A word first appearing with the gloss “jewel, precious thing, treasure” in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√MIR (Ety/MIR). It appeared regularly in Tolkien’s later writings with the same etymology and glosses like “gem”, “jewel” and “precious thing”, and it was a common element in names. In one place Tolkien said it could also be used as an adjective “precious” (PE17/165).
Quenya
mírë
jewel
mírë
noun/adjective. jewel, gem, precious thing, treasure; precious
Cognates
- S. mîr “jewel, precious thing, treasure” ✧ PE17/024; PE17/037; PE17/073; PE17/165; SA/mîr
Derivations
Element in
- Q. Aldamir “*Tree Jewel”
- Q. Ardamir “*World-jewel”
- Q. Ardamírë “Jewel of the World”
- Q. ar hísië untúpa Calaciryo míri oialë “and mist covers the jewels of Calacirya forever” ✧ LotR/0377; RGEO/58
- Q. ar hísië untúpa Calaciryo míri oialë “and mist covers (lit. down-roofs) Calacirya’s jewels forever” ✧ RGEO/59
- Q. Artamir “*Noble Jewel”
- Q. atamir “heirloom” ✧ PE17/165
- Q. Atanamir “*Man Jewel” ✧ PE17/024; SA/mîr
- Q. Castamir
- ᴺQ. culmírë “sardius, carneol [carnelian], (lit.) orange-jewel”
- Q. Elemmírë “Elven-gem, Star-gem” ✧ PE19/096; SA/mîr
- Q. Elendilmir “Star of Elendil”
- ᴺQ. mirumírë “amethyst, (lit.) wine-jewel”
- Q. Hostamir “*Many Jewels”
- ᴺQ. laicelumir “malachite (lit.) green-flowing-jewel”
- ᴺQ. lairemírë “daisy, (lit.) meadow-jewel *(or summer-jewel)”
- ᴺQ. linquemir “hyacinth [jewel]”
- Q. mimírima “very beautiful” ✧ PE17/165
- Q. mírëa “jewelled, jewelled, *gemmed”
- Q. Míriel “*Jewel-daughter” ✧ PE17/024; SA/mîr
- Q. mírima “very valuable, very precious, very lovely” ✧ PE17/165
- ᴺQ. nambírë “jasper”
- ᴺQ. omírë “jewelry (collectively)”
- ᴺQ. orvamir “chrysoprase, (lit.) apple-jewel”
- ᴺQ. ostimmir “agate, (lit.) blend-jewel”
- ᴺQ. tinwírë “diamond, (lit.) sparkling gem”
- Q. Vardamir “*Varda-jewel”
- Q. yavannamírë “Jewel of Yavanna”
- S. Boromir “?Steadfast-jewel”
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √MIR > mírë [mīre] ✧ PE17/037 ✶mīrĭ > míre [mīri] > [mīre] ✧ PE17/165 √MIR > mīre [mīre] ✧ PE17/165 Variations
- míre ✧ PE17/024; PE17/073; PE17/165; PE19/096
- mīre ✧ PE17/165
Elemmírë
star-jewel
Elemmírë noun *"Star-jewel" (elen + míre, notice assimilation nm > mm), name of a star/planet (possibly Mercury, MR:435, where the spelling used is Elemmirë); also name of an Elf. (SA:mîr)
Artamir
noble jewel
Artamir masc. name *"Noble jewel" (Appendix A); cf. mírë.
mírë noun "jewel" (MIR, SA:mîr), "a treasure, a precious thing" (PE17:37).Cf. Elemmírë; short form -mir in Tar-Atanamir (SA:mîr); see also Artamir.