neldor noun "beech" (LT2:343)
Quenya
feren
beech, beech-tree
neldor
beech
Sindarin
neldor
noun. beech
A Sindarin word for “beech” appearing in the names Taur-na-Neldor “Beech-forest” (LotR/469; RC/384) and Neldoreth, the name of a forest with beeches (S/55; PE17/81).
Conceptual Development: In The Etymologies of the 1930s, Ilk. neldor was an Ilkorin word based on ᴹ√NÉL-ED “three”, which Tolkien said was “properly name of Hirilorn the great beech of Thingol with three trunks = neld-orn ? [question mark from Tolkien]” (Ety/NEL). In the 1910s and 20s, ᴱQ. neldor “beech” was an Early Qenya word (PE16/139; QL/65), and its cognates in this period were G. deldron “beech” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/30), G. deil(i)an or delwen “beech” in Gnomish Lexicon Slips (PE13/112), and ᴱN. {de(i)lian >>} deilian “beech-tree” in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s (PE13/142).
Possible Etymology: The Ilkorin derivation from √NELED is no longer suitable in Sindarin, since we would expect [[s|[d] > [ð]]] as in S. neledh “three”. It is possible Tolkien simply never reexamined the etymology of this word after it became Sindarin. Alternately, it could be nel- “tri-” + taur “forest” or -dor “-lord” or something similar.
Element in
- S. Neldoreth ✧ SA/neldor
- S. Taur-na-Neldor “Beech-forest” ✧ LotR/0469
Elements
Word Gloss nel- “tri-” orn “(tall straight) tree”
brethil
noun. beech, beech-tree, silver birch
fêr
beech
†fêr (stem feren-, pl. ferin) (mast);
fêr
beech
(stem feren-, pl. ferin) (mast);
neldor
beech tree
(pl. neldyr), also brethorn (i vrethorn), pl. brethyrn (i mrethyrn) (VT46:3). The mallorn or ”golden-tree” found in Lórien was supposedly beechlike: mallorn (i vallorn), pl. mellyrn (i mellyrn).
Primitive elvish
pher
root. *ready, prompt
An unglossed root given as √PHERE appearing in Definitive Linguistic Notes (DLN) from 1959 with derivatives like S. fair “quick, ready, prompt” and Q. ferya-/S. feria- “make ready (promptly)” (PE17/181), so the root probably meant “✱ready, prompt”.
Derivatives
Variations
- PHERE ✧ PE17/181
Noldorin
fêr
noun. beech-tree
brethel
noun. beech, beech-tree, silver birch
brethel
noun. beech
brethil
noun. beech
Changes
brethil→ brethel ✧ Ety/NELCognates
- ᴹT. bredele “beech-tree” ✧ Ety/BERÉTH
Derivations
- ᴹ√BERETH “beech” ✧ Ety/NEL; Ety/PHER
Element in
- N. Brethil ✧ Ety/NEL
- N. Brethilian(d) “Forest of Brethil” ✧ Ety/BERÉTH
- N. Nimbrethil
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴹ√BERÉTH > brethel [berétʰele] > [bretʰel] > [breθele] > [breθel] ✧ Ety/NEL ᴹ√BERÉTH > brethil [berétʰelī] > [bretʰelī] > [bretʰeli] > [breθeli] > [breθili] > [breθil] ✧ Ety/NEL Variations
- brethel ✧ Ety/NEL
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!
Doriathrin
neldor
noun. beech
A Doriathrin noun for “beech (tree)”, properly referring to Hirilorn with a true meaning of “three trunks” (Ety/NEL). Tolkien indicated it was a combination of neld “three” and orn “tree”, though it is unclear why the final -n vanished. He marked this derivation with a “?” perhaps because of this uncertainty.
Conceptual Development: Tolkien seems to have coined this word to explain names like Neldoreth. Its most obvious precursor is ᴱQ. neldor (QL/65).
Element in
- Ilk. Neldoreth ✧ Ety/NEL
Elements
Word Gloss neld “three” orn “tree”
galbreth
noun. beech
A Doriathrin (and Falathrin) noun for “beech (tree)”, a combination of gald “tree” and breth “(beech) mast” (Ety/GALAD, BERÉTH). The second element originally meant “beech”, but later meant “mast”; this original meaning seems to be preserved in this compound.
Elements
Word Gloss gald “tree” breth “(beech) mast, *beech nut” Variations
- galdbreth ✧ Ety/NEL (Dor. galdbreth)
Middle Primitive Elvish
pher(en)
root. beech
Derivatives
Variations
- PHER ✧ Ety/BERÉTH; Ety/PHER
- PHÉREN ✧ Ety/PHER
bereth
root. beech
A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s serving principally as the basis for N. brethil “beech” (Ety/BERÉTH). In the notes from the late 1950s or early 1960s Tolkien instead connected brethil to the root √BARATH and S. bereth “queen”, where it had the true meaning of “princess” (PE17/23). But that could be a later association rather that a genuine etymology, and doesn’t necessarily invalidate ᴹ√BERETH (especially given the other phonological issues with S. bereth < √BARATH).
Derivatives
Element in
- Ilk. galbreth “beech” ✧ Ety/GALAD; Ety/NEL
Variations
- BERÉTH ✧ Ety/BERÉTH; Ety/GALAD; Ety/NEL; Ety/PHER; EtyAC/BERÉTH
Middle Telerin
ferne
noun. beech
Cognates
- ᴹQ. feren “beech-tree” ✧ Ety/PHER
Derivations
- ᴹ√PHER(EN) “beech” ✧ Ety/PHER
Early Quenya
neldor
noun. beech
Cognates
- G. deldron “beech (tree)”
Derivations
- ᴱ√NELE “point” ✧ QL/065
Element in
- Eq. líneneldora “having many beeches” ✧ QL/053
- Eq. neldorin “beech-tree” ✧ QL/065
- Eq. neldorion “beech wood” ✧ QL/065
- Eq. neldor nornelassea “*oakleaved beech” ✧ QL/065
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ᴱ√NELE > neldor [neldor] ✧ QL/065 Variations
- ňeldor ✧ PME/065
feren (stem fern-, as in pl. ferni) noun "beech, beech-tree". Also fernë. (BERÉTH, PHER/PHÉREN)