ereg

noun. holly-tree, thorn

ereg

noun. holly

_ n. Bot. _holly. >> Eregion

ereg

noun. holly, thorn, holly, [N.] holly-tree, [S.] thorn

The Sindarin word for “holly”, most notably as an element in the name S. Eregion “Hollin” (SA/ereg; PE17/42). N. ereg “holly-tree” first appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s based on the root ᴹ√EREK “thorn”, along with a longer variant N. eregdos where the second element was N. toss “low-growing tree” (Ety/ERÉK, TUS).

Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had two different words for “holly”: G. criscolas “holly” = crisc “sharp” + lass “leaf” (GL/27), as well as G. sempios “holly” = sen “brown-red” + a variant of piog “berry” (GL/67).

Element in

• S. Eregion “Hollin, (lit.) Holly-region” ✧ PE17/042; SA/ereg
• S. Region “*Hollin” ✧ SA/ereg

er-

prefix. alone, one

ned

noun. first, *one more; first; *during

This word replaced the preposition uin “of the” in the third version of the King’s Letter, appearing in the phrase nelchaenen ned Echuir “the thirty-first day of Stirring”. Both Carl Hostetter (VT31/30) and David Salo (SG/229) theorized that this replacement has a similar prepositional function, from either √NOT “count” or √NED “middle”. Fiona Jallings suggested it might be a temporal preposition, with sense “during” (FJNS/349).

On VT47/40, note 67, Patrick Wynne suggested that this word might be a cognate of the newly published Quenya word net(ë) “one more”. This theory is supported by the most likely interpretation of nelchaenen. This word seems to mean “thirtieth” rather than “thirty-first”, and Patrick Wynne suggested that nelchaenen ned means “thirtieth and one more” = “thirty-first”. I find this theory the most compelling, and use it here.

Element in

• S. a Pherhael ar am Meril suilad uin aran o Minas Tirith nelchaenen ned Echuir “to Samwise and Rose the King’s greeting from Minas Tirith, the thirty-first day of Stirring” ✧ SD/129
• ᴺS. neman “when, (lit.) during what”

mein

ordinal. first, (only in the sense of) prime, chief, pre-eminent

mein

ordinal. first

Cognates

• Q. minya “first; eminent, prominent” ✧ VT42/10

minui

ordinal. first

minui

ordinal. first

Cognates

• Q. minya “first; eminent, prominent” ✧ VT42/25

main

ordinal. first, (only in the sense of) prime, chief, pre-eminent

er

alone

(adjectival prefix) er- (one, lone)

er

alone

(one, lone)

rêg

holly

rêg (construct reg) (thorn), pl. rîg (idh rîg). See also LOW-GROWING TREE

rêg

holly

(construct reg) (thorn), pl. rîg (idh** rîg**). See also

erui

first

(single, alone). No distinct pl. form. Some would argue that Tolkien abandoned erui as a word for ”first”.

erui

alone

erui (first, single). No distinct pl. form. Also eriol (pl. erioel); archaic *eriaul.

erui

alone

(first, single). No distinct pl. form. Also eriol (pl. erioel); archaic ✱eriaul.

minui

first

1) minui (lenited vinui; no distinct pl. form), 2) mîn (lenited vîn; no distinct pl. form) (isolated, towering). Note: homophones include the noun ”peak” and the number ”one”; 3) erui (single, alone). No distinct pl. form. Some would argue that Tolkien abandoned erui as a word for ”first”.

minui

first

(lenited vinui; no distinct pl. form)

mîn

first

(lenited vîn; no distinct pl. form) (isolated, towering). Note: homophones include the noun ”peak” and the number ”one”