loven

adjective. echoing

loven

echoing

pl. lovin (only attested in North Sindarin form lómin)

mel-

verb. to love

imloth melui

place name. Lovely or Sweet Flower-valley

A rose-filled valley in Gondor (LotR/866) translated “Lovely Flowery Vale” (RC/582) or “Sweet Flower-valley” (VT42/18), a combination of †im “valley” and loth “flower” (VT42/18) with otherwise unattested melui “lovely”. In this position, an adjective like melui would ordinarily undergo soft mutation to velui, but in notes from around 1969 Tolkien indicated this was an example of the graduation loss of m-mutation in late Sindarin (PE23/138 note #12).

Conceptual Development: In Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, this name was already N. Imloth Melui.

dail

adjective. lovely

_ adj. _lovely, beautiful. Q. lelya. >> deil

deil

lovely

_ adj. _lovely, beautiful. Q. lelya. >> dail

melui

adjective. lovely, sweet

seron

noun. lover

gelennil

masculine name. Lover of Trees

A name appearing only in some linguistic notes from the 1950s, beside variant form Gleðennil (PE21/83).

melui

adjective. lovely, sweet

This word only occurs in the place name Imloth Melui, a vale where roses grew

seron

noun. lover

-dil

suffix. friend, lover

dail

adjective. beautiful, fine, delicate, lovely

írui

adjective. desirable, lovely

-nil

suffix. friend, lover

deil

adjective. beautiful, fine, delicate, lovely

mela

love

(vb.) mela- (i vela, i melar), pa.t. melant (VT45:34)

mela

love

(i vela, i melar), pa.t. melant (VT45:34)

meleth

love

(noun) meleth (i veleth), pl. melith (i melith)

meleth

love

(i veleth), pl. melith (i melith)

mîl

love

mîl (i vîl) (affection, kindness), no distinct form in pl. except with article (i mîl), coll. pl. míliath

mîl

love

(i vîl) (affection, kindness), no distinct form in pl. except with article (i mîl), coll. pl. míliath

uiveleth

hJrな$3F noun. eternal love, love that will last for ever

The prefix ‘ui-’ that means eternal plus lenited form of meleth (love) ‘veleth’.

melethril

lover

1) (fem.) melethril (i velethril), no distinct pl. form except with article (i melethril), coll. pl. melethrillath. 2) (masc.) melethron (i velethron), pl. melethryn (i melethryn), coll. pl. melethronnath. Also (when lover = ”friend”) mellon (i vellon), pl. mellyn (i mellyn). Coll. pl. mellonnath.

melethron

lover

(i velethron), pl. melethryn (i melethryn), coll. pl. melethronnath. Also (when lover = ”friend”)  mellon (i vellon), pl. mellyn (i mellyn). Coll. pl. mellonnath.

melethor

noun. lover

melethril

lover

(i velethril), no distinct pl. form except with article (i melethril), coll. pl. melethrillath.

írui

adjective. desirable

_ adj. _desirable, lovely (mostly applied to persons, esp. women).

mellon

noun. friend

glamren

echoing

(adj.) 1) glamren (lenited lamren; pl. glemrin), 2) *loven, pl. lovin (only attested in North Sindarin form lómin)

mellon

friend

1) (masc.) mellon (i vellon) (lover), pl. mellyn (i mellyn), coll. pl. mellonnath. Also meldir (i veldir), no distinct pl. form except with article (i meldir). Also seron (i heron, o seron), pl. seryn (i seryn), coll. pl. seronnath. 2) (fem.) meldis (i veldis), no distinct pl. form except with article (i meldis), coll. pl. meldissath.

mellon

friend

(i vellon) (lover), pl. mellyn (i mellyn), coll. pl. mellonnath. Also meldir (i veldir), no distinct pl. form except with article (i meldir). Also seron (i heron, o seron), pl. seryn (i seryn), coll. pl. seronnath.

aew

noun. (small) bird

A noun meaning “(small) bird” (SA/lin¹, Ety/AIWĒ), appearing in the name Linaewen “Lake of Birds” (S/119, UT/401). It was derived from primitive ᴹ✶aiwē like its Quenta cognate aiwë (Ety/AIWĒ), with the primitive diphthong ai becoming the ae in Sindarin.

Conceptual Development: In the Gnomish Lexicon from the 1910s, G. aigli “bird” was given as a derivative of the root ᴱ√aı̯, though in this early iteration Tolkien said it especially applied to larger instead of smaller birds (GL/17). In Early Noldorin notes from the 1920s, it became ᴱN. aiw “bird” (PE13/136, 158). In The Etymologies from the 1930s, the form became N. aew “(small) bird” (Ety/AIWĒ), and this is the source of the derivation given above.

bain

fair

_ adj. _fair, good, blessed, wholesome, favourable, without evil/bad element, not dangerous, evil or hostile. bân or bain << bân pl. bain. >> bân

bain

adjective. beautiful, fair

bain

beautiful

_ adj. _beautiful. Q. vanya.

bân

adjective. fair

_ adj. _fair, good, wholesome, favourable, not dangerous, evil or hostile. bân or bain << bân pl. bain. >> bain

dail

adjective. delicate

adj. delicate, beautiful and fine, slender. Q. lelya.

deil

adjective. delicate

adj. delicate, beautiful and fine, slender. Q. lelya. >> dail

fael

adjective. fair minded, just, generous

gwain

adjective. fair

adj. fair. . This gloss was rejected.

gwana

noun/adjective. fair

gwân

adjective. fair

_ adj. _fair, pale.

lind

adjective. fair

mellon

noun. friend

mellon

noun. friend

_ n. _friend. Pedo mellon a minno! 'Say friend and enter'. 

bain

fair

bain (beautiful). Lenited vain. No distinct pl. form.

bain

fair

(beautiful). Lenited vain. No distinct pl. form.

bain

beautiful

bain (fair). Lenited vain. No distinct pl. form.

bain

beautiful

(fair). Lenited vain. No distinct pl. form.

cil-

verb. choose

glamren

echoing

(lenited ’lamren; pl. glemrin)

meldis

friend

(i veldis), no distinct pl. form except with article (i meldis), coll. pl. meldissath.

mel

root. love, love, [ᴹ√] love (as friend)

This root was the basis for Elvish “love” words for all of Tolkien’s life. The root first appeared as ᴱ√MELE “love” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. mel- “to love”, ᴱQ. meles(se) “love”, and ᴱQ. melin “dear, beloved” (QL/60). In the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon it had similar derivatives like G. mel- “love” and G. melon “dear, beloved” (GL/57).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien specified that ᴹ√MEL meant “love (as friend)”, and for the first time it included the derivative N. mellon “friend” (Ety/MEL); Gnomish “friend” words from the 1910s were mostly based on G. ged (GL/38). However, the same entry included ᴹQ. melindo/ᴹQ. melisse “lover” (male and female), so it seems even in the 1930s it could refer to romantic love (Ety/MEL). The root continued to appear in Tolkien’s later writings associated with “love” (PE18/46, 96; PE17/41; VT39/10).

In notes from 1959, Tolkien elaborated on the precise sense of √MEL and its role in romantic and non-romantic love:

> Love, which Men might call “friendship” (but for the greater strength and warmth and permanency with which it was felt by the Quendi) was represented by √mel. This was primarily a motion or inclination of the fëa [“spirit”], and therefore could occur between persons of the same sex or different sexes. It included no sexual or procreative desire, though naturally in Incarnates the difference of sex altered the emotion, since “sex” is held by the Eldar to belong also to the fëa and not solely to the hröa [“body”], and is therefore not wholly included in procreation ... The “desire” for marriage and bodily union was represented by √yer; but this never in the uncorrupted occurred without “love” √mel, nor without the desire for children. This element was therefore seldom used except to describe occasions of its dominance in the process of courting and marriage. The feelings of lovers desiring marriage, and of husband and wife, were usually described by √mel. This “love” remained, of course, permanent after the satisfaction of √yer in the “Time of the Children”; but was strengthened by this satisfaction and the memory of it to a normally unbreakable bond (NM/20).

Thus √MEL was close in sense to Greek “philia”, used of friendship, whereas √YER was used of “eros” or sexual desire. But in Elvish thinking, √MEL was essential for romantic love, and √YER only arose from that. Furthermore, √YER was not the most important element in the love between romantic partners, as the period of procreation and child-rearing took up a relatively small portion of Elvish lives. It was the more enduring feeling of friendship between lovers that really mattered, and thus √MEL was used of both non-romantic and romantic love, though it had not particular sexual connotation.

melā

verb. love

melā-

verb. to love

ndilā-

verb. to love, be devoted to

(n)dur

root. love, feeling of special concern with, care for, or interest in things, to show special interest in things; [ᴹ√] bow down, bend (low), obey, serve; grow/be dark

Counterpart to the root √N(D)IL, this root first appeared in a marginal note from The Etymologies of the 1930s as ᴹ√NDUR or ᴹ√DUR “bow down, bend (down), obey, serve”, an elaboration of ᴹ√NDŪ “go down, sink, set (of Sun, etc.)” (Ety/NDŪ; EtyAC/NDŪ). In the Quenya Verbal System (QVS) from 1948, ᴹ√NDUR was glossed “grow, be dark”, no doubt in connection to N./S. dûr “dark” (PE22/103), but later this “dark” word was connected more directly to √NDU “under, down”. Indeed, in a 1955 letter to David Masson, Tolkien gave √(N)DUR an origin distinct from √N(D)U, basing it on an independent root √DUR “to show special interest in things” (PE17/152); there was also an unglossed and deleted root ᴹ√DUR in The Etymologies of the 1930s (EtyAC/DUR). However, in a 1967 letter to Mr. Rang, -(n)dur again meant “to serve” (Let/386).

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I think it is best to keep the connection between √NDUR “bow down = serve” and √NDU “descend”. As for the semantic distinctions between -(n)dil and -(n)dur, see the entry on the root √N(D)IL for details.

ndilā

verb. love, be devoted to

delya

adjective. lovely, fine, beautiful

eled-nil

masculine name. lover of the Elves

gala(da)ndil

masculine name. Lover of Trees

bani

adjective. fair

banya

adjective. beautiful

wanyā

adjective. fair

meles

love

meles, melessë noun "love" (LT1:262; rather melmë in Tolkien's later Quenya)

melmë

love

melmë noun "love" (MEL)

meletheldë

noun. love-sister

A word for a close female friend whom one loves deeply appearing in notes from 1959 (NM/20), a combination of √MEL “love” with some form of the root ᴹ√THEL(ES) “sister”, appearing only in its plural form meletheldi. This relationship “included no sexual or procreative desire, though naturally in Incarnates the difference of sex altered the emotion”.

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would adapt this word as singular ᴺQ. melesellë [þ] “love-sister” for better compatibility with the 1930s form of the root ᴹ√THEL(ES) where ancient ls became ll, as well as avoiding confusion with Q. seldë “daughter”.

melotorno

noun. love-brother

A word for a close male friend whom one loves deeply appearing in notes from 1959 (NM/20), a combination of √MEL “love” with ᴹQ. otorno “brother”, appearing only in its plural form melotorni. This relationship “included no sexual or procreative desire, though naturally in Incarnates the difference of sex altered the emotion”.

mel-

love (as friend)

mel- vb. "love (as friend)" (MEL). Melinyes or melin sé "I love him" (VT49:21). LR:70 has melánë"I love", a doubtful form in Tolkien's later Quenya (melin occurs in later material).

emel

noun. love [abstract]

mel-

verb. to love

melmë

 noun. love (a particular case [between two people])

mélië

noun. *love, loving

nil-

verb. to love, *have special concern/care/interest for

nilmë

noun. love, concern for things other than self for their own sakes

aiwendil

masculine name. Lover of Birds

The Quenya name of Radagast (UT/393). Christopher Tolkien translated the name as “Lover of Birds” (UT/401), a compound of aiwë “bird” and -(n)dil “-lover”.

amandil

masculine name. Lover of Aman

Tar-Amandil was the third ruler of Númenor (UTI/219). Many centuries later a second, more famous, Amandil was the last lord of Andúnië and the father of Elendil, and was therefore ancestor of the kings of Gondor and Arnor (LotR/1035-6, S/271-3). This name is a compound of Aman and the suffix -(n)dil “lover”, and thus means “Lover of Aman”.

Conceptual Development: When this character first appeared in the “Lost Road”, his name was ᴹQ. Elendil “Elf-friend”, while his son was called ᴹQ. Herendil (LR/57). In “The Notion Club Papers”, the character was given the Adûnaic name Ad. Arbazân >> Aphanuzîr, while his son was named Ad. Nimruzân >> Nimruzîr “Elf-friend” (SD/389-90), so the meaning of the father’s name shifted to his son. The contemporaneous Quenya names for the characters also shifted to ᴹQ. Amardil and ᴹQ. Elendil (SD/356). The final form Amandil did not appear until quite late in the development of the Akallabêth (SD/382).

eärendil

masculine name. Lover of the Sea

The great mariner who took the Silmaril of Beren to Valinórë, thereby instigating the Valar’s liberation of Beleriand and the final defeat of Morgoth (S/246). His name was a compound of ëar “sea” and the suffix -(n)dil “-friend, -lover” (SA/ëar, (n)dil).

Conceptual Development: This was one of the oldest and most important names in Tolkien’s legendarium. Tolkien admitted that the name was inspired by the Anglo-Saxon word éarendel “ray of light” (Let/150, 385). In fact, the first form of this name in the Lost Tales was ᴱQ. Earendel (LT1/13), often spelt Earendl in Tolkien’s early linguistic notes (QL/34, PE13/99). At this stage the name seems to derive from ᴱQ. earen (earend-) “eagle, eyrie” (QL/34), though the “dialectical form” Yarendl was archaically used for “mariner” (QL/105).

The name remained ᴹQ. Earendel in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (LR/326) and up through Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s (RS/215, TI/99, WR/223 note #29). The name’s association with the Sea did not emerge until Tolkien wrote the (unfinished) “Notion Club Papers” story in the mid-1940s, at which point its form changed to ᴹQ. Earendil (SM/237, 241) and so remained thereafter.

uinendili

collective name. Lovers of Uinen

A name given to members of the Númenórean Venturers Guild (UT/176). The first element is the name of the Valië Uinen and the second element -ndili is the plural form of the suffix -(n)dil “friend, lover”.

melima

loveable, fair

melima adj. "loveable, fair" (MEL, VT45:34); Melimar a name of the Lindar (in Tolkien's former conception = the later Vanyar, not the Teleri) (MEL)

melindo

lover

melindo noun "lover" (m.) (MEL)

melissë

lover

melissë noun "lover" (f.) (MEL)

melwa

lovely

melwa adj. "lovely" (LT1:262); compare melda in Tolkiens later Quenya.

írima

lovely, beautiful, desirable

írima adj. "lovely, beautiful, desirable" (ID, FS, PE17:155), in FS also pl. írimar; in the "Qenya" of Fíriel's Song, adjectives in -a form their plurals in -ar instead of -ë as in LotR-style Quenya.

aldanil

masculine name. Lover of Trees

A name appearing only in some linguistic notes from the 1950s, beside variant form Alandil (PE21/83).

valandil

masculine name. Lover of the Valar

The first lord of Andúnië (LotR/1035) and the third king of Arnor (LotR/1038). This name is a compound of Vala and the suffix -(n)dil “-friend” (Let/386).

Conceptual Development: In the early stories of the Fall of Númenor, the name ᴹQ. Valandil was given to the brother or father of Elendil (LR/33, 60) and in Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s it was sometimes used as the name of Elendil himself (RS/169, 270-1). In these early writings, this name was glossed “God-friend” (LR/60), and it also appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√N(D)IL with the gloss “Godwine” (EtyAC/NIL).

anardil

masculine name. *Lover of the Sun

The given name of Tar-Aldarion (UT/219), and also the name of the sixth king of Gondor (LotR/1038). This name seems to be a compound Anar “Sun” and -(n)dil “-lover”. This name also appeared in the form Anardilya (UT/174), as an endearment spoken to the young Tar-Aldarion by his grandfather Vëantur.

írimë

feminine name. *Lovely

The father-name of the fourth child and youngest daughter of Finwë (MR/207, PM/343). It seems to be a feminized form of the adjective írima “desirable, lovely”.

Conceptual Development: When she first appeared, her name was given as Írimë and she was either the middle or youngest daughter, varying in birth-order with a third daughter Faniel (MR/207, 238), who later disappeared from the texts. At one point her name was temporarily changed to Finvain (MR/262), but later still she reappeared as Írimë, as the second of only two daughters (PM/343). Confusingly, her name was then changed to Írien just a few lines later, without explanation.

Christopher Tolkien discusses the changing names for Finwë’s daughters on PM/359, notes #26 and #28. This entry uses Írimë as the most common of her names.

Urundil

copper-lover

Urundil masc. name, "copper-lover" (PM:365); this may suggest #urun as one word for "copper", unless this is the ending -ndil "friend, lover" suffixed to #uru- as a reduced form of urus, q.v.

lelya

delicate, beautiful & fine, slender; lovely

lelya (2) adj. "delicate, beautiful & fine, slender; lovely" (PE17:139, 151)

meldo

friend, lover

meldo noun "friend, lover". _(VT45:34, quoting a deleted entry in the Etymologies, but cf. the pl. #_meldor in Eldameldor "Elf-lovers", WJ:412) **Meldonya *"my friend" (VT49:38, 40). It may be that meldo is the distinctly masculine form, corresponding to feminine #meldë** (q.v.)

urundil

masculine name. Copper-lover

A sobriquet of the father of Nerdanel in notes from 1968 (PM/366). This name is a compound of the root √URUN “copper” and the suffix -(n)dil “-friend, -lover”.

eärnil

masculine name. *Lover of the Sea

The name of the 13th and 32nd kings of Gondor (LotR/1038), it is essentially a shorter form of Eärendil, with the same elements (SA/(n)dil).

meldo

noun. friend, lover

meneldil

masculine name. *Lover of the Heavens

The 3rd king of Gondor (LotR/1038), his name was a compound of menel “the heavens” and -(n)dil “-friend” (PE17/152). Tolkien wrote that this name could be interpreted as “astronomer” (Let/386), meaning something like “one interested in the heavens as a matter of lore”.

lelya

adjective. delicate, beautiful and fine, slender, lovely

írima

adjective. desirable, lovely, beautiful

mirya

adjective. beautiful, lovely (of works of art only)

míra

adjective. beautiful, lovely

vanë

adjective. fair, fair, [ᴱQ.] lovely

melesellë

noun. love-sister

-më

suffix. abstract noun

-më (2) abstract suffix, as in melmë "love" (cf. the verb mel-), #cilmë "choice" (possibly implying a verb *cil- "to choose"). According to PE17:68, primitive -mē (and -wē) were endings used to derive nouns denoting "a single action", which may fit the meaning of cilmë (but melmë "love" would normally be something lasting rather than "a single action").

-ndil

friend

-ndil (also -dil) ending occurring in many names, like Amandil, Eärendil; it implies devotion or disinterested love and may be translated "friend" (SA:(noun)dil); this ending is "describing the attitude of one to a person, thing, course or occupation to which one is devoted for its own sake" (Letters:386). Compare -ndur. It is unclear whether the names derived with the ending -ndil are necessarily masculine, though we have no certain example of a woman's name in -ndil; the name Vardilmë (q.v.) may suggest that the corresponding feminine ending is -(n)dilmë.

aiwë

noun. (small) bird

A noun meaning “(small) bird” (SA/lin¹, Ety/AIWĒ), appearing in Radagast’s Quenya name Aiwendil “Lover of Birds” (UT/401). It was derived from primitive ᴹ✶aiwē like its Sindarin cognate aew (Ety/AIWĒ).

Conceptual Development: In the Gnomish Lexicon from the 1910s, ᴱQ. aiwe appeared as the cognate of G. aigli “bird” (GL/17), but in Early Noldorin notes from the 1920s, the cognate of ᴱN. aiw “bird” was given as ᴱQ. oive (PE13/136, 158) or oi(we) (PE13/132). A similar form oio (stem oiw-) appeared in notes on the Declension of Nouns from the early 1930s (PE21/12). In The Etymologies from the mid-1930s, the form ᴹQ. aiwe was restored (Ety/AIWĒ), and this is the source of the derivation given above.

Elendil

star-friend

Elendil masc. name"Star-friend", "Lover or student of stars", applied to those devoted to astronomical lore. However, when the Edain used this name they intended it to mean "Elf-friend", confusing elen "star" and elda "elf" (WJ:410). (This idea that the name was misapplied seems to be late; Tolken earlier interpreted the name as an ancient compound Eled + ndil so that the meaning really was "Elf-friend"; see Letters:386. See also NIL/NDIL in the Etymologies, where Elendil is equated with "Ælfwine", Elf-friend.) Allative Elendilenna "to Elendil" (PM:401); Elendil Vorondo genitive of Elendil Voronda "Elendil the Steadfast" _(CO) Pl. Elendili the Númenórean Elf-friends (Silm)_; the variant Elendilli in SD:403 would seem to presuppose a stem-form Elendill- not attested elsewhere. Tar-Elendil a Númenorean king, UT:210.

aiwë

(small) bird

aiwë noun "(small) bird" (AIWĒ, SA:lin #1); Aiwendil "Lover of Birds" (UT:401)

-ima

fair

-ima adjectival suffix. Sometimes it is used to derive simple adjectives, like vanima "fair" or calima "bright"; it can also take on the meaning "-able" (PE17:68), as in mátima "edible" (mat- "eat"), nótima "countable" (not- "count") and (with a negative prefix) úquétima "unspeakable" (from quet- "speak"). Note that the stem-vowel is normally lengthened in the derivatives where -ima means "-able", though this fails to occur in cenima "visible" (q.v., but contrast hraicénima, q.v.) and also before a consonant cluster as in úfantima "not concealable" (PE17:176). "X-ima" may mean "apt to X" (when the ending is added to an intransitive verbal stem), as in Fírimar "mortals", literally "those apt to die" (WJ:387). The adj. úfantima "not concealable" (PE17:176) also appears as úfantuma (PE17:180), indicating the existence of a variant ending -uma (possibly used to derive adjectives with a "bad" meaning; compare the ending *-unqua next to -inqua, q.v.)

-ndur

friend

-ndur (also -dur), ending in some names, like Eärendur; as noted by Christopher Tolkien in the Silmarillion Appendix it has much the same meaning as -ndil "friend"; yet -ndur properly means "servant of" (SA:(noun)dil), "as one serves a legitimate master: cf. Q. arandil king's friend, royalist, beside arandur 'king's servant, minister'. But these often coincide: e.g. Sam's relation to Frodo can be viewed either as in status -ndur, in spirit -ndil." (Letters:286)

-ser

friend

-ser noun "friend" (SER)

Valandil

god-friend, *vala-friend

Valandil masc. name, "God-friend, *Vala-friend" (Appendix A, UT:210, translated in LR:60)

alima

fair, good

alima adj. "fair, good" (also alya) (PE17:146)

alya

fair, good

alya (1) adj. "fair, good" (PE17:146), "prosperous, rich, abundant, blessed" (GALA). In a deleted entry in Etym, the glosses provided were "rich, blessed"; another deleted entry defined alya as "rich, prosperous, blessed". (GALA, [ÁLAM], VT42:32, 45:5, 14)

calwa

beautiful

calwa ("k") adj. "beautiful" (LT1:254)

heldo

friend

[heldo, also helmo, fem. heldë, noun "friend" (VT46:3)]

linda

fair, beautiful

linda adj. "fair, beautiful" (of sound) (SLIN, LIND; VT45:27), "soft, gentle, light" (PE16:96), "beautiful, sweet, melodious of sound" (PE17:150); for Linda as a noun, see Lindar.

lámina

echoing

lámina adj. "echoing" (LAM)

mairëa

beautiful

mairëa adj. "beautiful" (of things made by art) (PE17:163). An alternative (and peculiar) form "mairia" is also implied in the source.

meldë

friend

#meldë noun "friend", feminine (meldenya "my friend" in the Elaine inscription [VT49:40], Tolkien referring to Elaine Griffiths). Compare meldo.

málo

noun. friend

friend, comrade

málo

friend

málo noun "friend" (MEL, VT49:22)

mírya

beautiful

mírya adj. "beautiful" (of work of art only) (PE17:165)

nildo

friend

nildo noun "friend" (apparently masc.; contrast nildë) (NIL/NDIL)

nildë

friend

nildë noun "friend" (fem.) (NIL/NDIL)

nilmo

friend

nilmo noun "friend" (apparently masc.) (NIL/NDIL)

sermo

friend

sermo noun "friend" (evidently masc., since sermë is stated to be fem.) (SER)

sermë

friend

sermë noun "friend" (fem.) (SER)

seron

friend

seron noun "friend" (SER)

sondo

friend

[sondo noun "friend" (VT46:15)]

vanima

beautiful, fair

vanima adj. "beautiful, fair" (BAN, VT39:14) (glossed "proper, right, fair" in early "Qenya", LT1:272, though a later source says the word is used "only of living things, especially Elves and Men", PE17:150); nominal pl. vanimar "beautiful ones", partitive pl. genitive vanimálion, translated "of beautiful children", but literally meaning *"of [some] beautiful ones") (LotR3:VI ch. 6, translated in Letters:308). Arwen vanimalda "Beautiful Arwen", literally "Arwen your beauty" (see -lda for reference; changed to Arwen vanimelda in the second edition of LotR; see vanimelda).

vanima

adjective. beautiful

vanya

fair

vanya (1) adj. "fair" (FS), "beautiful" (BAN), a word referring to beauty that is "due to lack of fault, or blemish" (PE17:150), hence Arda Vanya as an alternative to Arda Alahasta for "Arda Unmarred" (ibid., compare MR:254). Nominal pl. Vanyar "the Fair", the first clan of the Eldar; the original meaning of this stem was "pale, light-coloured, not brown or dark" (WJ:382, 383, stem given as WAN), "properly = white complexion and blonde hair" (PE17:154, stem given as GWAN); stems BAN vs. WAN discussed, see PE17:150.

vanë

fair

vanë adj. "fair" (LT1:272; in Tolkien's later Quenya rather vanya)

meleth

noun. love

meleth

noun. love

mela-

verb. to love

mîl

noun. love, affection

mel-

verb. to love

mîl

noun. love, affection

melethril

noun. lover (f.)

melethron

noun. lover (m.)

melethril

noun. lover

melethron

noun. lover

meldis

noun. friend (f.)

mellon

noun. friend

thond

noun. friend

aew

noun. (small) bird

bein

adjective. beautiful, fair

elf

noun. friend

glamren

adjective. echoing

glamren

adjective. echoing

meldir

noun. friend

meldis

noun. friend

mellon

noun. friend

bêl-

verb. *to befriend, love

A verb stem bel- attested only in the explanations for the agental-formation -bêl in the name Azrubêl “Friend of the Sea, Sea-lover” (SD/305, PM/373). The form bel- violates Adûnaic phonetic rules given in Lowdham’s Report, which state that [ē] can only be a long vowel in Adûnaic (SD/423). See the discussion of its root form ✶Ad. √BEL for possible explanations. The Classical Adûnaic verb form might be bêl-, while bel- may instead be its most primitive (early Elvish?) form.

This verb seems to have a sense similar to that of zîr- “to love, desire”. Perhap it is distinct from zîr- in that it has more to do with friendship than desire, so that the verb means “✱to befriend” or “✱to love (as a friend)”.

zîr-

verb. *to love, desire

An Adûnaic verb appearing as an element in various compounds as -zîr or zîr- (SD/389, 423). The verb was not translated, but its primitive root form ZIR is glossed “love, desire”, so this verb probably has a similar meaning.

Several authors have suggested (EotAL/ZIR, NBA/20) that the verb stem is zir- with a short vowel. However, the vowel is long in the participle form zîrân “beloved”, and there are tentative examples where a verb with a short vowel would retain that short vowel in the agental/participle form: magân “✱builder”. I therefore think that the verb stem is likelier to be zîr-.

Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynne suggested (AAD/25) that it may be related to the Middle-Period Elvish root ᴹ√SER.

lómin

adjective. echoing