iant

noun. bridge

A Sindarin word for “bridge” appearing in a number of names such as Iant Iaur “Old Bridge” (SA/iant; WJ/333), Esgaliant “Bridge of Esgalduin” (WJ/333), and Varanduiniant “Bridge of Baranduin” (SD/129).

Conceptual Development: In The Etymologies of the 1930s, N. iant was glossed “yoke” and N. ianw was “bridge”, both derived from the root ᴹ√YAT “join” (Ety/YAT). Another possible precursor is G. rantha “arch, bridge” from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/65), which is reduced to -rant in compounds (GL/31, 50) and is probably derived from the early root ᴱ√RAÞA that was the basis for ᴱQ. ranta “arch, bridge” (QL/79).

iant

noun. bridge

esgaliant

place name. Bridge of Esgalduin

A variant name of Iant Iaur, the bridge over the river Esgalduin (WJ/333). This name is a combination of esgal “shadow, screen” and iant “bridge”.

iant iaur

place name. Old Bridge

The bridge over the river Esgalduin (S/121). This name is a combination of iant “bridge” and iaur “old” (SA/iant, iaur).

Esgaliant

noun. bridge over veiled river

esgal (“veil, screen, cover”) + iant (“bridge”)

Iant Iaur

noun. old bridge

iant (“bridge”), iaur (“old”)

anglennatha i varanduiniant erin dolothen ethuil

will approach the Bridge of Baranduin on the eighth day of Spring

baranduiniant

w7D2{#hJ5`B1[D noun. Bridge of Baranduin

A compound of Baranduin and iant as seen in the King's letter.

ianu

bridge

1. *ianu, analogical pl. ieny.; coll. pl. likely ianwath, given the archaic form ianw (which is the form listed in the Etymologies), 2) iant (yoke), pl. iaint, coll. pl. iannath. SKY-BRIDGE, see RAINBOW

iant

bridge

(yoke), pl. iaint, coll. pl. iannath.

ianu

bridge

analogical pl. ieny.; coll. pl. likely ianwath, given the archaic form ianw (which is the form listed in the Etymologies)

ninniach

noun. rainbow

A noun for “rainbow” in the name Cirith Ninniach “Rainbow Cleft” (S/238). Ninniach “rainbow” is perhaps a combination of the S. nîn “watery” and S. iach “ford”, perhaps a crossing of water across the sky. The long nn in the initial element ninn- is tricky to explain, but might be an example of an exchange of a long vowel īn with a long consonant inn; hat-tip to Elaran for this suggestion.

Conceptual Development: The name Cirith Ninniach (and hence the word for “rainbow”) went through quite a few changes. The earliest iteration of the name was G. Cris a Teld Quing Ilon “Gully of the Rainbow Roof” (PE15/21) so that quing ilon “✱bow of heaven” was “rainbow”, but this was quickly revised to G. Cris Ilbranteloth which was the form used in the early narratives (LT2/150, 202). G. ilbrant “rainbow” appeared in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s with variant ilvrant (GL/50). By popular etymology, this was connected to G. brant “bow”, but that was not correct (GL/24). The second element was actually G. rantha “bridge” (GL/65), and the b came from its initial element G. ilbar “heaven[s]” (GL/50), so it literally meant “✱heaven-bridge”.

In Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, the name of the pass was changed to N. Cris-Ilfing >> Cirith Helvin “Rainbow Cleft” (SM/141, 146). Both ilfing and helvin have unclear etymologies, but they are probably early iterations of N. eilian(w) “rainbow, (lit.) sky-bridge” from The Etymologies of the 1930s, a combination of ᴹ√ƷEL “sky” with N. ianw “bridge” (Ety/ƷEL, YAT), with variant elianw (EtyAC/YAT). Cirith Ninniach “Rainbow Cleft” emerged in Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s (WJ/256, 299).

Neo-Sindarin: Noldorin eilian(w) “sky-bridge” might be adapted into Neo-Sindarin as ᴺS. eiliant using later S. iant for “bridge”, as suggested in HSD (HSD), but I see no reason not to just use attested S. ninniach for “rainbow”.

Iant Iaur

Iant Iaur

Iant Iaur means "Old Bridge", from iant "bridge" and iaur "old".

eiliant

noun. rainbow

cû

noun. arch, crescent

cû

noun. bow

eiliant

noun. rainbow

See ianu and iant for a discussion

ninniach

noun. rainbow

cû

arch

cû (i gû, o chû) (bow, crescent), pl. cui (i chui)

cû

arch

(i gû, o chû) (bow, crescent), pl. cui (i chui)

eilian

rainbow

eilian (pl. eiliain). Archaic elianw (so the coll. pl. may be eilianwath).

eilian

rainbow

1. eilian (pl. eiliain). Archaic elianw, hence maybe coll. pl. eilianwath. 2) ninniach (pl. ninniaich). The word appears to mean *”slender-crossing”.

ninniach

rainbow

(pl. ninniaich). The word appears to mean ✱”slender-crossing”.

yanta

noun. bridge

The Quenya word for “bridge” from The Lord of the Rings appendices, also the name of tengwa #35 [l] used in i-diphthongs (LotR/1123). ᴹQ. yanta “bridge” also appeared as the name of this tengwa in notes The Feanorian Alphabet from the 1930s and 40s (PE22/22, 51).

Conceptual Development: Earlier words for “bridge” include ᴱQ. penda “bridge” under the early root ᴱ√PENE (QL/73) and ᴱQ. ranta “arch, bridge” under the early root ᴱ√RAÞA (QL/79). See the entry for √YAN “join” for a discussion of the possible later development of yanta’s root.

yaltë

bridge

yaltë noun "bridge" (GL:37); rather yanta in Tolkien's later Quenya

yanta

bridge

yanta noun "bridge", also name of tengwa #35 (Appendix E); in the Etymologies, yanta is defined as "yoke" (YAT)

langa

noun. thing that crosses, ferry, ford, crossway, bridge, cross-bar, ferry, ford, crossway, bridge, cross-bar; (lit.) thing that crosses

A word in notes from 1965 for “a thing that crosses” derived from √LAŊ, and thus applicable to things like a “ferry, ford, crossway, bridge, cross-bar” (PE17/65).

yanwë

bridge, joining, isthmus

yanwë noun "bridge, joining, isthmus" (YAT, "joining", VT49:45, 46), changed by Tolkien from yanwa (VT46:22, VT49:34)

yanwë

noun. joining, joining, [ᴹQ.] isthmus, bridge

This noun appeared as ᴹQ. {yanwa >>} yanwe “bridge, joining, isthmus” in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√YAT “join” (Ety/YAT; EtyAC/YAT). Its primitive form was given as ᴹ✶yatmā, and Tolkien neglected to revise it to ✱yatmē when the final vowel of the Quenya form was updated. This etymology of the noun reflected the sound change of tm > dm > nw which Tolkien used in the 1930s-50s.

In notes from the late 1960s, Tolkien had Q. yanwë “joining” derived from {✱yadme >>} √YAN (VT49/45). This change in derivation likely reflected Tolkien’s decision in the 1960s that tm > tw, as suggested by Carl Hostetter (VT49/46).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would use this noun only for “joining, isthmus”. For “bridge” I would use Q. yanta from The Lord of the Rings (LotR/1123). I prefer to retain Tolkien’s pre-1960s phonetic developments for tm, so I would assume the root was √YAT and this noun was derived from ✱yatmē > yadwe > yanwe.

helyanwë

rainbow

helyanwë noun "rainbow", lit. "sky-bridge" (3EL)

Ilweran

rainbow

Ilweran, Ilweranta noun "rainbow" (GL:74) (The Etymologies gives helyanwë.)

cú

arch, crescent

cú ("k")noun "arch, crescent" (KU3); "crescent Moon" (LT1:271; the long vowel was denoted by a circumflex rather than an accent in the early "Qenya" lexicon). In Sindarin, the same word can be used for a "bow" as used to shoot arrows (but possibly this is only quinga in Quenya).

iluquinga

rainbow

iluquinga ("q") noun "rainbow" (LT2:348)

ianw

noun. bridge

iant

noun. bridge

eilian(w)

noun. rainbow, (lit.) sky-bridge

elianw

noun. rainbow, (lit.) sky-bridge

cû

noun. arch, crescent

cû

noun. bow

eilian

noun. rainbow

See ianu and iant for a discussion

eilianw

noun. rainbow

See ianu and iant for a discussion