v. to veil, cloak. Q. fanta-. Naturally mainly used of veils cast over things that shone, or were brighter and more vivid.
Sindarin
fanuilos
proper name. Bright (Angelic) Figure upon Uilos
fanha-
verb. to 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.
fân
veil
(cloud, manifested body of a Vala), construct fan, pl. fain
escal
veil
(screen, cover that hides), pl. escail. Also spelt esgal (pl. esgail).
escal
cover
(a cover that hides) escal (screen, veil), pl. escail. Also spelt esgal (pl. esgail).
escal
cover
(screen, veil), pl. escail. Also spelt esgal (pl. esgail).
gwathra
veil
(i ’wathra, in gwathrar) (dim, obscure, overshadow)
hû
dog
hû (i chû, o chu, construct hu), pl. hui (i chui)
hû
dog
(i chû, o chu, construct hu), pl. hui (i chui)
toba
cover
toba- (i doba, i thobar) (roof over). Cited as a ”Noldorin” infinitive in -o (tobo)
toba
cover
(i doba, i thobar) (roof over). Cited as a ”Noldorin” infinitive in -o (tobo)
A title of Elbereth appearing in the poem A Elbereth Gilthoniel (LotR/238) and Sam’s related invocation for her aid (LotR/729). This name is a combination of the elements fân “cloud; bright thing”, ui “ever” and loss “snow, snow-white”.
Possible Etymology: In his notes in the song-cycle The Road Goes Ever On, Tolkien translated the name as “bright spirit clothed in ever-white” (RGEO/63), but elsewhere his translation referred to the mountain Uilos: “Figure (bright and majestic) upon Uilos” (PE17/26) or to snow: “Bright angelic figure ever-white (as snow)” (PE17/180). No doubt the final element of this name at least alluded to the snowy mountain of Valinor where Elbereth made her home.
The initial element fân is similarly complicated to translate. In ordinary Sindarin speech the word had come to mean “cloud”, but its meaning was also influenced by Q. fana “(radiant) figure”, a term used for the bodily forms assumed by the Valar (RGEO/66, PE/173-6). It is this second meaning that applies to this name.