rathlóriel

place name. Golden-bed

Another name of the river Ascar translated “Golden-bed” (S/235), a combination of rath “river-bed” and the lenited form of glóriel “golden” (SA/laurë; Ety/RAT, LÁWAR).

Conceptual Development: When it first appeared in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, this name was N. Rathlorion “Golden-bed” (SM/134), later changed to N. Rathloriel “Bed of Gold” (LR/141). The second name appeared in The Etymologies, with essentially the same derivation as given above (Ety/RAT, LÁWAR). In Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s the o was lengthened (WJ/346), and Tolkien considered changing the name to Rathmalad or Rathmallen (WJ/191, 353).

Elements

Word	Gloss
rath	“street, street; [N.] course, river-bed”
glóriel	“golden”

Variations

• Rathloriel ✧ WJI/Rathlóriel
• Rathmalad ✧ WJI/Rathlóriel
• Rathmallen ✧ WJI/Rathlóriel