A woman of the house of Hador who was taken as the wife of Brodda (S/198).
Conceptual Development: In the earliest Lost Tales, this character was named G. Airin (LT2/89). At this stage she had the Gnomish sobriquet G. Faiglindra “Long-tressed” (LT2/93), implying that this early name was Gnomish. She remained (Noldorin?) Airin in the Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (SM/30, LR/316). This form of the name persisted in the initial Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s, but was eventually changed to Aerin (WJ/90, 145 notes §294).
Possible Etymology: The language and meaning of the later form of her name is unclear, though it seems likely that it is Hadorian. It is possible that it is Sindarin instead; if so it may have undergone conceptual development similar to that of N. Airandir >> S. Aerandir.
The name incorporates aer "ocean". The ending perhaps is the same in the names of Húrin and Túrin; in that case the name would mean "She who desires the Sea".