el

noun. star

eledûn

place name. Eledûn

A Noldorin name for ᴹQ. Túna appearing in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (LR/222), apparently a combination of Eledh “Elf” and the lenited form of its shorter name Tûn.

elbereth gilthoniel (draft)

Elbereth Gilthoniel (draft)

The draft version of S. A Elbereth Gilthoniel, appearing on RS/394. The version here includes the draft of Sam’s invocation of Elbereth (WR/218), whose first three lines are nearly identical to the lines appearing on RS/394, and whose 4th line resembles that of 4th line of the later version of the invocation. It has no translation, and is sufficiently different from the later version of the poem that it is quite difficult to analyze.

elwe

masculine name. Elwe

elbereth

masculine name. Elbereth

elboron

masculine name. Elboron

eledhwen

feminine name. Elf-maid

ellonel

feminine name. Ellonel

elbereth gilthoniel

Elbereth Gilthoniel

elennor

place name. *Elf-land

A Noldorin name for Ilk. Eglador appearing in The Etymologies from the 1930s (Ety/ELED), apparently a combination of Eledh “Elf” and (n)dôr “land”, with the dh lost because [[n|[ð] vanished before nasals]] in Noldorin.

eledh

noun. Star-folk, Elf

eldûn

masculine name. *West-star

Earlier of Eluréd (LR/147 note #42). Since his brother’s name was Elrûn “✱East-star”, this name may be a combination of el “star” and dûn “west”.

ell

noun. sky

An element meaning “sky” in several names from The Etymologies of the 1930s: N. Elfaron “Sky-hunter” (Ety/SPAR) and N. Elthoron “Eagle of the Sky” (Ety/THOR). It was derived from the root ᴹ√ƷEL “sky” which had an Old Noldorin form: ON. elle (Ety/ƷEL). However, Tolkien said “In Noldorin and Telerin this is confused with EL star”, implying that the word was not used in modern language; an earlier but rejected version of this entry had archaic N. †ell, el “sky” (EtyAC/ƷEL).

Neo-Sindarin: Despite the above statements, ell is probably the best attested option for “sky” in Neo-Sindarin, and I would use it as such, since it is in fact distinct from S. êl “star”, a word that is itself archaic/poetic versus more common S. gil.

elrûn

masculine name. *East-star

Earlier of Elurín (LR/147 note #42). This name also appeared in The Etymologies, where it seems to be a combination of el “star” and the lenited form of rhûn “east” (Ety/RŌ).

elivorn

place name. Lake-Black

Earlier name for lake Helevorn glossed “Lake-Black” (LR/269, 405), apparently a combination of an earlier form of oel “lake” and with the lenited form of morn “black” (EtyAC/MOR).

elethon

masculine name. Ælfwine

A rejected Noldorin name for Ælfwine (“Elf-friend”) appearing in The Etymologies from the 1930s (EtyAC/SON), a combination of Eledh “Elf” and the suffixal form of (rejected) thond “friend”.

elfaron

proper name. Sky-hunter

A Noldorin name the Moon glossed “Sky-hunter” appearing in The Etymologies from the 1930s, a combination of ell “sky” and faron “hunter” (Ety/SPAR, EtyAC/SPAR).

elthoron

masculine name. Eagle of the Sky

A name appearing in The Etymologies from the 1930s, a combination of ell “sky” and thoron “eagle” (Ety/THOR).

elanor

noun. sun-star

elbereth

feminine name. Queen of Stars, (lit.) Star Queen

elf

noun. friend

elrond

masculine name. Starry-dome, Sky

elros

masculine name. Star-foam

elw

adjective. (pale) blue

elwing

feminine name. Star-spray

elianw

noun. rainbow, (lit.) sky-bridge

elw

adjective. (pale) blue

edhel

noun. Elf

helcharaes

place name. Helcharaes

Noldorin equivalent to ᴹQ. Helkarakse appearing in The Etymologies from the 1930s (Ety/KARAK). It is most likely a combination of helch “bitter cold” and a mutated form of caraes “jagged hedge of spikes”, the latter attested only in this name. It was first written as (rejected) elcharaes, and also appeared in the variant from Helcharach (EtyAC/KARAK).

edhel

noun. firstborn, eldest

beleriand

place name. Beleriand

oelinuial

place name. Pools of Twilight

Earlier name of S. Aelin-uial in The Etymologies from the 1930s (Ety/AY) appearing along with variants Elinuial (Ety/KHIS, MBOTH, MUY) and Lhîn Uial (Ety/MUY). All these names contain uial “twilight” as well as a word for “pools”, either the plural of oel or (plural?) lhîn. In the narratives of this period, however, the name already appeared in its later form Aelin-uial (LR/262).

heltha-

verb. to strip

The form helta- in the Etymologies is a misreading according to VT/46:14

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

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

iell

noun. daughter

mellon

noun. friend

neledh

cardinal. three

gael

adjective. pale, glimmering

meldir

noun. friend

meldis

noun. friend

mellon

noun. friend

neled

cardinal. three

neled

cardinal. three

neledh

cardinal. three

sell

noun. daughter

sell

noun. girl, maid (child)

annabon

noun. elephant

A noun for “elephant” in The Etymologies of the 1930s, a combination of N. ann “long” and N. bon(n) “snouted”, from primitive ᴹ✶andambundā (Ety/MBUD). Its historical development would have produced ✱✱annammonn, but Tolkien said it was with “with dissimal[itive] alter[ation] of medial mb” (EtyAC/MBUD). The similar forms {Andabund >>} Andrabonn for “elephant” appeared in Lord of the Rings drafts of the 1940s.

Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, Tolkien gave G. funt as the equivalent of ᴱQ. hunto “elephant” (QL/41).

erion

masculine name. Eldest

Earlier form of S. Iarwain appearing in Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, translated “Eldest” and appearing beside N. Iaur (TI/125). It might be a superlative form of iaur “old”; in the Early Noldorin Grammar, the similar suffix -iant was used for the superlative (PE13/125). If the suffix -ion was a Noldorin superlative suffix, perhaps the initial [e] developed due to Noldorin i-affection.

lhevon

proper name. Elves remaining behind

Noldorin equivalent of ᴹQ. Lembi appearing in The Etymologies from the 1930s, probably derived from the same primitive form ᴹ✶lebnā (Ety/LEB).

iaur

masculine name. Eldest

lalf

noun. elm-tree

lalven

noun. elm-tree

lhalorn

noun. elm-tree

penedh

noun. Elf

penn

noun. Elf

andabon

noun. elephant

andabund

noun. elephant

andrabonn

noun. elephant

annabon

noun. elephant

lalf

noun. elm-tree

lalven

noun. elm-tree

lhalorn

noun. elm-tree

lhalwen

noun. elm-tree

lhalwen

noun. elm-tree

sethnoss

proper name. Firstborn, Elves

A rejected term for the Elves as Firstborn of Iluvator (EtyAC/SET), a combination of (rejected) seth “first” and noss “clan”. The Sindarin form of this term did not appear in Tolkien’s later writing, though the inverse term S. Abonnen “After-born” for Men did appear.

amath

noun. shield

amath

noun. shield

ambath

noun. shield

golodh

noun. "Deep Elf" or "Gnome", one of the Wise Folk

golodhrim

noun. Deep Elves, Gnomes

mirion

noun. great jewel, Silmaril

mîr

noun. jewel, precious thing, treasure

alchorin

proper name. Not-of-Kôr

Noldorin term for the Elves “Not of Kôr”, equivalent to ᴹQ. Ilkorin, appearing in The Etymologies from the 1930s (Ety/AR², LA). It also appeared in its plural form Elcheryn. This term appears to be a combination of the negative prefix al-, a mutated form of N. Caur (= ᴹQ. Kôr) and a variant of the adjective suffix -en. In some rejected notes from The Etymologies, Tolkien indicated it was derived from OQ. ḷkor- (EtyAC/LA), so perhaps it was an adaptation of the Quenya term rather than an original Noldorin word.

Conceptual Development: In Early Noldorin word lists from the 1920s, rejected cognate of ᴱQ. Ilkorin was Uchor (PE13/155).

bredhil

feminine name. Varda

A Noldorin name for Varda appearing in the earliest Silmarillion drafts from the late 1920s, replacing older G. Bridhil (SM/43). It also appeared in The Etymologies from the 1930s as a derivative of ON. Bradil (Ety/BARÁD), but these names were rejected and possibly replaced by N. Berethil or N. Elbereth (Ety/BARATH).

lhûr

noun. slumber

A noun appearing as N. lhûr “slumber” in The Etymologies of the 1930s, cognate to ᴹQ. lóre, derived from the root ᴹ√LOR “sleep” (EtyAC/LOS). Tolkien deleted this form when he revised the root to ᴹ√LOS.

Conceptual Development: G. lûr “slumber” appeared in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/55), clearly based on the early root ᴱ√LORO “doze, slumber” (QL/56).

Neo-Sindarin: I’d restore this word as ᴺS. lûr “sleep, slumber”, since I retain the connection between the root √LOR and sleep; see the entry on √(O)LOR for further discussion. Hints of this word can be seen in the pure Sindarin name S. Lothlúrien for Lothlórien “Dream-flower” (PE17/48).

ôl

noun. dream

A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “dream” derived from the root ᴹ√OLOS of the same meaning (Ety/LOS, ÓLOS). It replaced a deleted form oll (EtyAC/LOS). It had an abnormal plural form elei “dreams”, derived from primitive olosī, where the intervocalic s was lost resulting in a diphthong. Following Sindarin plural patterns, the result is more likely to be ely “dreams”; see thely < ✱tholosī the (archaic) plural of S. thôl (PE17/188).

Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had some similar words: G. oloth or olor “a dream, apparition, vision” and G. olm “a dream” (GL/62), all based on the early root ᴱ√OLO (QL/69).

gilbrennil

feminine name. Varda

A name for Varda appearing in The Etymologies from the 1930s (Ety/GIL), a combination of geil “star” and brennil “lady”. This name was probably replaced by Elbereth.

gwîn

noun. wine, vine

The wine of Dor-Winion occurs in the Lay of the children of Húrin and a place located either in the "burning South" in the first version, or probably east of the Blue Mountains in the second. Then we have Dorwinion as a meadow-land in Tol Eressëa at the end of the Quenta Silmarillion. It reappears in The Hobbit, and was finally placed North-West of the Sea of Rhûn in the decorated map by Pauline Baynes (see HL/115-117 for discussion). The meaning of this name is unknown and has been largely discussed. What do we have indeed in this "Winion", or rather gwinion since the initial w- must come from lenition? According to Christopher Tolkien, the Lay was begun c. 1918 and was composed during his father's stay at Leeds, a date meaning that the word can be Gnomish, possibly Early Noldorin, or in an indigenous language of Beleriand. In Gnomish and later in Doriathrin and Ilkorin, there is a genitive plural ending -ion which may very well be contained in this word. Then we would segment gwin-ion "of gwin". The context calls for "wine", "vine" or something similar. It can hardly be a coincidence that gwin is precisely the Welsh word for "wine", a loan from the Latin vinum, as the English "wine" itself

ingem

adjective. old (of person, in mortal sense: decripit, suffering from old age)

New word coined by the Elves after meeting with Men

o

preposition. from, of (preposition (as a proclitic) used in either direction, from or to the point of view of the speaker)

According to WJ/366, the preposition "is normally o in all positions, though od appears occasionally before vowels, especially before o-". With a suffixed article, see also uin

bereth

noun. queen

eilian(w)

noun. rainbow, (lit.) sky-bridge

lhûn

adjective. blue

a

conjunction. and

alf

noun. swan

ar

conjunction. and

erchamion

masculine name. One-handed

geil

noun. star

glinn

noun. (pale) blue

gwind

noun. pale blue

lheben

cardinal. five

min

cardinal. one

nimp

adjective. pale

perin

adjective. half

rhîs

noun. queen

thond

noun. friend

tint

noun. spark

tâd

cardinal. two

alag

adjective. rushing, impetuous

alf

noun. swan

aran

noun. king (used of a lord or king of a specified region)

athan

preposition. beyond

bereth

noun. queen, spouse

brûn

adjective. old, that has long endured, or been established, or in use

dúath

noun. darkness, shadow

dúath

noun. nightshade

dúwath

noun. darkness, shadow

dúwath

noun. nightshade

eilian

noun. rainbow

See ianu and iant for a discussion

eilianw

noun. rainbow

See ianu and iant for a discussion

erchamui

masculine name. One-handed

An earlier variant of S. Erchamion “One-handed” (LR/146, 405; Ety/KAB), ending instead with the adjective suffix -ui.

geil

noun. star, bright spark

gildin

noun. silver spark

giliath

noun. all the host of stars

gwanod

noun. tale, number

hûn

noun. heart (physical)

ial

noun. (?) a call, (?) a cry

ialla-

verb. to call

lheben

cardinal. five

lhoth

noun. flower, inflorescence, a head of small flowers

The noun is collective, a single flower being lotheg

lhothod

noun. (single) flower

lhothod

noun. single flower

lhû

noun. a time, occasion

lhûn

adjective. (unknown meaning)

This word, which also appears on the map of Middle-earth in LotR, is glossed as "blue" in The Etymologies, but Tolkien later rejected this meaning (as luin was already used in that sense). He then proposed several explanations for it, including the possible adaptation of a Dwarvish name into Sindarin, but he apparently never reached a definitive solution.

loer

noun. summer

lothod

noun. (single) flower

maidh

adjective. pale, fallow, fawn

meidh

adjective. pale, fallow, fawn

min

fraction. one (first of a series)

môr

noun. darkness, dark, night

narn

noun. a tale or a saga, that is told in verse to be spoken and not sung

nifredil

noun. a pale winter flower, snowdrop

nim-

adjective. pale, white

nimp

adjective. pale, white

oltha-

verb. to dream

pent

noun. tale

per-

prefix. half, divided in middle

per-

prefix. half

perin

adjective. half, divided in middle

rhîs

noun. queen

tad

cardinal. two

taur

noun. king (only used of the legitimate kings of whole tribes)

In LotR/IV:IV, Frodo is called Daur, which might be the mutated form of this word

tint

noun. spark

tinw

noun. spark, small star

tol-

verb. to come

tâd

cardinal. two

âr

noun. king (used of a lord or king of a specified region)

âr

noun. king

ôl

noun. dream

gwîn

adjective. young