Haldir

noun. Haldir

prop. n.

Haldir

noun. hidden hero

hal (from haltha- “screen”) + dîr (“man, adult male”)

haldir

masculine name. Haldir

Silvan Elf of Lórien (LotR/343). The meaning of this name is unclear, but it might be a combination of [N.] hall “hidden” and dîr “man”.

Conceptual Development: This name is also shared by a man of the Edain from the First Age, Ed. Haldir, as well as a (rejected) son of Orodreth N. Haldir; the derivation above comes for that of the son of Orodreth (Ety/DER, SKAL¹). As applied to this Silvan Elf, this name first appeared in Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s as N. Hathaldir, revised to Halldir and finally Haldir (TI/262).

Elements

Word	Gloss
hall	“veiled, hidden, shadowed, shady”
dîr	“man, man, [N.] adult male; agental suffix”

Haldir

Haldir

Tolkien explained the name Haldir as Sindarin for "Hidden Hero", though this Haldir refers to the (later omitted) son of Orodreth.

haldir

masculine name. Hidden Hero

The son of Orodreth in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (LR/147). In The Etymologies, this name was glossed “Hidden Hero” and given as a combination of hall “hidden” and dîr “man” (Ety/DER, Ety/SKAL¹).

Conceptual Development: This character was first named ᴱN. Halmir in the Lays of Beleriand from the 1920s (LB/75), and the name Halmir also appeared in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s before changing to Haldir (LR/147). In The Etymologies, his name was initially derived from (rejected) haldir “fur-hunter” (EtyAC/SKEL), and Tolkien also considered deriving it from the root ᴹ√KHAL “uplift” (Ety/KHAL²). The son of Orodreth did not appear in later versions of the Silmarillion, but the name Haldir was reused for several other characters.

Changes

• Halmir → Haldir ✧ LR/147
• Halmir → Haldir ✧ LRI/Halmir

Elements

Word	Gloss
hall	“veiled, hidden, shadowed, shady”
dîr	“man, adult male; agental suffix”

Variations

• Halmir ✧ EtyAC/KHAL² (Halmir); LR/147; LRI/Halmir; SMI/Halmir
• Haldir¹ ✧ WJI/Haldir¹

haldir

noun. fur-hunter

Element in

• N. Haldir “Hidden Hero” ✧ EtyAC/SKEL (Haldir)

halldir

masculine name. Halldir

Changes

• Halldir → Haldir ✧ TI/262
• Hathaldir → Halldir ✧ TI/262

Variations

• Hathaldir ✧ TI/262; TII/Hathaldir
• Haldir ✧ TI/262; TII/Haldir