@@@ unclear why it was not beraith since it was derived from barathī; however Elaran deduced that Tolkien may have re-etymologized this word as a derivative of √BER “marry”, given its later gloss “spouse” in addition to “queen” (PE17/23; RGEO/66); in its original derivation it was probably because [[n|[ei] sometimes became [e] in unstressed final syllables]] in Noldorin
Sindarin
bereth
theology. a form of Elbereth seldom used
bereth
noun/adjective. queen, spouse; supreme, sublime
bereth
noun. queen, spouse
bereth
noun. spouse
_n. _spouse, used of one who is queen as spouse of a king. Tolkien notes the parallel with the word queen "being in origin only an ancient word for wife or woman already in Old English reserved for the King's wife".
bereth
noun. feminine personalized form
_n. _feminine personalized form, probably = 'supreme, sublime, queen'. Q. *Varsi.
Bereth (in)-elin
theology. form of Elbereth if it would have been formed later
_theon. _form of Elbereth if it would have been formed later. Bereth (in)-elin << Bereth-elin.
Bereth (in)gîl
theology. form of Elbereth if it would have been formed later
_theon. _form of Elbereth if it would have been formed later.
mereth
noun. feast, festival
The word was changed to bereth in the Etymologies, but was never changed in the texts (cf. Mereth Aderthad and the compound Merethrond)
mereth
noun. feast, feast, [N.] festival
brethil
noun. beech, beech-tree, silver birch
elbereth
feminine name. Queen of Stars, (lit.) Star-queen
The Sindarin name of Varda, a compound of êl “star” and bereth “queen”, that is: “Star-queen” (LotR/378, RGEO/66). The Quenya equivalent of this name is Elentári. This name was of ancient derivation, from ✶elen-barathī > elmbereth > Elbereth, as shown by the fact that the initial [b] in the second element did not lenite to [v] (MR/387, PE17/22).
Possible Etymology: In the 1930s, N. Elbereth was likewise derived ✶el(en)-barathī (Ety/EL, BARATH). This 1930s derivation worked through a combination of i-affection and i-intrusion, with the resulting ei > e as often happened in unstressed final syllables in Noldorin of the 1930s:
- ✱elen-barathī > elem-berethi > el(e)mbereith > N. elbereth.
This derivation no longer works in Sindarin of the 1950s and 60s, however, since [[s|later [ei] became [ai] in final syllables]] in Sindarin and did not reduce to e. Thus we should have ✶barathī > ✱✱beraith. One possibility is that Tolkien transferred this derivation to the root √BER “marry”: in The Road Goes Ever On published in 1967, Tolkien said “bereth actually meant ‘spouse’, and is used of one who is ‘queen’ as spouse of a king” (RGEO/66). This theory was first proposed to me by Elaran in a private Discord chat in November 2018, and I find it very compelling; it neatly resolves the phonological problem if bereth is derived from ✱berettē or something similar.
Conceptual Development: In the earliest Lost Tales, this name was G. Timbridhil “Queen of Stars” (GL/71, LT1A/Tinwetári), which reappeared in The Etymologies from the 1930s as N. Timbreðil (Ety/TIN). Tolkien revised the name to N. Elbereth “Star Queen” (Ety/EL, Ety/BARATH), which appeared in the narratives starting with the Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s (RS/68).
Before giving this name to Varda, Tolkien used the name Ilk. Elbereth for the youngest child of Dior (Ety/BER), but he changed that name to Elrûn (later S. Elurín). Tolkien also used the name N. Elbereth for one of the sons of Elrond before renaming him S. Elrohir (WR/297).
bereth
spouse
(fem.) bereth (i vereth) (queen), pl. berith (i mberith)
bereth
queen
(i vereth) (spouse), pl. berith (i mberith)
bereth
spouse
(i vereth) (queen), pl. berith (i mberith)
mereth
festival
(i vereth) (feast), pl. merith (i merith). Note: In the Etymologies, Tolkien changed the relevant root from MER to MBER so that mereth became bereth, but names occurring in Tolkien’s narratives (Mereth Aderthad, Merethrond) were not changed, so this revision was never fully implemented.
mereth
feast
(i vereth) (festival), pl. merith (i merith). Note: In the Etymologies, Tolkien changed the relevant root from MER to MBER so that mereth became bereth, but names occurring in Tolkien’s narratives (Mereth Aderthad, Merethrond) were not changed, so this revision was never fully implemented.
mereth
festival
mereth (i vereth) (feast), pl. merith (i merith). Note: In the Etymologies, Tolkien changed the relevant root from _ to
mereth
feast
mereth (i vereth) (festival), pl. merith (i merith). Note: In the Etymologies, Tolkien changed the relevant root from _ to
neldor
noun. beech
A Sindarin word for “beech” appearing in the names Taur-na-Neldor “Beech-forest” (LotR/469; RC/384) and Neldoreth, the name of a forest with beeches (S/55; PE17/81).
Conceptual Development: In The Etymologies of the 1930s, Ilk. neldor was an Ilkorin word based on ᴹ√NÉL-ED “three”, which Tolkien said was “properly name of Hirilorn the great beech of Thingol with three trunks = neld-orn ? [question mark from Tolkien]” (Ety/NEL). In the 1910s and 20s, ᴱQ. neldor “beech” was an Early Qenya word (PE16/139; QL/65), and its cognates in this period were G. deldron “beech” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/30), G. deil(i)an or delwen “beech” in Gnomish Lexicon Slips (PE13/112), and ᴱN. {de(i)lian >>} deilian “beech-tree” in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s (PE13/142).
Possible Etymology: The Ilkorin derivation from √NELED is no longer suitable in Sindarin, since we would expect [[s|[d] > [ð]]] as in S. neledh “three”. It is possible Tolkien simply never reexamined the etymology of this word after it became Sindarin. Alternately, it could be nel- “tri-” + taur “forest” or -dor “-lord” or something similar.
fêr
beech
†fêr (stem feren-, pl. ferin) (mast);
fêr
beech
(stem feren-, pl. ferin) (mast);
rîs
queen
- rîs, no distinct pl. except with article preceding (idh rîs); coll. pl. ?rissath; 2) rían (”crown-gift”), pl. ríain (idh ríain); 3) bereth (i vereth) (spouse), pl. berith (i mberith), 4) ríen (crowned lady), pl. ?rîn (idh rîn). The adjective rîn ”crowned” may also be used as a noun ”crowned woman” = ”queen”, but with no distinct pl. form except when article precedes (idh rîn again); coll. pl. ríniath. Note: a homophone means ”remembrance”.
meren
festive
(lenited veren; pl. merin) (gay, joyous). Note: In the Etymologies, Tolkien changed the relevant root from MER to MBER so that meren became beren, but names occurring in Tolkien’s narratives (Mereth Aderthad, Merethrond) were not changed, so this revision was never fully implemented. (If meren were to become beren, the related word mereth ”feast” would also become bereth.)
meren
gay
(lenited veren; pl. merin) (festive, joyous). Note: In the Etymologies, Tolkien changed the relevant root from MER to MBER so that meren became beren, but names occurring in Tolkien’s narratives (Mereth Aderthad, Merethrond) were not changed, so this revision was never fully implemented. (If meren were to become beren, the related word mereth ”feast” would also become bereth.)
meren
joyous
(lenited veren; pl. merin) (gay, festive). Note: In the Etymologies, Tolkien changed the relevant root from MER to MBER so that meren became beren, but names occurring in Tolkien’s narratives (Mereth Aderthad, Merethrond) were not changed, so this revision was never fully implemented. (If meren were to become beren, the related word mereth ”feast” would also become bereth.)
meren
festive
meren (lenited veren; pl. merin) (gay, joyous). Note: In the Etymologies, Tolkien changed the relevant root from _ to
meren
gay
meren (lenited veren; pl. merin) (festive, joyous). Note: In the Etymologies, Tolkien changed the relevant root from _ to
meren
joyous
meren (lenited veren; pl. merin) (gay, festive). Note: In the Etymologies, Tolkien changed the relevant root from _ to
rían
noun. queen, queen, *(lit.) crowned-lady
rîs
noun. queen
neldor
beech tree
(pl. neldyr), also brethorn (i vrethorn), pl. brethyrn (i mrethyrn) (VT46:3). The mallorn or ”golden-tree” found in Lórien was supposedly beechlike: mallorn (i vallorn), pl. mellyrn (i mellyrn).
rían
queen
(”crown-gift”), pl. ríain (idh ríain)
ríen
queen
(crowned lady), pl. ?rîn (idh rîn). The adjective rîn ”crowned” may also be used as a noun ”crowned woman” = ”queen”, but with no distinct pl. form except when article precedes (idh rîn again); coll. pl. ríniath. Note: a homophone means ”remembrance”.
rîs
noun. queen
rîs
queen
no distinct pl. except with article preceding (idh rîs); coll. pl. ?rissath
_theon._a form of _Elbereth _seldom used.