Doriath

Doriath

topon.

Doriath

noun. land of the fence

(n-)dôr (“land,dwelling”) + iâth (“fence”); genitival sequences with possessor or qualifier second in the later period became fixed compounds, as Dóriath; #probably reinterpreted by Tolkien from earlier ” land of the cave” < (n-)dôr (“land, dwelling-place”) + #i (sing or genitive article) + gath (“cavern”) [Etym. GATH-]

doriath

place name. Land of the Fence

The land ruled by Thingol and Melian, so called because it was protected by the Girdle of Melian (S/97). This name was translated “Land of the Girdle” (S/97) or more literally “Land of the Fence” (WJ/370), and was a combination of dôr “land” and iath “fence” (SA/dôr, iâth).

Conceptual Development: In the earliest Lost Tales, this land was first called G. Dor Athro “Land Beyond” (LT2A/Artanor), revised to G. Doriath (LT2/41), the form it retained thereafter. In The Etymologies from the 1930s, N. Doriath was translated “Land of the Cave”, with the second element being a lenited form of N. gath “cavern” (Ety/GAT(H)). The association of the name with the Girdle of Melian first appeared in Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s (WJ/16).

Cognates

• Q. Lestanórë “Doriath, *(lit.) Land of the Girdle”

Elements

Word	Gloss
dôr	“land, land, [N.] region where certain people live, [ᴱN.] country; [G.] people of the land”
iath	“fence”

Variations

• Dóriath ✧ WJ/370
• Dôr Iâth ✧ WJI/Iathrim

dor

noun. land, dwelling-place, region where certain people live

The form dor in the Etymologies is a misreading, see VT/45. In composition and in toponyms, the word is nevertheless reduced to Dor

dôr

noun. land, dwelling-place, region where certain people live

The form dor in the Etymologies is a misreading, see VT/45. In composition and in toponyms, the word is nevertheless reduced to Dor

dôr

noun. land, land, [N.] region where certain people live, [ᴱN.] country; [G.] people of the land

Cognates

• Q. -ndor “land, country” ✧ SA/dôr

Derivations

• ✶ndorē “land” ✧ PE17/164; SA/dôr; WJ/413
  • √NDOR “land; hard, firm; [ᴹ√] dwell, stay, rest, abide” ✧ PE17/106; PE17/107
  • √DOR “hard, tough, dried up, unyielding”
  • √DOR “hard, tough, dried up, unyielding” ✧ WJ/413

Element in

• S. Arnor “Royal Land”
• S. Balannor “Land of the Valar”
• S. bardor “home land, native land” ✧ PE17/164
• S. Berennyr “Brown Lands”
• S. Dor Caranthir “Land of Caranthir”
• S. Dor-Cúarthol “Land of Bow and Helm”
• S. Dor Daedeloth “Land of Great Dread; Land of Shadow of Horror”
• S. Dor Dínen “Silent Land” ✧ S/121
• S. Dor-en-Ernil “Land of the Prince” ✧ UT/245
• S. Dor Firn-i-Guinar “Land of the Dead that Live” ✧ S/188
• S. dorgannas “shapes of the lands, *geography” ✧ WJ/192
• ᴺS. dorgant “landscape, scene, *(lit.) land-shape”
• S. Dor Gyrth i Chuinar “Land of the Dead that Live” ✧ Let/417
• S. Dor Haeron
• S. Doriath “Land of the Fence” ✧ SA/dôr; SI/Doriath; UTI/Doriath; WJ/370
• S. Dor-i-Ndainn “*Land of the Nandor”
• S. Dor i Thuin
• north S. Dor-lómin “*Echoing-land”
• S. Dorloven “*Echoing Land” ✧ PE17/133
• S. Dor-na-Daerachas “Land of Great Dread”
• S. Dor-nu-Fauglith “Land under Choking Ash”
• S. Dor-Rodyn “*Land of the Valar” ✧ MR/200
• S. Dorthonion “Land of Pines” ✧ RC/384; SA/dôr
• S. Dorwinion “Young-land country, land of Gwinion”
• S. Eglador “Land of the Eglir (Forsaken)”
• S. Elennor “*Elf-land”
• S. Eriador “Lonely Land” ✧ SA/dôr
• S. Gondor “Stone-land” ✧ SA/dôr
• S. Mildor “Wine-land”
• S. Mordor “Black Land” ✧ Let/427; SA/dôr
• S. Pelennor “Fenced Land”
• S. Thonador

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶ndor > -dor	[-ndorē] > [-ndore] > [-ndor] > [-dor]	✧ PE17/164
✶ndor > dôr	[ndorē] > [ndore] > [dore] > [dor] > [dōr]	✧ SA/dôr
✶ndorē > dôr	[ndorē] > [ndore] > [dore] > [dor] > [dōr]	✧ WJ/413
✶ndorē > -ndor > -nor/-nnor	[-ndorē] > [-ndore] > [-ndor] > [-nnor]	✧ WJ/413

Variations

• Dor ✧ Let/417; MR/200; PE17/133; S/121; S/188; SI/Doriath; UT/245; UTI/Doriath; WJ/192
• dor ✧ Let/427; RC/384
• -dor ✧ PE17/164
• Dôr ✧ WJ/370

arthórien

place name. Hidden Realm

A region between the rivers Aros and Celon, so labeled in the Silmarillion map from the 1950s but not in the published Silmarillion (WJ/183). It is also mentioned in Tolkien’s unfinished expansion of the Tale of the Children of Húrin (UT/77). A late isolated note indicates that Arthúrien (with a ú) was a name used by the Noldor, which was derived from the proper Sindarin form Garthúrian (WJ/189). The name is clearly not Quenya, so perhaps it is Noldorized Sindarin, dropping the initial g.

Conceptual Development: In The Etymologies from the 1930s, N. Arthoren is said to be a translation of Ilk. Garthurian, beside the “half translation” Arthurien (Ety/GAT(H), ƷAR, THUR), matching the later modification of Sindarin Garthúrian into Arthúrien/Arthórien.

Variations

• Arthúrien ✧ WJ/189; WJI/Arthórien

garthúrian

place name. Hidden Realm

A region between the rivers Aros and Celon, so labeled in the Silmarillion map from the 1950s but not in the published Silmarillion (WJ/183). A late isolated note translates it as “Hidden Realm” and indicates that it is the Sindarin form from which Arthúrien is derived (WJ/189). Most likely it is a combination of gardh “realm”, thurin “hidden” and the suffix -ian(d) “land”.

Conceptual Development: In the earliest Lost Tales, G. Gar Thurion “Secret Place” was given as a name for Doriath (LT2/158), revised from earlier Gar Furion (LT2/202). In The Etymologies from the 1930s, Ilk. Garthurian is given as an Ilkorin name of Doriath, translated “Fenced Realm” or “Hidden Realm” (Ety/GAT(H), ƷAR, THUR). The name N. Arthurien is said to be a “half translation” of the Ilkorin name, matching the later modification of Sindarin Garthúrian into Arthúrien.

Elements

Word	Gloss
gardh	“region”
thurin	“secret, hidden”
-ian(d)	“-land, country”

Doriath

place name. Land of the Fence

Doriath is a Sindarin name meaning "Land of the Fence" or "Land of the Girdle". The name consists of the elements dôr + iâth.

Doriath

Doriath

Doriath is a Sindarin name meaning "Land of the Fence" or "Land of the Girdle". The name consists of the elements dôr + iâth. The earlier name of Doriath, Eglador, probably means either "Land of the Forsaken" or "Land of the Elves"[source?] in Sindarin.

iathrim

doriath, people of

(”Fence-people”) (WJ:378)

dôr

land

1) dôr (i nôr, construct dor) (dwelling place, region), pl. dŷr (i ndŷr), coll. pl. dorath (WJ:413), 2) bâr (dwelling, house, home, family; earth) (i mâr, o mbâr, construct bar), pl. bair (i mbair). Also -bar, -mar at the end of compounds.

dôr

land

(i nôr, construct dor) (dwelling place, region), pl. dŷr (i ndŷr), coll. pl. dorath (WJ:413)

parth

enclosed grassland

(i barth, o pharth) (field, sward), pl. perth (i pherth);

nand

wide grassland

(construct nan) (valley), pl. naind, coll. pl. **nannath **(VT45:36);

bâr

land

(dwelling, house, home, family; earth) (i mâr, o mbâr, construct bar), pl. bair (i mbair). Also -bar, -mar at the end of compounds.