Quenya 

malinornë

noun. mallorn, (lit.) golden/yellow tree

The usual Quenya name for the mallorn tree, most notably appearing in the Entish phrase Laurelindórenan lindelorendor malinornélion ornemalin (LotR/467; Let/448). It is a combination of malina “yellow, golden colour” and ornë “tree”. In one place Tolkien considered an alternate form maldorne where the initial element was instead derived from primitive ✶malnā with ancient ln becoming ld (PE17/51).

Quenya [Let/448; LotR/0467; NM/333; PE17/051; PE17/080; UT/167; UT/168; UTI/malinornë; UTI/mallorn] Group: Eldamo. Published by

malinornë

yellow-tree

malinornë noun "yellow-tree" (malina + ornë), fictional species of tree (Sindarin mallorn; in Quenya also called maldornë) (PE17:50). Cf. malinornélion "of yellow-trees"; see laurelindórenan lindelorendor... (LotR2:III ch. 4; cf. Letters:308). Malinornélion is partitive pl. genitive of malinornë (UT:167, normal pl. malinorni, UT:168).

maldornë

maldornë

maldornë noun (fictional species of tree, Sindarin mallorn). Variant of malinornë (apparently arising by shortening to *malnornë and the normal development ln > ld, unless the shorter adjective malda is present from the beginning). (PE17:51)

-li

the elves

-li partitive pl. ending (simply called a plural suffix in the Etymologies, stem LI). The ending is used to indicate a plural that is neither generic (e.g. Eldar "the Elves" as a race) nor definite (preceded by article); hence Eldali is used for "some Elves" (a particular group of Elves, when they are first mentioned in a narrative, VT49:8). Sometimes Tolkien also lets -li imply a great number; in PE17:129, the form falmalinnar from _Namárië _is broken down as falma-li-nnar "foam wave-many-towards-pl. ending", and falmali by itself Tolkien translated "many waves" (PE17:73). A distinct accusative in -seems to occur in the phrase an i falmalī (PE17:127, apparently meaning the same as i falmalinnar, but replacing the allative ending with a preposition). Genitive -lion in vanimálion, malinornélion (q.v. for reference), allative -linna and -linnar in falmalinnar, q.v. The endings for other cases are only known from the Plotz letter: possessive -líva, dative -lin, locative -lissë or -lissen, ablative -lillo or -lillon, instrumental -línen, "short locative" -lis. When the noun ends in a consonant, r and n is assimilated before l, e.g. Casalli as the partitive pl. of Casar "Dwarf" (WJ:402), or elelli as the partitive pl. of elen "star" (PE17:127). It is unclear whether the same happens in monosyllabic words, or whether a connecting vowel would be slipped in before -li (e.g. ?queneli or ?quelli as the partitive pl. of quén, quen- "person").

malina

yellow

malina adj. "yellow" (SMAL, Letters:308), "yellow, of golden colour" (PE17:51). Malinalda *"Yellow-tree", a name of Laurelin (SA:mal-; evidently malina + alda), translated "Tree of Gold" in the Silmarillion index. Cf. also malinornë.

ornë

tree

ornë noun "tree" _(Letters:308, SD:302: "when smaller and more slender like a birch or rowan", Etym stem ÓR-NI: "tree, high isolated tree"). For the etymology, see Letters:426; for (original) difference in meaning between ornë and alda, see alda. In ornemalin "tree-yellow"; see laurelindórenan lindelorendor... (LotR2:III ch. 4; cf. Letters:308), also as final element in malinornë "yellow-tree, mallorn" (q.v.) Masc. name Ornendil *"Tree-friend" (Appendix A)_, compound Ornelië "tree-folk" (Quenya name of the Galadhrim, the tree-people of Lórien) (TI:239).

alda

tree

alda noun "tree" (GALAD, GÁLAD, SA, Nam, RGEO:66, LR:41, SD:302, LT1:249, LT2:340, VT39:7), also name of tengwa #28 (Appendix E). Pl. aldar in Narqelion; gen. pl. aldaron "of trees" in Namárië. Etymology of alda, see Letters:426 and UT:266-7. The latter source states that primitive ¤galadā, whence Quenya alda, originally applied to stouter and more spreading trees such as oaks or beeches, while straighter and more slender trees such as birches were called ¤ornē, Quenya ornë - but this distinction was not always observed in Quenya, and it seems that alda became the general word. According to PE17:25, primitive galada (sic) referred to "a plant (large) and was a general term". Place-name Aldalómë ""tree-night" or "tree-shade-night" (LotR2:III ch. 4, translated in PE17:82); Aldarion masc. name, *"Son of (the) Trees" (Appendix A), Tar-Aldarion a Númenorean King (UT:210). Aldaron a name of Oromë (Silm); aldinga "tree-top" (VT47:28), aldarembina (pl. aldarembinë attested) adj. "tree-tangled", the cognate of Sindarin galadhremmin**(PM:17:26).Aldúya fourth day of the Eldarin six-day week, dedicated to the Trees (Appendix D). The word seems to include Aldu, a dual form referring to the Two Trees. The Númenóreans altered the name to Aldëa (presumably < aldajā), referring to one tree (the White) only. The dual Aldu seems to occur also in Aldudénië** "Lament for the Two Trees" (a strange word, since Quenya does not permit intervocalic d as in this word perhaps the Vanyarin dialect of Quenya did) (Silm)

alda

noun. tree

Quenya [PE 22:116, 124; PE 22:160] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

alda

noun. tree, tree, [ᴱQ.] branch

The basic Quenya word for “tree” (LotR/1113), derived from primitive ✶galadā and very well attested. This word dates all the way back to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s where ᴱQ. alda “tree” appeared under the early root ᴱ√ALA “spread” (QL/29). Tolkien seems to have switched its derivation to ✱galadā in The Etymologies of the 1930s, where ᴹQ. alda “tree” appeared under the root ᴹ√GALAD of the same meaning (Ety/GALAD). See also ornë “(tall) tree” for a discussion of another similar word.

Conceptual Development: There were a few instances where the word alda had a different meaning. In Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s, alda was glossed “branch” (PE16/139). In notes from 1959 Tolkien said “✱galadā, originally only large flourishing plant, as tree, and especially one that flowered, Q alda, S galað; the general word for ‘tree’ was Q orne ‘upstanding plant’ (PE17/153)”. But in its numerous appearance elsewhere, alda was simply a general word for “tree”.

Quenya [CPT/1296; CPT/1298; Let/426; LotR/0377; LotR/1113; LotR/1123; MR/100; NM/352; PE17/025; PE17/050; PE17/063; PE17/126; PE17/135; PE17/136; PE17/153; PE22/160; RC/385; RGEO/58; RGEO/65; SA/alda; UT/167; VT39/07] Group: Eldamo. Published by

malda

yellow, of golden colour

malda adj. "yellow, of golden colour" (PE17:51), variant of malina. An earlier source (the Etymologies, entry SMAL) has malda as the noun "gold" but LotR gives malta, q.v., and according to VT46:14 the form malta originally appeared in the Etymologies as well. Since Quenya sometimes uses adjectives as nouns (see for instance fanya), malda could still be regarded as a valid side-form of the noun malta "gold".

tulca

yellow

tulca (3) ("k") adj. "yellow". Adopted and adapted from Valarin; the normal Quenya word for "yellow" is rather malina (WJ:399)

Sindarin 

malhorn

noun. golden tree of Lothlórien

Sindarin [S/435, LotR/II:IV, VT/42:27, Tengwestie/20031207] malt+orn "tree of gold". Group: SINDICT. Published by

mallorn

noun. golden tree of Lothlórien

Sindarin [S/435, LotR/II:IV, VT/42:27, Tengwestie/20031207] malt+orn "tree of gold". Group: SINDICT. Published by

mallorn

noun. golden tree

mall (“golden, of gold”) + orn (“tree”)

Sindarin [Tolkiendil] Group: Tolkiendil Compound Sindarin Names. Published by

malthorn

noun. golden tree of Lothlórien

Sindarin [S/435, LotR/II:IV, VT/42:27, Tengwestie/20031207] malt+orn "tree of gold". Group: SINDICT. Published by

mallorn

Mallorn

The word comes from malt ("gold") and orn ("tree"). In Gondor Sindarin the same word was pronounced Malthorn. Malinornë is the Quenya translation of Mallorn.

Sindarin [Tolkien Gateway] Published by

galadh

noun. tree

Sindarin [Ety/357, S/427, LotR/E, LB/354, RGEO/73, Letters] Group: SINDICT. Published by

galadh

tree

_n. Bot._tree, like oak (nordh) and beech. A galadh was more thick, dense and branching than a orn. In Sindarin, there was no much distinction in size between galað and orn. A galað was more thick, dense and branching than a orn. Birch, ash and oak are of the orn kind. Q. alda. >> orn

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:25:50] < *_galadā _a large plant (general term), tree < GALA grow like plants. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

galadh

tree

{ð} n. tree. In Sindarin, there was no much distinction in size between galað and orn. A galað was more thick, dense and branching than a orn. Birch, ash and oak are of the orn kind. Q. alda. >> orn

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:25:136] < *_galaða_ < *_galadā_ < GAL to grow (like a plant). Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

galadh

noun. tree

The basic Sindarin word for “tree” (LotR/1113), derived from primitive ✶galadā and very well attested. This word dates back at least to The Etymologies of the 1930s, where N. galadh “tree” appeared under the root ᴹ√GALAD (Ety/GALAD). See also orn “(tall) tree” of similar meaning.

Conceptual Development: Gnomish of the 1910s had some earlier version of this “tree” word: G. galdon >> alwen “tree” in the Name-list to the Fall of Gondolin (PE15/24) and archaic/poetic G. †alwen “tree” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/19), the latter probably from the early root ᴱ√ALA “spread” that was the basis for ᴱQ. alda “tree” (QL/29).

Sindarin [LB/354; Let/426; LotR/1113; MR/182; MR/470; NM/349; NM/352; PE17/025; PE17/050; PE17/060; PE17/063; PE17/097; PE17/136; PE17/153; PE23/136; PE23/139; RGEO/65; SA/alda; SA/kal; UT/267] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lebethron

noun. a tree - its black wood was used by the woodwrights of Gondor

In the original manuscript, one of the earlier (rejected) form of this name was lebendron. Didier Willis proposed the etymology lebed+doron "finger-oak", actually a real tree name (Finger Oak or Quercus digitata)

Sindarin [LotR/IV:VII, LotR/VI:V, WR/176] Group: SINDICT. Published by

orn

noun. (any large) tree

Sindarin [Ety/379, S/435, Letters/426] Group: SINDICT. Published by

oron

noun. tree

n. Bot. tree. Also in compound -(o)rŏnō. >> orn

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:89] -. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

baran

yellow brown

(swart, dark brown, golden-brown), pl. berain.

galadh

tree

1) galadh (i **aladh), pl. gelaid (i ngelaidh = i ñelaidh) (Letters:426, SD:302). 2) orn (pl. yrn**). Note: a homophone means ”tall”.

galadh

tree

(i ’aladh), pl. gelaid (i ngelaidh = i ñelaidh) (Letters:426, SD:302).

galadhon

of or related to trees

(lenited ‘aladhon, pl. galadhoen). Archaic ✱galadhaun. The latter is based on David Salo’s analysis of the name Caras Galadhon; others have interpreted the last word as some kind of genitive plural, maybe influenced by Silvan Elvish.

galadhrim

people of the trees

(Elves of Lórien). Adj.

huorn

walking tree of fangorn

(i chuorn, o chuorn), pl. huyrn (i chuyrn).

lebethron

oak tree

.

malen

yellow

malen (lenited valen; pl. melin).

malen

yellow

(lenited valen; pl. melin).

mâl

yellow powder

(i vâl; construct mal) (pollen), pl. mail or archaic mely (i mail, i mely). Older pl. meil (LR:386 s.v. SMAL).

nothlir

family tree

(family line); no distinct pl. form; coll. pl. nothliriath.

orn

tree

(pl. yrn). Note: a homophone means ”tall”.

toss

low-growing tree

(i** doss, o thoss, construct tos), pl. tyss (i** thyss). Tolkien mentioned ”maple, hawthorn, blackthorn, holly, etc.” as examples of the low-growing trees covered by this word. Specific trees, see

Telerin 

galada

noun. tree

galla

noun. tree

Telerin [VT39/07; VT39/19] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Noldorin 

galadh

noun. tree

Noldorin [Ety/357, S/427, LotR/E, LB/354, RGEO/73, Letters] Group: SINDICT. Published by

galadh

noun. tree

Noldorin [Ety/GALAD; LR/041; PE22/047; SD/302; TI/249] Group: Eldamo. Published by

malen

adjective. yellow

Noldorin [Ety/386] Group: SINDICT. Published by

malen

adjective. yellow, yellow, [ᴱN.] yellowish, pale, wan, sickly

Noldorin [Ety/SMAL] Group: Eldamo. Published by

orn

noun. (any large) tree

Noldorin [Ety/379, S/435, Letters/426] Group: SINDICT. Published by

orn

noun. tree

Noldorin [Ety/ÓR-NI; Ety/SMAL; EtyAC/NEL; EtyAC/ORO; LR/041; SD/302] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Quendya 

tulka

adjective. yellow

Nandorin 

galad

noun. tree

Nandorin [MR/182; PE17/050; PE17/060] Group: Eldamo. Published by

galad

noun. tree

Nandorin [PE17/50] < galadā. Published by

galad

noun. tree

Derived from galadâ "great growth", "tree", applied to stout and spreading trees such as oaks and beeches (UT:266, Letters:426; in the latter source, the root GAL is defined as "grow", intransitive). It is interesting to notice that this word, given in a source much later than the Etymologies that provides most of the Nandorin material, nonetheless agrees well with the older words cited by Tolkien: again we see the loss of original final , whereas original post-vocalic d is unchanged as in the word edel.

Nandorin [H. Fauskanger (Letters:426, MR:182, UT:266)] < GAL. Published by

Beware, older languages below! The languages below were invented during Tolkien's earlier period and should be used with caution. Remember to never, ever mix words from different languages!

Gnomish

malon

adjective. yellow

alwen

noun. tree

Gnomish [GL/19; LT2/215; LT2A/Duilin; LT2A/Galdor; PE13/109; PE15/24] Group: Eldamo. Published by

galdon

noun. tree

Gnomish [LT2/215; LT2A/Duilin; LT2A/Galdor; PE13/104; PE15/24] Group: Eldamo. Published by

orn

noun. tree

Gnomish [GL/19; GL/42; GL/62; LT2A/Galdor; LT2A/Hirilorn; PE13/109; PE13/115; PE13/116] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Noldorin

malw

adjective. yellow

Early Noldorin [PE13/150] Group: Eldamo. Published by

orn

noun. tree

Early Noldorin [PE13/151; PE13/164] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Primitive Elvish

mala

root. yellow

Early Primitive Elvish [QL/058; QL/063] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ornĕ

noun. tree

Early Primitive Elvish [PE13/116; PE13/164] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Quenya

malin(d)

adjective. yellow

malina

adjective. yellow

Early Quenya [PME/058; QL/044; QL/058; VT40/08] Group: Eldamo. Published by

orme

noun. tree

orne

noun. tree

Early Quenya [PE13/164; PE16/080; PE16/139] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Qenya 

alda

noun. tree

Qenya [Ety/GALAD; LR/041; PE22/021; PE22/022; PE22/047; PE22/051; PE22/116; PE22/124; PE22/125; PE23/083; SD/302; TMME/182] Group: Eldamo. Published by

malina

adjective. yellow

Doriathrin

gald

noun. tree

A Doriathrin noun for “tree” derived from the root ᴹ√GÁLAD (Ety/GALAD), probably from a primitive form ✱✶galadā with the second a lost due to the Ilkorin Syncope. Note that the first element [[ilk|[gal-] did not reduce to [gl-]]] because the initial syllable was stressed in the primitive word.

Doriathrin [Ety/GALAD] Group: Eldamo. Published by

orn

noun. tree

A Doriathrin noun for “tree” derived from the root ᴹ√ÓR-NI or ᴹ√ÓRON (Ety/ÓR-NI, EtyAC/NEL). According Tolkien, it was “in Doriath used especially of beech, but as a suffix [it was] used of any tree of any size” (Ety/ÓR-NI). The root ᴹ√ÓR-NI in The Etymologies suggests a primitive form of ᴹ✶ornĭ, but elsewhere Tolkien indicated the primitive form was ᴹ✶ornē (e.g. on SD/302). Both primitive forms would have produced Ilk. orn, as noted by Helge Fauskanger (AL-Doriathrin/orn).

Doriathrin [Ety/NEL; Ety/ÓR-NI] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Old Noldorin 

malina

adjective. yellow

Old Noldorin [Ety/SMAL] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Middle Primitive Elvish

galad

root. tree

The basis for Elvish “tree” words, this root first appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as an extension of ᴹ√GALA “thrive” (Ety/GALAD). This replaced the earliest derivation of “tree” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, where the Qenya word for “tree” ᴱQ. alda was derived from ᴱ√ALA “spread” (QL/29). In The Etymologies, the Quenya form of this word remained the same, but the 1910s Gnomish words G. âl “wood” and †alwen “tree” (GL/19) became the 1930s Noldorin word N. galadh “tree” (Ety/GALA). Quenya and Sindarin retained these words for “tree” thereafter, and while Tolkien did not mention the root √GALAD again, his continued use of primitive ✶galadā “tree” (Let/426; PE17/153; PE21/74; UT/266) made it clear this root remained valid.

Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/BERÉTH; Ety/GALA; Ety/GALAD; Ety/NEL; EtyAC/GALAD] Group: Eldamo. Published by

galadā

noun. tree

Middle Primitive Elvish [SD/302] Group: Eldamo. Published by

smal

root. yellow

Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/LÁWAR; Ety/SMAL; EtyAC/MAL] Group: Eldamo. Published by

smalinā

adjective. yellow

Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/SMAL] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Valarin 

tuluk-ha(n)

adjective. yellow