mae

adverb. well

adv. well. Ai na vedui Dúnadan. Mae g'ovannen. 'Ah! At last, Dúnadan ! Well met !'.

mae

well

_ adv. _well. >> mael

mae

adverb/adjective. well; excellent, admirable

mae

adverb. well

mae-

mae-

pref. Q. mai- >> maer. This gloss was rejected.

Maeglin

noun. Maeglin

maeg (“sharp, piercing, penetrating”) + glîn (“gleam, glint [of eyes]”)

mae govannen

well met

This is the best known Sindarin greeting, used by Glorfindel when greeting Aragorn west of Rivendell. For the meaning of the elements of this name, see the discussion below.

Conceptual Development: This phrase appeared in Lord of the Rings drafts as N. mai govannen “well met” (RS/194, 198 note #5), with the only difference from the published version being N. mai “well” rather than S. mae. The element govannen “met” is certainly a past/passive participle, but it is not entirely clear what the verb was intended to be when Tolkien coined the phrase. One likely possibility is N. ✱govad- “to meet, (lit.) together tread”, a combination of the prefix N. go- “together” and the verbal root ᴹ√BAT “tread”, analogous to N. trevad- “traverse, ✱(lit.) through tread” from The Etymologies of the 1930s (Ety/BAT). Another possibility is the root ᴹ√BA “go, proceed” from the Quenya Verbal System of 1940s (PE22/112), perhaps with a verb form N. ✱govan- “together go”.

Either way, it seems likely that in the original phrase, govannen “met” was not mutated. In Words, Phrases and Passages from the Lord of the Rings from the late 1950s, Tolkien revisited this notion, deciding the verb should be mutated following the adverb mae. At first he wrote:

> go-vannen “met”: past participle from go- “together” (cf. Q o- above) + past participle form of stem ba(n)- [from footnote: connected with Quenya ABA/BA, go (away), as in vanwa “gone, departed”], a Sindarin stem not related to but having similar sense as Q men-, forming Sindarin verb govan-, to come to same place, meet, in past participle form govannen (PE17/16).

He struck this through and devised a new etymology that would allow the verb to be a mutated form, as suggested by Christopher Gilson:

> go-vannen “met”: past participle from S covad- “collect”, transitive or intransitive, “assemble, bring together” (√KOB-) past tense covant, past participle covannen “art brought together” (PE17/16).

He then reversed himself, saying:

> This won’t really do. The explanation of the word as containing Sindarin √BAN “meet”, come up against, prefixed by go (< Common Eldarin WĀ, WO) is obviously right (PE17/16).

Tolkien then squeezed a new analysis of the phrase into the margin as mae “well” + g(ī)’ovannen “thou met”, where the second element of the phrase was derived from the ancient pronoun kī “thou” [2nd person familiar] + gwā-ƀandina (PE17/17). By introducing the pronoun ki between “well” and “met”, Tolkien was able to explain the initial g- as a mutated remnant of this pronoun, combined with ’ovannen after its initial consonant g- was lost. Of interest is the d in ƀandina, which seems to hint at a possible new root (√BAD or √BAT) for the base verb form; see the section on Alternate Explanations below for more details on this variant root.

The reason an alternate root was of interest is that the root √BA(N) “go” was on shaky grounds, having been in competion with √BĀ/ABA “refuse” dating all the way back to the 1930s. In Definitive Linguistic Notes (DLN) from 1959, Tolkien firmly rejected this root:

> Delete √BA(N) “go.” (For this sense Quenya, Sindarin stem is √MEN.) ... √ABA, BĀ [root of refusal and negative command] distinct from AWA, WĀ “away” (PE17/143).

Hereafter, any remaining derivatives of √BA(N) “go” were reassigned to other roots, such as Q. vanwa “lost, gone” < √WĀ “away” (WJ/366). In the same bundle of 1959 notes, Tolkien again mentioned the root √KOB. In a page of roots having to do with “flower” and “snow” Tolkien gave:

> √KOB, KOM- gather, collect. bring to same place / point. S cova-, weak intransitive. gather, assemble, come to same place, meet. mae-govannen, well met! (PE17/157).

This note was marked through and, according to Christopher Gilson, presumably replaced by a new note in a different page of roots having to do with “beautiful”:

> √KOB/KOM. gather, collect (bring or come into same place). {S cova(d) “bring” >>} S cova “come together, meet”, covad “bring together, make meet” (covannen, late Sindarin for covan(n) in mae-govannen “well-met”) (PE17/158).

If this analysis of the order of changes is correct, it seems the last thing Tolkien said on the topic was that the base verb in mae govannen was S. cova- “come together, meet”.

Alternate Theory: One challenge with the above analysis is that the order of composition for these various 1959 notes is not at all clear. Tolkien seems to have committed to the rejection of √BA(N) “go”, since the root √BĀ/ABA “refuse” was mentioned regularly in notes from 1959 forward. However, it is not entirely clear whether √KOB/KOM was actually restored. Christopher Gilson only said that “presumably” the note on PE17/157 was replaced by the note on PE17/158; it is possible that the order was reversed. One argument in favor of this ordering are the variations on the verb cova(d)-: on PE17/16 covad- was both transitive and intransitive, on PE17/158 Tolkien first wrote cova(d) “bring” before splitting it into intransitive cova- and transitive covad- and on PE17/157, it was intransitive only cova-. If the order was PE17/16 >> PE17/158 >> PE17/157, then √KOB/KOM may have been ultimately rejected.

If this is the case, then the explanation kī + gwā-ƀandina > g(ī)’ovannen “thou met” from PE17/17 may have been restored or perhaps was even added as a marginal note after the rejection of √KOB/KOM. As noted above, the d in ƀandina hints that the verbal root may also have changed from √BAN to √BAD or √BAT. Based on the form only, √BAD would seem to be most likely, but there is no appropriate meaning assigned to the root √BAD: in The Etymologies, it seems ᴹ√BAD = “judge” (Ety/BAD). However, as noted above, ᴹ√BAT “tread” would work fine, and ƀandina may be an Old Sindarin passive participle of govad- < ✱wo-BAT, perhaps even a restoration of the Noldorin form of the verb from the 1940s. The ƀ hints that it is an Old Sindarin form, and ƀandina may be a reformed passive participle after wo-bat > OS. gwa-ƀad.

Neo-Eldarin: For purpose of Neo-Eldarin, I prefer to stick with S. cova- “meet” as the basis for the second element of mae govannen “well met”. I think the alternate theory is a bit of a stretch. While I think it is possible that PE17/16 >> PE17/158 >> PE17/157 was the order of composition, I think Christopher Gilson’s suggested order of PE17/157 >> PE17/158 is equally likely. Furthermore, it requires some fancy guesswork to determine the root for ƀandina given the firm rejection of √BA(N) “go”, and some phonological gymnastics to justify the initial g- in govannen as the passive participle of govad-. All in all, sticking with S. cova- “meet” seems like the simpler scenario to me.

mael

adjective. well

_ adj. _well. adjective << adverb. >> mae

maer

good

adj. good, proper, excellent. Q. mára good, proper, Q. maira excellent. >> mae-. This gloss was rejected.

maedhros

masculine name. *Shapely and Red-haired

Eldest son of Fëanor (S/60). His name is an adaption of elements from both his mother-name Q. Maitimo “Well-shaped One” and his nickname Q. Russandol “Copper-top”: S. maed “shapely” and S. ross “red-haired” (PM/366). As such, his name was more properly spelled Maedros (PM/352).

Conceptual Development: When he first appeared in the earliest Lost Tales, this character’s name was G. Maidros (LT2/241), a name that earlier in the tales was used for the grandfather of Fëanor (LT1/146). This form continued to be used in the Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (SM/88, LR/223), but in The Etymologies, Tolkien said it was an anglicanization of proper Noldorin Maidhros “Pale-glitter” (Ety/MAD), which also appeared in The Etymologies as N. Maedhros (Ety/RUS).

The form Maidhros continued to appear in Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s (WJ/115), but for the most part earlier Maidros was revised to Maedhros (MR/177), the form Christopher Tolkien adopted for the published version of The Silmarillion: see N. [[n|[ai] revised to [ae]]]. Tolkien constructed the derivation given above in The Shibboleth of Fëanor, where he actually used the form Maedros (PM/352, 366). Later still he considered revising the name to Maedron (PM/372, note #2), but this change was not carried out in the texts.

maeglin

masculine name. Sharp Glance

Son of Eöl whose treachery led to the fall of Gondolin, translated “Sharp Glance” (S/133). His name is a combination of maeg “sharp” and glîn(n) “gleam, glint” (SA/maeg, glîn; WJ/337).

Conceptual Development: In the earliest Lost Tales, his name was G. Meglin (LT2/164), and remained N. Meglin in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (SM/136, LR/274). The meaning of the earliest form of this name is unclear, but N. meglin appears in The Etymologies as an adjectival form of megli, so perhaps it was intended to mean “✱bear-like”. In Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s, Tolkien considered several other replacements: Glindûr, Targlîn, Morlîn and Morleg (WJ/91, 323), but ultimately settled on Maeglin (WJ/122, note §119).

maecheneb

adjective. sharp-eye[d]

A word for “sharp-eye” (likely an adjective = “sharp-eyed”) appearing in a discussion of the name Maeglin, a combination of S. maeg “sharp”, (mutated) S. hen “eye” and the adjective suffix S. -eb (WJ/337).

maew

noun. gull

A noun for “gull” first appearing as N. maew in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from the root ᴹ√MIW “whine” (Ety/MIW). It appeared in later notes as an archaic genitive plural maewion in the phrase S. †glim maewion “(the) voices of gulls” (PE17/97). Its class plural mewrim seems to have appeared in S. Ras Mewrim “✱Cape of the Gulls”, an alternate name for S. Bar-in-Mŷl “Home of the Gulls” (WJ/190). If so, the vowel e would be the result of the sound change whereby ae sometimes became e in polysyllables.

Maed(h)ros

noun. Sindarized combination of Q Maitimo “well-shaped” and Russandol “copper-top”

maed (“shaply”) + ross (“copper-coloured”); [Etym. MAD-, RUS-] gives translation “pale glitter”; maedh (“pale, fellow, fawn”) + ross (“flash, glitter of metal”)

mae-

prefix. mai-

_ pref. _Q. mai-. >> maeron

maer

adjective. excellent

_ adj. _excellent. Q. maira admirable, excellent, precious. >> maer-, maeron

maeth

noun. management

_ n. _management. Q. maht(i)e. >> maetha-

maetha-

verb. to handle

_ v. _to handle, treat, manage, etc. Q. mahta-. >> maeth

maewia

suffix. of gulls

pl. n. & poss. suff. Zoo. of gulls. glim maewion, ** maewia '(the) voices of gulls'. >> -a, maewion

maewion

suffix. of gulls

pl. n. & poss. suff. Zoo. of gulls. glim maewion, ** maewia '(the) voices of gulls'. >> -a, maewia

maeth

noun. management

maetha-

verb. to handle, manage, wield, use, treat, deal with

maeg

adjective. sharp, piercing, piercing, sharp, *penetrating

maed

adjective. shapely, shapely, *pretty

maed

adjective. handy, skillful, handy, skillful, [N.] skilled

mael

adjective. well

maelig

noun. wealth, abundance

maen

noun. a treasure

maer

adjective. good, excellent, fair, good, excellent, fair; [N.] useful, fit, good (of things)

maeron

noun. artist, poet

ma

adjective. good

_ adj. _good. Archaic and obsolete except as interjection 'good, excellent, that's right'.

mae-govannen

verb. well met

_ weak intr. v. _well met. . This gloss was rejected.

maecheneb

adjective. sharp-eyed

maed

adjective. handy, skilled, skilful

maed

adjective. shapely

maeg

adjective. sharp, piercing, penetrating, going deep in something

mael

noun. lust

maelui

adjective. lustful

maen

noun. a treasure

_ n. _a treasure. Q. _maina _a thing of excellence, a treasure (O.E. máþum).

maer

good

_ adj. _good.

maeron

noun. artist

_ n. _artist. It usually, but not necessarily, implied a poet. Q. maitar.

maetha-

verb. to handle

v. to handle. Q. mahta-.

maetha-

verb. use

_ v. _use, wield. Q. mahta-. >> maw

maetha-

verb. to handle, wield, manage, deal with

mae

soft

mae (lenited vae; no distinct pl. form). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” moe. Note: a homophone is the adverb mae = ”well”.

mae

soft

(lenited vae; no distinct pl. form). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” moe. Note: a homophone is the adverb mae = ”well”.

mae

well

(adverb) mae (lenited vae).

mae

adjective. soft, pliant

mae

well

(lenited vae).

Maedhros

Maedhros

Maedhros' father-name was Nelyafinwë, meaning "Finwë the Third", shorter form Nelyo, as his grandfather and father both shared the name Finwë. Nelya is a Quenya adjective that means "third". His mother-name was Maitimo, "Well-shaped One", for he was noted for his comeliness. His epessë was Russandol, "Copper-top", referring to the dark red hair he inherited from his grandfather Mahtan. It is derived from russa, a Quenya adjective meaning "red-haired". In The Shibboleth of Fëanor, note# 65, it is said that the names Maitimo and Russandol are the base for the Sindarized name Maedhros (derived from a contraction of Mait- + Rus-). In the earlier work The Etymologies, the name Maedhros is original Noldorin, and is said to mean "Pale-glitter". It is formed by the adding up maidh ("pale", "fallow" or "fawn") and "archaic" rhoss ("flash", "glitter of metal").

Maeglin

Maeglin

Maeglin means "sharp glance" in Sindarin, a name which he received from his father when he was twelve. It is formed by the union of maeg, which translates as "sharp" or "piercing", "penetrating" and glîn, meaning "gleam", "glint" (of eyes). At birth, Aredhel gave Maeglin the mother-name of Lómion, meaning "Child of Twilight" in Quenya. It comes from lómë, a noun that translates as "dusk", "twilight" and also "night".

maetha

manage

maetha- (i vaetha, i maethar) (handle, wield, deal with). In earlier material, the verb maetha- meant ”fight”.

maetha

manage

(i vaetha, i maethar) (handle, wield, deal with). In earlier material, the verb maetha- meant ”fight”.

maedol

 adjective. welcome

Formed with the prefix mae- (PE17:163) which is not explicitly translated, although the root meaning of MAY- is given as 'excellent, admirable' (PE17:163). Compare also the adverb S. mae 'well' (PE17:162) and the Quenya cognate †maie, prefix mai- (although these are said to possibly derive from MAG-/MAƷ- 'handle, manage, control, wield').

The second part is the lenited blank verb stem tol 'come' as in rhudol 'unwelcome' (PE17:170). Although one could also form *al(a)dol based on Q. alatúlie, alatulya 'welcome' and the cited S. al- (PE17:172), this conflicts with the negative prefix al-, as in S. alfirin 'immortal', Q. alasaila 'unwise'. Presumably the two conceptions should not overlap, otherwise it is difficult to see how words like Q. alacarna can mean both 'well-done' and 'un-done'.

mae govannen

meet); well met

(as greeting) mae govannen.

Maedhros

Pale-glitter

Maedhros' father-name was Nelyafinwë, meaning "Finwë the Third", shorter form Nelyo, as his grandfather and father both shared the name Finwë. Nelya is a Quenya adjective that means "third". His mother-name was Maitimo, "Well-shaped One", for he was noted for his comeliness. His epessë was Russandol, "Copper-top", referring to the dark red hair he inherited from his grandfather Mahtan. It is derived from russa, a Quenya adjective meaning "red-haired". The name Maedhros is Sindarin, and is said to mean "Pale-glitter" in The Etymologies. It is formed by the adding up the "Noldorin" maidh, meaning "pale", "fallow" or "fawn" and archaic "Noldorin" form rhoss, which translates as "flash", "glitter of metal". However, in The Shibboleth of Fëanor, note# 65, the Sindarin form Maedhros is explained as having been derived from a contraction of his mother-name with his epessë (Mait- + Rus-).

maeas

dough

maeas (i vaeas), pl. maeais (i maeais) if there is a pl. (but coll. pl. maeassath). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” moeas.

maeas

dough

(i vaeas), pl. maeais (i maeais) if there is a pl. (but coll. pl. maeassath). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” moeas.

maecheneb

sharp-eyed

maecheneb (lenited vaecheneb; pl. maechenib)

maecheneb

sharp-eyed

(lenited vaecheneb; pl. maechenib)

maed

handy

maed (lenited vaed; no distinct pl. form) (skilled). Note: a homophone means ”shapely”.

maed

skilled

1) maed (lenited vaed; no distinct pl. form) (handy). Note: a homophone means ”shapely”. 2) maen (lenited vaen; no distinct pl. form) (clever), 3) #flâd (construct flad, pl. flaid). Isolated from the name Fladrif ”skin-bark”.ee HEAVEN. SKY-BRIDGE, see RAINBOW

maeg

penetrating

maeg (lenited vaeg; no distinct pl. form) (sharp, going deep in). (WJ:337)

maeg

going deep in

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

maeg

going deep in

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

mael

lust

mael (i vael), no distinct pl. form except with article (i mael). Note: a homophone means ”stain, stained”.

mael

lust

(i vael), no distinct pl. form except with article (i mael). Note: a homophone means ”stain, stained”.

mael

stain

(i vael), no distinct pl. form except with article (i mael). Also as adj.

mael

stained

mael (lenited vael; no distinct pl. form). Note: a homophone means ”lust”. Another adj.

maelui

lustful

maelui (lenited maelui; no distinct pl. form)

maelui

lustful

(lenited maelui; no distinct pl. form)

maen

clever

maen (lenited vaen; no distinct pl. form) (skilled) (noun):

maenas

art

maenas (i vaenas) (craft, handicraft), pl. maenais (i maenais), coll. pl. maenassath.

maenas

art

(i vaenas) (craft, handicraft), pl. maenais (i maenais), coll. pl. maenassath.

maenas

craft

maenas (i vaenas) (handicraft, art), pl. maenais (i maenais), coll. pl. maenassath. Also curu (i guru, o churu) (cunning, cunning device, skill), pl. cyry (i chyry) (VT45:24);

maenas

craft

(i vaenas) (handicraft, art), pl. maenais (i maenais), coll. pl. maenassath. Also curu (i guru, o churu) (cunning, cunning device, skill), pl. cyry (i chyry) (VT45:24);

maenas

handicraft

(i vaenas) (craft, art), pl. maenais (i maenais), coll. pl. maenassath.

maer

good

_(”useful” of things _ not of moral qualities) maer (lenited vaer, no distinct pl. form) (fit, useful). For ”good” as an adjective describing human qualities, the word fael ”fair-minded, just, generous” may be considered.

maer

useful

maer (lenited vaer, no distinct pl. form) (fit, good [of things])

maer

fit

maer (lenited vaer, no distinct pl. form) (useful, good [of things])

maeth

fight

(noun) (of two or a few, not a general host) maeth (i vaeth) (battle), no distinct pl. except with article (i maeth)

maeth

fight

(i vaeth) (battle), no distinct pl. except with article (i maeth)

maeth

battle

(i vaeth) (fight), no distinct pl. except with article (i maeth).

maetha

fight

(verb) maetha- (i vaetha, i maethar). A later source defines maetha- as ”handle, wield, manage, deal with” (VT47:6)

maetha

fight

(i vaetha, i maethar). A later source defines maetha- as ”handle, wield, manage, deal with” (VT47:6)

maetha

handle

(i vaetha, i maethar) (wield, manage, deal with). In Tolkien’s earlier material, the verb maetha- meant ”fight”.

maetha

wield

(i** vaetha, i** maethar) (handle, manage, deal with). In Tolkien’s earlier material, the verb maetha- meant ”fight”.

maetha

deal with

maetha- (i vaetha, i maethar) (handle, wield, manage). In earlier material, the verb maetha- meant ”fight”.

maethor

warrior

1) maethor (i vaethor), analogical pl. maethyr (i maethyr), 2) (”thrower” or ”hurler”, i.e. of spears or darts) hadron (i chadron, o chadron), pl. hedryn (i chedryn), coll. pl. hadronnath. 3) (primarily Orkish warrior) daug (i naug, o ndaug) (soldier), pl. doeg (i ndoeg), coll. pl. dogath. Compounded as -dog in the name Boldog (= baul-daug, *”torment-warrior”)

maethor

warrior

(i vaethor), analogical pl. maethyr (i maethyr)

maew

gull

1) maew (i vaew), no distinct pl. except with article (i maew), coll. pl. maewrim; 2) gwael (i **wael), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwael), 3) mŷl (i vŷl, construct myl), no distinct pl. form except with article (i mŷl**).

maew

gull

(i vaew), no distinct pl. except with article (i maew), coll. pl. maewrim

maeas

noun. dough

maedol

noun/adjective. welcome

@@@ patterned after rhudol

maegra-

verb. to sharpen

maeligeb

adjective. wealthy, rich

maenor

noun. craftsman

maeras

noun. goodness

@@@ Discord 2022-04-24

maethas

noun. control, *authority

maetheb

adjective. having control or authority

maed

handy

(lenited vaed; no distinct pl. form) (skilled). Note: a homophone means ”shapely”.

maed

skilled

(lenited vaed; no distinct pl. form) (handy). Note: a homophone means ”shapely”.

maed

shapely

(lenited vaed; no distinct pl. form) (handy). Note: a homophone means ”skilled, handy”.

maeg

sharp

(lenited vaeg; no distinct pl. form) (penetrating, going deep in). (WJ:337)

maeg

going deep in

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

maeg

penetrating

(lenited vaeg; no distinct pl. form) (sharp, going deep in). (WJ:337)

mael

noun. lust

mael

stained

(lenited vael; no distinct pl. form). Note: a homophone means ”lust”. Another adj.

mael

noun/adjective. stain; stained

maelui

adjective. lustful

maen

clever

(lenited vaen; no distinct pl. form) (skilled)

maen

skilled

(lenited vaen; no distinct pl. form) (clever)

maer

good

(lenited vaer, no distinct pl. form) (fit, useful). For ”good” as an adjective describing human qualities, the word fael ”fair-minded, just, generous” may be considered.

maer

useful

(lenited vaer, no distinct pl. form) (fit, good [of things])

maer

fit

(lenited vaer, no distinct pl. form) (useful, good [of things])

maglor

masculine name. *Forging Gold

Second son of Fëanor (S/60), his name is phonetic conversion of his mother-name Q. Macalaurë “Forging Gold” (PM/353), which in proper Sindarin would have been Magalor (VT41/10).

Conceptual Development: In the earliest Lost Tales, his name was G. Maglor (LT2/241). It remained N. Maglor in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (SM/88, LR/223). In The Etymologies, it was translated “Gold-cleaver”, a combination of the root ᴹ√MAK “cleave” and the suffixal form -lor of glaur “gold” (Ety/MAG). In “The Lay of Leithian Recommenced” from the 1950s, Tolkien revised the name to Maelor (LB/353), a form that also appears as a late change in Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s (MR/182 note §41), but when Tolkien devised the derivation given above in The Shibboleth of Fëanor from the late 1960s, he reverted back to Maglor.

hen(d)

noun. eye

The Sindarin word for “eye”, most notably in the name Amon Hen “Hill of the Eye” (LotR/400), derived from the root √KHEN that was the basis for eye-words (PE17/187). Given the words henneth “window” (LotR/674) and Lachend “Flame-eyed” (WJ/384), it is possible that the independent word for “eye” is hend, but note also maecheneb “sharp-eye” which has no double-n (WJ/337).

Conceptual Development: This word dates all the way back to G. hen “eye” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/48), cognate to ᴱQ. hend- and so probably similarly derived from primitive ᴱ✶þχe-ndǝ (PE12/21). In the Early Noldorin Grammar of the 1920s, ᴱN. hen(n) “eye” was paired with ᴱQ. sinda (PE13/122), but in Early Noldorin Word-lists from the same period, ᴱN. henn was again cognate with ᴱQ. hen (hend-), both from primitive ᴱ✶ske-ndá. In The Etymologies of the 1930s it was N. {hent, henn >>} hên “eye” from the root ᴹ√KHEN-D-E “eye” (Ety/KHEN-D-E). Thus this word was well established in Tolkien’s mind, but had several variations in its form and derivation.

mŷl

noun. gull

A word for “gull” in the name S. Bar-in-Mŷl “Home of the Gulls” (WJ/379); its singular and plural forms would be the same. It might be derived from ✱miulē < ᴹ√MIW “whine”, the basis for other “gull” words, since iu became ȳ in Sindarin. I’d recommend using the better attested S. maew “gull” for purposes of Neo-Sindarin.

aeg

sharp

1) aeg (pointed, piercing). No distinct pl. form. Note: aeg is also used as noun "point, peak, thorn". 2) aig (no distinct pl. form). 3) laeg (keen, acute). No distinct pl. form. Note: a homophone means ”fresh, green”. 4) maeg (lenited vaeg; no distinct pl. form) (penetrating, going deep in). (WJ:337)

cadwar

shapely

1) cadwar (lenited gadwar, pl. cedwair), also cadwor (lenited gadwor, pl. cadwoer). Archaic *cadwaur. 2) maed (lenited vaed; no distinct pl. form) (handy). Note: a homophone means ”skilled, handy”.

dagor

battle

(noun) 1) dagor (i nagor, o ndagor), analogical pl. degyr (i ndegyr), coll. pl. dagorath. Archaic dagr, so we might have expected dagrath as the coll. pl.; dagorath would be an analogical formation. 2) (battle of two or a few, not a general host) maeth (i vaeth) (fight), no distinct pl. except with article (i maeth). 3) auth (war), pl. oeth, coll. pl. othath. Note: a homophone means "dim shape, apparition".

gwass

stain

(noun) 1) gwass (i **wass, construct gwas), pl. gwais (in gwais), also gwath (i **wath), pl. gwaith (in gwaith), 2) (noun) maw (i vaw) (soil), pl. moe (i moe). Note: a homophone is an archaic word for ”hand”. 3) mael (i vael), no distinct pl. form except with article (i mael). Also as adj.

heneb

eyed

(lenited chebeb, pl. henib). Isolated from maecheneb ”sharp-eyed” (lenited vaecheneb; pl. maechenib) (WJ:337)

matha

wield

1) matha- (i vatha, i mathar) (stroke, feel, handle), 2) maetha- (i vaetha, i maethar) (handle, manage, deal with). In Tolkiens earlier material, the verb maetha- meant ”fight”. 3) tortha- (i dortha, i thorthar) (control)

mîth

noun. *Sinda, Grey-Elf

heneb

adjective. of eye, eyed, having eyes

aeg

adjective. sharp, sharp, [N.] pointed, piercing

al-

well

pref. #well. Q. al(a)-. . This gloss was rejected.

bain

good

_ adj. _good, wholesome, blessed, fair (esp. of weather). . This gloss was rejected.

dagor

noun. battle

dagor

noun. battle

gwael

noun. gull

gwaen

adjective. stained

gwaen

adjective. stained

hador

masculine name. Warrior

Leader of the House of Hador, one of the three tribes of the Edain (S/147). In a geneology from 1959, the name seems to be translated “Warrior” in Hador Lorindol “the Warrior Goldenhead”, appearing beneath S. Magor “the Sword” and S. Hathol “the Axe” (WJ/234).

Conceptual Development: In Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, this name appeared as N. Hádor and Hador with both long and short a (LR/146). In The Etymologies of the 1930s, N. hador was translated as “thrower” (Ety/KHAT).

hen

noun. eye

hend

noun. eye

henn

noun. eye

megil

noun. sword

The word was struck out in the Etymologies, but is well attested in late compounds such as Mormegil or Arvegil (with regular mutation). It is conceivably the Sindarinized form of Quenya makil, coexisting with magol (see tegil and tegol for a similar case)

megil

noun. sword

_ n. _sword. i·arben na megil and 'The Knight of the Long Sword'.

megor

adjective. sharp-pointed

mîr

a treasure

_ n. _a treasure, a jewel. Q. mire a treasure, a precious thing. F >> míria-, míriel, miruvor

mŷl

noun. gull

negen

sharp

_ adj. _sharp, angular. Q. nerca, nexe. >> negn

negn

sharp

_ adj. _sharp, angular. Q. nerca, nexe. >> negen

raud

excellent

_ adj. _excellent, noble, eminent.

thend

noun. *Sinda, Grey-Elf

aeg

sharp

(pointed, piercing). No distinct pl. form. Note: aeg is also used as noun "point, peak, thorn".

aig

sharp

(no distinct pl. form).

angol

deep lore

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

auth

battle

(war), pl. oeth, coll. pl. othath. Note: a homophone means "dim shape, apparition".

brûn

long in use

under

cadwar

shapely

(lenited gadwar, pl. cedwair), also cadwor (lenited gadwor, pl. cadwoer). Archaic ✱cadwaur.

crumui

left-handed

crumui (lenited grumui; no distinct pl. form), also hargam (lenited chargam, pl. hergaim)

crumui

left-handed

(lenited grumui; no distinct pl. form), also hargam (lenited chargam, pl. hergaim).

cuen

small gull

(i guen, o chuen) (petrel), pl. ?cuin (?i chuin) (VT45:24)

curunír

man of craft

(i gurunír, o churunír) (wizard), no distinct pl. form except with article (i churunír), coll. pl. ?curuníriath

dagor

battle

(i nagor, o ndagor), analogical pl. degyr (i ndegyr), coll. pl. dagorath. Archaic dagr, so we might have expected dagrath as the coll. pl.; dagorath would be an analogical formation.

dagra

battle

(verb, "do battle, make war") dagra- (i nagra, i ndagrar), also dagrada- (i nagrada, i ndagradar)

dagra

battle

(i nagra, i ndagrar), also dagrada- (i nagrada, i ndagradar)

daug

warrior

(i naug, o ndaug) (soldier), pl. doeg (i ndoeg), coll. pl. dogath. Compounded as -dog in the name Boldog (= baul-daug, ✱”torment-warrior”)

egnas

sharp point

(peak; literally "thorn-point"), pl. egnais, coll. pl. egnassaith.

eitha

prick with a sharp point

(stab, treat with scorn; insult) (i eitha, in eithar)

eithel

well

(= source) eithel (spring, issue of water), pl. eithil

eithel

well

(spring, issue of water), pl. eithil

erchamion

one-handed

(pl. erchemyn).

erchammon

one-handed man

(pl. erchemmyn). The spelling used in the source is ”erchamon” (VT47:7)

falch

deep cleft

(ravine[?]), pl. felch;

flâd

skilled

(construct flad, pl. flaid). Isolated from the name Fladrif ”skin-bark”.

galdol

interjection. welcome

golwen

learned in deep arts

(wise), lenited ngolwen, pl. gelwin (archaic pl. ✱gölwin)

gwael

gull

(i ’wael), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwael)

gwaen

stained

(lenited ’waen; no distinct pl. form)

gwaen

stained

is gwaen (lenited waen; no distinct pl. form)

gwass

stain

(i ’wass, construct gwas), pl. gwais (in gwais), also gwath (i ’wath), pl. gwaith (in gwaith)

gwatha

stain

(verb) gwatha- (i **watha, in gwathar**) (soil)

gwatha

stain

(i ’watha, in gwathar) (soil)

hadron

warrior

(i chadron, o chadron), pl. hedryn (i chedryn), coll. pl. hadronnath.

hathel

broadsword blade

(i chathel, o chathel) (axe blade), pl. hethil (i chethil)

hend

eye

hend (i chend, construct hen), pl. hind (i chind), dual hent ”pair of eyes” (VT45:22), coll. pl. hennath. Adj.

hend

eye

(i chend, construct hen), pl. hind (i chind), dual hent ”pair of eyes” (VT45:22), coll. pl. hennath. Adj.

hûl

cry of encouragement in battle

(i chûl, o chûl, construct hul), pl. huil (i chuil)

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;

iuith

use

(noun) iuith (no distinct pl. form). LONG IN USE, see brûn under .

iuith

use

(no distinct pl. form).

iuitha

use

(verb) iuitha- (i iuitha, in iuithar)

iuitha

use

(i iuitha, in iuithar)

laeg

sharp

(keen, acute). No distinct pl. form. Note: a homophone means ”fresh, green”.

lang

sword

(cutlass), pl. leng.

m

gull

ŷl (i vŷl, construct myl), no distinct pl. form except with article (i mŷl).

magol

sword

(i vagol), analogical pl. megyl (i megyl), coll. pl. maglath (though analogical ?magolath may also be possible). In ”Noldorin”, this was the native word for ”sword” (derived from primitive makla, as is Quenya macil); it is unclear whether Tolkien definitely replaced it with megil when he turned ”Noldorin” into Sindarin, or whether both words coexist in the language.

matha

handle

(i vatha, i mathar) (stroke, feel; wield)

matha

wield

(i** vatha, i** mathar) (stroke, feel, handle)

maw

stain

(i vaw) (soil), pl. moe (i moe). Note: a homophone is an archaic word for ”hand”.

megil

sword

1) megil (i vegil), no distinct pl. form except with article (i megil). This is a borrowing from Quenya macil (VT45:32). 2) magol (i vagol), analogical pl. megyl (i megyl), coll. pl. maglath (though analogical ?magolath may also be possible). In ”Noldorin”, this was the native word for ”sword” (derived from primitive makla, as is Quenya macil); it is unclear whether Tolkien definitely replaced it with megil when he turned ”Noldorin” into Sindarin, or whether both words coexist in the language. 3) lang (cutlass), pl. leng.

megil

sword

(i vegil), no distinct pl. form except with article (i megil). This is a borrowing from Quenya macil (VT45:32).

megor

sharp-pointed

(lenited vegor, analogical pl. megyr); cited in archaic form megr (WJ:337)

nass

sharp end

(point, angle, corner), construct nas, pl. nais** **

paen

small gull

(i baen, o phaen) (petrel), no distinct pl. form except with article (i phaen). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” poen, VT45:24.

till

sharp horn

(i** dill, o thill, construct til; also -dil, -thil at the end of compounds)  (tine, point, sharp-pointed peak), no distinct pl. form except with article (i** thill). Archaic †tild.

till

sharp-pointed peak

(i** dill, o thill, construct til; also -dil, -thil at the end of compounds)  (tine, point, sharp horn), no distinct pl. form except with article (i** thill). Archaic †tild.

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”.

tortha

wield

(i** dortha, i** thorthar) (control)

tortha

control

(verb) tortha- (i dortha, i thorthar) (wield)

tortha

control

(i dortha, i thorthar) (wield)

tûm

deep valley

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

tûr

control

(noun) tûr (i dûr, o thûr, construct tur) (mastery, power; master, victor, lord), pl. tuir (i thuir), coll. pl. túrath

tûr

control

(i dûr, o thûr, construct tur) (mastery, power; master, victor, lord), pl. t**uir (i th**uir), coll. pl. túrath

maxë

dough

maxë ("ks") noun "dough" (MASAG, VT45:32)

maiwë

noun. gull

A noun for “gull” appearing in its plural form maiwi in the Q. Markirya poem of the 1960s (MC/222). In The Etymologies of the 1930s, ᴹQ. maiwe “gull” was derived from the root ᴹ√MIW “whine” (Ety/MIW).

Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s the word was ᴱQ. māwe (māwi-) “gull” under the early root ᴱ√MAWA “cry, bleat” (QL/60), also mentioned in the Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME/60). In Early Qenya Word-lists from the 1920s Tolkien instead had vaiya or {maiwe >>} waiwe “seamew” (PE16/138), but in the version of the ᴱQ. Oilima Markirya poem from circa 1930, Tolkien used maiwe in its nominative plural form maiwin “gulls” (MC/213).

mahtë

noun. management

mailë

lust

mailë noun "lust" (MIL-IK)

maiwë

gull

maiwë noun "gull" (MIW), pl. maiwi in _Markirya. Cf. also the "Qenya" pl. maiwin "gulls" (MC:213)_

mandë

well

mandë (2) adv. "well" (VT49:26; this is "Qenya"). Rather mai in Tolkiens later Quenya.

hendumaica

adjective. sharp-eye[d]

A word for “sharp-eye” (likely an adjective = “sharp-eyed”) appearing in a discussion of the name Maeglin, a combination of dual hendu “pair of eyes” and maica “sharp” (WJ/337).

maica

sharp, piercing

maica (1) ("k")adj. "sharp, piercing" (SA:maeg), cf. hendumaica and the noun maica below.

mai

adverb. well, well; [ᴱQ.] too much

maica

adjective. sharp, piercing

mahtië

noun. management, management, *handling

Amarië

good

Amarië fem. name; perhaps derived from mára "good" with prefixing of the stem-vowel and the feminine ending -ië (Silm)

Carmë

art

Carmë("k")noun "art" (UT:459); used = "structure" in sundocarmë ("k") "Base-structure", q.v. under sundo.

Mairen

well

Mairen fem. name(UT:210), initial element perhaps related or identical to mai "well". The second element is obscure; the root REN "recall, have in mind" (PM:372) could be related; if so the name may imply "well remembered", "(of) good memory" or something similar. It may also connect with the adj. maira, q.v. and compare the masc. name Mairon (PE18:163).

aica

sharp

aica (1) ("k") adj. "sharp" _(AYAK) or "fell, terrible, dire" (PM:347; according to PM:363 seldom applied to evil things)_. In Aicanáro, q.v.

ala-

good

ala- (3), also al-, a prefix expressing "good" or "well" (PE17:146), as in alaquenta (q.v.) Whether Tolkien imagined this ending to coexist with the negative prefix of the same form (#2 above) is unclear and perhaps dubious.

alatulya

welcome

[alatulya adj./interjection "welcome" (PE17:172)]

alatulya

adjective. welcome

alatúlië

welcome

[alatúlië ?noun/?interjection "welcome" (PE17:172)]

alatúlië

noun. welcome

ausië

wealth

ausië noun "wealth" (LT2:336; rather lar or alma in Tolkiens later Quenya)

curwë

craft

curwë ("k")noun "craft" (KUR), "skill of the hand" (VT41:10), Curwë ("K") "technical skill and invention" (PM:360 cf. 344)

ecya

sharp

#ecya adj. "sharp" in Ecyanáro ("k") "Sharp Flame", masc. name, Sindarin Aegnor(VT41:14, 19). The Quenya form of Aegnor is elsewhere given as Aicanáro instead.

ehtelu-

verb. well, bubble out

finca

clever

finca adj. "clever" (in petty ways) (PE17:119). A distinct form finca is also mentioned as the cognate of Sindarin fineg, but neither form is clearly glossed. The word-group under consideration has to do with hair(PE17:17).

finya

adjective. clever

hen

eye

hen (hend-, as in pl. hendi) noun "eye" (KHEN-D-E); possibly dual #hendu in hendumaica, q.v. Noun henfanwa "eye-screen, veil upon eyes" (PE17:176), adj. henulca "evileyed" (SD:68; cf. ulca).

hen

noun. eye

The Quenya word for “eye”, derived from the root √KHEN for eye-words (PE17/187; Ety/KHEN-D-E) and with stem-form hend- given its dual hendu (WJ/337).

Conceptual Development: This word first appeared as ᴱQ. hen in The Qenya Phonology of the 1910s, derived from primitive ᴱ✶þχe-ndǝ and appearing beside ᴱQ. sé “eye, pupil” < ᴱ✶þeχē (PE12/21). Hen (hend-) “eye” appeared in the Qenya Lexicon though it was marked “†” for archaic (QL/40), and ᴱQ. hend- also appeared in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon as the cognate of G. hen “eye” (GL/48). ᴱQ. hen appeared regularly in documents from the 1920s (PE13/147; PE14/43, 76; PE16/136), although in the Early Noldorin Grammar of the 1920s ᴱQ. sinda was given as the cognate of ᴱN. hen(n) “eye” (PE13/122). The form ᴱQ. sinda seems to have been a transient idea.

A lengthy declension of ᴹQ. hen “eye” appeared in documents from the early 1930s (PE21/52) and in The Etymologies of the 1930s it was based on a new the root ᴹ√KHEN-D-E “eye” (Ety/KHEN-D-E). In both these documents, inflected forms indicate a stem form of hend-. Thus this word and its stem were quite stable in Tolkien’s mind, though he did alter its root from early ᴱ√SEHE [ÞEHE] to later √KHEN.

lún

deep

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

macil

sword

macil ("k")noun "sword" (MAK, LT1:259, VT39:11, VT45:32, VT49:17); macilya "his (or their) sword" (PE17:130), see -ya #4.

mahta-

verb. handle

handle, deal with, manage, wield, treat

mahtar

warrior

mahtar noun "warrior" (MAK; original gloss "swordsman", VT45:32)

mai

well

mai (1) adv. "well" (VT47:6), apparently also used as prefix (PE17:17:162, 163, 172)

mailëa

lustful

mailëa adj. "lustful" (MIL-IK)

maitar

artist

maitar noun "artist" (by itself usually: a poet), also compounded in lindimaitar "composer, musician", nyarnamaitar "storyteller", ondomaitar "sculptor in stone", (PE17:163)

mehtar

noun. warrior

milya

soft, gentle, weak

milya (1) adj. "soft, gentle, weak" (VT45:34)

milyar

noun. soft

soft [sonants]

miquelis

soft, sweet kiss

miquelis (miquelis(s)-) noun "soft, sweet kiss" (PE16:96)

mordo

warrior, hero

mordo (2) noun "warrior, hero" (LT1:268 - probably obsoleted by # 1 above)

mussë

soft

mussë adj. "soft" (VT:39:17), also used as a noun (perhaps primarily in the pl. form mussi) with the same meaning as mussë tengwi, see below. (VT39:17)

mussë

adjective. soft

mára

adjective. good

mára

useful, fit, good

mára adj. "useful, fit, good" (of things) (MAG; see MA3; Arct, VT42:34, VT45:30). Nás mara nin "I like it", literally "it is good to me" (VT49:30; read mára for mara?) As the comparative of mára, the unrelated adjective arya "excelling" is used in the sense of "better"; for the superlative *"best", one adds the article: i arya (with genitive to express "the best of…") (PE17:57),

máralë

noun. goodness

márië

goodness

márië (1) "goodness", "good" as noun (abstract formation from the adj. mára). (PE17:58, 89). Genitive máriéno, dative máriena, locative máriessë (PE17:59, occurring in the greeting (hara) máriessë "(stay) in happiness", PE17:162) Allative márienna *"to goodness", used as an interjection "farewell" (archaic namárië, q.v.),

máriën

noun. goodness

nerca

sharp, angular

nerca adj. "sharp, angular" (PE17:55), variant nexa (reading uncertain).

nexa

sharp, angular

nexa adj. "sharp, angular" (PE17:55; the editor indicates that the reading is uncertain, so the variant nerca may be preferred.)

núra

deep

núra adj. "deep" (NŪ)

ohtacáro

warrior

[ohtacáro] ("k")noun "warrior" (KAR). In the Etymologies as printed in LR, the accent of the word ohtacáro was omitted (VT45:19).

ohtar

warrior, soldier

ohtar noun "warrior, soldier" (UT:282)

ohtar

masculine name. Warrior

The squire of Isildur (LotR/243, UT/272). This name is simply the word ohtar “warrior” used as a name. Since it is a name out of legend, this name might have originally been the man’s title instead of his name, with his true name now lost (UT/282, note #17).

ohtar

noun. warrior

tampo

well

tampo noun "well" (QL:93)

tano

craftsman, smith

tano noun "craftsman, smith" (TAN), cf. final element -tan in calmatan "lampwright" (PE17:123), Ciryatan *"ship-builder" (Appendix A).

tanwë

craft, thing made, device, construction

tanwë noun "craft, thing made, device, construction" (TAN)

tur-

wield, control, govern

tur- vb. "wield, control, govern" (1st pers. aorist turin "I wield" etc.), pa.t. turnë (TUR). The verb is elsewhere defined "master, conquer, win" (PE17:115), virtually the same meanings are elsewhere assigned to turu- #1, q.v.

yelca

sword

[yelca noun ?"sword" - Tolkien's gloss is not certainly legible, and the word was struck out anyway. (VT45:11)]

laiceta-

verb. to sharpen

mahtasta

noun. management

maicata-

verb. to sharpen

maitulya

adjective. welcome

tampo

noun. well

maetha-

verb. to fight

maeth

noun. battle, fight, fight, battle

maen

adjective. skilled, clever

maer

adjective. useful, fit, good (of things)

maew

noun. gull

maethor

noun. warrior

mael

noun/adjective. stain

mael

noun/adjective. stained

maen

adjective. skilled, clever

maenas

noun. craft

maenas

noun. craft, handicraft, art

maer

adjective. useful, fit, good (of things)

maeth

noun. battle, fight (not of general host but of two or a few)

maetha-

verb. to fight

maethon

noun. sword

maethor

noun. warrior

maew

noun. gull

hmael

noun/adjective. stain; stained

hmael

noun/adjective. stain

hmael

noun/adjective. stained

moeas

noun. dough

A word appearing as N. moeas “dough” in The Etymologies of the 1930s, an elaboration of primitive ᴹ✶mazgē (probably ✱mazgassē) under the root ᴹ√MASAG “knead” (Ety/MASAG).

Neo-Sindarin: It is common to adapt this word as ᴺS. maeas for purposes of Neo-Sindarin, since the diphthong oe < older ai in Noldorin of the 1930s generally became ae in Sindarin of the 1950s and 60s: compare N. oel “lake” vs. S. ael. However, the word moeas < ✱mazgassē has other phonological difficulties, since the phonetic developments of ancient zg were also different in Sindarin. See the entry on how [[s|[zb], [zg] became [ðβ], [ðɣ]]] for further discussion, as well as (rejected) N. madhias “softness” which shows the expected developments (EtyAC/MASAG). I personally retain ᴺS. maeas “dough” and assume it is the result of alternate developments, but ᴺS. madhias “dough” would be a reasonable alternative that better fits later Sindarin phonology.

maidhros

masculine name. Pale-glitter

moel

noun. lust

moeleg

masculine name. Moeleg

moelui

adjective. lustful

cadwar

adjective. shapely

cadwar

adjective. shapely

cadwor

adjective. shapely

cadwor

adjective. shapely

crumui

adjective. left-handed

curu

noun. craft, skill

curw

noun. craft, skill

dagor

noun. battle

dagor

noun. battle

dagr

noun. battle

dagra-

verb. to battle

daug

noun. warrior, soldier (chiefly used of Orcs)

gwass

noun. stain

gwass

noun. stain

gwath

noun. stain

hargam

adjective. left-handed

harwed

adjective. left-handed

hent

noun. the two eyes (referring to one person's eyes)

hên

noun. eye

hên

noun. eye

iuith

noun. use

iuith

noun. use

magl

noun. sword

The word megil (q.v.), probably introduced by the Ñoldor, was also used

magol

noun. sword

The word megil (q.v.), probably introduced by the Ñoldor, was also used

magol

noun. sword

mai

adverb. well

mai govannen

well met

megil

noun. sword

The word was struck out in the Etymologies, but is well attested in late compounds such as Mormegil or Arvegil (with regular mutation). It is conceivably the Sindarinized form of Quenya makil, coexisting with magol (see tegil and tegol for a similar case)

megil

noun. sword

moe

adjective. soft

moe

adjective. soft, pliant

moeas

noun. dough

moed

adjective. handy, skilled, skilful

moel

noun. lust

moelui

adjective. lustful

nûr

adjective. deep

nûr

adjective. deep

tortha-

verb. to wield, control

mai

adverb. well

mailiki

noun. wealth, abundance

makla

noun. sword

manrā

adjective. good