indicate a stem form of {orom- >>} orum- (PE21/34 and note #125). ᴹQ. oron “mountain” appeared again in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a derivative of the root ᴹ√OROT, this time with a stem form oront- as indicated by its plural oronti (Ety/ÓROT). Oron appeared once more in the name Q. Oron Oiolossë “Mount Everwhite” from the Quendi and Eldar essay of 1959-60 (WJ/403).

In Notes on Galadriel’s Song (NGS) from the late 1950s or early 1960s Tolkien gave the variant forms oro, orto “mountain” as derivatives of √ORO/RŌ “rise, mount” (PE17/63-64). ᴹQ. orto had previously appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a derivative of the root ᴹ√OROT but with the gloss “mountain-top” (Ety/ÓROT). Hints of this earlier meaning can be seen in the 1968 word Q. orotinga “mountain-top” though in this compound the second element Q. inga also means “top” (VT47/28). Orto “mountain” may be the final element of the 1968 name Q. Tarmacorto “High Mountain Circle”, but more likely the last element is derivative of √KOR “round”, perhaps ✱Q. corto “circle” (NM/351).

As for oro, it meant “mountain” as an element in many late names: Q. Orocarni “Red Mountains” (MR/77), Q. Orofarnë “Mountain Ash” (PE17/83), Q. oromandi “mountain dweller[s]” (PE16/96), and Q. Pelóri “Mountain Wall” (PE17/26), though in one place Tolkien glossed the prefix oro- as “hill” (PE17/83), perhaps a callback to its meaning in the 1910s.

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I feel oron(t) for “mountain” is better established among Neo-Quenya writers; it is the form used in Helge Fauskanger’s NQNT (NQNT), for example. The word Q. orto was not used for “mountain” until quite late, and I would stick with its 1930s meaning “mountain-top”. As for Q. oro, I would use it as “mountain” only in compounds, not as an independent word.

Derivations

  • ᴹ√OROT “height, mountain”

Element in

Variations

  • Oron ✧ WJ/403

Sindarin 

aeglir

noun. range of mountain peaks

Sindarin [Hithaeglir LotR, Ety/349, X/OE] aeg+lîr. Group: SINDICT. Published by

aeglir

noun. line of peaks, line of peaks, [N.] range of mountain peaks; [ᴱN.] peak, mountain top

A word for a mountain range, a compound of S. aeg “sharp” and S. lîr “line”, or more literally “line of (mountain) peaks”, most notably as an element in S. Hithaeglir “Misty Mountains, (lit.) Line of Misty Peaks” (Let/180; RC/11).

Conceptual Development: The earliest iteration of this word was ᴱN. aiglir “peak, mountain top” in Early Noldorin Word-lists from the 1920s, but there it was a singular rather than collective noun, an elaboration of ᴱN. aig “high, steep” (PE13/136, 158). In this period it had a distinct plural form eiglir as in ᴱN. Eiglir Engrin “Iron Mountains” (LB/33, 49). In The Etymologies of the 1930s it appeared as N. oeglir “range of mountain peaks” with essentially the same etymology as given above, except with the Noldorin word N. oeg “sharp” instead of later Sindarin word S. aeg. It appeared as aiglin or aeglin in some earlier versions of the name Hithaeglir (TMME/379; Let/180), but was corrected to aeglir in later versions of The Lord of the Rings.

Element in

  • S. Hithaeglir “Misty Mountains, (lit.) Line of Misty Peaks” ✧ RC/011

Elements

WordGloss
aeg“sharp, sharp, [N.] pointed, piercing”
lîr“line, line, [N.] row”

hithaeglir

 name. hithaeglir, the misty mountains

Misty mountains; hîth (“mist, fog”) + aeg (S aegas “mountain peak”) + lîr (“range, row”)

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

aegas

noun. mountain peak

Sindarin [Ety/349, X/OE] Group: SINDICT. Published by

orod

noun. mountain

Sindarin [Ety/379, S/435, Letters/263, TC/178, RC/621] Group: SINDICT. Published by

orod

mountain

pl1. ered or eryd, pl2. #orodrim _n. _mountain. Tolkien notes that "eryd > ered by late change, but y unstressed remained in certain circumstances, e.g. before nasals" (PE17:33). >> dol, doll, Thangorodrim

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:33:89:116] -. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

orod

noun. mountain

The Sindarin word for “mountain”, a derivative of √RŌ/ORO “rise” (PE17/63). Its proper plural form is eryd; the plural form ered in The Lord of the Rings is a late [Gondorian only?] pronunciation (PE17/33).

Conceptual Development: The singular form of this noun was extremely stable. It first appeared as G. orod “mountain” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s beside variant ort (GL/63), and it reappeared as N. orod “mountain” in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a derivative of the root ᴹ√OROT “height, mountain” (Ety/ÓROT). It appeared in a great many names in the sixty year span that Tolkien worked on the Legendarium.

The development of its plural form is a bit more complex. Its Gnomish plural was orodin (GL/63), but by the Early Noldorin of the 1920s, its plural was eryd (MC/217). In The Etymologies of the 1930s, however, Tolkien gave its plural form as oroti > ereid > ered (Ety/ÓROT). This fits with normal Noldorin plural patterns of the 1930s: compare plurals N. eregdoseregdes, N. golodhgeleidh, N. doronderen, N. thorontherein. Sindarin plural patterns consistently show oy in final syllables, such as S. golodhgelydh or S. NogothNegyth.

This Noldorin plural for orod “mountain” made it into Lord of the Rings drafts, and Tolkien never corrected it before publication. This meant Tolkien was stuck with this remnant of Noldorin plural patterns, which was contradicted by other plural forms in The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien was forced to contrive an explanation for this phenomenon:

> S. Ered. This is used always in L.R. as plural of orod, mountain. But Emyn, pl. of Amon. Cf. also Eryn Forest (oron originally plural = trees?) in Eryn Lasgalen. Rodyn, pl. of Rodon = Vala. It seems necessary to assume that: eryd > ered by late change, but y unstressed remained in certain circumstances, e.g. before nasals. † Use Eryd in Silmarillion (PE17/33).

Despite his statement that y only remained before nasals, ered is the only Sindarin word that retains the Noldorin plural pattern: see the examples golydh and nogyth above, neither involving nasals. Also, despite J.R.R. Tolkien’s intent to use eryd in The Silmarillion, his son Christopher Tolkien retained the form ered in The Silmarillion as published, most likely to avoid confusing readers when they compared this plural to the plural forms in The Lord of the Rings.

Neo-Sindarin: Most knowledgeable Neo-Sindarin writers assume oy in final syllables is the correct Sindarin plural pattern, and orodered is an aberration. I personally assume it is a late Gondorian-only (mis)pronunciation. See the discussion of Sindarin plural nouns for more information.

Cognates

  • Q. orto “mount, mountain, hill, [ᴹQ.] mountain-top; [Q.] mount, mountain” ✧ PE17/064

Derivations

  • ᴹ√OROT “height, mountain”
  • RŌ/ORO “up(wards); rise (up), go high, mount, up(wards); rise (up), go high, mount; [ᴹ√] high, [ᴱ√] steepness, rising” ✧ PE17/063

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
OR/ORO > orod[oroto] > [orot] > [orod]✧ PE17/063
OR/ORO > eryd/ered[oroti] > [oruti] > [œryti] > [œryt] > [œryd] > [eryd]✧ PE17/063

Variations

  • Orod ✧ LotR/0469
Sindarin [LotR/0469; PE17/033; PE17/064; PE17/089; RC/621; RC/765; S/118; SA/orod; UT/040; UT/054; WJ/192] Group: Eldamo. Published by

aeglir

range of mountain peaks

(no distinct pl. form). See also

aeglir

range of mountain peaks

aeglir (no distinct pl. form). See also HORN.

aeglir

range of mountain peaks

aeglir (no distinct pl. form);

aegas

mountain peak

aegas (pl. aegais) (suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” oeg, pl. oeges).

aegas

mountain peak

aegas (pl. aegais) (suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” *oegas, pl. oeges).

aegas

noun. mountain peak

Sindarin Group: Eldamo - neologism/adaptations. Published by

aegas

mountain peak

(pl. aegais) (suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” oeg, pl. oeges).

tilias

line of peaks

tilias (i dilias, o thilias), pl. tiliais (i thiliais), coll. pl. tiliassath.

orod

mountain

1) orod (pl. ered, eryd; coll. pl. #orodrim isolated from Thangorodrim), 2) ôr (stem orod-), also with pl. eryd, ered. (Names:178). Archaically, the plural forms were öryd, öröd.

orod

mountain

(pl. ered, eryd; coll. pl. #orodrim isolated from Thangorodrim)

ôr

mountain

(stem orod-), also with pl. eryd, ered. (Names:178). Archaically, the plural forms were öryd, öröd.

amon

steep-sided mount

(hill), pl. emyn.

orodrim

range of mountains

(itself a coll. pl. of orod ”mountain”)

Telerin 

orot

noun. mountain

Element in

Adûnaic

urud

noun. mountain

A noun attested only in its plural form urîd “mountains” (SD/251). Several authors have suggested it is related to S. orod “mountain”, either borrowed directly or derived from the same Elvish root ᴹ√OROT (AAD/24, EotAL/ÓROT).

Derivations

  • ᴹ√OROT “height, mountain”

Element in

Noldorin 

oeglir

noun. range of mountain peaks

Noldorin [Hithaeglir LotR, Ety/349, X/OE] aeg+lîr. Group: SINDICT. Published by

oeglir

noun. range of mountain peaks

Elements

WordGloss
oeg“sharp, pointed, piercing”
lhîr“row”
Noldorin [Ety/AYAK; Ety/LIR²] Group: Eldamo. Published by

oegas

noun. mountain peak

The noun N. oegas “mountain peak” appeared in The Etymologies as a noun form of oeg “sharp, pointed, piercing” (Ety/AYAK). In Noldorin, often ancient ai became oe, whereas in Sindarin ai fairly consistently became ae. Thus if adapting this word to Sindarin, its form would likely be ᴺS. aegas, as suggested in Hiswelókë’s Sindarin Dictionary (HSD/aegas).

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. aikasse “mountain peak” ✧ Ety/AYAK

Element in

Noldorin [Ety/AYAK] Group: Eldamo. Published by

oegas

noun. mountain peak

Noldorin [Ety/349, X/OE] Group: SINDICT. Published by

menniath

noun. many points

Noldorin [Mornvenniath TI/124, Lambengolmor/799] Group: SINDICT. Published by

menniath

noun. range of mountains

Noldorin [Mornvenniath TI/124, Lambengolmor/799] Group: SINDICT. Published by

orod

noun. mountain

Noldorin [Ety/379, S/435, Letters/263, TC/178, RC/621] Group: SINDICT. Published by

orod

noun. mountain

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. oron “mountain” ✧ Ety/ÓROT

Derivations

  • On. oroto “mountain” ✧ Ety/ÓROT; Ety/ÓROT
    • ᴹ√OROT “height, mountain” ✧ Ety/ÓROT

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
On. oroto > orod[oroto] > [orot] > [orod]✧ Ety/ÓROT
On. oroti > ereid > ered[oroti] > [œrœti] > [œrœit] > [œrœid] > [ereid] > [ered]✧ Ety/ÓROT
N. œrœid > ered[oroti] > [œrœti] > [œrœit] > [œrœid] > [ereid] > [ered]✧ PE22/041

Variations

  • Orod ✧ TI/420 (Orod)
Noldorin [Ety/LUG²; Ety/ÓROT; Ety/STAG; LR/298; PE22/041; TI/028; TI/124; TI/420] Group: Eldamo. Published by

orodrim

noun. range of mountains

Noldorin [Ety/379] orod+rim. 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 

aikasse

noun. mountain peak

A word in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “mountain peak”, an abstract noun formation of ᴹQ. aika “sharp” (Ety/AYAK).

Cognates

  • N. oegas “mountain peak” ✧ Ety/AYAK

oron

noun. mountain

Cognates

  • On. oroto “mountain” ✧ Ety/ÓROT
  • N. orod “mountain” ✧ Ety/ÓROT
  • Ilk. orth “mountain” ✧ Ety/ÓROT

Derivations

  • ᴹ√OROT “height, mountain” ✧ Ety/ÓROT

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√ÓROT > oron[oronte] > [oront] > [oron]✧ Ety/ÓROT
Qenya [Ety/ÓROT; PE21/33; PE21/34] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Doriathrin

orth

noun. mountain

A Doriathrin noun for “mountain” derived from the root ᴹ√ÓROT (Ety/ÓROT). Its Old Noldorin cognate ON. oroto suggests a primitive form ✱✶orotō, where the second [o] was lost due to the Ilkorin syncope [orto]. Later the [t] became [θ] (“th”) because voiceless stops became spirants after liquids and voiceless stops in Ilkorin. Both these developments were noted by Helge Fauskanger (AL-Doriathrin/orth). This word has two distinct plural forms attested: Dor. orthin (Ety/ÓROT) and Ilk. urthin (EtyAC/WATH); this could represent distinct rules for the formation of plural nouns in the two dialects.

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. oron “mountain” ✧ Ety/ÓROT

Derivations

  • ᴹ√OROT “height, mountain” ✧ Ety/ÓROT

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√ÓROT > orth[orotō] > [oroto] > [orto] > [orθo] > [orθ]✧ Ety/ÓROT
Doriathrin [Ety/ÓROT; EtyAC/WATH] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Old Noldorin 

oroto

noun. mountain

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. oron “mountain” ✧ Ety/ÓROT

Derivations

  • ᴹ√OROT “height, mountain” ✧ Ety/ÓROT

Derivatives

  • N. orod “mountain” ✧ Ety/ÓROT; Ety/ÓROT

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√ÓROT > oro[orot] > [oro]✧ Ety/ÓROT
ᴹ√ÓROT > oroto[oroto]✧ Ety/ÓROT

Variations

  • oro ✧ Ety/ÓROT
Old Noldorin [Ety/ÓROT] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Gnomish

orod

noun. mountain

Cognates

  • Eq. oro “hill” ✧ LT1A/Kalormë

Derivations

  • ᴱ√ORO “steepness, rising” ✧ LT1A/Kalormë

Element in

  • G. Heborodin “Encircling Hills” ✧ LT1A/Kalormë
  • G. Angorodin “Iron Mountains” ✧ LT1A/Kalormë

Variations

  • ort ✧ GL/63; LT1A/Kalormë
Gnomish [GL/63; LT1A/Kalormë] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ort

noun. mountain

Early Noldorin

tain

noun. mountain

Element in

Variations

  • tain ✧ PE13/152; PE13/153
Early Noldorin [PE13/152; PE13/153] Group: Eldamo. Published by

orod

noun. mountain

Element in

Early Noldorin [MC/217] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Quenya

taorme

noun. mountain

tahorme

noun. mountain

tayorme

noun. mountain peak