Sindarin 

erchamion

adjective. one-handed

Sindarin [WJ/51, WJ/231,] Group: SINDICT. Published by

erchamion

noun. one handed

er (from ereb “one, alone”) + cam(b) (“hand”) + ion (#ending for a male name)

Sindarin [Tolkiendil] Group: Tolkiendil Compound Sindarin Names. Published by

erchamion

masculine name. One-handed

Sobriquet of Beren after his hand was bitten off during his quest for a Silmaril (S/183). The two initial elements of this name are er “one” and a mutated form cham of cam “hand” (SA/er, cam). The second of these is especially interesting, in that it is a rare example of liquid mutation. The meaning of the final element is unclear, but it is probably a variant of the masculine suffix -on. As further evidence of this, Tolkien also wrote Erchamon without the i, and according to Patrick Wynne this was clearly deliberate and not a slip (VT47/7, PE21/86).

Conceptual Development: In the earliest Lost Tales from the 1910s, this name appeared as G. Ermabwed (LT2/34). In Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, this name was revised first to (Ilkorin?) Ermabuin (SM/310), then again to N. Erchamui (LR/146, LR/405). In one place it appeared as Erchamron (Ety/MAP).

As a variation on all these names, the forms N. Er(h)amion or Erchamion appeared as early as the Lays of Beleriand from the 1920s (LB/119, 121) and also in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (LR/146, 405). In Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, this name appeared as Erhamion (RS/183) and was firmly established in its final form Erchamion by the time of the Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s (WJ/51, 231).

Cognates

  • Q. Ercambo “Onehand(ed), One-hand Man” ✧ PE21/86; VT47/07

Elements

WordGloss
er“one, alone”
cam“(cupped) hand, holding hand; handful”
-on“masculine suffix”

Variations

  • Erchamon ✧ PE21/86; VT47/07
Sindarin [LR/301; PE21/86; S/183; SA/cam; SA/er; SI/Erchamion; UTI/Erchamion; VT47/07; WJI/Erchamion] Group: Eldamo. Published by

erchamon

noun. one-handed man

Sindarin [VT/47:7, X/Z] Group: SINDICT. Published by

erchammon

noun. one-handed man

Sindarin [VT/47:7, X/Z] Group: SINDICT. Published by

erchammui

adjective. one-handed

Sindarin [Ety/361, X/Z] Group: SINDICT. Published by

ergammon

masculine name. One-Handed

Sindarin [Minor-Doc/1964-03-05] Group: Eldamo. Published by

erchamion

one-handed

(pl. erchemyn).

erchamion

one-handed

erchamion (pl. erchemyn), also *erchammui, no distinct pl. form. (The word is spelt erchamui in the source.)

erchammon

one-handed man

(pl. erchemmyn). The spelling used in the source is ”erchamon” (VT47:7)

crumui

left-handed

crumui (lenited grumui; no distinct pl. form), also hargam (lenited chargam, pl. hergaim)

crumui

left-handed

(lenited grumui; no distinct pl. form), also hargam (lenited chargam, pl. hergaim).

maenas

handicraft

(i vaenas) (craft, art), pl. maenais (i maenais), coll. pl. maenassath.