In The Etymologies (Ety/358, corrected by VT/45:15), this word was given as geil , plural gîl. However, later in LotR/E and RGEO/73, Tolkien seems to consider gil as a singular (with no hints in the sources of what the plural would be, besides the collective plural giliath )
Sindarin
gil-
noun. star
gil-
prefix. spark
gil
noun. star, bright spark
gil
noun. star; (bright) spark, silver glint, twinkle of light
The usual word for “star” in Sindarin which replaced archaic/poetic êl; it originally meant “(bright) spark” (RGEO/65; VT42/11). It was derived from the root √(Ñ)GIL meaning “shine (white)” (PE17/152) or “silver glint” (MR/388; PE17/22).
Conceptual Development: This word first appeared as G. gail “a star” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/42), derived from the early root ᴱ√Gil- (GL/38). In the Early Noldorin Grammar Tolkien said ᴱN. gail meant “sign, token, heavenly body” (PE13/123); earlier in this document he gave it the gloss {“life” >>} “sign” (PE13/120 and note #6). In Early Noldorin Word-lists written somewhat later, gail again simply meant “star” (PE13/143), and it was used this way in the Nebrachar poem from around 1930 (MC/217).
In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien gave it as N. geil “star” from primitive ᴹ✶gilya under the root ᴹ√GIL “shine (white or pale)” (Ety/GIL; EtyAC/GIL). Christopher Tolkien incorrectly marked geil as a plural form in The Etymologies as published in The Lost Road (LR/358), but Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynne corrected this in their Addenda and Corrigenda to the Etymologies (VT45/15). Remnants of this 1930s derivation can be seen in the forms geil/gail in notes from the 1950s, derived from ancient ✶gilyā “silver spark” (PE17/30, 152). Mostly, however, Tolkien represented this word as gil in later writings, including in The Lord of the Rings Appendix E (LotR/1113).
Possible Etymology: The etymology of gil is complicated by Tolkien’s vacillation with the singular form gail (†geil) < ✶gilyā, where the diphthong ai is the result of a-affection of the base vowel from i to e, which after i-intrusion produced ei and this diphthong became ai as usual in final syllables and monosyllables: gilyā [ >✱geli(a)] > geil > gail. Signs of this etymology can be seen in the class plural giliath as in S. Dagor-nuin-Giliath “Battle-under-Stars” (S/106).
With this alternate derivation, the plural form would still be gîl, since the ancient plural -ī prevented a-affection, and the prefixal form likewise would have been gil- (PE17/152). However, this derivation conflicts with Tolkien’s usual presentation of the singular form as gil. In some places Tolkien gave a primitive form like ✶(ñ)gillē (PE17/23) or a Sindarin form gill (PE17/50), but I think it is best to assume primitive ✱gili- to explain singular gil and class-plural giliath.
Cognates
- Q. nillë “silver glint; Valinorian imagines [images of real stars]” ✧ MR/470; PE17/022; MR/388; MR/471
Derivations
Element in
- S. Borgil “Red-star” ✧ Let/427
- S. Dagor-nuin-Giliath “Battle-under-Stars” ✧ S/106; SA/gil
- S. Gilbarad
- S. Gildor
- S. Gil-Estel “Star of (High) Hope” ✧ SA/gil
- S. Gil-Amdir
- S. Gil-Orrain “Star of High Hope”
- S. Gil-galad “Starlight, (lit.) Star of Radiance” ✧ PE17/023; PE17/050; RGEO/65; SA/gil
- S. Gilmith “*Grey Star”
- S. Gilraen “*Netted Stars” ✧ PE22/159; VT42/11
- S. Gilrain “*Wandering Star”
- S. Gilthoniel “Star-kindler” ✧ PE17/022; RGEO/65
- S.
Gilammoth- S. Orgilion “*Star-day, Saturday”
- S. Osgiliath “Citadel of the Stars” ✧ PE17/023; PE17/030; RC/232; RGEO/65; SA/gil
- S. Thorongil “Eagle of the Star”
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶gilyā > geil > gail [giljā] > [gilja] > [gelja] > [gelia] > [geli] > [geil] > [gail] ✧ PE17/152 √GIL > gîl [gilji] > [gilī] > [gil] > [gīl] ✧ PE17/152 Variations
- gil- ✧ PE17/023; PE22/159
- geil ✧ PE17/030 (geil)
- gail ✧ PE17/030; PE17/152
- Gill ✧ PE17/050
gill
noun. star
giliath
noun. all the host of stars
el
star
n. star.
tin
noun. spark
_ n. _spark, sparkle (esp. used of the twinkle of stars). >> ithildin
elen
star
pl1. elin, pl2. elenath _n._star. Its collective plural (pl2.) designates 'the (host of all the) stars, (all) the (visible) stars of the firmament'. Q. elen, pl1. eldi, eleni. o menel aglar elenath ! lit. 'from Firmament glory of the stars !'. >> êl
elen
noun. star
tinu
noun. spark, small star
êl
noun. star (little used except in verses)
êl
star
pl1. elin, pl2. elenath** ** n. star. Q. elen, pl1. eldi, eleni, pl2. elelli. >> elen
êl
noun. star
A Sindarin word for “star” that is largely archaic and poetic, and is mainly used as element in names like Elrond (Let/281; WJ/363; Ety/EL); the more usual word for “star” in ordinary speech was gil (RGEO/65). However, the collective form elenath is still used in common speech to refer to the entire host of stars (WJ/363). The plural of êl is elin, as this word was derived from ancient ✶elen, and the final n that was lost in the singular was preserved in the plural. In some cases Tolkien posited a restored analogical singular elen from the plural form (PE17/24, 67, 139), but this isn’t in keeping with the notion that the word was archaic, so I would ignore this for purposes of Neo-Sindarin.
Conceptual Development: This word and its root first appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s, where N. el “star” was derived from the root ᴹ√EL of similar meaning, but was “only [used] in names” (Ety/EL). It seems Tolkien introduced the root to give a new etymology for names like N. Elrond and N. Elwing, which initially appeared under the root ᴹ√ƷEL “sky” (Ety/ƷEL).
Cognates
- Q. elen “star” ✧ PE17/024; PE17/024; PE17/067; PE17/127; PE17/151; SA/êl; WJ/362
Derivations
Element in
- S. Anglachel “*Iron-of-the-flaming-star”
- S. Anguirel “*Iron-of-the-fiery-star”
- S. Eladar “Starfather”
- S. elanor “pimpernel, small golden star-shaped flower, (lit.) sun-star” ✧ PE17/055
- S. Elbereth “Queen of Stars, (lit.) Star-queen” ✧ PE17/022; RGEO/65
- S. Elrond “Star-dome”
- S. Elros “Star-foam”
- S. Elu ✧ PM/369
- ᴺS. elui “starry”
- S. Elwing “Star-spray” ✧ PM/369
- S. Nan Elmoth “*Valley of Starry Dusk”
- S. Narn en·Êl “*Tale of the Star” ✧ MR/373
- S. Narn e·Dant Gondolin ar Orthad en·Êl “*Tale of the Fall of Gondolin and the Raising of the Star” ✧ MR/373
- S. o menel aglar elenath “from heaven on high the glory of the starry host” ✧ LotR/0238; PE17/024; RGEO/63; RGEO/64
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √EL > êl [elen] > [ele] > [el] > [ēl] ✧ Let/281 ✶elen > êl [elen] > [ele] > [el] > [ēl] ✧ PE17/067 ✶ELEN > êl [elen] > [ele] > [el] > [ēl] ✧ PE17/139 ✶elenī > elin [elenī] > [eleni] > [elini] > [elin] ✧ PE22/150 √EL > êl [elen] > [ele] > [el] > [ēl] ✧ RGEO/65 √ele > êl [elen] > [ele] > [el] > [ēl] ✧ SA/êl ✶elen > êl [elen] > [ele] > [el] > [ēl] ✧ WJ/360 Variations
- Êl ✧ MR/373
- el- ✧ PE17/022
- elen ✧ PE17/024; PE17/067; PE17/139
- el(en) ✧ PE17/025
- el ✧ PE17/055; PM/369
tîn
spark
n. spark, star. Q. tinwe spark (Poet. star).
gil-
verb. to gleam, shine pale and silver (as of the moon [or stars])
Derivations
- √(Ñ)GIL “shine (white); silver glint; white or silver light”
gîl
star
gîl (i ngîl = i ñîl, o n**gîl, construct gil) (bright spark, silver glint), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gîl = i ñgîl), coll. pl. giliath** (RGEO, MR:388). Poetic †êl (elen-, pl. elin, coll. pl. elenath) (RGEO, Letters:281, WJ:363).
gîl
star
(i ngîl = i ñîl, o n’gîl, construct gil) (bright spark, silver glint), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gîl = i ñgîl), coll. pl. giliath **(RGEO, MR:388). Poetic †êl (elen-, pl. **elin, coll. pl. elenath) (RGEO, Letters:281, WJ:363).
gilion
of stars
(lenited ngilion; pl. gilioen). Archaic ✱giliaun.
tim
small star
(MR:388). Archaic tinw, so the coll. pl. is likely tinwath. 3)
tint
spark
1) tint (i dint, o thint), no distinct pl. form except with article (i thint), coll. pl. tinnath; 2) tinu (i dinu, o thinu; also -din at the end of compounds), analogical pl. tiny (i thiny). The word is also used =
tint
spark
(i dint, o thint), no distinct pl. form except with article (i thint), coll. pl. tinnath
tinu
spark
(i dinu, o thinu; also -din at the end of compounds), analogical pl. tiny (i thiny). The word is also used =
_ pref. _spark, often used for 'star'. Form of gail/geil in compounds. >> gail, geil, Gilgalad