lith

noun. ash, ash; [N.] sand

A noun for “ash” appearing as an element in names like Lithlad “Plain of Ashes” (RC/457) and Dor-nu-Fauglith “Land under Choking Ash” (WJ/239-240), as well as in the adjective lithui “ashy, ashen” (RGEO/66, RC/765). It is translated as “dust” in the name Anfauglith “Gasping Dust” (S/150), but since this is the name for Ard-galen after the region was burned by the forces of Morgoth, this may simply be a loose translation for “ash”.

Conceptual Development: In The Etymologies of the 1930s N. lith was glossed “sand” from primitive ᴹ✶litse under the root ᴹ√LIT (Ety/LIT), and in this document N. Fauglith was translated “Thirsty Sand” (Ety/PHAU), as opposed to its original translation from the 1920s and early-to-mid 1930s which was simply “Thirst” (LB/275; SM/26, 101; LR/280).

Neo-Sindarin: For Neo-Sindarin I’d use lith mainly in its 1950s-60s sense “ash” but also allow its 1930s sense “sand”, but for “dust” I’d use [N.] ast. @@@ Maybe it would be better to coin a neologism for “sand”?

lith

noun. ash, sand, dust

lithui

adjective. lithui

adj. >> -ui

lithir

place name. ?Ash River

A small river flowing south out of the Ered Wethrin appearing in the Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s and associated maps (WJ/181, 261) but not in the published version of The Silmarillion. The final element is likely the lenited form of sîr “river”, and the initial element might be lith “ash” (as suggested by David Salo, GS/383).

lithlad

place name. Plain of Ashes

A plain in Mordor (LotR/636) translated “Plain of Ashes” (RC/457), a combination of lith “ash” and lad “plain” (SA/lith).

Conceptual Development: This name was already Lithlad “Plain of Ashes” when it first appeared in Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s (TI/208).

lithui

adjective. ashen, ashy, of ash, ash-coloured, dusty

The adjective form of lith “ash”, variously glossed as “ashy” (RGEO/66), “ashen” (RC/765), “of ash” or more exactly “ashen, ash-coloured, ashy, dusty” (VT42/10), most notably used in the name Ered Lithui “Ashen Mountains”.

Conceptual Development: The name N. Ered Lithui was already translated “Ash Mts [Mountains]” when it first appeared on early maps for The Lord of the Rings (TI/305).

Lithlad

noun. ash plain

lith (“ash, sand, dust”) + lad (“plain, valley”)

lithui

adjective. ashen, ashy, of ash, ash-coloured, dusty

lith

sand

lith (sand, dust) (Names:178), no distinct pl. form.

lith

ash

lith (sand, dust), no distinct pl. form.

lith

sand

(sand, dust) (Names:178), no distinct pl. form.

lith

dust

(sand, ash) (Names:178)

lith

ash

(sand, dust), no distinct pl. form.****

lithui

ashen

(ashy) lithui (no distinct pl. form)

lithui

ashen

(no distinct pl. form)

ast

dust

1) ast (pl. aist if there is a pl.), 2) lith (sand, ash) (Names:178)

Denethor

Denethor

Denethor was named after the Nandorin chieftain of the First Age. The name is Nandorin fit into the Sindarin sound range, and is said to mean "Lithe and lank".

fim

slender

fim (slim). No distinct pl. form. (LotR Appendix F). 3) nind (thin, fragile); no distinct pl. form. 4)

lhind

slender

1) *lhind (fine), lenited ?thlind or ?lind (the lenition product of lh is uncertain); no distinct pl. form. Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thlind. 2)

trîw

slender

trîw (lenited drîw; no distinct pl. form) (fine).

denethor

masculine name. Denethor

The 10th and also the 26th (and last) of the ruling stewards of Gondor (LotR/1039), possibly derived from the name of the Nandorin Elf Denethor. Its meaning (if any) as a Sindarin name is unclear; the elements of the Nandorin name do not have any clear Sindarin cognates.

Conceptual Development: The name of the last ruling steward was N. Denethor when he first appeared in Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s (TI/375).

men-

verb. to go

nind

adjective. slender

ast

dust

(pl. aist if there is a pl.)

fim

slender

(slim). No distinct pl. form. (LotR Appendix F). 3) nind (thin, fragile); no distinct pl. form. 4)

lhind

slender

(fine), lenited ?thlind or ?lind (the lenition product of lh is uncertain); no distinct pl. form. Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thlind.

nind

adjective. slender

trîw

slender

(lenited drîw; no distinct pl. form) (fine).

lith

noun. sand

lith

noun. ash, sand, dust

lithlad

place name. Plain of Ash

lithui

adjective. ash[en]

ast

noun. dust

ast

noun. dust

A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “dust” derived from the root ᴹ√ÁS-AT (Ety/ÁS-AT).

denethor

masculine name. Denethor

ledh-

verb. to go, to go, *travel, journey

@@@ extended meanings suggested by Fiona Jallings

ninn

adjective. slender

ninn

adjective. slender

denethor

masculine name. lithe-and-lank

denethara

masculine name. lithe-and-lank

dene

adjective. thin and strong, pliant, lithe

malu

noun. dust

littë

noun. ash

A neologism for “ash” coined by Helge Fauskanger in his NQNT (NQNT), the Quenya equivalent of S. lith “ash”. In The Etymologies of the 1930s the Quenya cognate of N. lith was ᴹQ. litse (Ety/LIT), but in that document these words were glossed “sand”. Introducing a separate neologism ᴺQ. littë “ash” helps keep these two senses distinct.

asto

dust

asto noun "dust" (ÁS-AT). According to VT45:6, asto was the name of tengwa #13 in the pre-classical system presupposed in the Etymologies, but Tolkien would later change the name of this letter to anto (its Quenya value changing from st to nt).

fimbë

slender

*fimbë (stem fimbi-) adj. "slender" (PE17:23)

fimbë

adjective. slender, slender, *thin

litsë

sand

litsë noun "sand" (LIT)

nindë

slender

nindë adj. "slender" (NIN-DI, pointing to a stem-form nindi-). Not to be confused with *nindë as the likely pa.t. of the verb nir-, q.v.

teren

slender

teren, terenë adj. "slender" (TER/TERES)

yad-

verb. to go

A verb appearing in the Lament of Akallabêth in the form ayadda “(it) went” (SD/247, VT24/12). Its initial element is the 3rd persons neuter plural suffix a- “it”. This leaves the basic verb form yadda, which is the past tense according to the theories used here.

Conceptual Development: It appeared in the form yadda in the first draft version of the Lament, and this form was also briefly considered as a replacement for unakkha “he-came” in the first sentence of the Lament (SD/312).