tôr

noun. brother

An (archaic) word for “brother” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from the root ᴹ√TOR of the same meaning, with an irregular plural terein (Ety/TOR). In ordinary speech, it was replaced by muindor, with an initial element muin “dear”.

Neo-Sindarin: In notes from the late 1960s, Tolkien introduced a new word hanar for “brother” (VT47/14). However, I think †tôr and related words might be retained to mean a “metaphorical brother”, a close male associate who may or may not be related by blood, as with such words as gwador “(sworn) brother, associate”. In this paradigm, I would assume muindor still refers to a brother by blood, with an added connotation of strong affection.

muindor

noun. brother

muindor

noun. brother

tôr

noun. brother

The word muindor is more usual

gwador

noun. (sworn) brother, associate

A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “brother” that was “especially used of those not brothers by blood, but sworn brothers or associates”, a combination of prefix N. gwa- “together” with the root ᴹ√TOR “brother” (Ety/TOR).

gwador

noun. brother (especially used of those not brothers by blood, but sworn brothers or associates)

gwanur

noun. brother or kinsman, kinswoman

-ion

suffix. son

gwanur

noun. a pair of twins

ionn

noun. son

For the second meaning, cf. Hadorion, a Húrin's epithet in WJ/294, Hurinionath referring to the house of Húrin the Steward in PM/202-3,218, and Gil-Galad's epithet Ereinion, cf. also the gloss of the old Qenya cognate yondo "descendant of" in PE/12:106, or the use of the same suffix in later Quenya names such as Isildurioni and Anárioni "Heirs of Isildur (resp. Anárion)" in PM/192,196

ionn

noun. scion, male descendant

For the second meaning, cf. Hadorion, a Húrin's epithet in WJ/294, Hurinionath referring to the house of Húrin the Steward in PM/202-3,218, and Gil-Galad's epithet Ereinion, cf. also the gloss of the old Qenya cognate yondo "descendant of" in PE/12:106, or the use of the same suffix in later Quenya names such as Isildurioni and Anárioni "Heirs of Isildur (resp. Anárion)" in PM/192,196

ionn

noun. son

khan

root. brother

A root for “brother” that Tolkien introduced in notes on finger-names from the late 1960s as a companion to √NETH “sister” (VT47/14, 26, 34). It conflicts with, and possibly replaces, earlier uses for √KHAN such as √KHAN “back” in notes from around 1959 serving as the basis for the prefix Q. han- in hanquenta “answer” (PE17/166). The root ᴹ√KHAN also appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “understand, comprehend”, with various derivatives in both Quenya and Noldorin of similar meaning (Ety/KHAN).

It is unlikely that all these uses of √KHAN coexisted, but I think at a minimum both √KHAN “brother” and ᴹ√KHAN “understand, comprehend” should be retained for the purposes of Neo-Eldarin, as the latter has no good replacements in Tolkien’s later writing. As for hanquenta “answer”, it might be reinterpreted as “a saying providing understanding”, and so be derived from ᴹ√KHAN “understand”.

yon

root. son

This root was the basis for Elvish “son” words for much of Tolkien’s life. The earliest indications of this root are ᴱQ. †Y̯ó (or y̯ond-) “son” and ᴱQ. yondo “male descendant”, both tied to the patronymic suffix ᴱQ. -ion “son of, descendant of” appearing in many names (QL/106). In the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon there was also the related patronymic prefix G. go- (GL/40), which implies the existence of a root ✱ᴱ√YO(NO) since [[g|initial [j] usually became [g]]] in Gnomish. However, go- was deleted and changed to G. bo-, along with new Qenya forms ᴱQ. vô and ᴱQ. vondo (GL/23, 40), implying a change to a root ✱ᴱ√VO(NO).

In Early Noldorin Word-lists from the 1920s, ᴱN. gó “son” reappeared along with ᴱQ. ion and yondi (PE13/144). In The Etymologies of the 1930s the root appeared as ᴹ√YŌ or ᴹ√YON “son” with derivatives like ᴹQ. yondo/N. ionn “son” and patronymic -ion (Ety/YŌ). The root reappeared in notes from the late 1940s with the sense “son or young man”, though more anciently a general masculine suffix (PE23/87).

However, in notes labeled “Changes affecting Silmarillion nomenclature” from the late 1950s, Tolkien wrote “Delete entirely yondo = ‘son’! Very unsuitable” (PE17/43). This particular note was rejected when Tolkien changed √YON “wide, extensive” to √YAN (PE17/42). Other notes in the same bundle indicate Tolkien was still seeking a new word for son, saying “Q wanted: son, daughter”, though yon(do) remained among the forms he was considering (PE17/170, 190). It seems Tolkien eventually stopped vacillating and restored √YON, since the patronymic -ion was never discarded, and yon- was the basis for “son” words in notes from the late 1960s (VT47/26).

ʒond-

noun. son

hanar

noun. brother

A word for “brother” coined by Tolkien in notes on Eldarin Hands, Fingers and Numerals from the late 1960s, based on the root √KHAN of the same meaning and replacing the archaic form of the word †hawn (VT47/14). Remnants of this archaic form can be seem in the diminutive/affectionate form honeg “[little] brother” (VT48/6); Tolkien considered and apparently rejected alternates of the diminutive: honig and hanig (VT47/14; VT48/17).

Conceptual Development: The Etymologies of the 1930s had N. tôr “brother” from the root ᴹ√TOR (Ety/TOR), and the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had G. hethos “brother” from the early root ᴱ√HESE [HEÞE] (GL/48-49; QL/40). See those entries for discussion.

hawn

noun. brother

hanar

noun. brother

hawn

noun. brother

honeg

noun. brother (diminutive)

honeg

noun. "litte brother"

Given as honig in VT/47:14, but see VT/48:17 n. 13 for discussion

honig

noun. brother (diminutive)

hanar

brother

1. hanar (i chanar, o chanar), pl. henair (i chenair) (VT47:14). A more archaic term is *haun (spelt ”hawn” in source) (i chaun, o chaun), pl. hoen (i choen), coll. pl. honath.

hanar

brother

(i chanar, o chanar), pl. henair (i chenair) (VT47:14). A more archaic term is ✱haun (spelt ”hawn” in source) (i chaun, o chaun), pl. hoen (i choen), coll. pl. honath.

gwachon

noun. (sworn) brother, associate

A neologism for “(sworn) brother, associate” coined by Elaran in 2022 as a replacement for [N.] gwador of the same meaning. It is a combination of gwa- “together” and hawn “brother” (a later word for N. tôr “brother”) with au > o as usual in compounds. I personally prefer to retain gwador and the root ᴹ√TOR for non-blood-related brothers; see the entry on the root ᴹ√TOR for further discussion.

honeg

little brother

honeg (i choneg, o choneg), pl. honig (i chonig), also used as a play-name for the middle finger. _(VT47:6, 16-17) _2) In older sources Tolkien listed different ”Noldorin” words for ”brother”: muindor (i vuindor), analogical pl. muindyr (i muindyr). Archaic/poetic †tôr (i dôr, o thôr, construct tor), pl. teryn (i theryn), coll. pl. toronath. In ”Noldorin”, the pl. was terein. 3) “Brother” in extended sense of “relative”: gwanur (i **wanur) (kinsman, also kinswoman), pl. gwenyr (in gwenyr**). Note: a homophone of the sg. means ”pair of twins”.

honeg

little brother

(i choneg, o choneg), pl. honig (i chonig), also used as a play-name for the middle finger. (VT47:6, 16-17) 2) In older sources Tolkien listed different ”Noldorin” words for ”brother”: muindor (i vuindor), analogical pl. muindyr (i muindyr). Archaic/poetic †tôr (i** dôr, o thôr, construct tor), pl. teryn (i** theryn), coll. pl. toronath. In ”Noldorin”, the pl. was terein. 3) “Brother” in extended sense of “relative”: gwanur (i ’wanur) (kinsman, also kinswoman), pl. gwenyr (in gwenyr). Note: a homophone of the sg. means ”pair of twins”.

bethren

noun. brother in law, kinsman by marriage

gwador

sworn brother

gwador (i **wador), pl. gwedyr (in gwedyr). In ”N”, the pl. was gwedeir** (LR:394 s.v. TOR)

gwador

sworn brother

gwador (i **wador), pl. gwedyr (in gwedyr). In ”Noldorin”, the pl. was gwedeir** (LR:394 s.v. TOR)

honeg

little brother

honeg (i choneg), pl. honig (i chonig). Also used (in childrens play) as a name of the middle finger (VT47:6, 16-17)

angoldor

noun. Brother of Magic

gochest

noun. brother and brother, brother and sister, etc., *a set of siblings

gwador

sworn brother

(i ’wador), pl. gwedyr (in gwedyr). In ”N”, the pl. was gwedeir (LR:394 s.v. TOR)

gwador

sworn brother

(i ’wador), pl. gwedyr (in gwedyr). In ”Noldorin”, the pl. was gwedeir (LR:394 s.v. TOR)

gwanur

kinsman, kinswoman

(i ’wanur) (brother), pl. gwenyr (in gwenyr). Note: a homophone of the sg. means ”pair of twins”.

gwanur

kinswoman

(i ’wanur) (brother), pl. gwenyr (in gwenyr). Note: a homophone of the sg. means ”pair of twins”.

gwanûn

pair of twins

(in gwanûn) (WJ:367). Also gwanur (in gwanur) (LotR Appendix A). Note: a homophone of gwanur means ”brother; kinsman or kinswoman”

gwanunig

twin

gwanunig (i **wanunig**), a singular formed from:

iôn

son

iôn (-ion) (descendant), pl. ŷn, coll. pl. #ionath_ isolated from Hurinionath (PM:202-3) as the name of the House of Húrin. (MR:373, WJ.337, PM:202-203, 218) _Also iond, pl. ynd, coll. pl. ionnath. DARK SON, see DARK ELF

gwanon

noun. twin

gwanunig

noun. a twin (one of a pair of twins)

gwanunig

noun. twin

gwanûn

noun. a pair of twins

gwenyn

noun. twins

honeg

noun. middle finger (Elvish play-name used by and taught to children)

Given as honig in VT/47:14, but see VT/48:17 n. 13 for discussion

ion

noun. son

For the second meaning, cf. Hadorion, a Húrin's epithet in WJ/294, Hurinionath referring to the house of Húrin the Steward in PM/202-3,218, and Gil-Galad's epithet Ereinion, cf. also the gloss of the old Qenya cognate yondo "descendant of" in PE/12:106, or the use of the same suffix in later Quenya names such as Isildurioni and Anárioni "Heirs of Isildur (resp. Anárion)" in PM/192,196

ion

noun. scion, male descendant

For the second meaning, cf. Hadorion, a Húrin's epithet in WJ/294, Hurinionath referring to the house of Húrin the Steward in PM/202-3,218, and Gil-Galad's epithet Ereinion, cf. also the gloss of the old Qenya cognate yondo "descendant of" in PE/12:106, or the use of the same suffix in later Quenya names such as Isildurioni and Anárioni "Heirs of Isildur (resp. Anárion)" in PM/192,196

ion(n)

noun. son, son, *boy

The usual word for “son” in Sindarin, derived from the root √YON of similar meaning (MR/373; SD/129; VT50/18; Ety/YŌ). Tolkien gave it as both ion and ionn.

Conceptual Development: In the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s the word for “son” was G. bo or bon (GL/23). This became ᴱN. gó “son” in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s (PE13/144). Tolkien introduced N. ionn “son” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from the root ᴹ√YO(N) of the same meaning (Ety/YŌ), and seems to have stuck with it thereafter.

Neo-Sindarin: In later writings, Tolkien sometimes glossed its Quenya equivalents yondo or yonyo as “boy” (PE17/190; VT47/10, 27). Since we don’t have any good Sindarin words for “boy”, I’d use ionn for this purpose as well.

iond

noun. son

For the second meaning, cf. Hadorion, a Húrin's epithet in WJ/294, Hurinionath referring to the house of Húrin the Steward in PM/202-3,218, and Gil-Galad's epithet Ereinion, cf. also the gloss of the old Qenya cognate yondo "descendant of" in PE/12:106, or the use of the same suffix in later Quenya names such as Isildurioni and Anárioni "Heirs of Isildur (resp. Anárion)" in PM/192,196

iond

noun. scion, male descendant

For the second meaning, cf. Hadorion, a Húrin's epithet in WJ/294, Hurinionath referring to the house of Húrin the Steward in PM/202-3,218, and Gil-Galad's epithet Ereinion, cf. also the gloss of the old Qenya cognate yondo "descendant of" in PE/12:106, or the use of the same suffix in later Quenya names such as Isildurioni and Anárioni "Heirs of Isildur (resp. Anárion)" in PM/192,196

ionnath

noun. all the sons

iôn

noun. son

iôn

masculine name. Son

A name that Eöl used for his son Maeglin while he was growing, which is simply ion(n) “son” used as a name (WJ/337).

gwaith

troop of able-bodied men

(i ’waith) (manhood, manpower, host, regiment, people, region; wilderness), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwaith).

gwanunig

twin

(i ’wanunig), a singular formed from:

gwanur

pair of twins

(in gwanur), also gwanûn (in gwanûn) (WJ:367)

gwenyn

pair of twins

(PM:353, 365)

iond

wj

pl. ynd, coll. pl. ionnath.

iôn

son

(-ion) (descendant), pl. ŷn, coll. pl. #*ionath*** isolated from Hurinionath* (PM:202-3) as the name of the House of Húrin. (MR:373*

háno

noun. brother

A word for “brother” coined by Tolkien in notes on Eldarin Hands, Fingers and Numerals from the late 1960s, based on the root √KHAN of the same meaning (VT47/14). It had a diminutive/affectionate variant hanno used as a play name for the middle finger in several places in these notes (VT47/12; VT48/6).

Conceptual Development: The Etymologies of the 1930s had ᴹQ. toron “brother” from the root ᴹ√TOR (Ety/TOR), and the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s had ᴱQ. herendo “brother” from the early root ᴱ√HESE (QL/40). See those entries for discussion.

hanno

brother

hanno noun "brother" (a colloquial form, cf. háno), also used in children's play for "middle finger" (VT47:12, 14, VT48:4, 6)

háno

brother

háno noun "brother", colloquially also hanno (VT47:12, 14). It is unclear whether Tolkien, by introducing this form, abandoned the older (TLT) word toron (q.v.)

onóro

brother

onóro noun "brother" (of blood-kinship) (TOR, NŌ (WŌ) )

toron

brother

toron (torn- as in pl. torni) noun "brother" (TOR; a later source gives háno, hanno [q.v.] as the word for "brother", leaving the status of toron uncertain)

melotorno

noun. love-brother

A word for a close male friend whom one loves deeply appearing in notes from 1959 (NM/20), a combination of √MEL “love” with ᴹQ. otorno “brother”, appearing only in its plural form melotorni. This relationship “included no sexual or procreative desire, though naturally in Incarnates the difference of sex altered the emotion”.

otorno

brother, sworn brother, [male] associate

otorno noun "brother, sworn brother, [male] associate" (TOR, WŌ). Cf. osellë.

hanno

noun. brother (diminutive)

höahan

noun. big brother (informal/familiar)

A neologism coined by Röandil posted on 2023-11-10 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), a combination of höa “big” and háno “brother”, with longer variant höaháno.

nityahan

noun. little brother (informal/familiar)

A neologism coined by Röandil posted on 2023-11-10 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), a combination of nitya “little” and háno “brother”, with longer variant nityaháno.

vinyahan

noun. younger brother

A neologism coined by Röandil posted on 2023-11-10 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), a combination of vinya “young” and háno “brother”, with longer variant vinyaháno.

yárahan

noun. older brother

A neologism coined by Röandil posted on 2023-11-10 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), a combination of yára “old” and háno “brother”, with longer variant yáraháno.

hando

noun. big brother, ‘big bro’ (intimate)

A neologism coined by Röandil posted on 2023-11-10 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), derived from primitive ✱khandō.

hassë

noun. little brother, ‘lil bro’ (intimate)

A neologism coined by Röandil posted on 2023-11-10 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), derived from primitive ✱khansi.

verrendo

noun. brother in law, kinsman by marriage

A neologism coined by Paul Strack in 2022 specifically for Eldamo, a combination of ᴺ√BES “wed” and ᴺQ. rendo “male relative”, inspired by G. bedhren.

yonyo

son, big boy

yonyo noun "son, big boy". In one version, yonyo was also a term used in children's play for "middle finger" or "middle toe", but Tolkien may have dropped this notion, deciding to use hanno "brother" as the alternative play-name (VT47:10, 15, VT48:4)

Yón

son

Yón (1) noun "Son" (VT44:12, 17, referring to Jesus. Tolkien rewrote the text in question. Normally the Quenya word for "son" appears as yondo, which also refers to Jesus in one text.)

anon

son

anon noun "son" (PE17:170), possibly intended by Tolkien as a replacement for yondo.

anon

noun. son

A transient word for “son” in Notes on Names (NN) from 1957, written of above the more common yon-do (PE17/170).

vó

son

vó (actually spelt vô), also vondo, noun "son" (LT2:336; in Tolkien's later Quenya yondo)

yondo

son

yondo noun "son" (YŌ/YON, VT43:37); cf. yonya and the patronymic ending -ion. Early "Qenya" has yô, yond-, yondo "son" (LT2:342). According to LT2:344, these are poetic words, but yondo seems to be the normal word for "son" in LotR-style Quenya. Yón appears in VT44, 17, but Tolkien rewrote the text in question. In LT2:344, yondo is said to mean "male descendant, usually (great) grandson", but in Tolkien's later Quenya, yondo means "son", and the word is so glossed in LT2:342. Dative yondon in VT43:36 (here the "son" in question is Jesus). See also yonya. At one point, Tolkien rejected the word yondo as "very unsuitable" (for the intended meaning?), but no obvious replacement appeared in his writings (PE17:43), unless the (ephemeral?) form anon (q.v.) is regarded as such. In one source, yondo is also defined as "boy" (PE17:190).

hanna

noun. brother

háno

noun. brother

hannacë

noun. brother [diminutive]