cirith

noun. cirith

n.

cirith

noun. cleft, ravine, defile, cleft, ravine, defile, [N.] pass

A noun for a cut through earth or rock: a cleft, ravine, defile or pass. It is an abstract noun formation from the root √KIR “cut, cleave”, and thus might have other non-geographic applications such as “a cutting”, but the word criss “cut, slash” is probably better for such purposes.

Conceptual Development: This word first appeared in some revisions to Silmarillion drafts in the early 1930s, as {N. Cris-Ilfing >>} N. Kirith Helvin and {N. Cristhorn >>} N. Kirith-thoronath (SM/146). Neither of these names became established at this stage, but the word Kirith reappeared in Lord of the Rings drafts in 1940s, in names like N. Kirith Ungol “Spider Glen” (TI/330) and N. Kirith Gorgor “Dreadful Pass” (WR/122), after which Tolkien used this word widely. In the Nomenclature of the Lord of the Rings from 1967, Tolkien explained cirith as meaning: “a cleft, a narrow passage cut through earth or rock (like a railway cutting)” (RC/767).

cirith

noun. cleft, high climbing pass, narrow passage cut through earth or rock, ravine, defile

cirith dúath

place name. Shadow Cleft

The original name of Cirith Ungol (UT/279-80 note #11), a combination of cirith “cleft” and dúath “night shadow”.

cirith forn en andrath

place name. High-Climbing Pass of the North

Sindarin name of the High Pass over the Misty Mountains that Bilbo and the Dwarves followed on their Quest to Erebor (UT/271, 278 note #4). This name is a combination of cirith “cleft, pass”, forn “north”, en “of the” and Andrath “Long Climb”.

cirith ninniach

place name. Rainbow Cleft

The pass that led Tuor to the sea, translated “Rainbow Cleft” (S/238). This name is a combination of cirith “cleft” and ninniach “rainbow”.

Conceptual Development: In the earliest Lost Tales, this pass was first called G. Cris a Teld Quing Ilon “Gully of the Rainbow Roof” (LT2A/Teld Quing Ilon), revised to G. Cris Ilbranteloth (same translation) in the narratives (LT2/150, 202). In Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, the name was changed again to N. Cris-Ilfing >> Cirith Helvin “Rainbow Cleft” (SM/141, 146). The name Cirith Ninniach emerged in Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s (WJ/256, 299).

cirith thoronath

place name. Eagles’ Cleft

A pass through the mountains surrounding Gondolin, translated “Eagles’ Cleft” (S/243). This name is a combination of cirith “cleft, ravine” and the class plural of thoron “eagle” (SA/kir, thoron).

Conceptual Development: In the earliest Lost Tales, this pass was called G. Cristhorn (LT2/191), a combination of G. cris(s) “cleft” and G. thorn “eagle” (GL/27, 73). In Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, the name generally appeared as N. Cristhorn (SM/308, LR/142), but in the period Tolkien also considered various alternatives such as N. Cristhoron with N. thoron “eagle” (Ety/KIRIS), Cilthoron(dor) with N. cîl “cleft” (Ety/KIL) and in one place an early appearance of its later name Kirith-thoronath (SM/146).

The name was revised to Cirith Thoronath in the texts used for the published version of The Silmarillion, but the earlier form (Cristhorn) appeared in a late essay on Glorfindel (PM/379), so perhaps Tolkien had ongoing uncertainty about this name.

cirith gorgor

place name. Haunted Pass

The main entrance into Mordor, translated “Haunted Pass” (LotR/636). This name is a combination of cirith “cleft, pass” and gorgor “haunting fear” (RC/334-5).

Conceptual Development: In Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, this name first appeared in some notes as N. Kirith Naglath “Cleft of the Teeth” (WR/137), whose second element seems to be a variant class plural of N. neleg “tooth”. It was changed in the text to Kirith Gorgor “Dreadful Pass” (WR/122).

cirith ungol

place name. Cleft of the Spider

The pass near Minas Morgul where Shelob laired (LotR/644). In Tolkien’s Nomenclature of the Lord of the Rings, he translated the name as “Cleft of the Spider”, a combination of cirith “cleft” and ungol “spider” (RC/767).

Conceptual Development: In Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, this name first appeared as N. Kirith Ungol, translated “Spider Glen” (TI/330, WR/104).

Cirith Dúath

noun. pass of shadow

cirith (“pass, cleft”), dû (“nightfall, night, dimness”) + gwath (“shadow”)

Cirith Forn en Andrat

noun. nothern high-climbing pass

cirith (“pass, cleft”), forn (“north”), en (gen. article), and (“long”) + rath (#“climbing passage”)

Cirith Niniac

noun. pass of rainbow

cirith (“pass, cleft”), niniach (“rainbow”) > nîn (“watery”) + #iach (“ford, bridge”)

Cirith Thoronath

noun. pass of eagles

cirith (“pass, cleft”), thoron (“eagle”) + ath (collective plural suffix)

Cirith Ungol

noun. pass of spider

cirith (“pass”), ungol (“spider”)

cirith

pass

(noun) 1) cirith (i girith, o chirith) (cleft, cutting), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chirith), 2) lond (harbour, haven, strait; narrow path), pl. lynd, coll. pl. lonnath (as in the name Lonnath Ernin, WR:294). 3) (pass between mountains, hills or through trackless forest) imrad (path), pl. imraid.

cirith

cutting

cirith (i girith, o chirith) (cleft, pass), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chirith)

cirith

cleft

(i girith, o chirith) (cutting, pass), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chirith)

cirith

pass

(i girith, o chirith) (cleft, cutting), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chirith)

cirith

cutting

(i girith, o chirith) (cleft, pass), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chirith)

Cirith Ninniach

Cirith Ninniach

Cirith Ninniach means "Pass of the Slender Crossing" in Sindarin (from cirith = "cleft, pass", ninn = "slender", and iach = "ford, crossing"). An early (Gnomish) name for the pass was Glorfalc, the "Golden Cleft".

Cirith Ninniach

Pass of the Slender Crossing

Cirith Ninniach means "Pass of the Slender Crossing" in Sindarin (from cirith = "cleft, pass", ninn = "slender", and iach = "ford, crossing").

Cirith Ungol

Spider's Cleft

Cirith Ungol (pron. ) is a Sindarin name meaning "Spider's Cleft", composed of cirith and ungol.

criss

noun. cleft, cleft, [N.] cut, slash, [G.] gash; [N.] pass, [G.] gully, ravine

A word for a “cleft, cut, slash” (PE21/81; Ety/KIRIS) derived from √KIRIS, a blend of the roots √KIR and √RIS (PE17/87).

Conceptual Development: This word dates all the way back to G. criss “cleft, gash, gully” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s where it was probably already a derivative of the early root ᴱ√KIRISI as suggested by Christopher Tolkien (GL/27; LT2A/Cris Ilbranteloth). In the Name-list to The Fall of Gondolin Tolkien gave cris with the definition “a cleft, ravine, or narrow way of waters with high walls” (PE15/21), and in this period it typically appeared in this shorter form within names like G. Cris Ilbranteloth or G. Cris Thorn.

N. criss appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “cleft, cut, slash” under the root ᴹ√KIRIS “cut” (Ety/KIRIS). It also appeared under the root ᴹ√KIR with the gloss “cleft, pass”, but this instance was deleted (EtyAC/KIR). S. criss “cleft” was mentioned in passing in Common Eldarin: Noun Structure (EVS2) from the early 1950s as derived from primitive ✶kirissi (PE21/80-81), and it was mentioned as a blending of roots in notes on Words, Phrases and Passages from the Lord of the Rings from the late 1950s or early 1960s as described above (PE17/87). Its use in names diminished over time, however, the only remnant in the final version of The Silmarillion being S. Crissaegrim (S/121).

Neo-Sindarin: In The Etymologies of the 1930s it seems this word was principally used as for a “cleft, cut, slash” independent of geography. I would assume the same is true for purposes of Neo-Sindarin, since criss is used only in a single geographic name in Tolkien’s later writings; S. cirith was use more broadly in geographic features. I would also assume it was a larger and more violent cut (a “gash” or “slash”) compared to S. rest for simple cuts.

rist

cleft

(noun) 1) rist (-ris), no distinct pl. except with article (idh rist). Note: a homophone means ”cleaver, cutter”, 2) cirith (i girith, o chirith) (cutting, pass), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chirith), 3) cîl (i gîl, o chîl) (pass between hills, gorge), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chîl), coll. pl. cíliath. A homophone means ”renewal”. 4) criss (i griss, o chriss, construct cris) (cut, slash), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chriss), 4) iaw (gulf, ravine), pl. ioe. Note: a homophone means ”corn”, 5) rest (ravine, cut), pl. rist (idh rist), 6) (deep cleft) falch (ravine[?]), pl. felch

thanc

cleft

(adj.) thanc (forked, split), pl. thainc

falch

noun. deep cleft, ravine

riss

adjective. cleft

_ adj. _cleft, cloven, separate. Q. rista, risse, rinse. >> Imladris

thanc

adjective. cleft, split, forked

aglonn

pass between high walls

(defile), pl. eglynn;

criss

cleft

(i griss, o chriss, construct cris) (cut, slash), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chriss), 4) iaw (gulf, ravine), pl. ioe. Note: a homophone means ”corn”

cîl

cleft

(i gîl, o chîl) (pass between hills, gorge), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chîl), coll. pl. cíliath. A homophone means ”renewal”.

cîl

pass between hills

(i gîl, o chîl) (cleft, gorge), no distinct pl. form except with article (i chîl), coll. pl. cíliath. . A homophone means ”renewal”.

falch

cleft

(ravine[?]), pl. felch

imrad

pass

(path), pl. imraid.

lond

pass

(harbour, haven, strait; narrow path), pl. lynd, coll. pl. lonnath (as in the name Lonnath Ernin, WR:294).

rest

cleft

(ravine, cut), pl. rist (idh rist)

rist

cleft

(-ris), no distinct pl. except with article (idh rist). Note: a homophone means ”cleaver, cutter”

thanc

cleft

(forked, split), pl. thainc