Sindarin 

ecthelion

masculine name. ?One with Sharp Will

An Elf-lord of Gondolin said to be “of the Fountain” (S/239), as well as 17th and 25th ruling stewards of Gondor (LotR/1039). This name is derived from the archaic form Ægthelion (WJ/318), and appears to be a combination of aeg “sharp”, a form of thel- “to resolve, will” and the masculine suffix -on, perhaps meaning “One with Sharp Will” (as suggested by David Salo, GS/339).

Conceptual Development: This Elf-lord was already called G. Ecthelion in the earliest Lost Tales (LT2/173), but the meaning of his name changed as Tolkien revised his conception of the Elvish languages. In the Gnomish Lexicon from the 1910s, his name was glossed “Lord of the Fountain”, from G. ecthel(uin) “fountain” (GL/31, LT2A/Ecthelion). In The Etymologies from the 1930s, N. Ecthelion was derived from ecthel, whose gloss is unclear but may mean “?point (of spear)”, as suggested by Christopher Tolkien (Ety/STELEG). The Sindarin derivation above appeared in very late notes on the Silmarillion from around 1970 (WJ/316, 318).

Elements

WordGloss
aeg“sharp, sharp, [N.] pointed, piercing”
thel-“to intend, mean, purpose, resolve, will”
-on“masculine suffix”

Variations

  • ecthElion ✧ LotR/1116
  • Ægthelion ✧ WJ/318 (Ægthelion)
Sindarin [LotR/1116; LotRI/Ecthelion; LT1I/Ecthelion; PMI/Ecthelion; SI/Ecthelion; UTI/Ecthelion; WJ/318; WJI/Ecthelion] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Ecthelion

Ecthelion

There are three different sources that offer a translation of Ecthelion and they all differ substantially. In The Book of Lost Tales Part 2, Appendix, it is said that the name derives from the Quenya ehtelë, "issue of water, spring", a reference to his title as Lord for the House of the Fountain. In The Etymologies, volume The Lost Road and Other Writings, his name is composed from ehtë, "spear" and thela, "point" (of spear). Put together they would translate as "Spear-point" or "Spear-head". In The War of the Jewels, which seems to be the last matter J.R.R. Tolkien wrote on it, it is derived from aeg, "sharp", and thel, "intent, resolve" (see also root STEL).

Sindarin [Tolkien Gateway] Published by

Noldorin 

ecthelion

masculine name. Ecthelion

Elements

WordGloss
ecthel“?point (of spear)”
-ion“son”

Variations

  • Egthelion ✧ Ety/EK
Noldorin [Ety/EK; Ety/STELEG; LRI/Ecthelion; SMI/Ecthelion; WRI/Ecthelion] Group: Eldamo. Published by

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

ecthelion

masculine name. Lord of the Fountain

Cognates

  • Eq. Ektelion “Lord of the Fountain” ✧ PE13/104
Gnomish [GL/31; LT2A/Ecthelion; LT2I/Ecthelion; PE13/104; PE15/23] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Quenya

ektelion

masculine name. Lord of the Fountain

Qenya name for G. Ecthelion from early name lists (PE13/104), an elaboration of ektele “fountain”. His Quenya name did not appear in later writings.

Cognates

  • G. Ecthelion “Lord of the Fountain” ✧ PE13/104

Elements

WordGloss
ektele“fountain”
Early Quenya [PE13/104] Group: Eldamo. Published by