glóriel

adjective. golden

This appears to be an adjectival form of glaur “gold (colour or light)” seen only as a element in names like Galadlóriel “Golden Rain” (MR/155; RS/187) [not an exact translation] and Rathlóriel “Golden-bed” (S/235).

Conceptual Development: In The Etymologies of the 1930s these names had a short o under the root ᴹ√(G)LAWAR, indicating a Noldorin form of N. gloriel (Ety/LÁWAR). The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had G. glôriol “golden, like gold” based on G. glôr “gold” (GL/40).

mallen

adjective. golden, golden, [N.] of gold

An adjective for “golden” mentioned in Tolkien’s “Unfinished Index” of The Lord of the Rings as an element in the name Cormallen “Golden Circle” (RC/625). It may also be seen in Rathmallen, a variant of the name Rathlóriel “Golden-bed”, replacing the second element glóriel “golden” with mallen (WJ/353). The word N. mallen also appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√SMAL “yellow” as an “analogical” variant of N. malthen “of gold” (Ety/SMAL).

Possible Etymology: In Tolkien’s later writings, this adjective was probably based on the root √MAL(AT) “gold”, also seen as the basis for the noun malt “gold [as metal]” (PE17/50; VT42/27). It was likely in keeping with the 1950s and 60s sound change whereby medial lth became voiceless ll; a similar sound shift may be seen in S. mallorn “golden tree” < OS. malthorn = malt + orn (VT42/27). In Noldorin of the 1930s lth was preserved, so 1930s N. mallen may have been based on ✱(s)maldina instead.

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would use this word only for golden colors, and would use [N.] malthen for “of gold [metal]”; see that entry for discussion.

malh

golden

adj. #golden. This word is not explicitly presented as S. >> mall, mallorn

mall

golden

adj. #golden. This word is not explicitly presented as S. >> malh, mallorn

glórin

adjective. *golden, golden, [G.] of gold

An adjectival form of glaur “gold (colour or light)” seen only as a element in the name Glórindol “Goldenhead” (S/147; WJ/225, 234).

Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had G. glôrin “golden, of gold” based on G. glôr “gold” (GL/40).

cormallen

place name. Golden Circle

A field in Ithilien where the victory of the War of the Ring was celebrated (LotR/948). In his “Unfinished Index” of The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien translated this name as “Golden Circle”, a combination of cor “ring” and mallen “golden” (RC/625).

Conceptual Development: In Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, this name first appeared as N. Kormallen (SD/55).

galadlóriel

proper name. Golden Rain, (lit.) Golden Tree

A Sindarin name for Q. Laurelin appearing in Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s but not the published Silmarillion (MR/155). It is a combination of galadh “tree” and glóriel “golden” (Ety/GALAD, Ety/LÁWAR).

Conceptual Development: The name N. Galadlóriel appeared in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (LR/210). In The Etymologies, N. Galadloriel appeared with a short o, had the derivation given above and appeared beside a variant form N. Galagloriel (Ety/GALAD, Ety/LÁWAR). In Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, N. Galagloriel was translated “Golden Rain”, but as Christopher Tolkien pointed out, this was not its actual meaning (RS/187).

glorfindel

masculine name. Golden-hair

A Noldorin hero of the First and Third Age (S/194, LotR/209), possibly the same individual (PM/377-384). His name is translated “Golden-hair”, a combination of glaur “gold” and †findel “head of hair” (PE17/17, 34), ultimately derived from his Quenya name Laurefindele (PE17/119). The ancient nature of this name is indicated by the fact that the medial nd had not yet become nn as was usual in Sindarin (LotR/1115).

Conceptual Development: The name G. Glorfindel appeared in the earliest Lost Tales, translated “Goldtress” (LT2/216). Several variant forms appeared in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon: Glorfinnl amd Glorfingl, translated “Goldlocks” (GL/40). The name remained N. Glorfindel in Silmarillion drafts (SM/37, LR/142) as well as The Etymologies from the 1930s, with essentially the same derivation as the one given above (Ety/LÁWAR, SPIN). In some Notes on Names (NN) from the 1957, Tolkien experimented with inverting the name to Finglor (PE17/119).

ninglor

noun. golden water-flower, golden water-flower, *yellow iris

Name for a flower appearing as an element in the names Sîr Ninglor “Gladden River” (UT/280) and Loeg Ningloron “Gladden Fields” (S/295). According to Christopher Tolkien, a fuller translation of Loeg Ningloron would be “Pools of the golden water-flowers” (SI/Loeg Ningloron), so that ninglor likely means “golden water-flower”, perhaps a type of “✱yellow iris” (see below). The elements of this word are likely nîn “wet” and glaur “gold (colour)”.

Conceptual Development: An earlier name for “Gladden Fields” was N. Palath-ledin in Lord of the Rings drafts of the 1940s, where Tolkien specified that N. palath meant “iris” (TI/114). Earlier still, in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s Tolkien had G. nalairin “iris”, an elaboration of G. nâla “yellow-lily” (GL/59).

rathlóriel

place name. Golden-bed

Another name of the river Ascar translated “Golden-bed” (S/235), a combination of rath “river-bed” and the lenited form of glóriel “golden” (SA/laurë; Ety/RAT, LÁWAR).

Conceptual Development: When it first appeared in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, this name was N. Rathlorion “Golden-bed” (SM/134), later changed to N. Rathloriel “Bed of Gold” (LR/141). The second name appeared in The Etymologies, with essentially the same derivation as given above (Ety/RAT, LÁWAR). In Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s the o was lengthened (WJ/346), and Tolkien considered changing the name to Rathmalad or Rathmallen (WJ/191, 353).

Araval

noun. golden king

ara (prefix “high, noble, royal”) + mall (“golden, of gold”)

Gloredhel

noun. golden elf

glaur (“golden light”) + edhel (“elf”)

Inglor

noun. golden heart

in(d) (“heart, meaning, inner thought”) + glaur (“golden”) [Etym. ID-]

Loeg Ningloron

noun. pools of golden water-flowers (Gladden Fields)

loeg (“pool”), nîn (pl. of nen “water”) + glaur (“golden”) + on (#Nan. suffix, like in Galathon)

glorfindel

noun. golden hair

glaur (“golden light”) + fîndel (“(braided) hair”) Perhaps AS, that would explain -nd- not changed to -nn-; the name stated by Tolkien to have “escaped reconsideration…and now difficult to fit into S”.

mallorn

noun. golden tree

mall (“golden, of gold”) + orn (“tree”)

Findelor

noun. 'hair-golden'

prop. n. 'hair-golden'. Q. Findelaure. >> findel, Finglor

Finglor

noun. 'hair-golden'

prop. n. 'hair-golden'. Q. Findelaure. >> findel, Findelor

elanor

noun. pimpernel, small golden star-shaped flower, (lit.) sun-star

The name of a flower in Lórien translated “sun-star” also given as the name of the first daughter of Samwise (LotR/1026). It is a combination of el “star” and Anor “sun” (PE17/55). In notes for the tale of Aldarion and Erendis, Tolkien said it also grew in Númenor and “was a small golden star-shaped flower” (UT/216 note #20). In a letter to Amy Ronald from 1969, Tolkien described it as “a pimpernel (perhaps a little enlarged) growing sun-golden flowers and star-silver ones on the same plant, and sometimes the two combined” (Let/402). Thus it was either a golden star-shaped flower or a pimpernel-like plant growing both sun-coloured and star-coloured flowers.

glaur-

prefix. golden colour of sunshine or golden-flowers

_ pref. _golden colour of sunshine or golden-flowers. The application to gold of the stem was poetic and referred primarily to colour (as esp. of laburnum) not to material (Q. malta).

lórien

place name. *Golden Lands

The forest ruled by Galadriel, originally named in Nandorin Lórinand “Valley of Gold(en Light)” (UT/253) but adapted into Sindarin (LotR/1127) in imitation of Q. Lórien (UT/253), the realm of Irmo in Aman.

Possible Etymology: In English, it was often called the “Golden Wood” (LotR/337), so its initial element is likely a variant of the prefixal form glor- of glaur “gold” (without the “g” due to its Nandorin origin), while its final element could be the plural -ien “lands” of the suffix -ian(d), hence: “✱Golden Lands”.

Conceptual Development: In the Gnomish Lexicon from the 1910s, the Gnomish equivalent of ᴱQ. Lórien was G. Luriel >> Lûrien (GL/55) while in The Etymologies from the 1930s, its Noldorin equivalent was N. Lhuien (Ety/LOS). When the forest was first named in Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s it was Lórien (TI/234), which Tolkien indicated was a Lemberin name in drafts of the Lord of the Rings appendices (PM/36). The derivation given above was described in Tolkien’s later writings on the history of Galadriel (UT/253).

mallorn

noun. 'golden-tree'

pl1. mellyrn** ** pl1. n.Bot.'golden-tree'. It was a gift from Gil-galad, who had the seed from Eressea (by way of Númenor). >> malh, mall

mallos

noun. golden flower

n. Bot. golden flower.

mallos

noun. golden flower

Name of a “golden flower” in Middle-Earth (PE17/100), more accurately described as a “golden bell-shaped flower” (PE22/153). It is a combination of malt “gold” and a variant suffixal form of loth “flower”.

Cormallen

noun. golden circle

corn (“round”) + mal(d) (“gold”) + en (adjective suffix)

Lórindol (Hador)

noun. golden head

(g-)lor (from glaur, reduced in polysyllables [Etym. GLAW(-R-)] “gold”) + in (#Dor. genitive suffix) + (n-)dôl (“head”)

Malduin

noun. golden river

mall ([Etym. SMAL-] malt “gold”) + duin (“long and large river”) David Salo: ”dh and mh were liable to revert to d and m when they came to follow a nasal after syncope” TolkLang message 19.31.

mallos

noun. golden-white (flower, plant)

mall ([Etym. SMAL-] malt “gold”) + loss (“snow”) Final s in loss is dropped at the end of a polysyllable [HKF].

baran

adjective. brown, swart, dark brown, golden brown, yellow brown

baran

adjective. brown, golden-brown, brown, golden-brown; [N.] swart, dark brown

elanor

noun. a flower, a kind of enlarged pimpernel bearing golden and silver flowers

gal-

verb. to shine clear, to shine clear, [G.] shine golden as the Sun

glóredhel

feminine name. *Golden Elf

Daughter of Hador (S/158). Her name is a combination of glaur “gold” and Edhel “Elf” (SA/edhel, laurë).

Conceptual Development: In Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, her name was first given as Glorwendil and Glorwendel, of unclear meaning (LR/310, 314).

malbeth

masculine name. *Golden Word

Loremaster of Arthedain called “the Seer” who named Arvedui (LotR/781), his name appears to be a combination of malt “gold” and the lenited form of peth “word”.

malhorn

noun. golden tree of Lothlórien

mallorn

noun. golden tree of Lothlórien

mallos

noun. a golden flower

malthorn

noun. golden tree of Lothlórien

ninglor

noun. golden water-flower, gladden

malt

noun. gold, gold (as metal)

A noun for “gold” based on the root √MALAT. The Etymologies of the 1930s specified that N. malt was “gold (as metal)” derived from the root ᴹ√SMAL “yellow” (Ety/SMAL). This is consistent with Tolkien’s later notes in which Q. malta was “gold (metal)”, as opposed to Q. laurë/S. glaur which was “gold (colour or light)” (PE17/51, 159). Note that in The Etymologies the form was revised to (h)malt indicating an archaic voiceless hm that was the result of ancient sm (EtyAC/SMAL), but this would no longer be the case after the root became √MALAT.

malthen

golden

1. (of gold) malthen (melthin- in compounds; lenited valthen; pl. melthin), 2) (shining with golden light) glóren (glórin-), lenited lóren; pl. glórin, 3) mallen (lenited vallen; pl. mellin).

glóren

golden

(glórin-), lenited ’lóren; pl. glórin

mallen

golden

(lenited vallen; pl. mellin).

malthen

golden

(melthin- in compounds; lenited valthen; pl. melthin)

uimallen

adjective. ever-golden

Another name of the mallorn tree in notes on the Common Eldarin Article (CEA) from 1969, appearing as uimallhen “ever-golden” < ✶oio-maltinā (PE23/140). This word is unusual in that the medial m does not mutate to v, but in CEA Tolkien was exploring the idea that m did not always mutate in later Sindarin compounts (PE23/138 note #12). In normal Sindarin orthography the voiceless llh would be represented as ll: ✱uimallen. Compare malhorn from CEA (PE23/140) vs. mallorn from The Lord of the Rings (LotR/346).

Baranduin

Golden-brown river

The name Baranduin was Sindarin for "golden-brown river", from baran and duin.

The Hobbits of the Shire originally gave it the punning name Branda-nîn, meaning "border water" in original Hobbitish Westron. This was later punned again as Bralda-hîm meaning "heady ale" (referring to the colour of its water), which Tolkien renders into English as Brandywine.

The word "Brandywine" both resembles the original Elvish name "Baranduin", and provides the Hobbitish meaning adequately.

glóren

shining with golden light

(glórin-) (golden), lenited ’lóren; pl. glórin

glóren

shining with golden light

(glórin-) (golden), lenited ’lóren; pl. glórin.

glóren

shining with golden light

(adj.) glóren (glórin-) (golden), lenited lóren; pl. glórin

glóren

shining with golden light

(adj.) glóren (glórin-) (golden), lenited lóren; pl. glórin.

culuin

adjective. golden-red, orange (in colour)

baran

golden-brown

baran (swart, dark brown, yellow brown), pl. berain

baran

golden-brown

(swart, dark brown, yellow brown), pl. berain

glaur

golden light

glaur (i **laur), pl. gloer (in gloer**)

glaur

golden light

glaur (i **laur), pl. gloer (in gloer**).

glaur

golden light

(i ’laur), pl. gloer (in gloer).

glaur

golden light

(i ’laur), pl. gloer (in gloer)

glorchadhu

noun. lotus, (lit.) golden seat

A neologism coined by Echuidor posted on 2024-05-09 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), a combination of glaur “gold” and hadhu “seat”.

mallorn

golden-tree

E (a species of tree specific to Middle-earth, apparently beech-like) mallorn (i vallorn), pl. mellyrn (i mellyrn).

mallorn

golden-tree

(i vallorn), pl. mellyrn (i mellyrn).

malad

gold

(as metal) 1) malad (i valad), pl. melaid (i melaid) if there is a pl. 2) malt (i valt), pl. melt (i melt) if there is a pl. (VT42:27). ”Gold” in extended senses: glawar (i **lawar) (sunlight, radiance of the Golden Tree Laurelin), pl. glewair (in glewair**) (VT41:10) GOLD (COLOUR?) *mall (i vall), pl. mail (i mail) if there is a pl. Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” malt.

malt

gold

(i valt), pl. melt (i melt) if there is a pl. (VT42:27). ”Gold” in extended senses: glawar (i ’lawar) (sunlight, radiance of the Golden Tree Laurelin), pl. glewair (in glewair) (VT41:10)

malad

gold

(i valad), pl. melaid (i melaid) if there is a pl.

mall

gold

(i vall), pl. mail (i mail) if there is a pl. – Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” malt.

Baranduin

Baranduin

The name Baranduin was Sindarin for "golden-brown river", from baran and duin. The Hobbits of the Shire originally gave it the punning name Branda-nîn, meaning "border water" in original Hobbitish Westron. This was later punned again as Bralda-hîm meaning "heady ale" (referring to the colour of its water), which Tolkien renders into English as Brandywine. The word "Brandywine" both resembles the original Elvish name "Baranduin", and provides the Hobbitish meaning adequately. The word brandywine was actually the archaic English word for brandy as imported from the Dutch brandewijn. David Salo noted that it represents a possible Old English *baernedwin, meaning "burned wine", which would resemble quite closely the original Elvish Baranduin. making Hobbitish Brandywine a legitimate corruption of S. Baranduin.

Gloredhel

Glóredhel

Glóredhel means "Elf of the Golden Light" in Sindarin (from glor- = "holy golden light" and edhel = "Elf"). She was so named because of her radiant blonde hair and height, which was comparable to an Elf.

mallos

Mallos

Mallos is a Sindarin name meaning "golden flower", apparently consisting of elements related to malt ("gold") + loth/loss ("flower"/"snow"). The Westron name of the flower is given as Goldenbell.[source?]

baran

yellow brown

(swart, dark brown, golden-brown), pl. berain.

baran

brown

1. baran (swart, dark brown, yellow brown, golden-brown), pl. berain; 2) rhosc (red, russet), lenited ?throsc or ?rosc (the lenition product of rh is uncertain), pl. rhysc

baran

brown

(swart, dark brown, yellow brown, golden-brown), pl. berain

galad

sunlight

1. galad (i ngalad = i ñalad), (bright light, brilliance, radiance, glittering reflection), pl. gelaid (in gelaid = i ñgelaid). 2) glawar (i **lawar) (gold; radiance of the Golden Tree Laurelin), pl. glewair (in glewair**) (VT41:10)

glawar

sunlight

(i ’lawar) (gold, radiance of the Golden Tree Laurelin), pl. glewair (in glewair) if there is a pl. (VT41:10)

glawar

sunlight

glawar (i **lawar) (gold, radiance of the Golden Tree Laurelin), pl. glewair (in glewair**) if there is a pl. (VT41:10)

galadh

noun. tree

The basic Sindarin word for “tree” (LotR/1113), derived from primitive ✶galadā and very well attested. This word dates back at least to The Etymologies of the 1930s, where N. galadh “tree” appeared under the root ᴹ√GALAD (Ety/GALAD). See also orn “(tall) tree” of similar meaning.

Conceptual Development: Gnomish of the 1910s had some earlier version of this “tree” word: G. galdon >> alwen “tree” in the Name-list to the Fall of Gondolin (PE15/24) and archaic/poetic G. †alwen “tree” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/19), the latter probably from the early root ᴱ√ALA “spread” that was the basis for ᴱQ. alda “tree” (QL/29).

Baranduin

noun. gold-brown river

baran (“gold-brown”) + duin (“long and large river”) David Salo: ”dh and mh were liable to revert to d and m when they came to follow a nasal after syncope” TolkLang message 19.31.

mallorn

Mallorn

The word comes from malt ("gold") and orn ("tree"). In Gondor Sindarin the same word was pronounced Malthorn. Malinornë is the Quenya translation of Mallorn.

Inglor

noun. Inglor

prop. n.

alf

noun. flower

bain

fair

_ adj. _fair, good, blessed, wholesome, favourable, without evil/bad element, not dangerous, evil or hostile. bân or bain << bân pl. bain. >> bân

bân

adjective. fair

_ adj. _fair, good, wholesome, favourable, not dangerous, evil or hostile. bân or bain << bân pl. bain. >> bain

calad

gerund noun. light

calad

noun. light

_ n. _light, fire, brightness, shining. >> galad

caran

adjective. red

caran

red

_ adj. _red, ruddy. >> Caradhras

caran

adjective. red

elloth

noun. (single) flower

fael

adjective. fair minded, just, generous

gaer

adjective. red, copper-coloured, ruddy

galad

noun. light, radiance, glittering, reflection (from jewels, glass or polished metal, or water)

galad

light

_ n. _light, fire, brightness, shining. >> calad, Caras Galadon

galadh

noun. tree

galadh

tree

_n. Bot._tree, like oak (nordh) and beech. A galadh was more thick, dense and branching than a orn. In Sindarin, there was no much distinction in size between galað and orn. A galað was more thick, dense and branching than a orn. Birch, ash and oak are of the orn kind. Q. alda. >> orn

galadh

tree

{ð} n. tree. In Sindarin, there was no much distinction in size between galað and orn. A galað was more thick, dense and branching than a orn. Birch, ash and oak are of the orn kind. Q. alda. >> orn

glewellin

proper name. Song of Gold

Sindarin cognate of Q. Laurelin “Song of Gold” appearing in the Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s but not in the published version of The Silmarillion (MR/155). It is a combination of Old Sindarin †glawar “gold” (PE17/61) and lind “song”, with the vowels in the initial element shifted to e because of the i in the last syllable.

Conceptual Development: The name N. Glewellin first appeared in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (LR/210). In The Etymologies, it already had the derivation given above (Ety/LÁWAR). @@@ Glorlin

gwain

adjective. fair

adj. fair. . This gloss was rejected.

gwana

noun/adjective. fair

gwân

adjective. fair

_ adj. _fair, pale.

lebethron

noun. a tree - its black wood was used by the woodwrights of Gondor

In the original manuscript, one of the earlier (rejected) form of this name was lebendron. Didier Willis proposed the etymology lebed+doron "finger-oak", actually a real tree name (Finger Oak or Quercus digitata)

lind

adjective. fair

loeg ningloron

place name. Gladden Fields

loth

noun. flower, inflorescence, a head of small flowers

The noun is collective, a single flower being lotheg

loth

noun. flower

_n._flower, a single bloom. Q. lóte, lōs.

lotheg

noun. (single) flower

niphredil

noun. a pale winter flower, snowdrop

orn

noun. (any large) tree

oron

noun. tree

n. Bot. tree. Also in compound -(o)rŏnō. >> orn

rhosg

adjective. brown

ruin

adjective. (fiery) red

bain

fair

bain (beautiful). Lenited vain. No distinct pl. form.

bain

fair

(beautiful). Lenited vain. No distinct pl. form.

born

red

(hot), lenited vorn, pl. byrn

calad

light

_(noun) _1) calad (i galad, o chalad), pl. celaid (i chelaid), 2) gaul (i **aul), pl. goel (i ngoel = i ñoel), coll. pl. golath. Note: A homophone means "wolf-howl", but has different mutations. 3) (bright light) galad (i ngalad = i ñalad), (sunlight, brilliance, radiance, glittering reflection), pl. gelaid (in gelaid = i ñgelaid). 4) gâl (gal-, -al in compounds, with article i **âl), pl. gail (i ngail = i ñail).

calad

light

(i galad, o chalad), pl. celaid (i chelaid), 2) gaul (i ’aul), pl. goel (i ngoel = i ñoel), coll. pl. golath. Note: A homophone means "wolf-howl", but has different mutations. 3) (bright light) galad (i ngalad = i ñalad), (sunlight, brilliance, radiance, glittering reflection), pl. gelaid (in gelaid = i ñgelaid). 4) gâl (gal-, -al in compounds, with article i ’âl), pl. gail (i ngail = i ñail).

caran

red

1. caran (lenited garan, pl. cerain). Also carn (lenited garn, pl. cern), 2) coll (scarlet), lenited goll, pl. cyll (VT45:15, 24). Note: homophones mean "hollow" and also "cloak". 3) born (hot), lenited vorn, pl. byrn, 4) (fiery red) naru (analogical pl. nery). The archaic fom narw is also listed (LR:374 s.v. _NAR_1). 5) rhosc (russet, brown), lenited ?throsc or ?rosc (the lenition product of rh is uncertain), pl. rhysc. Cf. also

caran

red

(lenited garan, pl. cerain). Also carn (lenited garn, pl. cern)

coll

red

(scarlet), lenited goll, pl. cyll (VT45:15, 24). Note: homophones mean "hollow" and also "cloak".

crann

ruddy

(lenited grann, pl. crain).

edlothia

flower

(verb) #edlothia- (i edlothia, in edlothiar) (to blossom);

edlothia

flower

(i edlothia, in edlothiar) (to blossom);

edlothiad

flowering

(blossoming), pl. edlothiaid if there is a pl.**

gaer

red, reddish

(copper-coloured, ruddy); lenited ’aear; no distinct pl. form. (This is a suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” goer.) Note: homophones mean "dreadful, awful, fearful; holy" and also "sea".

gail

light

(adjective) 1) gail (bright), lenited ngail, no distinct pl. form (VT45:18), 2) lim (clear, sparkling), no distinct pl. form. Note: a homophone means ”fish”.

gail

light

(bright), lenited ngail, no distinct pl. form (VT45:18)

galad

sunlight

(i ngalad = i ñalad), (bright light, brilliance, radiance, glittering reflection), pl. gelaid (in gelaid = i ñgelaid).

galadh

tree

1. galadh (i **aladh), pl. gelaid (i ngelaidh = i ñelaidh) (Letters:426, SD:302). 2) orn (pl. yrn**). Note: a homophone means ”tall”.

galadh

tree

(i ’aladh), pl. gelaid (i ngelaidh = i ñelaidh) (Letters:426, SD:302).

galadhon

of or related to trees

(lenited ‘aladhon, pl. galadhoen). Archaic ✱galadhaun. The latter is based on David Salo’s analysis of the name Caras Galadhon; others have interpreted the last word as some kind of genitive plural, maybe influenced by Silvan Elvish.

galadhrim

people of the trees

(Elves of Lórien). Adj.

gwaloth

collection of flowers

(i ’waloth) (blossom), pl. gwelyth (in gwelyth). Also goloth (i ’oloth) (blossom), pl. gelyth (i ngelyth = i ñelyth). Archaic pl. gölyth. (VT42:18). Specific flowers, see

huorn

walking tree of fangorn

(i chuorn, o chuorn), pl. huyrn (i chuyrn).

lebethron

oak tree

.

lim

light

(clear, sparkling), no distinct pl. form. Note: a homophone means ”fish”.

loth

flower

loth, pl. lyth (but loth is also glossed ”blossom” and may itself function as a collective term: all the flowers of a plant. For individual flowers cf. the following:)

loth

flower

pl. lyth (but loth is also glossed ”blossom” and may itself function as a collective term: all the flowers of a plant. For individual flowers cf. the following:)

lotheg

single flower

lothod (”singulars” derived from the more collective term loth; it is unclear whether lotheg, lothod can themselves have ”plural” forms. If so it would be lethig, lethyd, for archaic löthig, löthyd.) (VT42:18, VT45:29) Another word for a single flower is elloth (pl. ellyth) (VT42:18). An alternative to loth is loss (construct los; pl. lyss), but the form loth seems to be more common (and loss also means ”fallen snow” and ”wilderness”).

malen

yellow

malen (lenited valen; pl. melin).

malen

yellow

(lenited valen; pl. melin).

mâl

yellow powder

(i vâl; construct mal) (pollen), pl. mail or archaic mely (i mail, i mely). Older pl. meil (LR:386 s.v. SMAL).

naru

red

(analogical pl. nery). The archaic fom narw is also listed (LR:374 s.v. NAR1).

nothlir

family tree

(family line); no distinct pl. form; coll. pl. nothliriath.

orn

tree

(pl. yrn). Note: a homophone means ”tall”.

rhosc

red

(russet, brown), lenited ?throsc or ?rosc *(the lenition product of rh is uncertain)*, pl. rhysc. Cf. also

rhosc

brown

(red, russet), lenited ?throsc or ?rosc *(the lenition product of rh is uncertain)*, pl. rhysc

silef

shining white

is listed in LR:385 s.v. SIL as the cognate of Quenya silma of this meaning, but silef is there asterisked, apparently to indicate that it only appears as part of the word Silevril ”Silmaril”. The word silef may also be used = Quenya silima (noun), the crystal substance of the Silmarils.

síla

shine white

(i híla, i sílar) Adj.

toss

low-growing tree

(i** doss, o thoss, construct tos), pl. tyss (i** thyss). Tolkien mentioned ”maple, hawthorn, blackthorn, holly, etc.” as examples of the low-growing trees covered by this word. Specific trees, see

pharazôn

masculine name. Golden

The son of Gimilkhâd who usurped the throne to become the 25th and final ruler of Númenor, translated “Golden” (LotR/1114, S/270). His Quenya name was Tar-Calion. Since Calion appears to mean “✱Son of Light”, Ar-Pharazôn is an example of a Númenórean ruler whose Adûnaic and Quenya names had different meanings.

The first element in his name is the noun pharaz “gold”. Since Pharazôn is glossed “Golden”, the second element -ôn may be an adjectival suffix. Andreas Moehn instead suggested (EotAL/PHAR’Z) that the name means “✱Golden One”, closer to its Quenya equivalent, and that the suffix -ôn is a masculine variant of the agental suffix -ân. Either way, the name is also notable in that it does not undergo the Adûnaic syncope when its suffix is added.

Conceptual Development: The name also appeared in “The Notion Club Papers” from the 1940s (SD/311), in some examples inflected into the subjective case (SD/247, 428-9).

pharaz

noun. gold

A noun meaning “gold”, the only Adûnaic word defined in The Lord of the Rings (LotR/1114).

Conceptual Development: This noun also appears in “Lowdham’s Report on the Adunaic Language” from the 1940s (SD/426).

laurina

golden

laurina adj. "golden" (LT1:258). Compare laurëa in later material.

ai! lassi lantar laurië súrinen

ah! leaves fall golden in [by means of] the wind

The 1st phrase of the prose Namárië. Tolkien altered the text from the poetic version as follows:

> ai! laurië lantar lassi súrinen >> ai! lassi lantar laurië súrinen

Tolkien moved the subject lassi “leaves” to be before the verb lantar “fall (pl.)”, consistent with the usual subject-verb word order of Quenya. However, for reasons unclear, he also moved the adjective laurië “golden (pl.)” after the verb, keeping it separate from the noun it modifies. Ordinally, adjectives in Quenya preceed the noun they modify (PE17/93, PM/346). It seems to me to be more natural to keep the adjective back in its original position.

> ai! lassi lantar laurië súrinen »»» ✱ai! laurië lassi lantar súrinen

One possible explanation for this unusual placement is that Tolkien may have considered laurië to be an adverb (“like gold”) instead of an adjective (“golden”). This is consistent with English translation of this phrase in the poetic Namárië: “like gold fall the leaves in the wind”.

There are several places in the corpus where Tolkien designated the word laurië as an adverb (PE17/58, 61, 62). However, in the commentary on the Namárië poem (RGEO/62), Tolkien explicitly states that the word laurië is the plural form of the adjective laurëa. Since laurië is the form of both the plural adjective and the adverb derived from the noun laurë “gold (light or colour)”, perhaps Tolkien was playing with this ambiguity in his choice of word order.

laurëa

adjective. golden (of hue)

An adjectival form of laurë “gold (light or colour)” (RGEO/62; PE17/61) appearing in its plural form laurië in the Namárië poem from The Lord of the Rings (LotR/377).

Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, the adjectival form of ᴱQ. laure was ᴱQ. laurina “golden” (QL/51), but ᴱQ. laurea “golden” appeared in the English-Qenya Dictionary of the 1920s (PE15/73), and Tolkien seems to have used that form thereafter.

lávar

noun. (golden) blossom

A word in notes from the 1960s for a “(golden) blossom” with variants löar and lávar, both based on the √LAWAR having to with the colour “gold” (PE17/159). The element ᴹQ. lavar also appeared as an element in the name for a Númenorean tree ᴹQ. lavaralda in stories from the 1930s which Tolkien described as having “long green leaves [that] were golden on the undersides” and whose “flowers were pale with a yellow flush” (LR/57-68). For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would use lávar for “(golden) blossom”, since that form is more distinctive.

malantur

masculine name. ?Golden Lord

The son of Caliondo, who would have become the seventh ruler of Númenor had the laws not been changed to allow his cousin Ancalimë to become the first ruling queen (UT/208). The final element of his name seems to be the suffix -tur “master, lord”. The meaning of the initial element is unclear, but it might be related to malina “yellow, golden”, so meaning: “✱Golden Lord”.

malinornë

noun. mallorn, (lit.) golden/yellow tree

The usual Quenya name for the mallorn tree, most notably appearing in the Entish phrase Laurelindórenan lindelorendor malinornélion ornemalin (LotR/467; Let/448). It is a combination of malina “yellow, golden colour” and ornë “tree”. In one place Tolkien considered an alternate form maldorne where the initial element was instead derived from primitive ✶malnā with ancient ln becoming ld (PE17/51).

Calion

the golden

Calion, Tar-Calion, masc. name, the Quenya name of King Ar-Pharazôn "the Golden". Calion would seem to be connected to cal- "shine", cálë "light". (Silm)

Culúrien

golden-red

Culúrien another name of Laurelin; apparently derived from the stem KUL- "golden-red" (Silm; LR:365)

culda

flame-coloured, golden-red

culda ("k")adj. "flame-coloured, golden-red" (KUL); maybe it can also be translated "scarlet", since this gloss was listed for the possible "Noldorin"/Sindarin cognate coll(VT45:24), though it was struck out

culina

flame-coloured, golden-red

culina ("k")adj. "flame-coloured, golden-red" (KUL; cullina ("k") in VT45:24 would seem to be a variant)

culucalmalínen

with golden lights

culucalmalínen _("k")_noun in instrumental case: "with golden lights" (MC:220; this is "Qenya")

findaráto

masculine name. *[Golden] Hair Champion

The father-name of S. Finrod from which his Sindarin name was derived (PM/346). The first element of his name seems to be findë “hair”, perhaps in reference to his golden hair (UT/229), but also alluding to his grandfather Finwë as with the name of his cousin Findecáno (PM/345). The second element seems to be aráto “champion” (SA/ar(a)), though it may actually be a masculinized form of the adjective arata “noble”. Like his brother Angaráto, his name is “Telerin in form” to honour their mother, with the adjectival element arata second. The more natural Quenya form of his name would have been Artafindë (PM/346).

Conceptual Development: In some earlier notes, his (archaic) Quenya name is given as Finaratā >> Finaratō (PE17/39).

laurëa

golden, like gold

laurëa adj. "golden, like gold"; pl. laurië is attested (Nam, RGEO:66)

lavaralda

(golden) blossom

lavaralda (changed by Tolkien from lavarin) noun some kind of tree (alda) (LR:57). The initial element lavar- seems to connect with the root LAWAR having to do with golden colour; cf. lávar "(golden) blossom" (PE17:159).

loar

(golden) blossom

loar noun "(golden) blossom" (not to be confused with the pl. form of loa). Also lávar. (PE17:159)

lávar

(golden) blossom

lávar noun "(golden) blossom". Also loa. (PE17:159)

malda

yellow, of golden colour

malda adj. "yellow, of golden colour" (PE17:51), variant of malina. An earlier source (the Etymologies, entry SMAL) has malda as the noun "gold" but LotR gives malta, q.v., and according to VT46:14 the form malta originally appeared in the Etymologies as well. Since Quenya sometimes uses adjectives as nouns (see for instance fanya), malda could still be regarded as a valid side-form of the noun malta "gold".

laurefindele

masculine name. Golden Haired

The Quenya name of Glorfindel from which his Sindarin name is derived (PE17/17, 119). It is a compound of laurë “gold” and findelë “lock, head of hair”.

Conceptual Development: In an early name list, ᴱQ. Laurifindl or ᴱQ. Kulufindl was given as the Quenya equivalent of G. Glorfindel (PE13/104). In later writings, the name appeared variously as Laurefindil, Laurefin(de) and Laurefindele, and in one place was inverted to Findelaure (PE17/17, 119).

malina

adjective. yellow, of golden colour

vanya

adjective. fair, beautiful, unmarred; fair-haired (yellow to golden), fair, beautiful, unmarred; fair-haired (yellow to golden); [ᴱQ.] good (not evil), holy

artafindë

masculine name. *Noble [Golden] Hair

A “Quenyarized” form of Findrod’s father-name: Findaráto, with the adjectival element arta- first (PM/346).

löar

noun. (golden) blossom

malda

adjective. yellow, of golden colour

maldorne

noun. golden/yellow tree

nai laurë lantuva parmastanna lúmissen tengwiesto

may (a) golden light fall on your book at the times of your reading

vana

adjective. fair-haired (yellow to golden)

Tar-culu

gold

Tar-culu ("k"), name listed in the Etymologies but not elsewhere attested. The second element is apparently culu "gold" (a word Tolkien seems to have abandoned); Hostetter and Wynne suggest that this may be an alternative name of Tar-Calion (= Ar-Pharazôn "the Golden"); see VT45:24.

laurë

gold

†laurë noun "gold", but of golden light and colour, not of the metal: "golden light" (according to PE17:61 a poetic word). Nai laurë lantuva parmastanna lúmissen tengwiesto "may (a) golden light fall on your book at the times of your reading" (VT49:47). In Etym defined as "light of the golden Tree Laurelin, gold", not properly used of the metal gold (LÁWAR/GLÁWAR, GLAW(-R), VT27:20, 27, PE17:159). In early "Qenya", however, laurë was defined as "(the mystic name of) gold" (LT1:255, 258) or simply "gold" (LT1:248, 268). In Laurelin and Laurefindil, q.v., Laurenandë "Gold-valley" = Lórien (the land, not the Vala) (UT:253) and laurinquë name of a tree, possibly *"Gold-full one" (UT:168). Laurendon "like gold" or "in gold fashion" (but after citing this form, Tolkien decided to abandon the similative ending -ndon, PE17:58).

laurië

goldenness

laurië noun "goldenness", also used as adv. "goldenly" (PE17:74); the word laurië occurring in Namarië Tolkien variously interpreted either as this adverb or as the pl. form of laurëa, q.v.

culo

gold

[culo, culu ("k")noun "gold" (substance)] (KUL, VT49:47; the word culu_ also occurred in early "Qenya" [LT1:258], but in the Etymologies it was struck out; the regular Quenya word for "gold" is apparently _malta. In another version, culo meant "flame" [VT45:24], but this is apparently also a word Tolkien abandoned.)

malta

gold

malta noun "gold", also name of tengwa #18 (Appendix E). The Etymologies (entry SMAL) instead has malda, q.v. for discussion, but according to VT46:14, the form malta originally appeared in the Etymologies as well. Also compare the root MALAT listed in PM:366.

culuina

of gold

[culuina ("k") (2) (misread as **culuinn_ in the Etymologies as printed in LR; see VT45:24)] adj. "of gold" (KUL; this word was struck out, and _culuina became the adjective "orange" instead.)

nendalaurë

noun. golden water-flower, yellow iris

A neologism for “golden water-flower, yellow iris” by Vyacheslav Stepanov posted on 2022-05-01 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), a combination of nenda “wet” and laurë “gold (colour)”, analogous to S. ninglor.

cala

noun. light, light; [ᴱQ.] daytime (sunlight), 12 hours

This is the most common Quenya word for “light”, derived from the root √KAL of similar meaning (RGEO/62; PE17/84). It appears in numerous compounds, either in its full form or in a reduced form cal-.

Conceptual Development: ᴱQ. kala appeared all the way back in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “daytime (sunlight), 12 hours” and derived from the early root ᴱ√KALA “shine golden” (QL/44), but it had the sense “light” in the phrase ᴱQ. i·kal’antúlien “Light hath returned” (LT1/184), and it was given as the cognate of G. gala “light, daylight” in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon (GL/37).

ᴹQ. kala “light” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a derivative of the root ᴹ√KAL “shine” (Ety/KAL). Somewhat curiously in that document its primitive form was given as ᴹ✶k’lā́ (EtyAC/KAL), a form that also appeared in the first version of Tengwesta Qenderinwa (TQ1) from the 1930s (PE18/38). Tolkien may have used this variant form to explain N. glaw “radiance” (< ᴹ✶g’lā́), but in later writings S. glaw “sunshine” was derived from √LAW.

malasta-

verb. to gild, make golden (using the metal)

A neologism for “to gild” coined by Arael posted on 2024-12-09 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), a causative verb (= “make gold”) derived from the root √MALAT “gold”.

Laurelindórinan

valley of singing gold

Laurelindórinan noun "Valley of Singing Gold", an earlier name of Laurenandë (Lórien) (UT:253); laurelindórenan lindelorendor malinornélion ornemalin *"Goldenlight-music-land-valley music-dream-land of yellow-trees tree-yellow", Quenya elements agglutinated in Entish fashion; this supposedly means something like "the valley where the trees in a golden light sing musically, a land of music and dreams; there are yellow trees there, it is a tree-yellow land" (LotR2:III ch. 4, translated in Letters:308). The last word ornemalin is defined in as "bearing yellow flowers" in PE17:80.

cálë

noun. light

A noun for “light” appearing in the versions of the Markirya poem from the 1960s (MC/222-223).

Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, ᴱQ. kále “morning” was a derivative of the early root ᴱ√KALA “shine golden” (QL/44), and kāle was mentioned again Gnomish Lexicon Slips as a cognate of G. gaul “a light” (PE13/114). The form ᴱQ. kale “day” appeared in the Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s, but was deleted (PE14/43). It might also be an element in ᴹQ. yúkale “twilight” (= “both lights”) from The Etymologies of the 1930s (Ety/KAL).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I’d stick to the better attested Q. cala “light”.

malina

yellow

malina adj. "yellow" (SMAL, Letters:308), "yellow, of golden colour" (PE17:51). Malinalda *"Yellow-tree", a name of Laurelin (SA:mal-; evidently malina + alda), translated "Tree of Gold" in the Silmarillion index. Cf. also malinornë.

nai

be it that

nai (1) imperative verb "be it that", used with a verb (usually in the future tense) to express a wish. The translation "maybe" in Tolkien's rendering of Namárië is somewhat misleading; he used "be it that" in the interlinear translation in RGEO:67. Apparently this is na as the imperative "be!" with a suffix -i "that", cf. i #3. It can be used with the future tense as an "expression of wish" (VT49:39). Nai hiruvalyë Valimar! Nai elyë hiruva! "May thou find Valimar. May even thou find it!" (Nam, VT49:39). Nai tiruvantes "be it that they will guard it" > "may they guard it" (CO). Nai elen siluva parma-restalyanna "may a star shine upon your book-fair" (VT49:38), nai elen siluva lyenna "may a star shine upon you" (VT49:40), nai elen atta siluvat aurenna veryanwesto "may two stars shine upon the day of your wedding" (VT49:42-45), nai laurë lantuva parmastanna lúmissen tengwiesto "may (a) golden light fall on your book at the times of your reading" (VT49:47). Nai may also be used with a present continuative verb if an ongoing situation is wished for: Nai Eru lye mánata "God bless you" (VT49:39) or literally "be it that God is (already) blessing you". The phrase nai amanyaonnalya "be it that your child [will be] blessed" omits any copula; Tolkien noted that "imper[ative] of wishes precedes adj." (VT49:41). VT49:28 has the form nái for "let it be that"; Patrick Wynne theorizes that nái is actually an etymological form underlying nai (VT49:36)

maltaina

adjective. of gold

A neologism for “of gold” coined by Raccoon on the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS) on 2021-03-09 based on malta “gold (metal)”.

accal(a)-

verb. shine

shine (suddenly and) brilliantly, blaze

aira

red, copper-coloured, ruddy

aira (1) adj. "red, copper-coloured, ruddy" (GAY)

alaurē†

noun. sheen of gold

PQ. sheen of gold

alba

noun. flower

alda

tree

alda noun "tree" (GALAD, GÁLAD, SA, Nam, RGEO:66, LR:41, SD:302, LT1:249, LT2:340, VT39:7), also name of tengwa #28 (Appendix E). Pl. aldar in Narqelion; gen. pl. aldaron "of trees" in Namárië. Etymology of alda, see Letters:426 and UT:266-7. The latter source states that primitive ¤galadā, whence Quenya alda, originally applied to stouter and more spreading trees such as oaks or beeches, while straighter and more slender trees such as birches were called ¤ornē, Quenya ornë - but this distinction was not always observed in Quenya, and it seems that alda became the general word. According to PE17:25, primitive galada (sic) referred to "a plant (large) and was a general term". Place-name Aldalómë ""tree-night" or "tree-shade-night" (LotR2:III ch. 4, translated in PE17:82); Aldarion masc. name, *"Son of (the) Trees" (Appendix A), Tar-Aldarion a Númenorean King (UT:210). Aldaron a name of Oromë (Silm); aldinga "tree-top" (VT47:28), aldarembina (pl. aldarembinë attested) adj. "tree-tangled", the cognate of Sindarin galadhremmin**(PM:17:26).Aldúya fourth day of the Eldarin six-day week, dedicated to the Trees (Appendix D). The word seems to include Aldu, a dual form referring to the Two Trees. The Númenóreans altered the name to Aldëa (presumably < aldajā), referring to one tree (the White) only. The dual Aldu seems to occur also in Aldudénië** "Lament for the Two Trees" (a strange word, since Quenya does not permit intervocalic d as in this word perhaps the Vanyarin dialect of Quenya did) (Silm)

alda

noun. tree

alda

noun. tree, tree, [ᴱQ.] branch

The basic Quenya word for “tree” (LotR/1113), derived from primitive ✶galadā and very well attested. This word dates all the way back to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s where ᴱQ. alda “tree” appeared under the early root ᴱ√ALA “spread” (QL/29). Tolkien seems to have switched its derivation to ✱galadā in The Etymologies of the 1930s, where ᴹQ. alda “tree” appeared under the root ᴹ√GALAD of the same meaning (Ety/GALAD). See also ornë “(tall) tree” for a discussion of another similar word.

Conceptual Development: There were a few instances where the word alda had a different meaning. In Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s, alda was glossed “branch” (PE16/139). In notes from 1959 Tolkien said “✱galadā, originally only large flourishing plant, as tree, and especially one that flowered, Q alda, S galað; the general word for ‘tree’ was Q orne ‘upstanding plant’ (PE17/153)”. But in its numerous appearance elsewhere, alda was simply a general word for “tree”.

alima

fair, good

alima adj. "fair, good" (also alya) (PE17:146)

alma

flower

alma (2) "flower" (PE17:153), said to be the "usual Quenya word" or "general Quenya word" (i.e. for flower), but its coexistence with #1 is problematic. Compare lós, lótë, lotsë, indil.

alma

noun. flower

A word for “flower” derived from primitive ✶galmā in notes on flowers in the same bundle containing Definitive Linguistic Notes (DLN) from 1959 (PE17/153). Initially Tolkien said alma meant both “a blessed thing and a flower”, then said that Q. almë was “a blessed thing” and alba was “flower” (< √GAL-AB), before saying that alma was “flower”. Tolkien implied that alma was a usual or general word for “flower” in Quenya. These same notes also said the word alda < ✶galadā was used mainly of flowering trees. It seems in this instance Tolkien connected the root √GAL (normally just “grow, flourish”) specifically to flowers, giving it the gloss “bloom” along with other glosses like “grow, flourish, be vigorous”.

Neo-Quenya: Elsewhere alda was the general word for a “tree” and √GAL had no special connection to flowers. I think alma as a “flower” word was a transient idea. I would use lótë “flower” instead for purposes of Neo-Quenya, since it is much better established.

alya

fair, good

alya (1) adj. "fair, good" (PE17:146), "prosperous, rich, abundant, blessed" (GALA). In a deleted entry in Etym, the glosses provided were "rich, blessed"; another deleted entry defined alya as "rich, prosperous, blessed". (GALA, [ÁLAM], VT42:32, 45:5, 14)

aurë

sunlight, day

aurë noun "sunlight, day" (SA:ur), "day (of light), a day of special meaning or festival" (VT49:45). locative auressë "in (the) morning" in Markirya, allative aurenna *"on the day" (VT49:43-45). Also compare amaurëa.

cal-

verb. shine

#cal- vb. "shine", future tense caluva ("k") "shall shine" _(UT:22 cf. 51). Compare also early "Qenya" cala- ("k")"shine" (LT1:254)_. It is possible that the verbal stem should have a final -a in later Quenya as well, since this vowel would not appear in the future tense caluva (compare valuvar as the pl. future tense of vala-, WJ:404).

cala

light

cala ("k")noun "light" (KAL). Concerning the "Qenya" verb cala-, see #cal- above.

calina

light

calina ("k")adj. "light" (KAL), "bright" (VT42:32) "(literally illumined) sunny, light" (PE17:153) but apparently a noun "light" in coacalina, q.v.

calta-

verb. shine

calta- ("k")vb. "shine" (KAL)

carne (carni-)

adjective. red

carnë

red

carnë adj. "red", "scarlet, red" (SA:caran, PE17:154, MC:214, KARÁN - spelt with a k in the two latter sources), not to be confused with the past tense of car- "do, make". Stem carni- as in Carnimírië, Carnistir.

cálë

light

cálë ("k")noun "light" (Markirya; in early "Qenya", cálë meant "morning", LT1:254)

insil

noun. flower

TQ. flower, lily

laurē

noun. sheen of gold

PQ. sheen of gold

linda

fair, beautiful

linda adj. "fair, beautiful" (of sound) (SLIN, LIND; VT45:27), "soft, gentle, light" (PE16:96), "beautiful, sweet, melodious of sound" (PE17:150); for Linda as a noun, see Lindar.

lós

flower

lós (þ?) noun "flower" (PE17:26). If this is to be the cognate of Sindarin loth, as the source suggests, the older Quenya form would be *lóþ.

lóte

noun. flower

lótë

flower

lótë noun "flower", mostly applied to larger single flowers (LOT(H), LT1:259, VT42:18). (The shorter form -lot occurs in compounds, e.g. fúmellot, q.v.) In the names Ninquelóte *"White-flower" (= Nimloth), Vingilótë "Foam-flower", the name of Eärendil's ship (SA:loth), also in Lótessë fifth month of the year, "May" (Appendix D). See also olótë, lotsë.

nasar

red

nasar adj. "red" (in Vanyarin Quenya only). Adopted and adapted from Valarin. (WJ:399)

ornë

tree

ornë noun "tree" _(Letters:308, SD:302: "when smaller and more slender like a birch or rowan", Etym stem ÓR-NI: "tree, high isolated tree"). For the etymology, see Letters:426; for (original) difference in meaning between ornë and alda, see alda. In ornemalin "tree-yellow"; see laurelindórenan lindelorendor... (LotR2:III ch. 4; cf. Letters:308), also as final element in malinornë "yellow-tree, mallorn" (q.v.) Masc. name Ornendil *"Tree-friend" (Appendix A)_, compound Ornelië "tree-folk" (Quenya name of the Galadhrim, the tree-people of Lórien) (TI:239).

sil-

verb. shine

sil- vb. "shine" (white), present tense síla "shines, is shining" (FG); aorist silë, pl. silir (RS:324), frequentative sisíla- (Markirya comments), future tense siluva (VT49:38), dual future siluvat (VT49:44, 45)

tulca

yellow

tulca (3) ("k") adj. "yellow". Adopted and adapted from Valarin; the normal Quenya word for "yellow" is rather malina (WJ:399)

vanya

fair

vanya (1) adj. "fair" (FS), "beautiful" (BAN), a word referring to beauty that is "due to lack of fault, or blemish" (PE17:150), hence Arda Vanya as an alternative to Arda Alahasta for "Arda Unmarred" (ibid., compare MR:254). Nominal pl. Vanyar "the Fair", the first clan of the Eldar; the original meaning of this stem was "pale, light-coloured, not brown or dark" (WJ:382, 383, stem given as WAN), "properly = white complexion and blonde hair" (PE17:154, stem given as GWAN); stems BAN vs. WAN discussed, see PE17:150.

vanë

fair

vanë adj. "fair" (LT1:272; in Tolkien's later Quenya rather vanya)

vanë

adjective. fair, fair, [ᴱQ.] lovely

varnë

brown, swart, dark brown

varnë (1) adj. "brown, swart, dark brown", stem-form varni- (BARÁN)

gloriel

adjective. golden

galadloriel

proper name. Golden Rain

malevarn

place name. Golden Brown

A transient and rejected name for the river Baranduin (PM/39, 67), a combination of variant forms of malt “gold” and baran “brown” as suggested by Roman Rausch (EE/2.3).

baran

adjective. brown, swart, dark brown, golden brown, yellow brown

coll

adjective. (golden) red

glaur

noun. golden light (of the golden tree Laurelin)

glawar

noun. sunlight, radiance (of the golden tree Laurelin)

glor-

noun. golden light (of the golden tree Laurelin)

mallen

adjective. of gold, golden

malthen

adjective. of gold, golden

glaur

noun. gold

malthen

adjective. of gold, of gold [metal]

An adjective in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “of gold” based on N. malt “gold (as metal)” under the root ᴹ√SMAL “yellow” (Ety/SMAL). The form was revised to (h)malthen indicating an archaic voiceless hm that was the result of ancient sm (EtyAC/SMAL), but in Tolkien’s later writings the root became √MALAT (PM/366) so this would no longer be the case.

Neo-Sindarin: In Sindarin of the 1950s and 60s, medial lth became voiceless ll (VT42/27), as seen in the noun mallorn “gold tree” and (probably) the later adjective mallen “golden”. However Tolkien said:

> ... among those to whom Sindarin became a language of lore, as the men of Gondor who were or claimed to be of Numenórean race, the spirant [th] was reintroduced from the spelling. In true Sindarin of the Elves or Elf-friends of the early ages the final form [lt] was often introduced medially (VT42/27).

As such, I think malthen “of gold [metal]” may still be viable by analogy with its noun form malt “gold [metal]”, and the adjective mallen may be limited just to golden colors.

Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had similarly formed G. maltha “golden yellow, rich, mellow” (GL/56) likely based on the early root ᴱ√MALA “yellow” (QL/63).

mallorn

noun. gold tree

mallen

adjective. of gold

galadh

noun. tree

gal-

prefix. light

calad

gerund noun. light

calad

noun. light

caran

adjective. red

caran

adjective. red

caron

adjective. red

côl

noun. gold (metal)

gail

noun. bright light

galad

noun. light

galadh

noun. tree

glewellin

proper name. Song of Gold

glorfindel

masculine name. Glorfindel

goer

adjective. red, copper-coloured, ruddy

lhoth

noun. flower, inflorescence, a head of small flowers

The noun is collective, a single flower being lotheg

lhothod

noun. (single) flower

lothod

noun. (single) flower

malen

adjective. yellow

malen

adjective. yellow, yellow, [ᴱN.] yellowish, pale, wan, sickly

malt

noun. gold (as metal)

naru

adjective. red

naru

adjective. red, [fiery] red

narw

adjective. red

nifredil

noun. a pale winter flower, snowdrop

orn

noun. (any large) tree

orn

noun. tree

palath-ledin

place name. Gladden Fields

Earliest Elvish name for the Gladden Fields appearing in Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s (TI/114), a combination of palath “iris” and a plural (possibly Ilkorin) form of lhad “plain”, as suggested by Roman Rausch (EE/2.8).

rhosc

adjective. brown

síla-

verb. to shine white

(g)lawar

root. golden light

Tolkien’s Elvish words for “gold” were fairly stable in his conception of the languages, resembling Q. laurë and S. glaur for most of his life. The main exception was the Early Noldorin and Gnomish forms of the 1910s and 20s, which were ᴱN./G. glôr (PE13/144; GL/40). These early forms survived to some degree in Tolkien’s later conceptions, because in Sindarin compounds au often reduced to o, and thus the name Glorfindel “Golden-hair” retained the same form and meaning for Tolkien’s entire life despite the revision of G. glôr >> S. glaur.

Tolkien’s first primitive root for these words was ᴱ√LOU̯RI in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/51). This reflected the Early Qenya sound change whereby [[eq|[ei], [ou] became [ai], [au]]]; later on these ancient diphthongs usually became [ī], [ū]. In this earliest conception, the root and its derivatives referred to the physical substance of “gold”, though not quite its mundane nature: Tolkien said that ᴱQ. laure was the “mystical” or “magic” name of gold as opposed to its more mundane name ᴱQ. kulu (QL/42; LT1/100).

Tolkien introduced a new root ᴹ√GLAWAR or ᴹ√LAWAR for these words in The Etymologies of the 1930s, along with the modified form for its Noldorin derivative N. glaur (Ety/GLAW(-R), LÁWAR). Tolkien said that ᴹ✶laurē referred to the “light of the golden tree Laurelin” (Ety/LÁWAR), indicating a conceptual shift in the meaning of the root to “golden light or colour” rather than “mystical gold”. Indeed, in etymological notes Tolkien wrote sometime around 1960, Tolkien said of √LAWAR: “The application to gold of this stem was poetic and referred to colour primarily ... not to material (malta)” (PE17/159).

Tolkien’s representation of this root as both √GLAWAR and √LAWAR indicates some uncertainty on whether the initial gl- was from Common Eldarin or was only a later Ancient Telerin innovation. However, in later writings Tolkien typically represented the primitive word as ✶glawar(e) (PE17/17; PE21/80; VT41/10), and in the Outline of Phonology from the early 1950s Tolkien gave the Ancient Quenya word AQ. alaurē “sheen of gold” whose vowel augment arose from an abnormal vocalization of the ancient spirantalized initial g-: ✱glawarē > glaurē > ʒlaurē > alaurē (PE19/79). This strongly indicates the primitive root was √GLAWAR.

kul

root. golden-red, golden-red; [ᴱ√] gold

The root √KUL was connected to gold and gold-coloured things throughout Tolkien’s life but gradually shifted in meaning. The earliest form of this root was ᴱ√KULU “gold” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/49), but at this early stage it was connected to actual metallic gold as much as the colour, as opposed to ᴱQ. laure which was “magic” name of gold (LT1/100). In The Etymologies of the 1930s, ᴹ√KUL was first glossed “gold (metal)”, but was eventually revised to “golden-red” (replacing a rejected variant ᴹ√GUL), and metallic gold became ᴹQ. malta < ᴹ√SMAL “yellow” (Ety/SMAL) while ᴹQ. laure shifted in sense to “golden light” (Ety/GLAW(-R)).

Tolkien’s continued use of names like Q. Culúrien (S/38) and Q. culumalda “tree with hanging yellow blossoms (prob[ably] a laburnum)” (RC/626) indicate the continued validity of this root, though I suspect in later writings it primarily referred to a golden-red or orangish colour.

malnā

adjective. yellow, of golden colour

oio-maltinā

adjective. ever-golden

wanya

adjective. fair-haired (yellow to golden)

mal

root. gold, yellow, gold

This was the root for Elvish words meaning “yellow” for much of Tolkien’s life, though with some minor variations. It appeared as ᴱ√MALA “yellow” (usually mali-) in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. malina “yellow” and ᴱQ. malikon “amber” (QL/58). It also appeared in a list of M-roots at the end of that section (QL/63). It had derivatives in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon such as G. malon “yellow” and G. malthos “butter cup” (GL/56).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s it seems Tolkien first gave this root as ᴹ√MAL (EtyAC/MAL) but rejected this and replaced it with ᴹ√SMAL “yellow” (Ety/SMAL). It had derivatives like ᴹQ. malina/N. malen “yellow”, ᴹQ. malta/N. malt “gold (as metal)” and ᴹQ. malo/N. hmâl “pollen, yellow powder” (< ᴹ✶smalu), with some revisions in Noldorin forms as Tolkien vacillated on whether or not primitive sm- resulted in voiceless nasal hm- or a voiced nasal m-.

This √SMAL vs. √MAL variation seems to have continued into Tolkien’s later writings, as seen in Common Eldarin: Noun Structure from the early 1950s where ✶malu >> ✶smalu “dust, grit” (PE21/80), probably a later iteration of ᴹ✶smalu “pollen, yellow powder” from The Etymologies. But it seems Tolkien settled on √MAL as evidenced by the extended root √MALAT “gold” from The Shibboleth of Fëanor from 1968 (PM/366).

malat

root. gold

glaware

noun. sheen of gold

bani

adjective. fair

galab

root. flower

galmā

noun. flower

kalat

noun. light

karani

adjective. red

lot(h)

root. flower

This root and ones like it were connected to flowers for all of Tolkien’s life. The earliest manifestation of this root was ᴱ√LOHO or ᴱ√LO’O from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s; the entry for ᴱ√LOHO appears immediately below ᴱ√LO’O, and Tolkien indicates they are related roots, both extended from ᴱ√OLO “tip” (QL/55). These roots include derivatives like ᴱQ. lōte “flower”, ᴱQ. lotōrea “flourishing” and ᴱQ. lokta- “sprout, bud, put forth leaves or flowers”. There are also derivatives of these roots in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon: G. lost “blossom, bloom”, G. lothli “floret”, G. luitha- “to bloom” (GL/54-55), though G. lôs “flower” was said to be unrelated, connected to G. lass “leaf” instead (GL/55). ᴱQ. losse “rose” probably had a similar derivation (QL/56).

This confusion of √LOT(H) and √LOS carried forward into Tolkien’s later writings. In The Etymologies of the 1930s ᴹ√LOT(H) was given as the root for “flower” (Ety/LOT(H)), but this entry originally included a variant ᴹ√LOS (EtyAC/LOT(H)). Tolkien then said ᴹQ. losse “blossom” (< ᴹ√LOT(H)) was “usually, owing to association with olosse snow, only used of white blossom” (Ety/LOT(H)), where ᴹQ. olosse was derived from ᴹ√GOLOS “✱snow, white” (Ety/GOLÓS). This intermingling carried forward into etymological notes from the late 1950s or early 1960s, where Tolkien said (PE17/26):

> The stems √LŎS, √LOTH, √LOT are much entangled both for formal reasons, and because of actual associations of meaning (probably from beginning of Primitive Quendian and explaining the approach of the forms). Quenya word for “flower, a single bloom” is lóte, but S loth (< lotho/a), but Quenya also has lōs. Q. for snow is losse (S los).

These associations were also mentioned in etymological notes on roots for flowers from this same period, where Tolkien clarified that √LOT, √LOTH were the roots for “flower” and √LOS for “snow” (PE17/160-161). These roots were mentioned again in notes associated with The Rivers and Beacon-hills of Gondor from 1967-69 (VT42/18):

> S. loss is a derivative of (G)LOS “white”; but loth is from LOT. Sindarin used loss as a noun, but the strengthened form gloss as an adjective “(dazzling) white”. loth was the only derivative of LOT that it retained, probably because other forms of the stem assumed a phonetic shape that seemed inappropriate, or were confusible with other stems (such as LUT “float”), e.g. ✱lod, ✱lûd. loth is from a diminutive lotse and probably also from derivative lotta-.

In this last note, Tolkien seems to have abandoned √LOTH, explaining S. loth “flower” as derived from √LOT via ✱lotse. In any case, starting in the 1930s Tolkien was consistent that the roots for “flower” and “snow” were distinct but often confused, and that snow-words were derived from roots like √(G)LOS and flower words from roots like √LOT(H), though he waffled a bit on the exact details.

lotho/a

noun. flower

lotse

noun. flower

wanyā

adjective. fair

áse

noun. sunlight

glavarë

noun. golden light

cala

noun. light

galada

noun. tree

galla

noun. tree

lóri

noun. gold

galad

noun. tree

galad

noun. tree

>> Galadrim

galad

noun. tree

Derived from galadâ "great growth", "tree", applied to stout and spreading trees such as oaks and beeches (UT:266, Letters:426; in the latter source, the root GAL is defined as "grow", intransitive). It is interesting to notice that this word, given in a source much later than the Etymologies that provides most of the Nandorin material, nonetheless agrees well with the older words cited by Tolkien: again we see the loss of original final -â, whereas original post-vocalic d is unchanged as in the word edel.

nasar

adjective. red

tulka

adjective. yellow