ilwë

sky, heavens

ilwë noun "sky, heavens" (LT1:255), "the middle air among the stars" (LT1:273). VT49:51, 53 also mentions an obscure prononominal element ilwë.

ilwen

feminine name. Ilwen

A possible wife of Q. Ingwë in some 1959 notes (NM/128).

Ilweran

rainbow

Ilweran, Ilweranta noun "rainbow" (GL:74) (The Etymologies gives helyanwë.)

Ilweran

ilweran

The literal translation is "Bridge of Heaven".

ilmen

Ilmen

Christopher Tolkien has noted that Ilmen is related to such words as Ilmarë and Ilmarin.

inquë

pronoun. thou-and-I (emphatic)

Yón

region, any (fairly extensive) region between obstacles such as rivers or mountains

yón (2), variant of yondë, q.v. Defined as "a region, any (fairly extensive) region _between obstacles such as rivers or mountains" (PE17:43)_

hellë

sky

hellë noun "sky" (3EL; a distinct word hellë "frost" was struck out, see KHEL.)

helyanwë

rainbow

helyanwë noun "rainbow", lit. "sky-bridge" (3EL)

iluquinga

rainbow

iluquinga ("q") noun "rainbow" (LT2:348)

ména

region

ména noun "region" (MEN). Not to be confused with the present/continuative tense of #men- "go".

yón

noun. region

Ilwen

gil

_ (LR:358) and would then have the form Ilwen (Ilwith) when lenited. But in a later source, Tolkien cited the relevant root as _Ñ

Ilwen

gil

_ (LR:358), and the lenited forms would thus be Ilwen, Ilwith. But in a later source, Tolkien cited the relevant root as _Ñ

Gilwen

ilmen

(Quenya: the region of stars) Gilwen, also Gilith. In one late source, Tolkien cited the relevant root as _Ñ

gilwen

ilmen

also Gilith. In one late source, Tolkien cited the relevant root as ÑGIL (MR:388) and the lenited form would then be Ngilwen (Ngilwith). (In the Etymologies, the root was given as GIL, and the lenited form would then be ’Ilwen / ’Ilwith.)

Ngilwen

gil

_ (MR:388) and the lenited form would then be Ngilwen (Ngilwith). (In the Etymologies, the root was given as GIL, and the lenited form would then be Ilwen / Ilwith.)

Ngilwen

gil

_ (MR:388), and the lenited form would then be Ngilwen (Ngilwith).

Ngilwen

gil

_ (MR:388), and the lenited form would then be Ngilwen (Ngilwith).

gilwen

region of stars

(Quenya Ilmen), also Gilith. In the Etymologies, this word is derived from a root GIL (LR:358) and would then have the form ’Ilwen (’Ilwith) when lenited. But in a later source, Tolkien cited the relevant root as ÑGIL (MR:388), and the lenited form would then be Ngilwen (Ngilwith).

Menel

noun. sky, high heaven, firmament, the region of the stars

ardhon

noun. great region, province

ardhon

noun. world

eiliant

noun. rainbow

See ianu and iant for a discussion

gardh

noun. bounded or defined region

gardh

noun. world

gardh

noun. region

gil

noun. gil

n. -.

ninniach

noun. rainbow

ninniach

noun. rainbow

A noun for “rainbow” in the name Cirith Ninniach “Rainbow Cleft” (S/238). Ninniach “rainbow” is perhaps a combination of the S. nîn “watery” and S. iach “ford”, perhaps a metaphorical ford of water across the sky. The long nn in the initial element ninn- is tricky to explain, but might be an example of an exchange of a long vowel īn with a long consonant inn; hat-tip to Elaran for this suggestion.

Conceptual Development: The name Cirith Ninniach (and hence the word for “rainbow”) went through quite a few changes. The earliest iteration of the name was G. Cris a Teld Quing Ilon “Gully of the Rainbow Roof” (PE15/21) so that quing ilon “✱bow of heaven” was “rainbow”, but this was quickly revised to G. Cris Ilbranteloth which was the form used in the early narratives (LT2/150, 202). G. ilbrant “rainbow” appeared in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s with variant ilvrant (GL/50). By popular etymology, this was connected to G. brant “bow”, but that was not correct (GL/24). The second element was actually G. rantha “bridge” (GL/65), and the b came from its initial element G. ilbar “heaven[s]” (GL/50), so it literally meant “✱heaven-bridge”.

In Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, the name of the pass was changed to N. Cris-Ilfing >> Cirith Helvin “Rainbow Cleft” (SM/141, 146). Both ilfing and helvin have unclear etymologies, but they are probably early iterations of N. eilian(w) “rainbow, (lit.) sky-bridge” from The Etymologies of the 1930s, a combination of ᴹ√ƷEL “sky” with N. ianw “bridge” (Ety/ƷEL, YAT), with variant elianw (EtyAC/YAT). Cirith Ninniach “Rainbow Cleft” emerged in Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s (WJ/256, 299).

Neo-Sindarin: Noldorin eilian(w) “sky-bridge” might be adapted into Neo-Sindarin as ᴺS. eiliant using later S. iant for “bridge”, as suggested in HSD (HSD), but I see no reason not to just use attested S. ninniach for “rainbow”.

region

noun. holly-tree area

[HKF] reg (Dor. regorn “holly tree”) + ion (Dor. gen. pl. suffix) = Dor. Regornion [Etym. ERÉK-]

aran

king of a region

(pl. erain)

ardh

region

1) ardh (realm), pl. erdh, also in augmented form ardhon (great region, great province, world), pl. erdhyn, coll. pl. ardhonnath. 2) dôr (i nôr, construct dor) (dwelling place, land), pl. dŷr (i ndŷr) (WJ:413), 3) gardh (i **ardh) (bounded or defined place), pl. gerdh (i ngerdh = i ñerdh), 4) gwaith (i **waith) (manhood, manpower, troop of able-bodied men, host, regiment, people, wilderness), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwaith).

ardh

region

(realm), pl. erdh, also in augmented form ardhon (great region, great province, world), pl. erdhyn, coll. pl. ardhonnath.

dôr

region

(i nôr, construct dor) (dwelling place, land), pl. dŷr (i ndŷr) (WJ:413)

eilian

rainbow

eilian (pl. eiliain). Archaic elianw (so the coll. pl. may be eilianwath).

eilian

rainbow

1) eilian (pl. eiliain). Archaic elianw, hence maybe coll. pl. eilianwath. 2) ninniach (pl. ninniaich). The word appears to mean *”slender-crossing”.

gardh

region

(i ’ardh) (bounded or defined place), pl. gerdh (i ngerdh = i ñerdh)

gwaith

region

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

ninniach

rainbow

(pl. ninniaich). The word appears to mean ✱”slender-crossing”.

eilian

noun. rainbow

See ianu and iant for a discussion

eilianw

noun. rainbow

See ianu and iant for a discussion

ell

noun. sky

An element meaning “sky” in several names from The Etymologies of the 1930s: N. Elfaron “Sky-hunter” (Ety/SPAR) and N. Elthoron “Eagle of the Sky” (Ety/THOR). It was derived from the root ᴹ√ƷEL “sky” which had an Old Noldorin form: ON. elle (Ety/ƷEL). However, Tolkien said “In Noldorin and Telerin this is confused with EL star”, implying that the word was not used in modern language; an earlier but rejected version of this entry had archaic N. †ell, el “sky” (EtyAC/ƷEL).

Neo-Sindarin: Despite the above statements, ell is probably the best attested option for “sky” in Neo-Sindarin, and I would use it as such, since it is in fact distinct from S. êl “star”, a word that is itself archaic/poetic versus more common S. gil.

gardā

noun. region

gil

root. GIL