valin

happy

valin adj. "happy" (LT1:272, ). This word, as well as valima and vald-, connect with Tolkien's early concept of Valar meaning "happy ones". Since the term Valar was later reinterpreted as "the Powers", the conceptual validity of these terms for "happy" depends on whether the bliss associated with the Valar and Valinor is regarded as sufficient to give them a secondary justification.

herenya

fortunate, wealthy, blessed, rich

herenya adj. "fortunate, wealthy, blessed, rich" (KHER)

alassë

joy, merriment

alassë (1) noun "joy, merriment" (GALÁS) [VT42:32; a gloss "mirth" was deleted, VT45:14]

alassëa

`Cな#,F`C adjective. happy, joyous

Alassë (joy/merriment) + -a (adjectival suffix)

valima

adjective. happy

valima adj. "happy" (QL:99). See valin.

Use alassëa instead.

alassëa

adjective. joyful, happy, *merry

Cognates

• ᴺS. glassui “joyful, happy”

Elements

Word	Gloss
alassë	“happiness, happiness, [ᴹQ.] joy, merriment”

gelir

noun. merry, happy, gay person

gelir

masculine name. Merry

Sindarin translation of the name of Sam’s son Merry, appearing in Tolkien’s unpublished epilogue to The Lord of the Rings and in the King’s Letter (SD/126, 129). Most likely this name is an elaboration of [N.] gell “joy”.

Conceptual Development: In drafts of the epilogue, this name was initially (rejected) Riben (SD/117).

Element in

• S. ar Iorhael, Gelir, Cordof, ar Baravorn, ionnath dîn “and Frodo, Merry, Pippin and Hamfast his sons” ✧ AotM/062; SD/129

gelir

adjective. merry

Sindarin translation of the name of Sam’s son Merry, appearing in Tolkien’s unpublished epilogue to The Lord of the Rings and in the King’s Letter from the early 1950s (SD/126, 129). This word is apparently an adjective, most likely an elaboration of [N.] gell “joy”. In Didier Willis’s Sindarin Dictionary, it is suggested this word might instead be a noun, an agental formation meaning “✱merry person” (HSD/gelir).

Conceptual Development: In the Gnomish Lexicon from the 1910s, the word for “merry” was G. dairog (GL/29), likely derived from ᴱ√TYALA “play”. This was revised to G. dairion in the “Gnomish Lexicon Slips” (PE13/112) and again to ᴱN. gair in Early Noldorin word lists from the 1920s (PE13/141, 143). This last change probably also reflects a new root, though exactly what this root might be is unclear. There isn’t a clear connection between these early forms and later gelir beyond a superficial resemblance of form.

Element in

• S. Gelir “Merry” ✧ SD/129

Elements

Word	Gloss
gell	“joy, triumph, (?victory), joy, triumph”

Variations

• Gelir ✧ SD/129

glassui

xな,DhJ adjective. happy, joyful

Glass (joy) + -ui (full, having quality)

glassui

adjective. joyful, happy

Cognates

• ᴺQ. alassëa “joyful, happy, *merry”

Elements

Word	Gloss
glass	“joy, *happiness”

glaich

adjective. merry, joyous, happy

@@@ from ✱g(a)las-yā

Derivations

• ᴹ√GALAS “joy, be glad”
  • ᴹ√GAL “grow, thrive” ✧ Ety/GALA

gell

joy

(i ’ell) (triumph), pl. gill (i ngill = i ñill).

glass

joy

1) glass (i **lass, constuct glas), pl. glais (in glais), 2) gell (i **ell) (triumph), pl. gill (i ngill = i ñill).

glass

joy

(i ’lass, constuct glas), pl. glais (in glais)

gelir

merry

(attested as the S equivalent of the name Merry) gelir (lenited elir; no distinct pl. form).

gelir

merry

(lenited ’elir; no distinct pl. form).

glas

noun. joy

glas

noun. joy

glass

noun. joy

riben

masculine name. Merry

Changes

• Riben → Gelir “Merry” ✧ SD/117
• Riben → Gelir “Merry” ✧ SDI1/Gelir
• Riben → Gelir “Merry” ✧ SDI1/Riben

gell

noun. joy, triumph