A sobriquet of Morwen translated “Elfsheen” (S/155) or “Elven-fair” (Let/281). Its initial element is †Eledh, an archaic Sindarin word for “Elf”, which in ordinary speech was Edhel (SA/êl, Let/281). The meaning of the second element is less clear. Given the translation, it might be a lenited variant of gwân “fair” (PE17/165) or of the root √GWEN (PE17/191), but could also be the suffixal form -wen of gwend “maiden” common in female names (Ety/WEN).
Conceptual Development: In Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, this name appeared originally as N. Eledwen (SM/319), later revised to N. Eledhwen (LR/147). At this stage, N. Eledh was the ordinary Noldorin word for Elf, and was specifically given as an element of the name Eledhwen in The Etymologies (Ety/ELED). In these Silmarillion drafts, this name was already translated as “Elfsheen” (SM/319, LR/276), and in The Etymologies her name was initially translated “Elf-fair”, but this gloss was rejected and replaced by “Elf-maid” (Ety/ELED).
In Tolkien’s writing, the root √WEN(ED) (from which S. gwend “maiden” is derived) was usually associated with youth and virginity, but sometimes also with beauty, as for example in the rejected root √GWEN “fair, beautiful” (PE17/191). This vacillation may be reflected in the different translations of the name Eledhwen.
In Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s, Tolkien changed this name to S. Edhelwen to be consistent with the later Sindarin name for “Elf” (WJ/142, WJ/273), but Eledhwen also appeared in his later writings (e.g. Let/281 from 1958) and this is the form that appeared in the published version of The Silmarillion.
vanimelda adj., said to be "the highest word of praise for beauty", with two interpretations that were apparently considered equally valid and simultaneously true: "beautiful and beloved" (vanima + melda, with haplology), i.e. "movingly lovely", but also "elven-fair" (fair as an Elf) (vanima + elda). The word was also used as the second name of Arwen. (PE17:56, Second Edition LotR1:II ch. 16).