n. -.
Sindarin
gil
noun. star, bright spark
gil
noun. gil
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
gil-
noun. star
gill
noun. star
giliath
noun. all the host of stars
glân
adjective. bright, shining white
The word is deduced from its mutated form, but it is worth mentioning that a stem GALÁN "bright", with glan "daylight" (and later "clear") as derivative, is listed in the Etymologies (not included in the published text, but see VT/45:13). Most of the words meaning "white" in the Indo-Eureopean languages come from the original notion of "brightness", e.g. Greek leukós "white" is cognate with Latin lucere "to shine", lux "light". This association of sense is also found in Gnomish, PE/11:39 (glan "clean, pure", from "bright" originally) and in Early Noldorin (PE/13:144, glann "clean"). The similarity with Welsh glan (where the vowel, incidentally, is also long, though this is concealed by Welsh orthographic convention) is also striking
el
star
n. star.
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
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 “a 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
Ilwen
gil
_ (LR:358) and would then have the form Ilwen (Ilwith) when lenited. But in a later source, Tolkien cited the relevant root as _Ñ
Ilwen
gil
_ (LR:358), and the lenited forms would thus be Ilwen, Ilwith. But in a later source, Tolkien cited the relevant root as _Ñ
Ngilwen
gil
_ (MR:388) and the lenited form would then be Ngilwen (Ngilwith). (In the Etymologies, the root was given as GIL, and the lenited form would then be Ilwen / Ilwith.)
Ngilwen
gil
_ (MR:388), and the lenited form would then be Ngilwen (Ngilwith).
Ngilwen
gil
_ (MR:388), and the lenited form would then be Ngilwen (Ngilwith).
gail
bright
gail (light), lenited ngail; no distinct pl. form (VT45:18). The adj. calen etymologically means "bright", but is used = "green" (q.v.).
gail
bright
(light), lenited ngail; no distinct pl. form (VT45:18). The adj. calen etymologically means "bright", but is used = "green" (q.v.).
gîl
silver glint
(i ngîl = i ñîl, o n’gîl = o ñgîl, construct gil) (star, bright spark), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gîl = i ñgîl), coll. pl. *giliath (RGEO, MR:388)*
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).
gîl
bright spark
(i ngîl = i ñîl, construct gil) (star, silver glint), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gîl = i ñgîl), coll. pl. *giliath** (RGEO, MR:388)*
gilion
of stars
(lenited ngilion; pl. gilioen). Archaic ✱giliaun.
tinna
glint
(vb.) *tinna- (cited as a ”Noldorin” infinitive tinno) (i dinna, i thinnar). Noun
tinna
glint
(cited as a ”Noldorin” infinitive tinno) (i dinna, i thinnar). Noun
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 )