dolen

adjective. hidden, hidden, [N.] secret

A word meaning “hidden”, often interpreted as element in the name Gondolin “Hidden Rock”, whose actual meaning was “Singing Stone” (SA/gond). In The Etymologies of the 1930s, N. dolen “hidden, secret” appeared as the passive participle of N. doltha- “conceal” under the root ᴹ√DUL “hide, conceal” (Ety/DUL).

Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had G. dôlin “a song” (GL/29).

torn

hidden

adj. hidden, secret. >> terech

garthúrian

place name. Hidden Realm

A region between the rivers Aros and Celon, so labeled in the Silmarillion map from the 1950s but not in the published Silmarillion (WJ/183). A late isolated note translates it as “Hidden Realm” and indicates that it is the Sindarin form from which Arthúrien is derived (WJ/189). Most likely it is a combination of gardh “realm”, thurin “hidden” and the suffix -ian(d) “land”.

Conceptual Development: In the earliest Lost Tales, G. Gar Thurion “Secret Place” was given as a name for Doriath (LT2/158), revised from earlier Gar Furion (LT2/202). In The Etymologies from the 1930s, Ilk. Garthurian is given as an Ilkorin name of Doriath, translated “Fenced Realm” or “Hidden Realm” (Ety/GAT(H), ƷAR, THUR). The name N. Arthurien is said to be a “half translation” of the Ilkorin name, matching the later modification of Sindarin Garthúrian into Arthúrien.

gondolin

place name. Hidden Rock, (originally) Singing Stone

The hidden city of the Noldor in Beleriand, translated “Hidden Rock”, an adaptation of its Quenya name Ondolindë “Rock of the Music of Water” (S/125). Tolkien stated that the name Gondolin was properly “neither Sindarin or Noldorin [Quenya]” (PE17/29), but the Sindarized name was reinterpretated as a combination of gond “stone” and dolen “hidden” (WJ/201).

Conceptual Development: The name G. Gondolin appeared in the earliest Lost Tales, but at this stage it was translated “Stone of Song” (LT2/158). This was the same meaning as its early Qenya name Ondolinda, with the second element being G. dólin “song” (GL/29, 41; LT1A/Gondolin). In The Etymologies from the 1930s, Tolkien revised the meaning of N. Gondolin to “heart of hidden rock” (Ety/DUL), setting the stage for the later derivation described above.

thurin

adjective. secret, hidden

An adjective meaning “secret” or “hidden” appearing in a number of names (UT/157, WJ/256). It is most likely derived from the root ᴹ√THUR (Ety/THUR). It’s unclear why the short u did not become y before i as was usual in Sindarin. Perhaps the u was originally long, as suggested by David Salo (GS/291).

Conceptual Development: Both this word and its Ilkorin precursor thúren seems to be elements of the name Garthurian “Hidden Realm”. As such, the earliest form of S. thurin might be Gnomish furion “secret, concealed” (GL/36) from the earliest versions of that name from the 1910s: G. Gar Furion or Gar Thurion “Secret Place”.

In the 1930s, Tolkien reconceived of these names as Ilk. Garthurian, clearly related to Ilk. thúren “guarded, hidden” as both were derived from the root ᴹ√THUR (Ety/THUR). The long ú in this Ilkorin word is another hint that the Sindarin development might have been similar, although it can’t be identical, because the Sindarin word shows no sign of the a-affection appearing in the Ilkorin form.

thuringud

masculine name. Hidden Foe

A name that Túrin assumed in Nargothrond translated “Hidden Foe” (WJ/256), a combination of thurin “secret, hidden” and the lenited form of cûd “foe”, the latter element suggested by Patrick Wynne (VT49/25).

torn

adjective. hidden, secret

An adjective from etymological notes written around 1964 (DD) with the glosses “hidden, secret” derived from √TOR “secrete, hide”, appearing in an explanation of the name Torech Ungol “Shelob’s Lair” (PE17/188).

Haldir

noun. hidden hero

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

arthórien

place name. Hidden Realm

A region between the rivers Aros and Celon, so labeled in the Silmarillion map from the 1950s but not in the published Silmarillion (WJ/183). It is also mentioned in Tolkien’s unfinished expansion of the Tale of the Children of Húrin (UT/77). A late isolated note indicates that Arthúrien (with a ú) was a name used by the Noldor, which was derived from the proper Sindarin form Garthúrian (WJ/189). The name is clearly not Quenya, so perhaps it is Noldorized Sindarin, dropping the initial g.

Conceptual Development: In The Etymologies from the 1930s, N. Arthoren is said to be a translation of Ilk. Garthurian, beside the “half translation” Arthurien (Ety/GAT(H), ƷAR, THUR), matching the later modification of Sindarin Garthúrian into Arthúrien/Arthórien.

dolen

hidden

1. dolen (secret), lenited dholen, pl. dolin. Archaic daulen. 2) hall (veiled, shadowed, shady); lenited chall; pl. hail. Note: a homophone means ”high, exalted”, 3) thoren (guarded, fenced), pl. thorin, 4) thurin (secret); no distinct pl. form_.

dolen

hidden

(secret), lenited dholen, pl. dolin. Archaic daulen.

hall

hidden

(veiled, shadowed, shady); lenited chall; pl. hail. Note: a homophone means ”high, exalted”

thoren

hidden

(guarded, fenced), pl. thorin

thurin

hidden

(secret); no distinct pl. form

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).

thurin

masculine name. Secret

A name that Finduilas gave to Túrin translated “Secret” (UT/157), simply the adjective thurin “secret, hidden” used as a name.

dollon

noun. phoneme, underlying sound, (lit.) hidden-sound

A neologism coined by Ellanto posted on 2024-05-07 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), a combination of ᴹ√(N)DUL “hide, conceal” and lhôn “sound”.

Haldir

Haldir

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

dolen

secret

(hidden), lenited dholen, pl. dolin

hall

veiled

hall (hidden, shadowed, shady); lenited chall; pl. hail. Note: a homophone means ”high, exalted”.

hall

veiled

(hidden, shadowed, shady); lenited chall; pl. hail. Note: a homophone means ”high, exalted”.

thoren

guarded

thoren (fenced, hidden), pl. thorin

thoren

guarded

(fenced, hidden), pl. thorin

thurin

secret

(adjective) 1) thurin (hidden); no distinct pl. form, 2) dolen (hidden), lenited dholen, pl. dolin;

thurin

secret

(hidden); no distinct pl. form

Haldir

noun. Haldir

prop. n.

dúath

adjective. dark

_ adj. _dark, black shadow.

dûr

adjective. dark, sombre

dûr

dark

_ adj. _dark, gloomy, 'hellish'.

hûl

noun. secret

A noun for “secret” appearing in notes on the Common Eldarin Article (CEA) from 1969 (PE23/136). It could be based on √SKOL “shut, close”, but this root appeared almost a decade earlier and the meanings don’t quite fit.

tirnen

noun. guarded

tirnen

adjective. guarded

angol

deep lore

(magic), pl. engyl. Note: a homophone means "stench".

doll

dark

doll (dusky, misty, obscure), 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.

doll

dark

(dusky, misty, obscure), 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.

dúath

dark shadow

(i dhúath) (nightshade), pl. dúaith (i núaith);

dûr

dark

dûr (sombre), lenited dhûr, pl. duir

dûr

dark

(sombre), lenited dhûr, pl. duir

falch

deep cleft

(ravine[?]), pl. felch;

golu

secret lore

(i ngolu = i ñolu, o n’golu = o ñgolu) (secret lore), analogical pl. gely (in gely = i ñgely) if there is a pl. Archaic golw, hence golwath as the likely coll. pl. 

graurim

dark people

(VT45:16);

graw

dark

graw (swart), lenited raw, pl. groe. (VT45:16)

graw

dark

(swart), lenited ’raw, pl. groe. (VT45:16)

guldur

dark sorcery

(i nguldur = i ñuldur), pl. gyldyr (in gyldyr = i ñgyldyr)

gwathra

obscure

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

gwathra

obscure

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

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.

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.

im

deep vale

(dell), no distinct pl. form (though the pl. article in will mark the word as pl. when definite). The word typically occurs, not by itself, but in compounds like imlad, imloth, imrath, imrad (VT45:18, VT47:19)

imlad

deep valley, narrow valley with steep sides

(glen), pl. imlaid;

maeg

going deep in

(lenited vaeg; no distinct pl. form) (sharp, penetrating). (WJ:337);

morn

dark

morn (black), pl. myrn, lenited vorn. Note: the latter word is also used as a noun ”darkness, night”. (Letters:386)

morn

dark

(black), pl. myrn, lenited vorn. Note: the latter word is also used as a noun ”darkness, night”. (Letters:386)

môr

dark

môr (black), lenited vôr, pl. mŷr (Letters:382), also

môr

dark

(black), lenited vôr, pl. m**ŷr* (Letters:382)*, also

tofn

deep

tofn (lenited dofn; pl. tyfn) (low, low-lying), also nûr (pl. nuir). Note: homophones of the latter mean ”sad” and ”race”.

tofn

deep

(lenited dofn; pl. tyfn) (low, low-lying), also nûr (pl. nuir). Note: homophones of the latter mean ”sad” and ”race”.

tovn

adjective. lowlying, deep, low

tûm

deep valley

tum- (i** dûm, o thûm, construct tum), pl. t**uim (i** thuim**)

foina

hidden

foina adj. "hidden" (LT2:340)

furin

hidden, concealed

furin adj. "hidden, concealed" (also hurin, which form may be preferred in a LotR-compatible form of Quenya) (LT2:340)

halda

veiled, hidden, shadowed, shady

halda adj. "veiled, hidden, shadowed, shady" (opposed to helda "stripped bare") (SKAL1, VT46:13)

hurin

hidden, concealed

hurin adj. "hidden, concealed" (also furin) (LT2:340)

muina

hidden, secret

muina adj. "hidden, secret" (MUY)

utumno

place name. Deep-hidden

The first underground stronghold of Morgoth (S/36), translated as “Deep-hidden” and derived from the ancient form ✶Utupnu (MR/69). As pointed out by Helge Fauskanger (QQ/Utumno), this primitive form implies that its stem form is ✱Utumnu-.

Conceptual Development: In the earliest Lost Tales, this name appeared as ᴱQ. Utumna (LT1/69), probably an elaboration of ᴱQ. tumna “dark or hidden” from the root ᴱ√TUM(B)U (LTA1/Utumna, QL/95). In Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, it changed to ᴹQ. Utumno (LR/238), and this name also appeared in The Etymologies as a derivative of the root ᴹ√TUB from the ancient form ᴹ✶Utubnu (Ety/TUB). In Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s, Tolkien revised its derivation to the one given above (MR/69).

In The Silmarillion appendix (SA/tum), Christopher Tolkien connected this name to tumbo “deep valley”, but this is more consistent with the 1930s derivation from The Etymologies (ᴹ✶Utubnu < ᴹ√TUB “✱deep”) than the later derivation from the 1950s (✶Utupnu < √TUP “cover over”). @@@ 1950s development reflects older phonetic-rule pn > bn rathern an pn > pt.

Utumno

very deep

Utumno (stem *Utumnu*-), place-name, the first great stronghold of Melkor in the North (SA:tum, TUB). The etymology apparently has something to do with "very deep" or "very hidden"; the phrase "Utumno the Deep-hidden" in MR:67 may include a rough translation of the name. This later source derives the name from a root meaning "cover over, hide", whereas in Etym it was derived from the root TUB having to do with low-lying things. Whether the primitive form is ¤Utubnu as in Etym (TUB) or ¤Utupnu as in MR:69, the stem-form would be Utumnu**-.

moina

safe, secure

moina (2) adj. "safe, secure" (GL:58; this "Qenya" word is evidently obsoleted by # 1 above. This second moina seems to reappear as muina "hidden, secret" in Tolkien's later Quenya.)

tumna

lowlying, deep, low

tumna adj. "lowlying, deep, low" (TUB); early "Qenya" glosses: "deep, profound, dark or hidden" (LT1:269, 271)

hróva

dark, dark brown

hróva adj. "dark, dark brown", used to refer to hair (PE17:154)

lomba

secret

lomba adj.or noun "secret" (LT1:255)

lóna

dark

?lóna (4) adj. "dark" (DO3/DŌ). If this is to be the cognate of "Noldorin"/Sindarin dûr, as the context seems to indicate, lóna is likely a misreading for *lóra in Tolkien's manuscript.

lún

deep

lún adj.??? a word of obscure meaning, perhaps "deep" as used of water (VT48:28)

lúna

dark

lúna adj. *"dark" in Lúnaturco and Taras Lúna, Quenya names of Barad-dûr (Dark Tower). (PE17:22). In the Etymologies, lúnë "blue" was changed by Tolkien from lúna (VT45:29).

lúrëa

dark, overcast

lúrëa adj. "dark, overcast" (LT1:259)

mori-

dark, black

mori- "dark, black" in a number of compounds (independent form morë, q.v.):Morimando "Dark Mando" = Mandos (MBAD, VT45:33), morimaitë "black-handed" (LotR3:VI ch. 6, VT49:42). Moriquendi "Dark Elves" (SA:mor, WJ:361, 373), Moringotto "Black Foe", Sindarin Morgoth, later name of Melkor. The oldest form is said to have been Moriñgotho (MR:194). In late material, Tolkien is seen to consider both Moringotto and Moricotto _("k") _as the Quenya form of the name Morgoth (VT49:24-25; Moricotto also appears in the ablative, Moricottollo). Morion "the dark one", a title of Morgoth (FS). Morifinwë "dark Finwë", masc. name; he was called Caranthir in Sindarin (short Quenya name Moryo). (PM:353) In the name Morinehtar, translated "Darkness-slayer", the initial element is defined would thus seem to signify "darkness" rather than "dark" as an adjective (see mórë). (PM:384, 385)

morna

dark, black

morna adj. "dark, black" (Letters:282, LT1:261; also used of black hair, PE17:154), or "gloomy, sombre" (MOR). Used as noun in the phrase mi…morna of someone clad "in…black" (PE17:71). In tumbalemorna (Letters:282), q.v. Pl. mornë in Markirya**(the first version of this poem had "green rocks", MC:215, changed to ondolisse mornë** "upon dark rocks" in the final version; see MC:220, note 8).

morĭ

adjective. dark

PQ. dark

móri

dark

móri adj. "dark" (MC:221; this is "Qenya"; in Tolkien's later Quenya mórë, morë)

nulda

secret

nulda adj. "secret" (DUL)

nulla

dark, dusky, obscure

nulla adj. "dark, dusky, obscure" (NDUL), "secret" (DUL). See also VT45:11.

núla

dark, occult, mysterious

núla ("ñ")adj. "dark, occult, mysterious" (PE17:125)

núra

deep

núra adj. "deep" (NŪ)

ulca

adjective. dark

dark, gloomy, sinister

varna

safe, protected, secure

varna adj. "safe, protected, secure" (BAR)

ardholen

place name. Hidden Realm

A Noldorin equivalent of Ilk. Garthurian “Fenced Realm, Hidden Realm” appearing in The Etymologies from the 1930s (Ety/GAT(H)). It seems to be a combination of ardh “realm” and the lenited form of dolen “hidden”. The related name Arthoren has a different meaning: “Fenced Realm”

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.

hall

adjective. veiled, hidden, shadowed, shady

An adjective in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “veiled, hidden, shadowed, shady” derived from the primitive ᴹ✶skalnā > ON. skhalla under the root ᴹ√SKAL “screen, hide (from light), overshadow” (Ety/SKAL¹).

dolen

adjective. hidden, secret

doll

adjective. obscure, dark, dusky, hidden, secret

gondolin

place name. Heart of Hidden Rock

dolen

noun. concealed, hidden

hall

adjective. veiled, hidden, shadowed, shady

thurin

adjective. secret, hidden

arthoren

place name. Fenced Realm

A Noldorin translation of Ilk. Garthurian “Fenced Realm, Hidden Realm” appearing in The Etymologies from the 1930s along with numerous variations (Ety/ƷAR|GARAT, THUR). It seems to be a combination of ardh “realm” and thoren “fenced”, as indicated by the variant forms Ardh-thoren or Ar(ð)thoren. A third variation, Arthurien is said to be a half translation or Noldorization of Ilk. Garthurian. A fourth variation, Ardholen seems to have a different meaning: “Hidden Realm” (Ety/GAT(H)).

muin

adjective. secret

tofn

adjective. lowlying, deep, low

An adjective appearing as N. tofn “lowlying, deep, low” in The Etymologies of the 1930s, derived from ᴹ✶tubnā “deep” under the root ᴹ√TUB (Ety/TUB).

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would adapt this word as ᴺS. tovn “lowlying, deep, low” to better fit Sindarin orthography.

doll

adjective. dark, dusky, obscure

dolt

adjective. dark, dusky, obscure

dolt

adjective. obscure

dûr

adjective. dark, sombre

dûr

adjective. dark

nûr

adjective. deep

nûr

adjective. deep

tirnen

adjective. guarded

tofn

adjective. lowlying, deep, low

búrz

adjective. dark

búrz

adjective. dark

dom

root. dark, dark, [ᴹ√] faint, dim

This root was the basis for the main Elvish words for “dusk, night”, which was established as Q. lómë in Quenya for most of Tolkien’s life. The earliest form of this root was ᴱ√LOMO in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, unglossed but with various derivatives having to do with “dusk” and “shadow” (QL/55). One notable derivative was ᴱQ. lóme “dusk, gloom, darkness”, which survived in Tolkien’s later writings as “night” and in the 1910s was the basis for ᴱQ. Hisilóme/G. Hithlum “Shadowy Twilights”. Another notable derivative was G. lómin “shady, shadowy, gloomy; gloom(iness)” (GL/45) used in the name G. Dor Lómin, which in the 1910s was translated as “Land of Shadow” (LT1/112).

The “shadow” meaning of this early root seems to have transferred to ᴹ√LUM from The Etymologies of the 1930s, which served as the new basis for N. Hithlum (Ety/LUM), as opposed contemporaneous N. Dor-lómen which was redefined as “Land of Echoes (< ᴹ√LAM via Ilkorin or in later writings, via North Sindarin). The “dusk” sense was transferred to a new root ᴹ√DOM “faint, dim”, which (along with ᴹ√DOƷ) was the basis for the pair words ᴹQ. lóme/N. dû “night” (Ety/DOMO).

These two words for “night” survived in Tolkien’s later writing in both Quenya and Sindarin (Let/308; SA/dú). In notes from the 1940s Tolkien clarified that it “has no evil connotations; it is a word of peace and beauty and has none of the associations of fear or groping that, say, ‘dark’ has for us” (SD/306). The Elves were quite comfortable being under the night sky, dating back to the time when the Elves lived under the stars before the rising of the Sun and the Moon. The root √DOM reappeared in etymologies for star-words from the late 1950s or early 1960s (PE17/152). It appeared again in some very late notes from 1969 where it was glossed “dark” and served as the basis for words meaning “blind” as well as “night”, though this paragraph was rejected (PE22/153, note #50).

mornā

adjective. dark

du Reconstructed

root. dark