n. a veil, a covering concealing what lay within or behind. Frequently used of clouds in the sky, as veils over the blue heaven or the sun, the moon, etc. (white cloud). It became its leading sense. Usual word for 'cloud', floating clouds, or those for a while resting upon or wreathing hills and mountain-top. It was seldom applied to any but things of soft textures (woven veils, mantles, or curtains). The lengthening of the vowel only took place where the word was used alone as a stressed monosyllable. After the coming of the Noldorin Exiles in Middle-earth, the meaning of Q. fana (_i.e. _shining shape, 'angelic' spirit) was assumed by S. fân. >> fain, fanui, Fanuidhol
Sindarin
fân
shape
fân
noun. veil
fân
noun. cloud (applied to clouds, floating as veils over the blue sky or the sun or moon, or resting on hills)
fân
a veil
fân
noun. (white) cloud; veil, curtain; form or vision of a spiritual being; spirit [embodied]
The usual Sindarin word for “cloud” (PE17/36, 174; RGEO/66). As Tolkien explained it “The S. form fân, fan- was usually applied to clouds, as veils over the blue sky or the sun or moon, or resting hills” (RGEO/66). This use meant it was largely limited to white clouds in fair weather (PE17/36; Let/278); a dark or stormy cloud would be [ᴺS.] lum (see that entry for discussion). In an essay written around 1967 Tolkien indicated that fân had a second meaning:
> In Sindarin ✱phanā > fân meant a “veil”: a covering concealing what lay within or behind. It was frequently used of clouds in the sky, as veils over the blue heaven or the sun, moon, stars. This indeed became its leading sense, so that when it was still used of lesser and handmade things this was felt to be a transference of the sense “cloud” and fân was seldom applied to any but things of soft textures, such as woven veils, mantles, or curtains (PE17/173).
Thus in addition to “cloud”, fân applied to soft handmade veils or curtains (from its original sense). But the word had a third meaning as well, with a more complex origin:
> √PHAN-. The basic sense of this was “cover, screen, veil”, but it had a special development in the Eldarin tongues ... In Quenya, owing to close relations of the Eldar in Valinor with the Valar, and other lesser spirits of their order, fana developed a special sense. It was applied to the visible bodily forms adopted by these spirits, when they took up their abode on Earth, as the normal “raiment” of their otherwise invisible being ... This Quenya meaning of fana after the coming of the Exiles to Middle-earth was also assumed by Sindarin fân, at first in the Sindarin as used by the exiled Noldor, and eventually also by the Sindar themselves, especially those in close contact with the Noldor or actually mingled with them (PE17/174-176).
Thus, owing to the Quenya meaning of the word, the Sindar also used fân to referred physical form of the Valar and other spiritual beings, as well as visions of such beings (PE17/26), since the Sindar had relatively little direct experience of the Valar. For spirits, being embodied was not their natural state, so their fân was like “clothing” a spirit could wear to interact with the physical world.
Conceptual Development: In The Etymologies of the 1930s this word was N. faun “cloud” derived from primitive ᴹ✶spāna based on the root ᴹ√SPAN “white” (Ety/SPAN). In one note from around 1957 Tolkien considered using S. fân for an embodied spirit or soul, the equivalent of Q. fëa (NM/237), but elsewhere this was S. fae (MR/165; PM/343). For the most part in later writings, Tolkien used fân for “cloud” and related senses, as discussed above. Furthermore, in later writings it was a derivative of √PHAN rather than 1930s ᴹ√SPAN.
Cognates
Derivations
- √PHAN “cover, screen, veil; white, (light white) shape; shape, vision” ✧ NM/237; PE17/026; PE17/036; RGEO/66
- √PHA “exhalations (as mists upon water or steams and the like)” ✧ NM/237
- ✶phanā “veil, cloud” ✧ PE17/173; PE17/174
- √PHAY “spirit, spirit; [ᴹ√] radiate, send out rays of light” ✧ NM/237
- √PHA “exhalations (as mists upon water or steams and the like)” ✧ NM/237
- √PHAN “cover, screen, veil; white, (light white) shape; shape, vision” ✧ PE17/173; PE17/174
- √PHA “exhalations (as mists upon water or steams and the like)” ✧ NM/237
Element in
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √phan > fân [pʰanā] > [pʰana] > [ɸana] > [fana] > [fan] > [fān] ✧ NM/237 √FAN > fân [pʰanā] > [pʰana] > [ɸana] > [fana] > [fan] > [fān] ✧ PE17/026 √FAN > Fân [pʰanā] > [pʰana] > [ɸana] > [fana] > [fan] > [fān] ✧ PE17/026 √PHAN > fân [pʰanā] > [pʰana] > [ɸana] > [fana] > [fan] > [fān] ✧ PE17/036 ✶phanā > fân [pʰanā] > [pʰana] > [ɸana] > [fana] > [fan] > [fān] ✧ PE17/173 ✶phanā > fân [pʰanā] > [pʰana] > [ɸana] > [fana] > [fan] > [fān] ✧ PE17/174 √Fana- > fân [pʰanā] > [pʰana] > [ɸana] > [fana] > [fan] > [fān] ✧ RGEO/66 Variations
- fan ✧ Let/278
- Fân ✧ PE17/026
fanha-
verb. to veil
v. to veil, cloak. Q. fanta-. Naturally mainly used of veils cast over things that shone, or were brighter and more vivid.
cant
noun. shape, shape; [N.] outline
Derivations
- √KAT “shape, shape, [ᴹ√] make”
Element in
auth
noun. a dim shape, spectral or vague apparition
esgal
noun. veil, screen, cover that hides
rhond
noun. body
rhond
noun. body
A Sindarin word for “body”, cognate of Q. hrondo, appearing as rhonn in Quenya Notes from 1957 (QN: PE17/183) and as rhond or rhonn in notes concerning spirit, also probably from 1957 (NM/237). In the former document, it was derived from the root √SRON, a variant of √RON “solid, tangible, firm” (PE17/183).
Neo-Sindarin: Its Quenya cognate hrondo was replaced by Q. hröa < ✶srawā in notes from 1958-59 (MR/209, 350). However, the Sindarin equivalent of hroa was rhaw, a word that also meant “flesh” along with many other (Neo) Sindarin meanings such as “wild” and “lion”. As such, I would retain rhond as “body” for purposes of Neo-Sindarin; the continued viability of the root √RON is indicated by other words like S. Grond.
Cognates
- Q. hrondo “(physical) body, corporeal form” ✧ PE17/183
Derivations
Element in
- S. Elrond “Star-dome” ✧ PE17/183
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √SRON > rhond > rhonn [srondo] > [r̥ondo] > [r̥ond] > [r̥onn] ✧ PE17/183 Variations
- rhonn ✧ NM/237; PE17/183
rhonn
noun. body
fân
cloud
1) fân (veil, also used of the manifested body of a Vala), construct fan, pl. fain, 2) faun (pl. foen, coll. pl. fonath)
fân
cloud
(veil, also used of the manifested body of a Vala), construct fan, pl. fain
fân
veil
(cloud, manifested body of a Vala), construct fan, pl. fain
fân
manifested body of a vala
(veil, cloud), construct fan, pl. fain.
fân
manifested body of a vala
fân (veil, cloud), construct fan, pl. fain.
fân
manifested body of a vala
fân (veil, cloud), construct fan, pl. fain
fân
manifested body of a vala
fân (veil, cloud), construct fan, pl. fain.
fân
manifested body of a vala
(veil, cloud), construct fan, pl. fain
faun
cloud
(pl. foen, coll. pl. fonath)
cant
shape
(noun) cant (i gant, o chant) (outline), pl. caint (i **chaint). The mutated pl. -chaint is attested as part of the compound morchaint**; see SHADOW.
cant
shape
(i gant, o chant) (outline), pl. caint (i chaint). The mutated pl. -chaint is attested as part of the compound morchaint; see SHADOW.
gwathra
veil
(i ’wathra, in gwathrar) (dim, obscure, overshadow)
gwathra
veil
(verb) gwathra- (i **wathra, in gwathrar**) (dim, obscure, overshadow)
rhaw
body
rhaw (?i thraw or ?i raw the lenition product of rh is uncertain) (flesh), pl. rhoe (?idh roe). Note: a homophone means ”wild, untamed”. (MR:350).
rhaw
body
(?i thraw or ?i raw – *the lenition product of rh is uncertain) (flesh), pl. rhoe (?idh roe). Note: a homophone means ”wild, untamed”. (MR:350)*.
echad
shape
(verb) echad- (i echad, in echedir) (fashion, make), pa.t. echant (VT45:19)
echad
shape
(i echad, in echedir) (fashion, make), pa.t. echant (VT45:19)
escal
veil
(screen, cover that hides), pl. escail. Also spelt esgal (pl. esgail).
escal
veil
(noun) 1) escal (screen, cover that hides), pl. escail. Also spelt esgal (pl. esgail). 2) fân (cloud, manifested body of a Vala), construct fan, pl. fain
bellas
bodily strength
(i vellas), pl. bellais (i mellais) if there is a pl.
_n._shape, with the added notion of light and whiteness. It was thus often used where we might use 'a vision' (of something beautiful and sublime). Q. fana-. Tolkien notes that "Yet being elvish, though it may be used of things remote, it has no implication either of uncertainty or unreality" (PE17:26). In the name Fanuilos of Elbereth, the Fân was the vision of majesty of Elbereth upon the mountain where she dwelt.