Quenya 

sén

children

#sén collective (?) noun "children", isolated from Erusén "the children of God" (RGEO:74, VT49:35). The word would seem to be a collective, since it has no plural ending.

Aulëonnar

children of aulë

Aulëonnar (sg. #Aulëonna) noun "Children of Aulë", a name of the Dwarves (PM:391). See onna.

Valarindi

offspring of the valar, their children begotten in arda

Valarindi pl. noun "offspring of the Valar, their children begotten in Arda" (sg. #Valarindë). (MR:49). Compare indi.

aulëonnar

collective name. Children of Aulë

A name for the Dwarves as children of Aulë (PM/391). This name is a compound of Aulë and the plural of onna “child”.

Quenya [PM/391; PMI/Aulë] Group: Eldamo. Published by

erusēn

collective name. Children of God

A variant form of Eruhin appearing in a few places (MR/423, RGEO/66). Its final element may be related to the root ᴹ√SEL(D) “child”. The similar word Melkorsēni “Children of Melkor” appears to have the same final element (MR/423). It is possible that Tolkien introduced the variation so that the Sindarin form would be S. Eruhîn, resembling the earlier Adûnaic form Ad. Êruhîn.

Quenya [MR/423; MRI/Eruhín; RGEO/66] Group: Eldamo. Published by

melkorohíni

collective name. Children of Melkor

Name of the Orcs as children of Melkor, a parody of the name Eruhíni for Elves and Men as children of Eru (MR/416). It is a compound of Melkor and the plural form of hína “child”. It also appeared in the form Melkorsēni (MR/423), similar to the variant form Erusēn(i) of Eruhíni, but the etymology of this form is unclear. Both versions of this name imply a stem form Melkoro- for Melkor, but this is contradicted by other examples. See the entry on Melkor for further discussion.

Quenya [MR/416; MRI/Melkorohíni] Group: Eldamo. Published by

híni ilúvataro

Children of Ilúvatar

Quenya [PE21/83; SI/Children of Ilúvatar] Group: Eldamo. Published by

melkorsēni

collective name. Children of Melkor

Quenya [MR/423; MRI/Melkorohíni] Group: Eldamo. Published by

hína

noun. child

A word for “child” derived from the root √KHIN (PE17/157; WJ/403), most notably an element in Eruhíni “Children of God”, a term for Elves and Men as the children of Eru. This word illustrates that hína has an abnormal plural form: híni rather than the expected ✱✱hínar. A variant hina with a short i was “only used in the vocative addressing a (young) child, especially in hinya (< hinanya) ‘my child’ (WJ/403)”.

Conceptual Development: The term Êruhîn “Children of God” first appeared as an Adûnaic word in the 1940s (SD/247-8, 358), later adapted as Quenya Eruhíni and Sindarin Eruchîn, which seems to be the source of Q. hína and S. hên “child”. At one point Tolkien coined masculine and feminine variants Q. hindo and Q. hindë, but they were deleted (PE17/157). Tolkien often used an alternate Quenya form sén (MR/423; UT/274; RGEO/66), perhaps out of a desire to have a Sindarin form Eruhîn that was closer to the original Adûnaic form. This variant continued to appear as late as 1969, where sén was written below Eruhíni as a variant form in Late Notes on Verbs (LVS: PE22/158).

Quenya [PE17/157; PE21/83; SA/híni; SI/Children of Ilúvatar; VT44/33; VT44/35; WJ/403] Group: Eldamo. Published by

hína

child

hína noun "child", also hina used in the vocative to a (young) child (also hinya "my child", for hinanya) (WJ:403). Pl. híni (surprisingly not **hínar) in Híni Ilúvataro "Children of Ilúvatar" (Silmarillion Index); dative hínin in VT44:35. In compounds -hin pl. -híni (as in Eruhíni, "Children of Eru", SA:híni). According to one source, the word is hín(i) and solely plural (PE17:157), but this is obviously contradicted by some of the sources quoted above.

onna

noun. child, child, *offspring; [ᴹQ.] creature

A word for “child” appearing in various late notes and phrases (NM/31; PM/391; VT49/42), derived from the root √NŌ/ONO “beget, be born” and once appearing in a variant form onwe (PE17/170). Giving its derivation, its actual meaning may be closer to “✱offspring”, as first suggested to me by Tamas Ferencz.

Conceptual Development: In The Etymologies of the 1930s, ᴹQ. onna was instead glossed “creature”, though it was still derived from the root ᴹ√ONO “beget” (Ety/ONO).

Quenya [PE17/170; PM/391; VT49/42] Group: Eldamo. Published by

sén

noun. child

onwë

child

onwë noun "child" (PE17:170)

onwë

noun. child

selda

child

selda adj.?noun? (meaning not clear, related to seldë "child" (meaning changed by Tolkien from "daughter") and seldo "boy". Thus selda may be an adjective "childlike", since -a is a frequent adjectival ending. Alternatively, as suggested in VT46:13, selda may be a neuter noun "child", corresponding to masc. seldo "boy" and fem. seldë "girl" (before Tolkien changed the meaning of the latter to "child"). (SEL-D, cf. VT46:22-23)

seldo

child

seldo noun (meaning not quite clear, likely the masculine form of seldë "child", hence *"boy") (SEL-D, VT46:13, 22-23)

seldë

child

seldë noun "child" (meaning changed by Tolkien from "daughter"; in his later texts the Quenya word for "child" is rather hína, and the final status of seldë is uncertain. See also tindómerel.) (SEL-D, VT46:13, 22-23) In one late source, Tolkien reverts to the meaning "daughter", but this may have been replaced by anel, q.v.

Eru

the one

Eru divine name "the One" = God (VT43:32, VT44:16-17), "the One God" (Letters:387), a name reserved for the most solemn occasions (WJ:402). Often in the combination Eru Ilúvatar, "Eru Allfather" (cf. MR:112). Genitive Eruo (MR:329, VT43:28/32), dative Erun (VT44:32, 34). The adjectival form Eruva "divine" (Eruva lissëo "of divine grace", VT44:18) would be identical to the form appearing in the possessive case. Compound nouns: Eruhantalë "Thanksgiving to Eru", a Númenórean festival (UT:166, 436), Eruhin pl. Eruhíni "Children of Eru", Elves and Men (WJ:403; SA:híni, cf. _Eruhîn _in Letters:345), Eruion *"son of God" (or "God the Son"?) (VT44:16), Erukyermë "Prayer to Eru", a Númenórean festival (UT:166, 436), Erulaitalë "Praise of Eru", a Númenórean festival (UT:166, 436), Eruamillë "Mother of God" (in Tolkien's translation of the Hail Mary, VT43:32, see also VT44:7), Eruontari, Eruontarië other translations of "Mother (Begetter) of God" (VT44:7, 18), Erusén "the children of God" (RGEO:74; this is a strange form with no plural ending; contrast the synonym Eruhíni.) #Eruanna and #erulissë, various terms for "grace", literally "God-gift" and "God-sweetness", respectively (VT43:29; these words are attested in the genitive and instrumental case, respectively: Eruanno, erulissenen).

Ilúvatar

all-father

Ilúvatar masc. name "All-father", God (SD:401, FS, IL; Ilúv-atar, ATA, Iluvatar with a short u, SD:346). Often in combination with the divine name as Eru Ilúvatar, "Eru Allfather", cf. MR:112. "Qenya" genitive Ilúvatáren "of Ilúvatar" in Fíriel's Song, LR:47 and SD:246, the genitive ending is -en instead of -o as in LotR-style Quenya. Cf. the later genitive Ilúvataro in the phrase Híni Ilúvataro (see "Children of Ilúvatar" in the Silmarillion Index)

Melkor

mighty-rising

Melkor (spelt Melcor in VT49:6, 24, MR:362), masc. name: the rebellious Vala, the devil of the Silmarillion mythos. Older (MET) form Melkórë "Mighty-rising" (hence the interpretation "He that arises in power"), compare órë #2. Oldest Q form *mbelekōro (WJ:402). Ablative Melkorello/Melcorello, VT49:7, 24. Compounded in Melkorohíni "Children of Melkor", Orcs ("but the wiser say: nay, the slaves of Melkor; but not his children, for Melkor had no children") (MR:416). The form Melkoro- here occurring may incorporate either the genitive ending -o or the otherwise lost final vowel of the ancient form ¤mbelekōro. For Melkors later name, see Moringotto / Moricotto (Morgoth) under mori-.

indi

offspring of the valar

indi pl. noun, apparently a name of Men, hardly valid in Tolkien's later Quenya (LT2:343). Compare, however, the final element of Valarindi "Offspring of the Valar", suggesting that #indi can be used for "offspring" (the Quenya word is apparently plural). It may be that in Valarindi, a h has dropped out following r, and that the independent word would be *hindi (as a variant of -hín, -híni "children").

onna

creature

onna noun "creature" (ONO), "child" (PE17:170), also translated "child" in the plural compound Aulëonnar "Children of Aulë", a name of the Dwarves (PM:391), and apparently also used = "child" in the untranslated sentence nai amanya onnalya ter coivierya ("k") "be it that your child [will be] blessed thoughout his/her life" (VT49:41). The form onya (q.v.), used as a vocative "my child", is perhaps shortened from *onnanya.

Sindarin 

eruchîn

collective name. Children of Eru (God)

The Sindarin equivalent of Q. Eruhíni “Children of God” (LB/354). This name is a combination of Q. Eru “God” and the lenitied plural chîn of hên “child”.

Conceptual Development: This name first appeared in the tales of the Fall of Númenor from the 1940s as the Adûnaic word #Êruhin, attested only in its plural forms Êruhîn(im) (SD/247-8, 311). In this period, the Adûnaic name was sometimes written with a short E: Eruhîn (SD/358). In the 1950s Tolkien introduced the Quenya form of the word, Eruhin (MR/320, WJ/403), but it occasionally still appeared as Eruhîn (MR/330, Let/345). It is unclear whether these later examples are Adûnaic, the Quenya plural without the final i, the Sindarin form without the soft mutation ch, or the Sindarin form of the Quenya variant Q. Erusēn (MR/423, RGEO/66). The only clear example of the Sindarin form Eruchîn appears in “The Lay of Leithian Recommenced” from the 1950s (LB/354).

Sindarin [LB/354; LBI/Eruchîn; Let/345; MR/330; MRI/Eruhín] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Eruchîn

noun. children of Eru

Eru (God) + hîn (pl. of hên “child”)

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

húrinien

proper name. Children of Húrin

Another name for the tale Narn i Chîn Húrin appearing in an introduction to the tale of Túrin that was not included in the published version of The Silmarillion (WJ/311). The initial element is clearly Húrin. Lokyt and Vyacheslav Stepanov suggested its second element might be a Noldorin-style plural of the patronymic suffix -ion. In Noldorin of the 1930s and 40s, an o became an e in the final syllables of plurals rather than y as it did in Sindarin; compare Noldorin plural ered to Sindarin eryd for orod “mountain”.

Conceptual Development: This name also appeared in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, where it was preceded by the definite article and underwent nasal-mutation, as N. iChúrinien (LR/317).

Sindarin [WJ/311; WJI/Húrinien] Group: Eldamo. Published by

hên

noun. child

A word for “child” derived from the root √KHIN, more specifically from ✶khinā with short i which became e in Sindarin due to a-affection (WJ/403). It often appeared in its mutated plural form chîn in phrases like Narn i Chîn Húrin “Tale of the Children of Húrin” (WJ/160). This is pronounced with spirantal “ch” as in German Bach, not affricate “ch” as in English “church”.

Christopher Tolkien made the editorial decision to render this plural form as Hîn in The Silmarillion as published as well as in Unfinished Tales, where it “was improperly changed by me [Christopher Tolkien] to Narn i Hîn Húrin ... because I did not want Chîn to be pronounced like Modern English chin” (LR/322).

In the Quendi and Eldar (Q&E) essay of 1959-60, Tolkien said “S has hên, pl. hîn, mostly used as a prefix in patronymics or metronymics”, meaning this word was often used to mean “child of” in reference to one’s parents, for example Túrin hen Húrin or Túrin hen Morwen.

Sindarin [LR/322; MR/373; S/198; SA/híni; UT/057; UT/140; VT50/12; VT50/18; WJ/160; WJ/403] Group: Eldamo. Published by

eruchen

children of the one

)

hên

child

hên (i chên), pl. hîn (i chîn); also -chen, pl. -chín at the end of compounds (e.g. Eruchín ”Children of Eru”). _(WJ:403) _CHILDREN OF THE ONE (Elves and Men as children of God) Eruchín** **(sg. *Eruchen)

hên

child

(i chên), pl. hîn (i chîn); also -chen, pl. -chín at the end of compounds (e.g. Eruchín ”Children of Eru”). (WJ:403)

Eru

the one

as a name of God: #Eru, isolated from CHILDREN OF THE ONE (Elves and Men) Eruchín** **(sg. *Eruchen)

graug

noun. a powerful, hostile and terrible creature, a demon

Sindarin [Ety/384, S/436, WJ/415, X/RH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

hên

noun. child (mostly used as a prefix in patronymics or metronymics)

Sindarin [WJ/403] Group: SINDICT. Published by

raug

noun. a powerful, hostile and terrible creature, a demon

Sindarin [Ety/384, S/436, WJ/415, X/RH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

graug

powerful, hostile and terrible creature

(i ’raug), pl. groeg (in groeg), coll. pl. grogath (WJ:415)

ûn

creature

ûn (pl. uin).

ûn

creature

(pl. uin).

Primitive elvish

khin

root. child

A root appearing in Notes on Names (NN) from 1957 with the gloss “child” (PE17/157), and again in the Quendi and Eldar essay of 1959-60 with the same gloss (WJ/403). It was the basis for the words Q. hína and S. hên “child”, which were probably inspired by the Adûnaic patronymic suffix -hin that Tolkien introduced in the 1940s as part of Êruhin “Child of God” (SD/358), originally an Adûnaic word but later on used in Sindarin (Let/345; MR/330). This root might be a later iteration of the early root ᴱ√HILI from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s whose derivatives had to do with children (QL/40). As evidence of this, the Adûnaic word was first given as Eruhil (SD/341).

Primitive elvish [PE17/157; WJ/403] Group: Eldamo. Published by

khīnā

noun. child

Primitive elvish [WJ/403] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Adûnaic

êruhin

proper name. Child of God

A title for the race of men as the children of Êru “God” (SD/247). It is only attested in the plural Êruhîn (SD/311, 358) and subjective plural Êruhînim (SD/247-8) forms “Children of God”.

Conceptual Development: This name first appeared as Eruhil(di) (SD/341, 399), probably incorporating ᴹQ. hilde “men”. In these early appearances Tolkien may have conceived of this as a Quenya word before introducing its Adûnaic form Êruhîn. In its early appearances the latter name sometimes had a short initial E: Eruhîn (SD/358), possibly another transitional form resembling later Sindarin Eruchîn. In still later writings, Tolkien coined a Quenya word Q. Eruhin of the similar meaning, encompassing both Men and Elves.

Adûnaic [PMI/Eruhîn; SD/247; SD/248; SD/311; SD/341; SD/358; SDI2/Eruhil; SDI2/Eruhildi; SDI2/Eruhîn] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Noldorin 

rhaug

noun. a powerful, hostile and terrible creature, a demon

Noldorin [Ety/384, S/436, WJ/415, X/RH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

ûn

noun. creature

Noldorin [Ety/379] Group: SINDICT. Published by

ûn

noun. creature

A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “creature” derived from the root ᴹ√ONO “beget” (Ety/ONO), perhaps from a primitive form ✱ōno with ancient ō becoming ū.


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!

Gnomish

pui

noun. child

A noun in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “child” (GL/64), probably derived from the early root ᴱ√PU(HU) “generate” (QL/75).

Early Noldorin

arn

noun. child, child, [G.] son

A word appearing as G. arn “son” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/20), also appearing with the same form and meaning in Gnomish Lexicon Slips modifying that document, but with a new plural form eirn (PE13/110). The word reappeared in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s but there its gloss was changed from “son” to “child” (PE13/137). In the Early Noldorin Dictionary of the 1920s its only gloss was “child” (PE13/160). There is no sign of this word thereafter.

Early Noldorin [PE13/137; PE13/160] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Solosimpi

ar

noun. child

Solosimpi [PE13/160] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Quenya

ar

noun. child

Early Quenya [PE13/160; PE16/135; PME/032; QL/032] Group: Eldamo. Published by

arne

noun. child

hil(de)

noun. child

Early Quenya [GL/49; PME/040; QL/040] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Qenya 

aran

noun. child

This word first appeared as ᴱQ. ar (arn-) “child” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/32) and its stem form arn- appeared in the Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME/32). The word reappeared in Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s (PE16/135), but in the Early Noldorin Dictionary the Qenya form was given as arne. In the Declension of Nouns from the early 1930s, the word appeared as ᴹQ. aran (arn-) “child” (PE21/19), but there is no sign of it from this point forward, probably displaced by Q. aran “king”.

seldo

noun. child, child [m.], *boy

A word for a (male) child in The Etymologies of the 1930s added to its entry when the meaning of the root ᴹ√SEL-D was changed from “daughter” to “child” (Ety/SEL-D). It was written above its feminine equivalent ᴹQ. selde and an apparently neuter form ᴹQ. selda was written to the right, making seldo likely the masculine form as suggested by Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynne (EtyAC/SEL-D), hence = “✱boy”.

Qenya [Ety/SEL-D; EtyAC/SEL-D] Group: Eldamo. Published by

onna

noun. creature

Middle Primitive Elvish

sel(d)

root. child, child; *daughter

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s, initially glossed “daughter” but later “child” with derivatives ᴹQ. selde, ᴹQ. seldo, ᴹQ. selda = female, male and neuter “child” (Ety/SEL-D). In Notes on Names (NN) from 1957 Tolkien gave sel-de “daughter” (PE17/170), while S. sel(l) = “daughter” appeared in both the King’s Letter from the late 1940s (SD/129) as well as the Túrin Wrapper from the 1950s (VT50/5). The diminutive form for “daughter” appeared as Q. selyë in notes from the late 1960s (VT47/10).

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I prefer √YEL for “daughter” as a variant of ᴹ√SEL(D) under the influence of √YON “son”, mostly so I can still use the 1930s “child” words for other genders, at least in the Quenya branch. I would still use Q. seldë and S. sell for “daughter”, however, with a bit of semantic drift, with “girl” words becoming Q. nettë and S. neth.

Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/SEL-D; Ety/TIN; EtyAC/TIN; EtyAC/YEL] Group: Eldamo. Published by