dî

noun. woman, bride, lady

A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s for “woman” derived from the root ᴹ√NĪ of the same meaning (Ety/NĪ¹). It began with d- due to the influence of N. dîr and as partial blending with derivatives of ᴹ✶ndisi “bride” (Ety/DER); its Old Noldorin form was ON. nī (Ety/NĪ¹). In The Etymologies, this word was archaic: “dî was only rare and poetical (‘bride, lady’): it was replaced in sense ‘woman’ by bess [see BES], and in sense ‘bride’ by cpd. di-neth” (Ety/NĪ¹). The scenario in The Etymologies was that the word N. bess itself originally meant “†wife” but came to mean “woman”, much like its male counterpart N. benn meant “†husband” came to mean “man” (Ety/BES).

Conceptual Development: Earlier words of similar form include (archaic) G. †nîr “woman” from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/60) and (rejected) ᴱN. {nain} “woman” from the Early Noldorin Grammar of the 1920s.

Neo-Sindarin: The word S. bess reappeared in later writings with the gloss “wife” (SD/129), indicating Tolkien probably abandoned the scenario in The Etymologies whereby dî became archaic and was replaced by bess for “woman”. As such some Neo-Sindarin writers restore ᴺS. dî as the word for “woman”; this was first suggested to me by Elaran and it is my current recommendation. However, N. bess remains popular for “woman” in Neo-Sindarin as well.

di

preposition. in

dî

noun. woman, lady

dîs

noun. bride

A word for “bride” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from primitive ᴹ✶ndīse under the root ᴹ√NDIS (Ety/NDIS). Ordinarily the s in this word would have been lost, but it was influenced by N. †dess “young woman” < ON. ndissa from the same root (EtyAC/NDIS). Dîs “bride” in turn influenced the form of N. †dî “woman”, originally ON. nī < ᴹ√NĪ (Ety/DER, NĪ¹; EtyAC/NDIS).

Neo-Sindarin: While I think this word is perfectly serviceable, for purposes of Neo-Sindarin it may be better to use the longer and more distinctive word dineth for bride.

dîn

noun. opening, gap, pass in mountains

A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “opening, gap, pass in mountains”, the only derivative of ᴹ√DEN “hole, gap, passage” (Ety/DEN). It was an element in the names N. Din-Dûhir and N. Din-Caradras, but neither of these names appeared in the narratives.

dîl

noun. stopper, stopping, stuffing

dîr

noun. man, adult male; agental suffix

dîl

noun. stopper, stopping, stuffing

dîn

noun. opening, gap, pass in mountains

dîr

noun. man, referring to an adult male (elf, mortal, or of any other speaking race)

dîs

noun. bride

dineth

noun. bride

A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “bride”, a combination of N. †dî “woman, bride” and N. neth “young” (Ety/NĪ¹; EtyAC/NDIS, NIS).

dineth

noun. bride

tî

noun. line, row

del

noun. fear, disgust, loathing, horror

fuia-

verb. to feel disgust at, abhor

gosta-

verb. to fear exceedingly

nedh-

prefix. in, inside, mid-

See also the preposition ned , and the noun ened for a discussion of this form

angos

noun. horror

del

noun. horror

goroth

noun. horror

hiril

noun. lady

muin

adjective. secret

no

preposition. under

benn

noun. man, male

bess

noun. (young) woman

bess

noun. wife

brennil

noun. lady

brennil

noun. lady

dess

noun. young woman

forodrim

noun. Northmen

forodwaith

noun. Northmen

forodwaith

noun. the lands of the North

forodweith

noun. Northmen

forodweith

noun. the lands of the North

goroth

noun. horror

hiril

noun. lady

ne-

prefix. in

no

preposition. under

With suffixed article, see also nuin

nu

preposition. under

With suffixed article, see also nuin

nuin

preposition. under the

thurin

adjective. secret, hidden

tê

noun. line, way