firindil

masculine name. Friend of Men

A variant form of Atandil (VT41/14). It is probably a compound of Fírima “Mortal Man” and the suffix -(n)dil “friend”.

-ndil

friend

-ndil (also -dil) ending occurring in many names, like Amandil, Eärendil; it implies devotion or disinterested love and may be translated "friend" (SA:(noun)dil); this ending is "describing the attitude of one to a person, thing, course or occupation to which one is devoted for its own sake" (Letters:386). Compare -ndur. It is unclear whether the names derived with the ending -ndil are necessarily masculine, though we have no certain example of a woman's name in -ndil; the name Vardilmë (q.v.) may suggest that the corresponding feminine ending is -(n)dilmë.

-ndur

friend

-ndur (also -dur), ending in some names, like Eärendur; as noted by Christopher Tolkien in the Silmarillion Appendix it has much the same meaning as -ndil "friend"; yet -ndur properly means "servant of" (SA:(noun)dil), "as one serves a legitimate master: cf. Q. arandil king's friend, royalist, beside arandur 'king's servant, minister'. But these often coincide: e.g. Sam's relation to Frodo can be viewed either as in status -ndur, in spirit -ndil." (Letters:286)

-ser

friend

-ser noun "friend" (SER)

heldo

friend

[heldo, also helmo, fem. heldë, noun "friend" (VT46:3)]

meldë

friend

#meldë noun "friend", feminine (meldenya "my friend" in the Elaine inscription [VT49:40], Tolkien referring to Elaine Griffiths). Compare meldo.

málo

noun. friend

friend, comrade

málo

friend

málo noun "friend" (MEL, VT49:22)

nildo

friend

nildo noun "friend" (apparently masc.; contrast nildë) (NIL/NDIL)

nildë

friend

nildë noun "friend" (fem.) (NIL/NDIL)

nilmo

friend

nilmo noun "friend" (apparently masc.) (NIL/NDIL)

sermo

friend

sermo noun "friend" (evidently masc., since sermë is stated to be fem.) (SER)

sermë

friend

sermë noun "friend" (fem.) (SER)

seron

friend

seron noun "friend" (SER)

sondo

friend

[sondo noun "friend" (VT46:15)]

atandil

masculine name. Friend of Men

A name given to Finrod for his friendship with the Edain (MR/306). It is a compound of Atan “Man” and the suffix -(n)dil “friend”.

eldandil

masculine name. Elf-friend

A term meaning “Elf-friend”, but implying an interest in them as a subject of lore (WJ/412). This name is a compound of Elda “Elf” and the suffix -(n)dil “-friend”.

elendil

masculine name. Elf-friend, Star-lover

Tar-Elendil was the fourth ruler of Númenor (UTI/219). Many centuries later a second, more famous, Elendil became the leader of the Men of the West against Sauron at the end of the Second Age and was considered the first king of Gondor and Arnor (LotR/1037). This name is attributed two different meanings: “Elf-friend” and “Star-lover” (WJ/410). The first interpretation was common among Men, and was derived from the ancient associations between Elda “Elf” and †él “star”. Properly speaking, though, his name was a compound of elen “star” and the suffix -(n)dil “lover”, so “Star-lover” is a better interpretation in proper Quenya. The proper Quenya for “Elf-friend” would be Eldandil.

Conceptual Development: In the very first draft of the tale of the Fall of Númenor, this character was named N. Agaldor > N. Amroth (LR/12, 31). When this character first appeared in the “Lost Road”, his name was ᴹQ. Herendil “Fortune’s Friend” and his father was called ᴹQ. Elendil (LR/57). In “The Notion Club Papers”, the character was given the Adûnaic name Ad. Nimruzân >> Nimruzîr “Elf-friend” (SD/389-90), and his contemporaneous Quenya name also shifted to ᴹQ. Elendil (SD/356). His father became ᴹQ. Amardil, later Q. Amandil.

The earlier character Ælfwine might be consider a precursor to Elendil, at least in the meaning of his name: “Elf-friend”. Therefore, the Early Qenya name ᴱQ. Eldairon of Ælfwine could be considered a precursor to the name Elendil (LT2/313).

hrávandil

masculine name. *Wild Beast Friend

A Quenya name for Radagast appearing in notes from 1959 (NM/95), apparently a combination of Q. hravan “wild beast” and Q. -(n)dil “friend” as suggested by Carl Hostetter (NM/102 note #7).

manwendil

masculine name. *Friend of Manwë

Third child of Elros, known only from a genealogy chart on UT/210. His name seems to be a compound of Manwë and -(n)dil “-friend”.

minardil

masculine name. ?Friend of the Tower

25th king of Gondor (LotR/1038). The final element might be -(n)dil “-friend”, but the meaning of the initial element is unclear. There is possibility that it is a shortened form minas of minassë “tower”, possibly also appearing in the name of his son Minastan. In the phonetic development of Quenya, [[p|[s] before [d] would have been voiced to [z]]] which would then have developed into [r].

mámandil

masculine name. *Sheep-friend

A name assumed by Hallacar while he was courting Ancalimë in the guise of a shepherd (UTI/209). It seems to be a compound of máma “sheep” and the suffix -(n)dil “friend”.

nolondil

masculine name. ?Friend of Knowledge

Fourth child of Tar-Vardamir and ancestor of Hallacar, known only from a genealogy chart on UT/210. The second element of this name is clearly -(n)dil “-friend”, and the first element might be a variant of nólë “knowledge”, so perhaps: “?Friend of Knowledge”.

númendil

masculine name. *Friend of the West

17th lord of Andúnië, grandfather of Elendil (UT/223). His name is a compound of númen “west” and the suffix -(n)dil “-friend”.

ornendil

masculine name. *Tree-friend

Eldest son of king Eldacar of Gondor, slain by Castamir the Usurper (LotR/1047). This name seems to be a compound ornë “(tall) tree” and the suffix -(n)dil “-friend, -lover”, making it a tree-name similar to that of his younger brother Aldamir “✱Tree Jewel”.

oromendil

masculine name. *Friend of Oromë

Second child of Nolondil, known only from a genealogy chart on UT/210. His name seems to be a compound of Oromë and -(n)dil “-friend”.

quendil

masculine name. Elf-friend

A term translated as “Elf-friend” (WJ/410), but more accurately describing those concerned with the lore of Elven-kind (WJ/412). This name is a compound Quendë “Elf” and the suffix -(n)dil “friend”. It also appear in the longer form Quendendil.

vardilmë

feminine name. ?Friend of Varda

Second child of Tar-Vardamir, known only from a genealogy chart on UT/210. The first element of her name is likely Varda, which also appears in the name of her father. Helge Fauskanger suggested (QQ/Vardilmë) the final element might be a contraction of -ndilmë, a feminine form of -(n)dil, so perhaps: “✱Friend of Varda”. This name sometimes appeared as Vardilyë (UT/9).

vorondil

masculine name. *Ever-friend

Second of the house of Stewards in Gondor (LotR/755, 1039). His name seems to be a compound of [ᴹQ.] voro “ever” and the suffix -(n)dil “friend”.

Conceptual Development: In Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, his name was first given as N. Faragon (WR/281), changed to ᴹQ. Orondil and then Vorondil (WR/288).

Aulendil

friend of aulë

Aulendil masc. name *"Friend of Aulë" (UT:210)

Eldandil

elf-friend

Eldandil (pl. Eldandili in WJ:412) noun "Elf-friend" (by the Edain confused with Elendil, properly "Star-friend") (WJ:410)

Elendil

star-friend

Elendil masc. name"Star-friend", "Lover or student of stars", applied to those devoted to astronomical lore. However, when the Edain used this name they intended it to mean "Elf-friend", confusing elen "star" and elda "elf" (WJ:410). (This idea that the name was misapplied seems to be late; Tolken earlier interpreted the name as an ancient compound Eled + ndil so that the meaning really was "Elf-friend"; see Letters:386. See also NIL/NDIL in the Etymologies, where Elendil is equated with "Ælfwine", Elf-friend.) Allative Elendilenna "to Elendil" (PM:401); Elendil Vorondo genitive of Elendil Voronda "Elendil the Steadfast" _(CO) Pl. Elendili the Númenórean Elf-friends (Silm)_; the variant Elendilli in SD:403 would seem to presuppose a stem-form Elendill- not attested elsewhere. Tar-Elendil a Númenorean king, UT:210.

Minardil

minar[?]-friend

Minardil masc.name noun "minar[?]-friend". Perhaps minar is to be understood as a variant of minas (s being voiced to z by contact with the voiced plosive that follows, and then regularly becoming r); if so, the name means "Tower-friend" (Appendix A)

Nolondil

friend of lore/knowledge

Nolondil (ñ?)masc. name, perhaps "friend of lore/knowledge", the initial element nolo- reflecting the root ÑGOL having to do with knowledge (cf. nolo- in Nolofinwë) + -ndil "friend" (UT:210)

Quendendil

elf-friend

Quendendil (also contracted Quendil; pl. Quendili in WJ:410) masc. name "Elf-friend" (WJ:410)

Siriondil

sirion-friend

Siriondil masc .name, *"Sirion-friend" (Appendix A)

Valandil

god-friend, *vala-friend

Valandil masc. name, "God-friend, *Vala-friend" (Appendix A, UT:210, translated in LR:60)

Vardilmë

varda-friend; one devoted to varda

Vardilmë, fem. name (UT:210), perhaps *"Varda-friend; one devoted to Varda" (if so this would be a contraction of *Vardandilmë, with -(n)dilmë as the feminine form of -ndil "friend")

Vorondil

faithful friend

Vorondil masc.name, *"Faithful friend" (Appendix A)

mel-

verb. love (as friend)

mel- vb. "love (as friend)" (MEL). Melinyes or melin sé "I love him" (VT49:21). LR:70 has melánë"I love", a doubtful form in Tolkien's later Quenya (melin occurs in later material).

meldo

friend, lover

meldo noun "friend, lover". _(VT45:34, quoting a deleted entry in the Etymologies, but cf. the pl. #_meldor in Eldameldor "Elf-lovers", WJ:412) **Meldonya *"my friend" (VT49:38, 40). It may be that meldo is the distinctly masculine form, corresponding to feminine #meldë** (q.v.)

mámandil

sheep-friend

mámandil noun *"sheep-friend" (máma + -ndil), i.e. "shepherd"? (UT:209)

yelda

friendly, dear as friend

[yelda] adj. "friendly, dear as friend" (YEL, struck out)

-(n)dil

suffix. -friend, -lover; devotion, disinterested love

arandil

noun. king’s friend, royalist

meldo

noun. friend, lover

meldë

noun. *friend (f.)

-dil

suffix. -friend, -lover

-nil

suffix. -friend, -lover

asumo

noun. good companion,friend at need,colleague

asumo

noun. friend at need, friend with shared interests, colleague

aþumo Archaic

noun. friend at need, friend with shared interests, colleague

elainen tárin periandion ar meldenya anyáran

*to Elaine, queen of Hobbits and my very old friend

(Lambengolmor/640)

málo

noun. friend, comrade

nai elen siluva parma-restalyanna meldonya

*may a star shine upon your book-fair, my friend

murmel

noun. plushie, (lit.) soft/slumber friend

A neologism for “plushie” coined by Orondil posted on 2024-09-27 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), a combination of mussë “soft” (or ᴱ√MURU “slumber”) and a reduction of meldo “friend”.

súlendil

noun. kite, (lit.) friend of the wind

A neologism coined by Delle posted on 2023-12-15 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), a combination of súlë “wind” and -(n)dil “friend”.

melotorno

noun. love-brother

A word for a close male friend whom one loves deeply appearing in notes from 1959 (NM/20), a combination of √MEL “love” with ᴹQ. otorno “brother”, appearing only in its plural form melotorni. This relationship “included no sexual or procreative desire, though naturally in Incarnates the difference of sex altered the emotion”.

mellon

noun. friend

_ n. _friend. Pedo mellon a minno! 'Say friend and enter'. 

mellon

noun. friend

mellon

noun. friend

edennil

masculine name. Friend of Men

A name given to S. Finrod for his friendship with the Edain (MR/306). It is a compound of the plural of Adan “Man” and the suffix -dil “friend”.

elvellon

noun. elf-friend

el (from elen “elf”) + mellon (friend)

-dil

suffix. friend, lover

pedo mellon a minno

speak, friend, and enter; (alternately) say ‘friend’ and enter

-nil

suffix. friend, lover

elvellon

noun. elf-friend

meldis

friend

(i veldis), no distinct pl. form except with article (i meldis), coll. pl. meldissath.

mellon

friend

1. (masc.) mellon (i vellon) (lover), pl. mellyn (i mellyn), coll. pl. mellonnath. Also meldir (i veldir), no distinct pl. form except with article (i meldir). Also seron (i heron, o seron), pl. seryn (i seryn), coll. pl. seronnath. 2) (fem.) meldis (i veldis), no distinct pl. form except with article (i meldis), coll. pl. meldissath.

mellon

friend

(i vellon) (lover), pl. mellyn (i mellyn), coll. pl. mellonnath. Also meldir (i veldir), no distinct pl. form except with article (i meldir). Also seron (i heron, o seron), pl. seryn (i seryn), coll. pl. seronnath.

elvellon

elf-friend

elvellon (pl. elvellyn, coll. pl. elvellonnath (WJ:412);

elvellon

elf-friend

(pl. elvellyn, coll. pl. elvellonnath (WJ:412);

elvellon

Elvellon

From the elements el "star-elf" and mellon "friend". OS could have been *elmeldondo

elf

noun. friend

mellon

noun. friend

thond

noun. friend

meldir

noun. friend

meldis

noun. friend

mellon

noun. friend

manathon

masculine name. *Bliss-friend

A rejected Noldorin name appearing in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (Ety/MANAD), apparently a translation of Eadwine (“Bliss-friend”) as suggested by Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynne (EtyAC/SON). It is a combination of manadh “fortune” and the suffixal form of (rejected) thond “friend”.

meldir

noun. friend [m.]

meldis

noun. friend (f.)

pedo mellon a minno

speak, friend, and enter

azrubêl

masculine name. Sea-lover, Friend of the Sea

The Adûnaic name of Q. Eärendil, having a similar meaning “Friend of the Sea” (SD/359). The first element is the objective form of azra “sea” and the second is an agental-formation for the verb stem bêl- (PM/373). An earlier version of this name, Azrabêl, predates Tolkien’s invention the objective case for Adûnaic (SD/359).

Conceptual Development: The first Adûnaic name given to this character was Pharazîr (SD/305).

nimruzîr

masculine name. *Elf-friend

The Adûnaic name for Q. Elendil “Elf-friend”, almost certainly with the same meaning (SD/247). The first element is the objective form of Nimir “Elf” and the second element is an agental-formation for zîr- “✱to love” (SD/389). Conceptual Development: The first Adûnaic version of this name, Nimruzân, shares the same suffix as the first Adûnaic version of his father’s Adûnaic name Arbazân.

nimruzîr

noun. Elf-friend

A noun meaning “Elf-friend”, attested only in the (subjective) plural form Nimruzîrim (PM/151). It is identical to the Adûnaic name Nimruzîr of Q. Elendil, which had the same meaning.

Conceptual Development: An earlier name for the faithful Númenóreans was Avaltiri (SD/347).

aphanuzîr

masculine name. ?Bliss-friend

The Adûnaic name for Q. Amandil (SD/389). The last element of this name is an agental-formation for the verb zîr- “to love”, also seen in the name of his son Nimruzîr “Elf-friend” (Q. Elendil). The initial element seems to be the objective form of a noun aphana, whose meaning is unclear. The equivalent element in his Quenya name is Aman “Blessed Realm”, but Tolkien had not yet coined this word when he invented the name Aphanuzîr. Andreas Moehn suggested (EotAL/PHAN) that it means “bliss”. This fits the earlier story of the Lost Road (LR), in which Tolkien wrote of various incarnations of a father and son whose names were “Bliss-friend” and “Elf-friend” in many languages. Amandil and Elendil were two of these incarnations.

Conceptual Development: The first Adûnaic name given to this character was Arbazân (SD/365).

n(d)il

root. to love (as a friend or equal), be devoted to, to love (as a friend or equal), be devoted to; [ᴹ√] love, devotion; friend

This root for friendship and devotion first appeared as ᴹ√NIL or strengthened ᴹ√NDIL “friend” in The Etymologies of the 1930s with a number of Quenya derivatives of similar meaning, the most significant being the suffixes ᴹQ. -nil or -dil, which Tolkien said was the equivalent of Old English “-wine” (“-friend”). In The Etymologies, ᴹ√DIL was an unrelated root meaning “stop up, fill up hole” (Ety/DIL). The strengthened root ᴹ√NDIL was mentioned again with the gloss “love, devotion” in The Notion Club Papers of the 1940s (SD/241, 305).

The unstrengthened form √NIL appeared in a letter to David Masson from 1955, where Tolkien said “√NIL means to love as a friend or equal”, as opposed to √(N)DUR which meant “to show special interest in things such as trees, astronomy, gems, medicine, sea, etc.” (PE17/152). Tolkien went on to say that, properly speaking, -(n)dil could apply only to persons and -(n)dur should be used of things, with names like Meneldil and Anardil being “Mannish” misuses of the suffix.

The root appeared again as √(N)DIL “to love, be devoted to” in the draft of a letter to Mr. Rang from 1967, where Tolkien clarified that it described “the attitude of one to a person, thing, course or occupation to which one is devoted for its own sake” (Let/386). This seems to be the only place where Tolkien clearly indicates the unstrengthened form is √DIL. Tolkien again clarified the distinction with √(N)DUR in a footnote:

> This provides the key to a large number of other Elvish Q. names, such as Elendil “Elf-friend” (eled+ndil), Valandil, Mardil the Good Steward (devoted to the House, sc. of the Kings) Meneldil “astronomer” etc. Of similar significance in names is -(n)dur, though properly this means “to serve”, as one serves a legitimate master: cf. Q. arandil “king’s friend, royalist”, beside arandur “king’s servant, minister”. But these often coincide: e.g. Sam’s relation to Frodo can be viewed either as in status -ndur, in spirit -ndil. Compare among the variant names: Eärendur “(professional) mariner” (Let/386).

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin I would leave the unstrengthened form of this root as √NIL to retain the use of ᴹ√DIL “stop up, fill up hole” from the 1930s. I would also assume that √N(D)IL mainly refers to “devotion”, as opposed to √(N)DUR which mainly refers to “service”. Hence Elendil = “Elf friend” but Valandur = “Servant of the Vala”.

mel

root. love, love, [ᴹ√] love (as friend)

This root was the basis for Elvish “love” words for all of Tolkien’s life. The root first appeared as ᴱ√MELE “love” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. mel- “to love”, ᴱQ. meles(se) “love”, and ᴱQ. melin “dear, beloved” (QL/60). In the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon it had similar derivatives like G. mel- “love” and G. melon “dear, beloved” (GL/57).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien specified that ᴹ√MEL meant “love (as friend)”, and for the first time it included the derivative N. mellon “friend” (Ety/MEL); Gnomish “friend” words from the 1910s were mostly based on G. ged (GL/38). However, the same entry included ᴹQ. melindo/ᴹQ. melisse “lover” (male and female), so it seems even in the 1930s it could refer to romantic love (Ety/MEL). The root continued to appear in Tolkien’s later writings associated with “love” (PE18/46, 96; PE17/41; VT39/10).

In notes from 1959, Tolkien elaborated on the precise sense of √MEL and its role in romantic and non-romantic love:

> Love, which Men might call “friendship” (but for the greater strength and warmth and permanency with which it was felt by the Quendi) was represented by √mel. This was primarily a motion or inclination of the fëa [“spirit”], and therefore could occur between persons of the same sex or different sexes. It included no sexual or procreative desire, though naturally in Incarnates the difference of sex altered the emotion, since “sex” is held by the Eldar to belong also to the fëa and not solely to the hröa [“body”], and is therefore not wholly included in procreation ... The “desire” for marriage and bodily union was represented by √yer; but this never in the uncorrupted occurred without “love” √mel, nor without the desire for children. This element was therefore seldom used except to describe occasions of its dominance in the process of courting and marriage. The feelings of lovers desiring marriage, and of husband and wife, were usually described by √mel. This “love” remained, of course, permanent after the satisfaction of √yer in the “Time of the Children”; but was strengthened by this satisfaction and the memory of it to a normally unbreakable bond (NM/20).

Thus √MEL was close in sense to Greek “philia”, used of friendship, whereas √YER was used of “eros” or sexual desire. But in Elvish thinking, √MEL was essential for romantic love, and √YER only arose from that. Furthermore, √YER was not the most important element in the love between romantic partners, as the period of procreation and child-rearing took up a relatively small portion of Elvish lives. It was the more enduring feeling of friendship between lovers that really mattered, and thus √MEL was used of both non-romantic and romantic love, though it had not particular sexual connotation.

athmō

noun. good companion

gúthwine

proper name. Battle-friend