n(d)il

root. to love (as a friend or equal), be devoted to, to love (as a friend or equal), be devoted to; [ᴹ√] love, devotion; friend

This root for friendship and devotion first appeared as ᴹ√NIL or strengthened ᴹ√NDIL “friend” in The Etymologies of the 1930s with a number of Quenya derivatives of similar meaning, the most significant being the suffixes ᴹQ. -nil or -dil, which Tolkien said was the equivalent of Old English “-wine” (“-friend”). In The Etymologies, ᴹ√DIL was an unrelated root meaning “stop up, fill up hole” (Ety/DIL). The strengthened root ᴹ√NDIL was mentioned again with the gloss “love, devotion” in The Notion Club Papers of the 1940s (SD/241, 305).

The unstrengthened form √NIL appeared in a letter to David Masson from 1955, where Tolkien said “√NIL means to love as a friend or equal”, as opposed to √(N)DUR which meant “to show special interest in things such as trees, astronomy, gems, medicine, sea, etc.” (PE17/152). Tolkien went on to say that, properly speaking, -(n)dil could apply only to persons and -(n)dur should be used of things, with names like Meneldil and Anardil being “Mannish” misuses of the suffix.

The root appeared again as √(N)DIL “to love, be devoted to” in the draft of a letter to Mr. Rang from 1967, where Tolkien clarified that it described “the attitude of one to a person, thing, course or occupation to which one is devoted for its own sake” (Let/386). This seems to be the only place where Tolkien clearly indicates the unstrengthened form is √DIL. Tolkien again clarified the distinction with √(N)DUR in a footnote:

> This provides the key to a large number of other Elvish Q. names, such as Elendil “Elf-friend” (eled+ndil), Valandil, Mardil the Good Steward (devoted to the House, sc. of the Kings) Meneldil “astronomer” etc. Of similar significance in names is -(n)dur, though properly this means “to serve”, 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. Compare among the variant names: Eärendur “(professional) mariner” (Let/386).

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin I would leave the unstrengthened form of this root as √NIL to retain the use of ᴹ√DIL “stop up, fill up hole” from the 1930s. I would also assume that √N(D)IL means “devotion” from a position of equality and friendship, as opposed to √(N)DUR which means devotion from a position of subservience. Hence Elendil = “Elf friend” [as equals] but Valandur = “Servant of the Vala” [from a lesser position].

Derivatives

• ✶-ndīl
  • Q. -(n)dil “-friend, -lover; devotion, disinterested love”
• ✶ndilā- “to love, be devoted to”
• ✶ndīli “a special concern with or love for”
  • Q. nílë “a special concern with or love for” ✧ PE21/86
• Q. -(n)dil “-friend, -lover; devotion, disinterested love” ✧ Let/386; PE17/152
• ᴺQ. nil- “to love, have special concern/care/interest for”
• Q. nilmë “love, concern for things other than self for their own sakes” ✧ NM/016
• S. -dil “friend, lover”

Element in

• ✶Eled-nil “lover of the Elves” ✧ NM/016; NM/020; PE17/152
• ✶Elendīl “Star-lover” ✧ NM/020
• Q. Eärendil “Lover of the Sea” ✧ Let/386; NM/016; NM/020
• Q. Ornendil “*Tree-friend” ✧ NM/016; NM/020
• Q. Valandil “Lover of the Valar” ✧ NM/016; NM/020
• ᴺS. dilith “friendship”

Variations

• (N)DIL ✧ Let/386
• ndil ✧ NM/016; NM/020
• NIL ✧ PE17/152; PE17/168