gwath

noun. shadow, dim light, shadow, dim light, [N.] shade

A word for “shadow” but more accurately an area of “dim light”, since it was “not for the shadows of actual objects or persons cast by sun or moon or other lights” (VT42/9) but was used “in the sense of dim light, owing to cloud or mist, or in deep valleys” (UT/261). A cast shadow would be morchant “(lit.) dark shape” (VT42/9). Gwath was derived from the root √WATH.

Conceptual Development: N. gwath “shade” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s, already with the derivation given above (Ety/WATH).

gwath

noun. shade, shadow, dim light

gwath

noun. stain

gwathir

place name. River of Shadow

Old Sindarin name for the river Gwathló, a combination of gwath “shadow” and the lenited form of sîr “river” (UT/263).

gwathló

place name. Greyflood

The Sindarin name of the river “Greyflood” translated on the map of The Lord of the Rings (LotR/1082). This name is a combination of gwath “shadow” and l(h)ô “flood” (UT/263).

Conceptual Development: This name first appeared as N. Gwathlo with a short o on the draft maps of the Lord of the Rings from the 1940s (TI/304, 312).

gwathren

adjective. shadowy, dim

A word meaning “shadowy, dim” appearing in The Rivers and Beacon-hills of Gondor of the late 1960s, the adjectival form of gwath “shadow” (VT42/9).

Gwathló

noun. grey flood

gwath (“shade, shadow, dim light”) + lô (“shallow lake, fenland”)

gwathuirim

noun. shadowy people (Dunlendings)

gwath (“shade, shadow, dim light”) + ui (adjectival suffix) + rim (collective plural)

gwathui

adjective. *shadowy, of shadow

A word apparently meaning “✱shadowy” or “✱of shadow” appearing only as an element in the name Gwathuirim “Dunlendings” (PM/330).

gwathuirim

collective name. Dunlendings

Sindarin name of the Dunlendings (PM/330), apparently a combination of an otherwise unattested adjective gwathui “✱shadowy” and the class-plural suffix -rim.

gwathra-

verb. to overshadow, dim, veil, obscure

A verb meaning “overshadow, dim, veil, obscure” appearing in The Rivers and Beacon-hills of Gondor of the late 1960s, from the root √WATH (VT42/9).

gwathui

adjective. shadowy

gwathra-

verb. to overshadow, dim, veil, obscure

gwathren

adjective. shadowy, dim

gwathuirim

noun. The Dunlendings or People of Dunland

gwaith

people

gwaith (i **waith) (manhood, manpower, troop of able-bodied men, host, regiment, region; wilderness), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwaith**).

gwaith

people

(i ’waith) (manhood, manpower, troop of able-bodied men, host, regiment, region; wilderness), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwaith).

gwâth

shade

(noun) 1) gwâth (i **wâth; construct gwath) (shadow, dim light), pl. gwaith (in gwaith) (UT:261), 2) dae (i dhae) (shadow), no distinct pl. form except with article (i nae), 3) lûm (pl. luim**).

gwâth

shadow

(i ’wâth; construct gwath) (shade, dim light), pl. gwaith (in gwaith) (UT:261)

gwâth

shade

(i ’wâth; construct gwath) (shadow, dim light), pl. gwaith (in gwaith) (UT:261)

gwâth

dim light

(i ’wâth; construct gwath) (shadow, shade), pl. gwaith (in gwaith) (UT:261);

gwatha

soil

(verb) gwatha- (i **watha, in gwathar**) (stain)

gwatha

stain

(verb) gwatha- (i **watha, in gwathar**) (soil)

gwathra

veil

(verb) gwathra- (i **wathra, in gwathrar**) (dim, obscure, overshadow)

gwathra

obscure

(verb) gwathra- (i **wathra, in gwathrar**) (dim, veil, overshadow

gwathra

overshadow

gwathra- (i **wathra, in gwathrar**) (dim, veil, obscure)

gwathra

dim

(verb) gwathra- (i **wathra, in gwathrar**) (overshadow, veil, obscure)

gwathren

dim

(adj.) gwathren (shadowy), lenited wathren; pl. gwethrin. (A lenited pl. is attested in the name Ered Wethrin, Shadowy Mountains.);

gwathuirim

dunland, people of

Gwathuirim (PM:330)

gwathuirim

people of dunland

Gwathuirim (”shadowy people”) (PM:330);

gwathuirim

shadowy people

(= people of Dunland) Gwathuirim (PM:330)

gwatha

soil

(i ’watha, in gwathar) (stain)

gwatha

stain

(i ’watha, in gwathar) (soil)

gwathra

veil

(i ’wathra, in gwathrar) (dim, obscure, overshadow)

gwathra

obscure

(i ’wathra, in gwathrar) (dim, veil, overshadow

gwathra

overshadow

(i ’wathra, in gwathrar) (dim, veil, obscure)

gwathra

dim

(i ’wathra, in gwathrar) (overshadow, veil, obscure)

gwathren

dim

(shadowy), lenited ’wathren; pl. gwethrin. (A lenited pl. is attested in the name Ered Wethrin, Shadowy Mountains.);

gwathren

shadowy

(dim), lenited ’wathren; pl. gwethrin. (A lenited pl. is attested in the name Ered Wethrin, Shadowy Mountains.)

gwathui

shadowy

(lenited ’wathui; no distinct pl. form)

gwathuirim

people of dunland

(”shadowy people”) (PM:330);

gwathuirim

shadowy people

(PM:330)

gwathuirim

dunland, people of

(PM:330)

rîf

noun. bark

A word for “bark” (or possibly “skin”) appearing only in the name S. Fladrif “Skinbark” (LotR/474).

Conceptual Development: Earlier “bark” words include G. padhwen “bark” (GL/63) and G. dafros “bark, skin, peel” (GL/29) from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, G. {daus >>} dâf “bark” in Gnomish Lexicon Slips (PE13/112), and ᴱN. {gwath “bark” >>} gwadh “bark, skin, peel” in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s (PE13/146).

gwass

stain

(noun) 1) gwass (i **wass, construct gwas), pl. gwais (in gwais), also gwath (i **wath), pl. gwaith (in gwaith), 2) (noun) maw (i vaw) (soil), pl. moe (i moe). Note: a homophone is an archaic word for ”hand”. 3) mael (i vael), no distinct pl. form except with article (i mael). Also as adj.

morchant

shadow

1) morchant (i vorchant), pl. morchaint (i morchaint). The literal meaning is ”dark shape”, referring to shadows with a recognizable form. 2) dae (i dhae) (shade), no distinct pl. form except with article (i nae). 3) daew (i dhaew), no distinct pl. form except with article (i ndaew) (VT45:8). 4) gwâth (i **wâth; construct gwath) (shade, dim light), pl. gwaith (in gwaith) (UT:261) 5) muil (i vuil) (twilight, dreariness, vagueness), no distinct pl. except with article (i muil**),

gwass

stain

(i ’wass, construct gwas), pl. gwais (in gwais), also gwath (i ’wath), pl. gwaith (in gwaith)

donn

shadowy

1) donn (black, swart, swarty, shady) (lenited dhonn, pl. dynn). (VT45:11). Also dunn- in compounds. 2) gwathren (dim), lenited wathren; pl. gwethrin. (A lenited pl. is attested in the name Ered Wethrin, Shadowy Mountains.) 3) gwathui (lenited wathui; no distinct pl. form)

neth

sister

1) neth (also used = ”girl”). (VT47:14-16, 33; VT48:6), pl. nith. Notice the homophone neth ”young”. Also nîth (no distinct pl. form though the plural article with show pluarlity when the noun is definite: in nîth) (VT47:14). 2) gwathel (i **wathel), pl. gwethil (in gwethil). 3) muinthel (i vuinthel), pl. muinthil (i muinthil), more usual than the shorter form thêl (stem thele-), pl. theli. In “Noldorin”, the pl. was thelei** (LR:392 s.v. THEL).

cêf

soil

(noun) 1) *cêf (i gêf, o chêf), pl. cîf (i chîf), coll. pl. cevath (suggested Sindarin forms of ”Noldorin” cef, pl. ceif). 2) maw (i vaw) (stain), pl. moe (i moe). Note: a homophone is an archaic word for ”hand”.

escal

veil

(noun) 1) escal (screen, cover that hides), pl. escail. Also spelt esgal (pl. esgail). 2) fân (cloud, manifested body of a Vala), construct fan, pl. fain

gwaew

wind

1) gwaew (i **waew) (storm), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwaew), 2) sûl (i hûl), pl. suil (i suil**). Note: a homophone means ”goblet”.

hethu

obscure

_(adjective) _1) *hethu (foggy, vague), analogical pl. hethy; lenited chethu. Cited in archaic form hethw (LR:364 s.v. KHIS, KHITH). 2) doll (dark, dusky, misty), lenited noll, pl. dyll. Note: In ”Noldorin”, this word appeared as dolt as well as doll, but the latter seems the best form in S.

dae

noun. shadow

dae

noun. shadow, shadow (cast by an object or form), [N.] shade

esgal

noun. veil, screen, cover that hides

fain

dim

adj. dim, dimmed (applied to dimmed or fading lights or to things seen in them); filmy, fine-woven, etc. (applied to things that only partially screened light, such as a canopy of young still half-transparent leaves, or textures that veiled but only half-concealed a form).

fanha-

verb. to veil

v. to veil, cloak. Q. fanta-. Naturally mainly used of veils cast over things that shone, or were brighter and more vivid.

fân

noun. veil

fân

noun. cloud (applied to clouds, floating as veils over the blue sky or the sun or moon, or resting on hills)

guruthos

noun. the shadow of death, death-horror

gwae

wind

_ n. _wind. Tolkien also notes "WAKH in wagme > gwaew, gwae" (PE17:34). Q. vea. >> gwaew

gwae

noun. wind

The normal Sindarin word for “wind”, usually appearing as gwae but sometimes as gwaew, most frequently derived from √WAY “blow” but also a bewildering variety of other roots (NM/237; PE17/33-34, 189); see the entry for √WĀ for further discussion.

Conceptual Development: The earliest form of this word was G. gwâ “wind” from both Gnomish Grammar and Gnomish Lexicon from the 1910s (GG/14; GL/43). The form ᴱN. gwá “wind” reappeared in Early Noldorin Word-lists from the 1920s (MC/217), but in the Nebrachar poem from circa 1930 the form was gwaew “wind” (MC/217). It was N. gwaew “wind” in The Etymologies of the 1930s from the root ᴹ√WAIWA (Ety/WĀ), and appeared a number of times in later writings as both gwae and (more rarely) gwaew, as noted above.

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I prefer using only gwae for “wind”, reserving gwaew for “storm”.

gwaew

wind

_ n. _wind. Tolkien also notes "WAKH in wagme > gwaew, gwae" (PE17:34). >> gwae

lum

noun. shade

morchant

noun. shadow (of objects, cast by light), dark shape

neth

noun. sister

neth

noun. girl (in her teens, approaching the adult)

nethel

noun. sister

A word for “sister” coined by Tolkien in notes on Eldarin Hands, Fingers and Numerals from the late 1960s, based on the root √NETH of similar meaning and replacing the archaic form of the word †nîth (VT47/12, 14). The diminutive/affectionate form nethig “[little] sister” was used as a play name for the fourth finger (VT48/6); Tolkien considered an alternate diminutive netheg (VT47/14, 32) and also considered giving this diminutive an alternate meaning “little girl” (VT47/15, 33); see S. neth for discussion.

Conceptual Development: The Etymologies of the 1930s had N. thêl “sister” from the root ᴹ√THEL or THELES (Ety/THEL), and the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had G. hethir “sister” from the early root ᴱ√HESE [HEÞE] (GL/48; QL/40). See those entries for discussion.

nethig

noun. "litte sister"

First given in the manuscript as netheg in VT/47:14-15, but see especially VT/48:17 n. 13 for discussion

nethig

noun. ring finger (Elvish play-name used by and taught to children)

First given in the manuscript as netheg in VT/47:14-15, but see especially VT/48:17 n. 13 for discussion

nîth

noun. sister

nîth

noun. sister

rîf

noun. bark

sûl

noun. wind

sûl

noun. wind, [strong] wind, *gust

A noun for “wind” appearing in names like Amon Sûl, derived from the root √SŪ “blow, move with audible sound (of air)” (NM/237; PE17/124).

Conceptual Development: A precursor to this word is G. saul “great wind” from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/67), derived from the early root ᴱ√SUHYU “air, breath, exhale, puff” as suggested by Christopher Tolkien (LT1A/Súlimo; QL/86).

Neo-Sindarin: Given its connection to the sound of wind, I think sûl would be used mostly for strong or noisy wind, including (but not limited to) gusts of wind, as opposed to more ordinary (and less noisy) gwae “wind”. This notion is supported by its Gnomish precursor G. saul “great wind”.

auth

dim shape

(spectral or vague apparition), pl. oeth, coll. pl. othath. Note: a homophone means "war, battle".

cêf

soil

(i gêf, o chêf), pl. cîf (i chîf), coll. pl. cevath (suggested Sindarin forms of ”Noldorin” cef, pl. ceif).

dae

shadow

(i dhae) (shade), no distinct pl. form except with article (i nae).

dae

shade

(i dhae) (shadow), no distinct pl. form except with article (i nae)

daew

shadow

(i dhaew), no distinct pl. form except with article (i ndaew) (VT45:8).

denwaith

people of denwe

(WJ:385);

donn

shadowy

(black, swart, swarty, shady) (lenited dhonn, pl. dynn). (VT45:11). Also dunn- in compounds.

dúath

dark shadow

(i dhúath) (nightshade), pl. dúaith (i núaith). Compare the Ephel Dúath or ”Mountains of Shadow” forming th outer fence of Mordor, perhaps suggesting that Dúath is also the word used of Sauron as ”the Shadow”.

escal

veil

(screen, cover that hides), pl. escail. Also spelt esgal (pl. esgail).

fuin

nightshade

(gloom, darkness, night, dead of night); no distinct pl. form.

fân

veil

(cloud, manifested body of a Vala), construct fan, pl. fain

galadhrim

people of the trees

(Elves of Lórien)

gwaen

stained

(lenited ’waen; no distinct pl. form)

gwaeren

windy

(lenited ’waeren; pl. gwaerin)

gwaew

wind

(i ’waew) (storm), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwaew)

haradrim

people of the south

(southerners, southrons);

hethu

obscure

(foggy, vague), analogical pl. hethy; lenited chethu. Cited in archaic form hethw (LR:364 s.v. KHIS, KHITH). 2) doll (dark, dusky, misty), lenited noll, pl. dyll. Note: In ”Noldorin”, this word appeared as dolt as well as doll, but the latter seems the best form in S.

iathrim

people of doriath

(”Fence-people”) (WJ:378);

ilphen

 noun. everyone

il- (every/all) + pen (someone/somebody).

lûm

shade

(pl. luim).

mael

stain

(i vael), no distinct pl. form except with article (i mael). Also as adj.

mael

stained

(lenited vael; no distinct pl. form). Note: a homophone means ”lust”. Another adj.

maw

soil

(i vaw) (stain), pl. moe (i moe). Note: a homophone is an archaic word for ”hand”.

maw

stain

(i vaw) (soil), pl. moe (i moe). Note: a homophone is an archaic word for ”hand”.

morchant

shadow

(i vorchant), pl. morchaint (i morchaint). The literal meaning is ”dark shape”, referring to shadows with a recognizable form.

muil

shadow

(i vuil) (twilight, dreariness, vagueness), no distinct pl. except with article (i muil)

pasta-

verb. to shake, wag, nod, flap

rohirrim

people of rohan

(Gondorian pronunciation of Rochirrim; see

sûl

wind

(i hûl), pl. suil (i suil). Note: a homophone means ”goblet”.