seldë

noun. daughter, daughter; [ᴹQ.] child [f.], *girl

This seems to be the word that Tolkien favored for “daughter” in his later writings (PE17/170; VT47/10; PE19/73), though it had competition from other forms like Q. yeldë.

Conceptual Development: The earliest word resembling this form was ᴱQ. sui “daughter” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√SUẈU (QL/87), a word also mentioned in the Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME/87). This became ᴱQ. silde “daughter” in Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s (PE16/135).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s, Tolkien experimented with several different forms. He had ᴹQ. yelde “daughter” under the root ᴹ√YEL, but this entry was deleted (Ety/YEL). Tolkien also had a root ᴹ√SEL(D) “daughter” with a derivative ᴹQ. selde, but the meaning of this root was changed to “child”, and masculine and neuter forms ᴹQ. seldo and ᴹQ. selda were added to the entry (Ety/SEL-D). Finally, under the entry for ᴹ√YŌ or YON “son”, Tolkien added a primitive feminine variant ᴹ✶yēn or yend “daughter”, producing ᴹQ. yende and (suffixal?) yen (Ety/YŌ).

These vacillations continued in later writings, where at one point Tolkien wrote “Q[uenya] Wanted: Son, Daughter” (PE17/170). In Notes on Names (NN) from 1957 Tolkien wrote Q. sel-de for “daughter”, but above it he wrote a variant form anel. In rough notes from around 1959 Tolkien explored a large number of masculine and feminine suffixes, and on the page he had yeldë “daughter”, though at the end of the sentence he wrote “also yen” (PE17/190). In notes on Eldarin Hands, Fingers and Numerals from the late 1960s, Tolkien wrote selyë as a diminutive/affectionate word for “daughter”, with seltil as a play name for the fourth finger representing a daughter (VT47/10, 27).

Also of note is Tolkien’s Quenya name for S. Tinúviel “Daughter of Twilight”, which he generally represented as something like Q. Tindómerel < ✶Tindōmiselde. Tolkien was fairly consistent in this Quenya form starting in the 1930s (Ety/SEL-D; PE19/33), with examples in the 1950s (PE19/73) and 1960s (VT47/37) as well. Indeed, in a couple cases he used this name to illustrate how medial s generally became z and eventually r in Quenya (PE19/33, 73), so it seems that for this name Tolkien consistently imagined the primitive form for “daughter” as ✶selde.

Neo-Quenya: I’d assume selde is the main word for “daughter” for purposes of Neo-Quenya, but I’d assume a variant form yeldë, especially since -iel was the most common suffix for “daughter of”. This variant probably arose very early under the influence of √YON “son”.

-iel

daughter

-iel patronymic/matronymic ending -"daughter" (YEL, VT46:22-23) In the Etymologies, Tolkien struck out this ending and the corresponding independent word yeldë "daughter", changing them to -ien, yendë. However, the ending -iel later turns up in later forms: Uinéniel "Daughter of Uinen" in UT:182 and Elerondiel "daughter of Elrond" (Elerondo) in PE17:56. Hence it would seem that Tolkien changed his mind again and restored this ending, and perhaps the noun yeldë along with it. The form Elerondiel (from Elerondo) demonstrates that a final vowel is omitted before -iel.

-ien

daughter

-ien fem. ending in certain names like Yávien, Silmarien (q.v.) At one point -ien implied "daughter", see -iel above.

anel

daughter

anel noun "daughter" (PE17:170), possibly intended by Tolkien as a replacement for seldë (q.v.). Compare anon.

anel

noun. daughter

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

selyë

daughter

[selyë noun "daughter", used in children's play for "fourth finger" or "fourth toe" _(VT47:10, 15, VT48:4) _It is unclear whether it was the word selyë "daughter" itself that was rejected, or just its use as a play-name of a digit. Compare yeldë, yendë.]

yeldë

daughter

yeldë noun "daughter" (YEL) This word was struck out in Etym, but it may have been restored together with the ending -iel, q.v.

yeldë

noun. daughter

A less common Quenya word for “daughter”, an analog of Q. yondo “son”.

Conceptual Development: In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien had ᴹQ. yelde “daughter” under the root ᴹ√YEL of the same meaning, but the meaning of the root was first changed to “friend”, and then the root was then deleted (Ety/YEL). Meanwhile, under the root ᴹ√YŌ or YON, Tolkien introduced a feminine variant ᴹQ. yende “daughter” along with (suffixal?) yen, derived from primitive ᴹ√yēn or yend (Ety/YŌ). Previously this yende/yendi form was a feminine agent, but Tolkien rejected that meaning (EtyAC/ƷAN).

In between yelde >> yende for “daughter” in The Etymologies, Tolkien considered using the form ᴹQ. selde, and in later writings this seems to be his preferred Quenya word for “daughter”. However, yeldë “daughter” was mentioned again briefly in rough notes from around 1959 (PE17/190), and -iel remained Tolkien’s preferred suffix for “daughter of”.

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I recommend seldë as the more common word for “daughter”, but assume yeldë also exists as variant due to the influence of yondo “son”; see the entries on seldë and the root √YE(L) for further discussion.

yen

daughter

yen, yendë noun "daughter" (YŌ/YON). This word replaced another form, but this form may have been restored; see yeldë. In VT45:16, yendë is said to refer to a female "agent", a word changed by Tolkien from yendi, but Tolkien deleted all of this.

tindómiel

feminine name. *Daughter of Twilight

Second child and only daughter of Elros, known only from a genealogy chart on UT/210. Her name is a compound of tindómë “twilight” and -iel “daughter; feminine suffix”, so perhaps means “✱Daughter of Twilight”. This is the same meaning as S. Tinúviel, but Tinúviel’s Quenya name was Tindómerel, with its final element derived from seldë “daughter”.

-iel

suffix. -daughter; feminine suffix

The most common Quenya suffix for “daughter of” such as in Elerondiel “✱Daughter of Elrond” (PE17/56) or Uinéniel “Daughter of Uinen” (UT/182).

Conceptual Development: The earliest hint of this suffix was ᴱQ. -il mentioned by Tolkien in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s as the equivalent of feminine patronymic ᴱQ. -wen (QL/103), but its only use in this period was in the masculine name ᴱQ. Indorildo, a variant of ᴱQ. Indorion and hence probably meaning “son of” (LT2/217). In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien mentioned ᴹQ. -iel as a feminine patronymic under the root ᴹ√YEL “daughter” (Ety/YEL¹), but this root was rejected and in that document Tolkien seems to have replaced it with ᴹQ. -ien (EtyAC/YŌ).

In later writings Tolkien considered a bewildering variety of suffixes for the feminine patronymic, including -iel(d), -well, -wend and -ien (PE17/170, 190). In practice, though, only -iel appeared in actual names for “daughter of” (see above), perhaps because it is was the cleanest equivalent of the well-established masculine patronymic -ion “son of”.

almiel

feminine name. ?Blessed Daughter

Youngest child of Tar-Meneldur (UT/173). Her name might be a compound of almë “blessing” and -iel “-daughter”.

elerondiel

feminine name. *Daughter of Elrond

A name of Arwen (PE17/36). This name appears to be a compound of Elerondo (probably the Quenya name of S. Elrond) and the feminine patronymic suffix -iel “-daughter”, since Arwen was in fact Elrond’s daughter.

Conceptual Development: The name was first written as (rejected) Elerondorel, using the same feminine patronymic seen in Tindómerel “Daughter of Twilight”. This change reflected Tolkien’s ongoing vacillation over the proper Quenya word for “daughter”. See the entries for yeldë and seldë for further discussion.

míriel

feminine name. *Jewel-daughter

This name was given to two different women in Tolkien’s legendarium. First, it was the name of the first wife of Finwë, the mother of Fëanor (S/63). She was the first Elf to die a non-violent death, for which she was also called Fíriel “She that Sighed, She that Died” (MR/250). The second woman, Tar-Míriel, was the Quenya name of the queen of Númenor, also known as Ad. Ar-Zimraphel (S/269, UT/224). The first element of this name is almost certainly mírë “jewel”. The second element is the suffix -iel, which either means “-daughter” or is a general feminine suffix.

Conceptual Development: The first name given to the last queen of Númenor was ᴹQ. Istar >> Tar-Ilien (LR/27).

seltil

noun. daughter [finger name]

A nursery name for the fourth finger in rough drafts of Eldarin Hands, Fingers and Numerals from 1968, a combination of ✶sel(dĕ) “daughter” and Q. til “tip”, and appearing beside alternate form Q. selye (VT47/27). In later versions of these notes, only selye appeared (VT47/10).

selyë

noun. daughter (diminutive)

A diminutive/affectionate word for “daughter” appearing in notes on Eldarin Hands, Fingers and Numerals from the late 1960s (VT47/10, 27), based on Q. seldë “daughter”. See that entry for further discussion.

tindómerel

feminine name. Daughter of Twilight

The Quenya name of Tinúviel (SA/tin, PE19/73). Since she was a Sindarin elf, this name is largely theoretical, as a development from the same primitive form: ✶Tindōmiselde. This name is a compound of tindómë and a suffixal form -rel of seldë “daughter”. In a couple places, Tolkien used this name to illustrated the development of primitive intervocalic ✶[s] into Quenya [r] (PE19/33, 73).

Conceptual Development: The earliest “Qenya” name for Tinúviel was ᴹQ. Tinúviel in linguistic notes from the early 1930s; it was declined in various noun cases, and was clearly intended to be a purely Qenya name rather than an adaptation of the Noldorin Tinúviel (PE21/35). The name ᴹQ. Tindómerel appeared in The Etymologies from the mid-1930s, where it already had the derivation described above (Ety/SEL-D, TIN). In some notes on Quenya phonology from the 1930s, this name appeared as Tindómirel with a medial i (PE19/33), but in a revision of those notes from the 1950s it was reverted back to Tindómerel (PE19/73). It appeared as (Tindómrl) in some examples of left-handed tengwar writing from the 1960s (VT47/37); Tolkien probably neglected to add the vowel diacritics in this case.

uinéniel

feminine name. Daughter of Uinen

A name given to Erendis to honour her sea-faring husband Aldaron, which she quickly rejected (UT/182). The first element is the name of the Valië Uinen and the second element is the suffix -iel “daughter”.

-ien

suffix. feminine ending; feminine patronymic, -daughter

A feminine suffix common in Quenya names, in one place given as a feminine patronymic (PE17/170), though there are no attested Quenya names in which it was used that way.

Conceptual Development: In The Etymologies of the 1930s, ᴹQ. ien was given as a (suffixal?) variant of ᴹQ. yen(de) “daughter” (Ety/YŌ; EtyAC/YŌ), but again there are no actual names from this period using the suffix in that way.

Almiel

daughter of blessedness

Almiel fem. name, perhaps *"daughter of blessedness": almië + -iel with contraction / haplology.

Tindómiel

daughter of twilight

Tindómiel, fem. name (UT:210), probably *"daughter of twilight" (tindómë + -iel) and thus the equivalent of Sindarin Tinúviel. Compare tindómerel.

nettë

girl, daughter

nettë (stem *netti-, given the primitive form listed in VT47:17) noun "girl, daughter" (but also "sister", see below), also used as a play-name of the "fourth finger" or "fourth toe" (VT47:10, VT48:6), in two-hand play also used for the numeral "nine" (nettë is conceived as being related to nertë, q.v.) Nettë is also defined as "sister" or "girl approaching the adult" (VT47:16, VT49:25), "girl/daughter" (VT47:15-16); it may be that "sister" was Tolkien's final decision on the meaning (VT48:4, 22) - The related word nésa seems like a less ambiguous translation of "sister".

nettë

noun. (little) girl, sister (diminutive), daughter, pretty little thing

A word appearing in several sets of notes from the late 1960s having to do with Hands, Fingers and Numerals. It was related to the finger name of the fourth finger (representing the sister). Tolkien mostly glossed it either as “(little) girl” or “sister (diminutive)”, but in one placed indicated it originally meant “pretty little thing” (VT47/33) and in another that it might be used for “daughter” (VT47/15). He also gave it several derivations, from √NET “trim, pretty, dainty” (VT47/33) or the root √NETH which itself was given a variety of meanings: “sister” (VT47/12, 26, 34), “(young) woman” (VT47/15, 32, 39) or “fresh, lively, merry” (VT47/32).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I think the meaning “(little) girl” is the most useful. For “sister” I would use nésa.

tindómerel

daughter of twilight

tindómerel (also capitalized Tindómerel) fem. name "daughter of twilight", a kenning (poetic name) of the nightingale; = Sindarin Tinúviel. (TIN, SEL-D, SA:tin; "Tindómrl" in mirrored Tengwar in VT47:37 would seem to be an incomplete annotation of the same word). The form Tindómiel (UT:210) could well be an alternative Quenya equivalent of Tinúviel, and it is possibly to be preferred because the status of the ending -rel "daughter" is uncertain (it was to represent older -zel, -sel corresponding to the independent word seldë, but Tolkien changed the meaning of this word from "daughter" to "child", and since the word for "child" appears as hína in later texts, it may be that seldë and the corresponding ending -rel were dropped altogether).

elerondorel

feminine name. *Daughter of Elrond

A (rejected) name for Arwen. See Elerondiel for discussion.

yenta-

verb. to adopt (a daughter)

yentaro

noun. adoptive father (for a daughter)

yentarë

noun. adoptive mother (for a daughter)

súyon

noun. nephew, daughter’s son

-wen

maiden

-wen "maiden" as suffix, a frequent ending in feminine names like Eärwen "Sea-maiden" (SA:wen). Early "Qenya" also has -wen, feminine patronymic "daughter of" (LT1:271, 273), but the patronymic ending seems to be -iel "-daughter" in Tolkien's later Quenya.

Elerondo

star-vault

*Elerondo masc_. _name "Star-vault", Sindarin Elrond. Extrapolated from Elerondiel "daughter of Elrond", patronym of Arwen (PE17:56); cf. Elerossë, rondo.

Míriel

jewel-woman

Míriel noun "Jewel-woman" or "Jewel-daughter" (Silm), genitive Míriello (see namna) indicating a stem-form #Míriell-.

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)

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.

yelmë

loathing

yelmë (1) noun "loathing". In the Etymologies as printed in LR, entry DYEL, the word appears as **yelma, but according to VT45:11 this is a misreading of Tolkien's manuscript. According to VT46:22, yelmë briefly appeared as a word for "daughter" (?)

aranel

noun. princess

Tindómisel

noun. nightingale

PQ. nightingale

aranel

princess

aranel noun "princess" (likely *aranell-) (UT:434)

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.

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).

morilindë

nightingale

morilindë noun "nightingale" (MOR)

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).

onwë

child

onwë noun "child" (PE17:170)

onwë

noun. child

seldo

child

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

sén

noun. child

tindómerel

noun. nightingale

TQ. nightingale

tindómizel

noun. nightingale

PQ. nightingale

vendë

maiden

vendë < wendë noun "maiden" (WEN/WENED, VT45:16), "virgin" (in Tolkien's translations of Catholic prayers where the reference is to Mary; see VT44:10, 18). The form Véndë in VT44:10 seems abnormal; normally Quenya does not have a long vowel in front of a consonant cluster.

wendë Archaic

noun. maiden

ye(l)

root. daughter

The root √YEL was one of several competing Elvish roots for “daughter”. In The Etymologies of the 1930s ᴹ√YEL “daughter” was first used as the basis for ᴹQ. yelde/N. iell “daughter”, but it was deleted (Ety/YEL). N. iell was given a new derivation from ᴹ√SEL-D “child”, by analogy with N. ionn “son” (Ety/SEL-D), while a new Quenya word for “daughter” was introduced: ᴹQ. yende from a feminine variant ᴹ√yēn of ᴹ√YO(N) (Ety/YŌ). Note that ᴹ√SEL-D itself was initially glossed “daughter”, but was changed to “child” and given derivatives for all genders in Quenya: ᴹQ. selda [n.], ᴹQ. selde [f.], and ᴹQ. seldo [m.].

The picture in later writings is also rather muddled. 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). In several places Tolkien gave Q. Tindómerel “Daughter of Twilight” as the Quenya equivalent of S. Tinúviel, with the final element being derived from primitive ✶-sel(dĕ) > -rel (Ety/SEL-D; PE19/33, 73; VT47/37).

In this period, however, the more common suffix for “daughter” was Q. -iel as in Q. Elerondiel (S. Elrenniel) “✱Daughter of Elrond” as applied to Arwen (PE17/56) and Q. Uinéniel “Daughter of Uinen” (UT/182). Furthermore, in a list of masculine and feminine suffixes written around 1959, Tolkien gave (primitive?) yē, yel and (Quenya?) yelde for “daughter”, though in that note the feminine patronymic suffixes were revised from {-yel, iel, -yelde >>} -well-, -uell-, -wend-, -wel, and yen was given as another variant (PE17/190). In other notes from the late 1950s associated with “Changes affecting Silmarillion nomenclature”, Tolkien had feminine patronymic suffixes -en, -ien, but said that Quenya used -ielde, -iel (PE17/170).

Neo-Eldarin: All of the above indicates considerable vacillation between √SEL, √YEL, and √YEN for “daughter” words and suffixes in the 1930s to 1960s: of the three Tolkien seem to favor sel- for “daughter” words but -iel for “daughter” suffixes. For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I would assume ᴹ√SEL(D) originally meant “child”, with √YEL an early variant meaning “daughter” under the influence of √YON “son”, especially used as a suffix. However, due to reverse influence Q. seldë and S. sell were early on used to mean “daughter”, with female child = “girl” words becoming Q. nettë and S. neth.

sel(dĕ)

noun. *daughter

tindōmiselde

feminine name. Nightingale, (lit.) Daughter of Twilight

-iel

suffix. feminine suffix

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).

khīnā

noun. child

-ye Reconstructed

suffix. feminine suffix

sell

noun. *daughter, daughter; [N.] †girl, maid

The most common Sindarin word for “daughter” (SD/129; VT50/18).

Conceptual Development: In the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, the word for “daughter” was G. suil with shorter form sui (GL/36, 68) probably derived from the early root ᴱ√SUẈU (QL/87) and replacing rejected {thuai, thuil} (GL/36, 73). In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien gave (archaic) N. †sell “girl, maid” derived from the root ᴹ√SEL-D (Ety/SEL-D). Tolkien said sell was replaced by N. iell “daughter”:

> with i from iondo son [YŌ]; a change assisted by the loss of s in cpds. and patronymics: cf. Tinnúviel < ✱tindōmiselde (Ety/SEL-D).

Thus in Noldorin, sell became iell under the influence of N. ionn “son”, and assisted by the fact that intervocalic s became h and then vanished when -sell was used as a suffix in compounds.

It seems Tolkien abandoned this 1930s paradigm, however, since he used sell for “daughter” in a couple later documents, namely the King’s Letter (SD/129) and the Túrin Wrapper (VT50/5).

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would use sell for “daughter” but suffixal -iel for “daughter of” under the influence of -ion “son of”, a scenario similar to that of The Etymologies. I would also allow iell as a less commmon variant for “daughter”, derived from the suffix.

-iel

suffix. daughter; feminine suffix

A widely used feminine suffix in Sindarin (PE17/23, 190). It sometimes more specifically meant “-daughter” in names such as Elrenniel “Arwen; ✱(lit.) Elrond-daughter” (PE17/56) or Tinúviel “Daughter of Twilight” (S/165), but in other cases it simply meant female as in names like Gilthoniel “Star-kindler [female]” (PE17/23). It was also sometimes reduced to -il or -el. See the entry on the root √YE(L) for a discussion of various conceptual vacillations in its connection to “daughter”.

Conceptual Development: The use of N. -iel dates back to Noldorin, where its connection to “daughter” was more explicit, though Tolkien vacillated on whether the suffix was based on ᴹ√YEL or ᴹ√SEL (Ety/SEL, YEL). The suffix does not appear to be specifically feminine in Gnomish of the 1910s, however, appearing in both female names like G. Níniel (LT2/100) and male names like G. Inwithiel (LT1/22).

elrenniel

feminine name. Arwen; *(lit.) Elrond-daughter

Another name for Arwen (PE17/56), a combination of a variant form of her father’s name Elrond and the feminine suffix -iel. Like its Quenya cognate Elerondiel, it is apparently intended to mean “Daughter of Elrond”. There are several variant forms of both the Sindarin and Quenya names, reflecting Tolkien’s uncertainties on the Elvish words for “daughter”: sell versus iell. See those entries for further discussion.

tinúviel

feminine name. Nightingale, (lit.) Daughter of Twilight

The name that Beren gave to Lúthien, translated “Nightingale”, more literally “Daughter of Twilight” (S/165), a derivation of the primitive form ✶Tindōmiselde (PE19/73). It is essentially a combination of tinnu “twilight” and the suffix -iel, except that the archaic final -v lost in tinnu was preserved in the compound.

Conceptual Development: This name first appeared as G. Tynwfiel in the earliest Lost Tales, probably a Welsh-like spelling of the name, but this was revised to Tinúviel (LT2/41), the form Tolkien more or less retained thereafter. The translation “Nightingale” for ᴱN. Tinúviel emerged in the Lays of Beleriand from the 1920s (LB/153). In The Etymologies from the 1930s, N. Tinúviel had the same derivation as given above (Ety/SEL-D, TIN).

Elrenniel

noun. 'Daughter of Elrond'

prop. n. #'Daughter of Elrond'. Elrenniel << Elrendiel << Elrondiel << hel-Elrond << Elrondhel.

Lúthien

noun. 'Daughter of Flowers'

prop. n. 'Daughter of Flowers'. Melian was esp. associated with the flowers in Lórien. >> lúth

Tinnúviel

noun. daughter of twilight

[Etym. TIN-] tindumh (AS “twilight”) + iell (“daughter, child” [Etym. SEL-D] traditional ending for women’s names) [Etym.] AS *Tindômiselde, Q Tindómerel.

lúthien

feminine name. Daughter of Flowers

Daughter of Thingol and beloved of Beren, also known as Tinúviel (S/165). Her name was translated as “Daughter of Flowers”, a compound of lûth “inflorescence” and the feminine suffix -ien (PE17/15). This name was given to her because her mother, the Maia Melian, was especially associated with flowers when she dwelled in Lórien (PE17/161).

Conceptual Development: In very early writings, Tolkien used the name G. Lúthien for a male character, the Gnomish name of Ælfwine, translated as either “Wanderer” or “Friend” (LT2/301-4). In one place he used it as an Elvish name of England (see G. Luthany). These early names were abandoned, however.

When the character of Lúthien first appeared in the earliest Lost Tales, her given name was G. Tynwfiel, later changed to Tinúviel “Nightingale” (LT2/41, 51). In The Lays of Beleriand from the 1920s, however, Tolkien decided the name Tinúviel was given to her by Beren (LB/179-180) and that her given name as actually ᴱN. Lúthien (untranslated). This new name remained her birthname throughout all of Tolkien’s later writings, but he rarely gave the name a translation.

In The Etymologies, a rejected note translated Dor. Lúthien as “Enchantress”, a combination of luth “spell, charm” with the feminine suffix -ien (Ety/LUK). This Doriathrin translation was deleted, but the Noldorin form of her name, N. Lhúthien “Enchantress”, was not. The translation “Enchantress” is given by Hammond and Scull in the Reader’s Companion (RC/172).

The translation “Daughter of Flowers” given above appeared a list of flower roots written around 1959-60 (PE17/15), which was published after RC.

brethil

daughter of the Queen

_ n. _daughter of the Queen, princess.

ar nienor sel morwen níniel

*and Nienor daughter of Morwen, Níniel

brethil

noun. princess, (lit.) queen-daughter

sellath

noun. all the daughters

iell

daughter

1. iell (-iel) (girl, maid), pl. ill, 2) sell (i hell) (girl, maid), pl. sill (i sill), coll. pl. sellath**. **DAUGTHER OF TWILIGHT, see NIGHTINGALE

iell

daughter

(-iel) (girl, maid), pl. ill

sell

daughter

(i** hell) (girl, maid), pl. sill (i** sill), coll. pl. *sellath***. **

Lúthien

Daughter of Flowers

Lúthien is a Sindarin name meaning "Daughter of Flowers". The first element in the name is lúth. The second element is perhaps the feminine ending -ien.

In early writings, Doriathrin Luthien and Noldorin Lhūthien meant "enchantress", deriving from Primitive Quendian luktiēnē ("enchantress"; from root LUK "magic, enhantement").

Tinúviel (from Primitive Quendian tindômiselde) means "Nightingale", or, more literally, "Daughter of Twilight".

-ien

suffix. feminine ending

An occasional feminine suffix in Sindarin, in one place given as a feminine patronymic (PE17/170) as in the name Lúthien “Daughter of Flowers” (PE17/15, 161). See the entry on the root √YE(L) for a discussion of conceptual vacillations on its connection to “daughter”.

Conceptual Development: In Noldorin it seems N. -ien was simply a feminine suffix in the name N. Lhúthien “Enchantress” (Ety/LUK).

dúlinn

nightingale

1. dúlinn (i dhúlinn) (dusk-singer), same form pl. except with article (i núlinn) (SD:302). 2) merilin (i verilin), no distinct pl. form except with article (i merilin), coll. pl. merilinnath. Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” ”moerilind” = mörilind. 3) tinúviel (”daughter of twilight”, a poetic kenning) (i dinúviel, o thinúviel), pl. ?tinúvil (i thinúvil), coll. pl. tinúviellath (MR:373, WJ:62)

iell

girl

1. iell (-iel) (daughter, maid), pl. ill; 2) sell (i hell) (daughter, maid), pl. sill (i sill), coll. pl. sellath. 3) (girl in her teens, approaching the adult) neth (also used = ”sister”), pl. nith (VT47:14-16, 33; VT48:6). Notice the homophone neth ”young”. The final element -wen in names means ”girl, maiden, virgin”.

iell

girl

(-iel) (daughter, maid), pl. ill

sell

girl

(i hell) (daughter, maid), pl. sill (i sill), coll. pl. sellath.

tinúviel

nightingale

(”daughter of twilight”, a poetic kenning) (i** dinúviel, o thinúviel), pl. ?tinúvil (i** thinúvil), coll. pl. tinúviellath** **(MR:373, WJ:62)

-il

suffix. feminine suffix

A fairly common feminine suffix appearing as -il in Sindarin, either formed on its own or as a variant of the feminine suffix -iel. This suffix was also common Noldorin words in The Etymologies of the 1930s, along with an alternate form -ril that seems to be a feminine agental suffix, the equivalent of masculine -(r)on, seen in pairs like N. melethril/melethron “lover” and N. odhril/odhron “parent” (Ety/MEL, ONO). The -il suffix and its -ril variant are seen all the way back in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s in pairs like G. gwadhril/gwadhron “inhabitant” (GL/47) and G. ainil/ainos “god”, female and male respectively (GL/18). So it seems this feminine suffix was well established in Tolkien’s mind.

whion

noun. nephew

-eth

suffix. feminine ending

Tinnúviel

noun. nightingale

nightingale

arwen

noun. royal, noble maiden

ar (prefix “high, noble, royal”) + gwend (“maiden, woman”)

dúlin

noun. nightingale

dúlin

noun. nightingale

A word for “nightingale” appearing in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a combination of N. dû “night” and N. lhinn “tune” (Ety/DOƷ, Ety/LIN², TIN). It appeared as both dúlinn (Ety/LIN²) and dúlin (Ety/TIN). In The Notion Club Papers of the 1940s, Tolkien instead gave duilin “nightingale” as a derivative of primitive ᴹ✶dōmilindē, demonstrating a phonetic development whereby the ancient m became v and then vanished after the u, but the medial i was preserved. However, Christopher Tolkien used the form dúlin in The Silmarillion appendix (SA/dú), and that form is thus better known.

gwen

noun. maiden

_n. _maiden. Q. wendē. >> gwend, gweneth

gwend

noun. maiden

_n. _maiden. Q. wendē. >> gwen, gweneth

gwend

noun. maiden, maiden, *young woman

A word for “maiden” or “✱young woman”, frequently appearing as suffixal -wen as an element in female names, derived from the root √WEN(ED) (PE17/191; Ety/WEN).

Conceptual Development: In the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, the word G. gwin meant “woman, female” and G. {gwen >>} gwennin was “girl” (GL/45). The former was derived from the root ᴱ√giu̯i which had to do with pregnancy, but the latter was derived from {ᴱ√gw̯ene >>} ᴱ√gu̯eđe. In the contemporaneous Qenya Lexicon {ᴱ√WENE >>} ᴱ√GWENE was the basis of words like ᴱQ. ’wen(di) “maiden” (QL/103). In the Gnomish Lexicon Slips it seems G. gwin was also reassigned to the root ᴱ√(G)WENE [ᴱ√u̯enĭ-], derived from ᴱ✶u̯einā́, though possibly shifted or blended in meaning with an adjectival sense “womanly” (PE13/113).

In the Early Noldorin Grammar of the 1920s, Tolkien had ᴱN. uin “woman” (PE13/123), a form that also appeared with this gloss in contemporaneous Early Noldorin Word-lists as a replacement for deleted {gwind, gwinn} (PE13/146, 155). In The Etymologies of the 1930s, Tolkien had N. gwend, gwenn “maiden” under the root ᴹ√WEN(ED) which he said was “often found in feminine names” (Ety/WEN). He noted that “since the [suffixed names] show no -d even in archaic spelling, they probably contain a form wen-”. Tolkien seems to have stuck with these forms thereafter.

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would use this word for a young woman or adolescent girl, especially prior to marriage, but for female children I would use neth.

gwenneth

noun. maiden

A longer variant of gwend “maiden” appearing in notes on the Common Eldarin Article (CEA) from 1969 (PE23/136). It might be confused with (or related to) gweneth “maidenhood”.

hên

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

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” (WJ/403), meaning this word was often used to mean “child of” in reference to one’s parents. For example: Túrin hên Húrin “Túrin Húrin-child” or Túrin hên Morwen “Túrin Morwen-child”. These are functionally juxtaposition genitives without mutation of the following name, as in the example given by Tolkien: Hîn Húrin “Children of Húrin”.

arwen

noble maiden

Arwen means "Noble Maiden" in Sindarin (from ara- = "noble" and gwenn = "maiden"). The Quenya form of her name is not entirely certain, but as just a name, it is grammatically possible to calque Arwen to Quenya as Aranwen using aran- and wendë, stem Aranwend-; compare masculine Aranwë), but Arwen itself is also coincidentally a valid Quenya synthesis (using ar-, stem Arwend-), meaning the possibility that Arwen's name is the same in Sindarin and Quenya. Her epessë, Undómiel, means "Evenstar", from Undómë "evening twilight" and el "star".

arwen

Arwen

Arwen means "Noble Maiden" in Sindarin (from ara- = "noble" and gwenn = "maiden"). The Quenya form of her name is not entirely certain, but as just a name, it is grammatically possible to calque Arwen to Quenya as Aranwen (pron. [aˈranwen] using aran- and wendë, stem Aranwend-; compare masculine Aranwë), but Arwen itself is also coincidentally a valid Quenya synthesis (using ar-, stem Arwend-), meaning the possibility that Arwen's name is the same in Sindarin and Quenya. Her epessë, Undómiel, means "Evenstar", from Undómë "evening twilight" and el "star".

delos

loathing

(noun) 1) delos (i dhelos) (fear, horror, abhorrence, dread, detestation), pl. delys (i nelys), coll. pl. delossath. A side-form ends in -oth (pl. -yth) instead of -os (-ys). 2) dêl (i dhêl, construct del) (disgust, fear, horror), pl. dîl (i nîl)

delos

loathing

(i dhelos) (fear, horror, abhorrence, dread, detestation), pl. delys (i nelys), coll. pl. delossath. A side-form ends in -oth (pl. -yth) instead of -os (-ys).

dêl

loathing

(i dhêl, construct del) (disgust, fear, horror), pl. dîl (i nîl)

dúlinn

nightingale

(i** dhúlinn) (dusk-singer), same form pl. except with article (i** núlinn) (SD:302).

eruchen

children of the one

)

gwend

maiden

gwend (i **wend, construct gwen) (friendship), pl. gwind (in gwind), coll. pl. gwennath**. Note: a homophone means ”bond, friendship”.

gwend

maiden

(i ’wend, construct gwen) (friendship), pl. gwind (in gwind), coll. pl. gwennath. Note: a homophone means ”bond, friendship”.

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)

merilin

nightingale

(i** verilin), no distinct pl. form except with article (i** merilin), coll. pl. merilinnath. Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” ”moerilind” = mörilind.

neth

girl

(also used = ”sister”), pl. nith (VT47:14-16, 33; VT48:6). Notice the homophone neth ”young”. – The final element -wen in names means ”girl, maiden, virgin”.

riel

princess

#riel (garlanded maiden), pl. ?rîl (idh rîl), coll. pl. riellath. Isolated from the name Galadriel.

riel

princess

(garlanded maiden), pl. ?rîl (idh rîl), coll. pl. riellath. Isolated from the name Galadriel.

wen

maiden

, see MAIDEN. The final element -wen in names means ”girl, maiden, virgin”.

iell

noun. daughter

iell

noun. daughter

Stated to be an alteration of sell , remodelled after ion "son" (OS *jondo). It was "a change assisted by the loss of s in compounds and patronymics", hence the ending -iel in several feminine words

sell

noun. daughter

-iel

suffix. daughter; feminine suffix

tinúviel

feminine name. Nightingale, (lit.) Daughter of Twilight

-il

suffix. feminine suffix

Tinnúviel

noun. nightingale

nightingale

duilin

noun. nightingale

dúlin

noun. nightingale

dúlin(n)

noun. nightingale

dúlind

noun. nightingale

dúlinn

noun. nightingale

gwend

noun. maiden

gwenn

noun. maiden

gwenn

noun. maiden

iell

noun. girl, maid

Stated to be an alteration of sell , remodelled after ion "son" (OS *jondo). It was "a change assisted by the loss of s in compounds and patronymics", hence the ending -iel in several feminine words

merilin

noun. nightingale

merilin(n)

noun. nightingale

A noun for “nightingale” in The Etymologies of the 1930s, adapted from Ilkorin myrilind “since mori did not = ‘night’ in N” (Ety/TIN). S. dúlin “nightingale” is better attested.

mœrilind

noun. nightingale

sell

noun. girl, maid (child)

-ien Reconstructed

suffix. feminine ending

zimraphel

feminine name. *Jewel Daughter

The daughter of Ar-Inziladûn (Tar-Palantir), who would have been the 25th ruler of Númenor had the throne not been usurped by her cousin Ar-Pharazôn (UT/224). Her Quenya name Tar-Míriel seems to mean “✱Jewel’s Daughter”. If her Adûnaic name has the same meaning, then the first element zimra probably means jewel and the second element -phel might mean “-daughter”, though it could simply be a general feminine suffix.

Conceptual Development: In her earliest appearance in the Tolkien’s stories, this character was called ᴹQ. (Tar-)Ilien (LR/27, SD/335, SD/351). Tolkien gave her the name Ad. Ar-Zimrahil after he invented the Adûnaic language (SD/373). The suffix -hil in this version of the name might be a feminine form of the patronymic -hin. In later material appearing in the published version of The Silmarillion, her Adûnaic name was changed to Zimraphel. This final version of the name is inconsistent with the phonetic rules laid out by Tolkien in Lowdham’s Report, which said that the vowels [ē] and [ō] could only be long in Adûnaic (SD/423).

-phel Reconstructed

suffix. ?-daughter

An element appearing only in the name Zimraphel (UT/224). Though unglossed, her Quenya name Míriel seems to be mírë “jewel” + -iel “daughter”. The Adûnaic element zimra appears elsewhere as the Adûnaic equivalent of Q. mírë: in Zimrathôn whose Quenya name is Hostamir. These leaves the -phel to be “daughter” as suggested by several authors (AL/Adûnaic, EotAL/PHIL), perhaps the feminine equivalent of -thôr “son” appearing in Sakalthôr “✱Shore-son”.

Phonetically, this element does not fit the earlier Adûnaic phonetic rules of Lowdham’s Report, which state that only a long [ē] was allowed in Adûnaic (SD/423). When Tolkien wrote Lowdham’s Report, Zimraphel’s Adûnaic name was instead Zimrahil, so perhaps -hil was an earlier form of this suffix. If the suffix -phel were to be used in the phonetic context of the Adûnaic of Lowdham’s Report (Middle Adûnaic) it might have the form ✱-phêl. See the entry on conceptual-changes-in-late-Adûnaic for further discussion.

-êth

suffix. feminine suffix

A feminine suffix appearing in several names, as suggested by Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynn (AAD/11). On SD/427, Tolkien said that the affix -th was often found in feminine forms.

-î

suffix. feminine suffix

A suffix used to form feminine nouns from common or masculine nouns (SD/435). Another common variant was -ê (SD/438).

nithil

noun. girl

A noun translated “girl” and fully declined as an example of a feminine Strong I noun (SD/430). It is also used as an example of feminine nouns that use the suffix -i in their objective inflection as opposed to the usual -u: nithli (SD/431). Though not explicitly stated, nithli is also an example of the variant objective-with-syncope syntax discussed on SD/435. Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynne suggested (AAD/21) it may be related to the Elvish root √NETH “young”.

-th

suffix. feminine suffix

A (primitive?) feminine suffix used in the formation of mîth “baby girl” from the root ✶Ad. √MIYI (SD/427). Tolkien stated that th was one of the “favoured” feminine consonants (SD/427).