arod

adjective. noble

adj. #noble.

arod

adjective. noble

d adj. noble. Q. arata. >> raud

arod

noble

1b _adj._noble. >> raud

arod

adjective. noble

arod

adjective. noble

aradan

masculine name. *Noble-man

The Sindarin name of Malach (S/143), a combination of the prefix ar(a)- “noble” and the noun Adan “Man” (SA/ar(a), adan).

arador

masculine name. *Noble-lord

The 14th chieftain of the Dúnedain, grandfather of Aragorn (LotR/1038). The initial element of his name is the prefix ar(a)- “noble” and its final element might be -dor “lord”.

Conceptual Development: In the draft of Appendix A of the Lord of the Rings, his name was first given as Arv[or]eg (4th and 5th letters unclear), revised to Arador (PM/211).

aredhel

feminine name. Noble Elf

The commonly known name of Turgon’s sister (S/60) and mother of Maeglin (S/133). Her name is a compound of ar(a)- “noble” and Edhel “Elf”, and thus: “Noble Elf” (WJ/318). She was also (less commonly) known by the sobriquet Ar-Feiniel “White Lady” (S/60).

Conceptual Development: This character dates back to the earliest Lost Tales, first appearing as G. Isfin (LT2/165). At this early stage, her name meant “Snow-locks” or “Exceeding-cunning” (LTA2/Isfin). Tolkien kept this name for a long time, and it appeared in The Etymologies from the 1930s as N. Isfin, a compound of N. ist “knowledge” and ON. phinya “skillful”, so: “✱Skillful Knowledge” (Ety/IS, Ety/PHIN).

Over time, this name lost any linguistic significance, until Tolkien became dissatisfied with it. Tolkien experimented with various alternate forms, first Íreth (MR/182), briefly Rodwen “High Virgin Noble” (WJ/317), and later either Aredhel or Ar-Feiniel (WJ/317). In the published version of The Silmarillion, Christopher Tolkien used both of the last two names, but elsewhere he admitted that the two names were in competition to replace Isfin, and that Aredhel seems to have been his father’s final choice (WJ/318).

To avoid the issue, this entry assumes that both Aredhel or Ar-Feiniel were sobriquets and that Íreth was her “true” Sindarin name, derived from her given name Q. Írissë. See S. Íreth for further discussion.

aredhel

proper name. Noble Elf

A term for the “Noble Elves”, the Sindar and Noldor, with the variant form Aerel (PE17/139, 141) and draft forms Edaeron, Edaerel, Aeriel (PE17/140). It is a combination of the prefix ar(a)- “noble” and Edhel “Elf”, with its variant using Ell “Elf” instead.

arminas

masculine name. ?Noble Tower

A Noldorin Elf of Angrod’s people (S/212). His name is apparently a combination of the prefix ar(a)- “noble” and the noun minas “tower”, though it is unclear why the second element was not lenited to ✱-vinas, as occurred in similar names like Arvegil. In a Discord chat on 2024-05-20, Parmandil suggested it might be a North Sindarin or Quenya name to explain the lack of lenition. Vyacheslav Stepanov suggested its initial element might instead be arn-, as in Argonath.

arothir

masculine name. Noble Lord

A name Tolkien considered as a replacement for Orodreth in some of his late writings from 1965 (PM/350). The name is a combination of arod “noble” and hîr “lord”. @@@ Etymology

arroch

masculine name. *Noble-horse

The name of Húrin’s horse (UT/70). The name is probably a combination of ar(a)- “noble” and roch “horse”.

arwen

feminine name. Noble Maiden

Beloved of Aragorn and first queen of reunited Gondor and Arnor (LotR/973). Her name was translated “Noble Maiden” in one of Tolkien’s letters (RC/205). The initial element of her name is the prefix ar(a)- “noble” and its final element is the suffixal form -wen of gwend “maiden”, common in female names. Its Quenya and Sindarin forms are identical (PE17/56).

Conceptual Development: Arwen’s name did not emerge until late in the Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s. She was first named N. Ellonel, but this was revised to Finduilas >> Amareth >> Emrahil before Tolkien finally settled on Arwen (SD/66).

brand

adjective. towering; tall and massive, towering, tall and massive, [N.] high; lofty, noble, fine

In notes from the 1950s or 60s the word brand, brann meant “towering; tall and massive” (PE17/22, 61). In these notes Tolkien said it was derived from √BARAT (PE17/22), but that root would probably produce ✱✱brant so I think it is more likely to be based on (or blended with) √BARAD. The Etymologies from around 1937 had N. brand, brann “lofty, noble, fine” derived from primitive ᴹ✶b’randā under the root ᴹ√BARAD (Ety/BARÁD). In a phrase from Thrór’s Map written in 1936, brann was translated “high”: lheben teil __brann__ i annon ar neledh neledhi gar godrebh “five foot high the door and three may walk abreast” (TAI/150).

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would assume brand was a blending of various ancient words meaning both “tall” and “noble”, so useable for either depending on context. I further assume it can only be used for “high, tall (and massive)” of things mostly of exceptional height, while of people it means “lofty, noble, fine”. For tall people I would probably instead use tond.

brandir

masculine name. *Noble Man

6th and last chief of the House of Haleth, who became the rival of Túrin (S/216). His name is a combination of brand “lofty, noble” and dîr “man”, hence: “✱Noble Man”.

Conceptual Development: In the earliest Lost Tales, his name was given as G. Tamar (LT2/101). In Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s his name changed to N. Brandir and remained so thereafter (SM/129). In The Etymologies, this name was given as a compound of N. brann “lofty, noble” and N. dîr “man”, which is the source of the derivation given above (Ety/BARÁD, DER).

rodwen

feminine name. High Virgin Noble

A name Tolkien briefly considered for Turgon’s sister translated “High Virgin Noble” (WJ/317), a compound of the prefixal form rod- of raud “noble” with the lenited form of gwend “maiden”. It was ultimately replaced by Aredhel; see that entry for further discussion.

thinrod

masculine name. noble member of the Thindrim

A Sindarin name glossed “noble member of the Thindrim (Sindar)”, a combination of thind “grey” and the suffixal form of arod “noble” (VT41/9).

Aredhel

noun. high, noble elf

ar(a) (prefix “high, noble, royal”) + edhel (“elf”)

Gildor

noun. noble star

gîl (“star, bright spark”) + taur (“noble, king, lord”) The second element is only used poetically, as -dor often found in names [Etym. TĀ-].

aranarth

noun. noble king

aran (“king”) + arth (“lofty, noble”)

arwen

noun. royal, noble maiden

ar (prefix “high, noble, royal”) + gwend (“maiden, woman”)

Aredhel

'Noble-Elf'

{ð} n. 'Noble-Elf'. Afterwards including also the Exiled Noldor. >> edhel, Thinnedhel

Arodreth

noun. 'Noble endurance'

prop. n. 'Noble endurance'. >> arod, reth

aran

'high or noble person'

pl1. erain n. 'high or noble person', king, chief.

arodreth

proper name. Noble Endurance

A Sindarin name from a list of Sindarin words from around 1959 (PE17/182). It is a compound of either arod “noble” and reth- “endure”, hence “Noble Endurance”.

tarmund

masculine name. Noble Bull

A name coined by Tolkien as a possible Elvish name for a bull (Let/423). The initial element of the name is Quenya affix tar- “noble” and its final element is mund “bull”.

ar(a)-

prefix. noble, royal, high

arphen

noun. noble, knight

raud

adjective. noble, eminent; lofty, high, tall; excellent

Ara-

prefix. high, noble, royal

ar-

prefix. high, noble, royal

aran

noun. king, lord, chief, (lit.) high or noble person, king, lord, chief, (lit.) high or noble person; [N.] lord (of a specific region)

arphen

noun. a noble

arth

adjective. (unknown meaning, perhaps (?) noble, lofty, exalted)

arwen

noun. noble woman

brann

adjective. towering, tall and massive, towering, tall and massive, [N.] high; lofty, noble, fine

rodwen

noun. high virgin noble

arn

noble

(adjective) 1) arn (royal), pl. ern, also arth (lofty, exalted), pl. erth, or arod (archaic *araud), pl. aroed. 2) brand (high, lofty, fine), lenited vrand, pl. braind; 3) raud (eminent, high), in compounds -rod, pl. roed. 4) taur (also tor-, tar- in compounds) (lofty, high, sublime; vast, masterful, mighty, overwhelming, huge, awful), lenited daur, pl. toer. Note: homophones mean ”king (of a people)” and also ”great wood, forest”. Also used as noun ”a noble”; see below.

arphen

noble

(noun, "a noble") 1) arphen, pl. erphin; 2) raud (eminent man, champion), pl.roed (idh roed), coll. pl. rodath.

raud

noble

(eminent, high), in compounds -rod,  pl. roed.  4) taur (also tor-, tar- in compounds) (lofty, high, sublime; vast, masterful, mighty, overwhelming, huge, awful), lenited daur, pl. toer. Note: homophones mean ”king (of a people)” and also ”great wood, forest”. Also used as noun ”a noble”; see below.

ar

noble

(adjectival prefix) ar- (high, royal). In the form ar(a)- this is an element in the names of the kings of Arnor and Arthedain.

ar

noble

(high, royal). In the form ar(a)- this is an element in the names of the kings of Arnor and Arthedain.

arn

noble

(royal), pl. ern, also arth (lofty, exalted), pl. erth, or arod (archaic ✱araud), pl. aroed.

arphen

noble

pl. erphin

brand

noble

(high, lofty, fine), lenited vrand, pl. braind

Finarfin

Noble [son of] Finwë

Finarfin's father-name was Arafinwë (Q: "Noble [son of] Finwë". His mother-name was Ingalaurë ("Inga-gold").

The name Finarfin is the Sindarin version of his father-name.

Finarfin is rare among the High Elves of the Undying Lands who did not leave and fall under the Doom of Mandos, in that he is known primarily by his name in Sindarin, a language indigenous to Middle-earth and not though to have been known or studied in Aman until after the Exiles were allowed to return at the end of the First Age, save the possibility that Sindarin was learned from the Elves of Beleriand who died and went to sojourn in the Halls of Mandos. Other such Amanya High Elves who stayed behind are primarily known by their Quenya or Telerin names. But both of Finarfin's brothers went into Exile, with the result that both were largely remembered by Sindarin names, and also Finarfin's name is structured very similarly to that of his brother Fingolfin. It is probably unlikely that Fëanor and Amras had the time to learn Sindarin before they died so soon after reaching Beleriand, but they fell under the Doom of Mandos nevertheless, making Finarfin the only known Amanya never under the Doom whose name is primarily known in its Sindarin form.

arwen

noble maiden

Arwen means "Noble Maiden" in Sindarin (from ara- = "noble" and gwenn = "maiden"). The Quenya form of her name is not entirely certain, but as just a name, it is grammatically possible to calque Arwen to Quenya as Aranwen using aran- and wendë, stem Aranwend-; compare masculine Aranwë), but Arwen itself is also coincidentally a valid Quenya synthesis (using ar-, stem Arwend-), meaning the possibility that Arwen's name is the same in Sindarin and Quenya. Her epessë, Undómiel, means "Evenstar", from Undómë "evening twilight" and el "star".

arwen

noble woman

arwen (pl. erwin).:

arwen

noble woman

arwen (pl. erwin); CROWNED WOMAN (= queen): rîn, construct rin, no distinct pl. form except when article precedes (idh rîn). This is basically the adj. rîn ”crowned” used as a noun. Note: a homphone means ”remembrance”.

arwen

noble woman

(pl. erwin).****

Ara-

noble

Ara-, ar- a prefixed form of the stem Ara- "noble" (PM:344). In the masc. names Aracáno "high chieftain", mothername (amilessë, q.v.) of Fingolfin (PM:360, cf. 344), Arafinwë "Finarfin" (MR:230)

arato

noble

arato noun "a noble" (PE17:147), in PE17:118 given as aratō and there glossed "lord" (often = "king"). Cf. aráto. The form cited in the latter source, aratō with a long final vowel, is evidently very archaic (compare Enderō under Ender); later the vowel would become short. (PE17:118)

arquen

noble

arquen noun "a noble" (WJ:372), "knight" (PE17:147)

aracondo

masculine name. *Noble Prince

A name associated with Turgon in a set of notes exploring possibly etymologies of his name (PE17/113), possibly his mother-name since Sarafinwë is given as his father-name in the same notes, while Turukondo (from which Turgon is derived) is said to be his “title”. Its Sindarin cognate Argond is similar to the Sindarin form of the name of Fingolfin’s son Aracáno, so perhaps Aracondo is a precursor that name. Aracondo is a compound of ar(a)- “noble” and condo “prince”.

arafinwë

masculine name. *Noble Finwë

Father-name of Finarfin (PM/344) from which his Sindarin name was derived. It is a compound ar(a)- “high, noble” and the name of his father, Finwë.

aratan

masculine name. *Noble Man

Second son of Isildur (S/295), his name seems to be a compound of ar(a)- “noble” and Atan “man”.

arciryas

masculine name. *Noble Ship

Younger son of the 28th king of Gondor Telumehtar (LotR/1038), his name seems to be a combination of ar(a)- “noble” and cirya “ship”.

argol(do)

masculine name. Noble Noldo

A name attested only as an example of the phonetic rule that [[q|medial [ŋ] after a [n], [ŋ], [l], [r] became [g]]] (PE19/81). It seems to be a compound of ar(a)- “noble” and Noldo.

armenelos

place name. City of the Kings; *(lit.) Noble Heaven City

The capital city of Númenor. Tolkien glossed this name as the “City of the Kings” (UT/165), but the elements of the name appear to be ar- “noble”, menel “heavens” and the suffixal form -os of osto “city”. As such, its literal meaning seems to be “✱Noble Heaven City”, probably a reference to its location on the slopes of the mountain Meneltarma. The city’s Adûnaic name, Arminalêth, has a similar meaning.

Conceptual development: In the earliest stories of Númenor, the name of this city was given as ᴹQ. Númenos or Númar (LR/14). In the later versions of the story associated with “The Notion Club Papers”, its Quenya name was change to ᴹQ. Antirion (SD/347), but for the most part it was referred to by its Adûnaic name Arminalêth. In the drafts of the Akallebêth the Quenya name was Q. Tar Calimos (PM/145) before it was replaced by its final form Armenelos as in the published version of The Silmarillion.

In the index of Sauron Defeated, Christopher Tolkien incorrectly wrote that Armenelos replaced the name Arminalêth (SDI2/Arminalêth). He corrected this mistake on PM/145, where J.R.R. Tolkien’s notes clearly indicate that Armenelos was the Eldarin [Quenya] name of the city, coexisting with its Adûnaic name Arminalêth.

artaher

masculine name. Noble Lord

The Quenya name of S. Orodreth in some of Tolkien’s later writings (PM/346, 350). It is a compound of the prefixal form arta- of arata “noble” and heru “lord”.

Conceptual Development: His Quenya name was initially Artanáro, but this was changed to Artaresto, while Artanáro became the Quenya name of his son Gil-galad (PM/350). Later, the name was changed again to Artaher and its Sindarin form to S. Arothir, which was probably meant to replace S. Orodreth in The Silmarillion, although Tolkien did not get around to making those changes. The name Artaresto is more compatible with his Sindarin name Orodreth in the published version of The Silmarillion.

artamir

masculine name. *Noble Jewel

Eldest son of the Gondorian king Ondoher, killed in battle before he could claim the throne (LotR/1049). His name is a compound of the prefixal form arta- of arata “noble” and mírë “jewel”.

artanis

feminine name. Noble Woman

The father-name of Galadriel (UT/231, PM/346-7). This name is a compound of the prefixal form arta- of arata “noble” and nís “woman”.

artanáro

masculine name. *Noble Fire

The Quenya name of Gil-galad in some late notes of Tolkien (PM/350). This name is a compound of the prefixal form arta- of arata “noble” and nár “fire”. In earlier versions of these notes, this was the Quenya name of his father Orodreth, but that Quenya name was eventually revised to Artaher.

Aratan

noble adan

Aratan masc. name *"Noble Adan" (Silm)

Argol(do)

noun. Noble Noldo

Noble Noldo

Artaher

noble lord

Artaher (Artahér-) masc. name "noble lord" (Sindarin Arothir) (PM:346)

Artamir

noble jewel

Artamir masc. name *"Noble jewel" (Appendix A); cf. mírë.

Artanis

noble woman

Artanis fem. name "noble woman" (PM:347)

arata

high, lofty, noble

arata adj. "high, lofty, noble" (PE17:49, 186). Also used as a a noun with nominal pl. form Aratar "the Supreme", the chief Valar, translation of the foreign word Máhani adopted and adapted from Valarin (WJ:402). Aratarya "her sublimity"; Varda Aratarya "Varda the lofty, Varda in her sublimity" (WJ:369). In one source, Aratar is translated as a singular: "High One" (PE17:186)

callo

noble man, hero

callo ("k")noun "noble man, hero" (KAL)

tarhildi

high-men, the noble followers

tarhildi, pl. noun "High-men, the Noble followers" (PE17:18), referring to the Dúnedain. Sg. perhaps #tarhil (with stem #tarhild-), cf. tarcil.

tána

high, lofty, noble

tána (meaning unclear, probably adj. "high, lofty, noble") (TĀ/TA3). Compare tára.

ar(a)-

prefix. noble, high

arata

adjective. high, noble, exalted, lofty

arquen

noun. noble, knight

artafindë

masculine name. *Noble [Golden] Hair

A “Quenyarized” form of Findrod’s father-name: Findaráto, with the adjectival element arta- first (PM/346).

artanga

masculine name. *Noble Iron

A “Quenyarized” form of Angrod’s father-name: Angaráto, with the adjectival element arta- first (PM/346).

arta

adjective. high, noble, exalted, lofty

aráto

noun. champion, eminent man, noble, lord, king

arata

high, lofty, noble

arata adj. "high, lofty, noble" (PE17:49, 186). Also used as a a noun with nominal pl. form Aratar "the Supreme", the chief Valar, translation of the foreign word Máhani adopted and adapted from Valarin (WJ:402). Aratarya "her sublimity"; Varda Aratarya "Varda the lofty, Varda in her sublimity" (WJ:369). In one source, Aratar is translated as a singular: "High One" (PE17:186)

arcöa

noun. palace, (lit.) noble-house

aráta

adjective. noble

aráto

noun. *noble

arpenia

adjective. *noble

arpen

noun. noble (man)

rā/ara

root. noble, high, royal

An invertible root meaning “noble”, itself an extension of √AR (PE17/147). Given its widespread use, Tolkien did not define this root until quite late. Its first clear mention was in Notes on Names (NN) and Quenya Notes (QN), both from 1957. In NN, Tolkien introduced invertible √ARA/RĀ to give an explanation of the element rod in names like S. Rodon “Vala” and S. Finrod, where Tolkien said:

> S raud “tall, high, lofty, eminent”. √ARA, RĀ. Cf. Q aran “king”. Q arta “high” < árată. S raud < form (a)rā́tă (PE17/118).

Earlier in The Etymologies of the 1930s, the second element of N. Finrod was N. rhaud “metal” (Ety/RAUTĀ), whereas ᴹQ. haran/N. aran “king” was derived from ᴹ√ƷAR “have, hold” (Ety/ƷAR). As for the later root √ARA/RĀ, Tolkien gave a lengthier explanation in QN:

> √AR. ARI-, ARA/RĀ, ARAT/ARAN. Original sense probably seen in adverb/preposition ✱ara/ar/ra, beyond, further than. The stems ARI/ARAN/ARAT mean “good, excellent, noble” - differing from √MAN in stating that any one specimen is “good of its kind”, excels, without necessarily implying that others are bad or marred. Hence ari-, good as prefix, ar/ara/aran as prefixes of excellence especially in royal names, aran king. Q arta noble, arato a “noble”, ráta- excel, surpass. S aran, arod (arāta); or raud excellent, noble, eminent (PE17/147).

Thus all these roots, including the extensions √ARAN and √ARAT, were elaborations on the sense “beyond” from base root √AR. The simple root √AR itself had a lengthy conceptual history; see that entry for details. As for ARA/RĀ, the connection between these forms and nobility seems to be firmly established by the late 1950s and afterwards, with primitive element Ara- “noble” mentioned in The Shibboleth of Fëanor from 1968 (PM/344, 363 note #43), and numerous other mentions of derived forms in documents from this period.

aran

root. good, excellent, noble

An extended root in 1957 Quenya Notes based on √AR “beyond, further than”, √ARAN was glossed “good, excellent, noble” but was principally used for Q. aran, S. aran “king” (PE17/147).

ari

root. good, excellent, noble

An extended root in 1957 Quenya Notes based on √AR “beyond, further than”, √ARI was glossed “good, excellent, noble” but was principally used for the prefix Q. ari- (PE17/147). This prefix was glossed “good” in the 1957 Quenya Notes, but in notes on comparison (probably from the early 1960s) it was used as a superlative prefix (PE17/56-57). The corresponding S. superlative prefix seems to be ro- (PE17/147).

tā/taʒ

root. high, high, [ᴹ√] lofty; noble

This root and ones like it were used for “high” things for much of Tolkien’s life. It first appeared as unglossed ᴱ√TAHA in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. tā “high; high above, high up”, ᴱQ. tahōra or tayóra “lofty”, and ᴱQ. tāri “queen”; it had a variant form ᴱ√TAʕA where the ʕ might be a malformed Y (QL/87). The corresponding forms in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon were G. dâ “high” and G. dara “lofty” (GL/29), indicating the true form of the root was ᴱ√DAHA, since initial voiced stops were unvoiced (d- > t-) in Early Qenya (PE12/17). Primitive forms like ᴱ✶dagá > ᴱN. dâ/ᴱQ. tá “high” in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s indicates the root continued to begin with D for the following decade (PE13/141, 161).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien gave this root as ᴹ√TĀ/TAƷ “high, lofty; noble” with derivatives like ᴹQ. tára “lofty, high”, ᴹQ. tári “queen” and N. taen “height, summit of high mountain” (Ety/TĀ). In Definitive Linguistic Notes (DLN) from 1959 Tolkien gave the root as √TAG or Tā- “high”, and in notes from around 1967 Tolkien gave √TAƷ as the explanation of the initial element of Q. Taniquetil and contrasted it with √TĂR “stand” (PE17/186). In 1970 green-ink revisions to the Outline of Phonology (OP2), Tolkien wrote a marginal note giving √TAƷ > TĀ “high”, but this note was rejected with a statement “transfer to Gen. Structure. No [ʒ] existed in Eldarin” (PE19/72-73 note #22).

This last rejection seems to be part of Tolkien’s general vacillation on the nature and phonetic evolution of velar spirants in Primitive Elvish in 1968-70. For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I would assume the root form was √TAH or √TAƷ > √TĀ as the basis for “high” words, much like √MAH or √MAƷ > ✶mā was the basis for “hand” words.

arat

root. good, excellent, noble

arn(a)-

prefix. noble, royal

arāt-chír

masculine name. Noble Lord

@@@ not an actual ancient form, but only representative of the sounds changes that might have occurred

arātā

adjective. high, lofty, noble

rāta

adjective. lofty, high, noble

brann

adjective. lofty, noble, fine; high

ar(a)-

prefix. noble, royal

brand

adjective. lofty, noble, fine

brandir

masculine name. *Noble-man

brann

adjective. lofty, noble, fine