Quenya 

sindë

grey, pale or silvery grey

sindë (þ) adj. "grey, pale or silvery grey" (the Vanyarin dialect preserves the older form þindë) (WJ:384, THIN; in SA:thin(d) the form given is sinda, cf. also sindanóriello "from a grey country" in Namárië. Sindë and sinda_ are apparently variants of the same word.) _Stem sindi-, given the primitive form ¤thindi; cf. Sindicollo (q.v.)

sindë

adjective. grey, pale or silvery grey, grey, pale or silvery grey, [ᴹQ.] pale

An earlier form of the Quenya adjective for “grey”, first appearing in The Etymologies (Ety/THIN). It appears in some later writings as well (WJ/384; PE17/141), and possibly remains a valid variant of the better-known sinda. In Notes on Names (NN) from 1957, Tolkien said sinde was the proper adjectival form, since Sinda referred only to Grey Elves (PE17/141), but this isn’t reflected elsewhere in his writings where sinda was used as an ordinary adjective meaning “grey”.

Cognates

  • S. thind “grey, grey, [N.] pale” ✧ PE17/141; PE17/141; PE17/141

Derivations

  • thindi “grey” ✧ PE17/141; PE17/141; PE17/141; WJ/384
    • THIN “*grey” ✧ WJ/384

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
thindi- > sinde[tʰindi] > [θinde] > [θinde] > [sinde]✧ PE17/141
thĭndĭ > sinde[tʰindi] > [θinidā] > [θinde]✧ PE17/141
thinide > sindë[tʰinide] > [tʰinde] > [θinde] > [sinde]✧ PE17/141

Variations

  • sinde ✧ PE17/141; PE17/141; WJ/384
Quenya [PE17/141; WJ/384] Group: Eldamo. Published by

sindel

noun. Grey-elf

Elements

WordGloss
sinda“grey”
Elda“Elf, (lit.) one of the Star-folk”
Quenya [WJ/384; WJ/410; WJI/Sindel] Group: Eldamo. Published by

sinda

grey

sinda (þ) adj. "grey" (PE17:72); nominal pl. Sindar used = "Grey-elves", lit. *"Grey ones"; see WJ:375. Gen. pl. Sindaron in WJ:369. With general meaning "grey" also in Sindacollo > Singollo "Grey-cloak, Thingol" (SA:thin(d), PE17:72; see also sindë, Sindicollo);†sindanórië "grey land", ablative sindanóriello "from/out of a grey country" (Nam); the reference is to a "mythical region of shadows lying at outer feet of the Mountains of Valinor" (PE17:72). However, other sources give sindë (q.v.) as the Quenya word for "grey"; perhaps sinda came to mean primarily "Grey-elf" as a noun. Derived adjective Sindarin "Grey-elven", normally used as a noun to refer to the Grey-elven language. (Appendix F)

sinda

adjective. grey

The best known Quenya word for “grey” and an element in a number of names. It is also used as a noun Sinda “Grey Elf”. Tolkien sometimes used a variant form sindë for “grey” (WJ/384; PE17/141; Ety/THIN); see that entry for details.

Cognates

  • S. thind “grey, grey, [N.] pale” ✧ PE17/072; SA/thin(d)

Derivations

  • THIN “*grey” ✧ PE17/072
  • thindā “grey” ✧ PE17/072

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ΘIN > sinda[tʰinda] > [θinda] > [sinda]✧ PE17/072
þindā > sinda[tʰindā] > [θindā] > [θinda] > [sinda]✧ PE17/072

Variations

  • Sinda ✧ PE21/77
Quenya [PE17/072; PE17/117; PE21/77; SA/thin(d)] Group: Eldamo. Published by

sinda

proper name. Grey-elf

Quenya name for the Grey Elves (PM/223), usually appearing in its plural form Sindar (LotR/1137). It is simply sinda “grey” used as a name (SA/thin(d)).

Cognates

  • S. Thend “*Sinda, Grey-Elf” ✧ PE17/141; PE17/140; PE17/141
  • S. Thindrim “Sindar” ✧ VT41/09

Derivations

  • thindā “grey” ✧ PE17/141; PE17/141
  • THIN “*grey” ✧ WJ/384

Element in

Elements

WordGloss
sinda“grey”

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
thindā > thinda > sinda[tʰindā] > [θindā] > [θinda] > [sinda]✧ PE17/141
thinida > sinda[tʰinida] > [tʰindā] > [θindā] > [θinda] > [sinda]✧ PE17/141
THIN > Sindar[tʰinda] > [θinda] > [sinda]✧ WJ/384

Variations

  • sindē ✧ PE17/140
  • sinda ✧ PE17/141; PE17/141
Quenya [Let/176; Let/411; LotR/1137; LotRI/Eldar; LotRI/Sindar; LRI/Sindar; MR/091; MR/170; MR/349; MRI/Sindar; PE17/020; PE17/117; PE17/140; PE17/141; PE18/073; PM/223; PM/297; PMI/Sindar; S/056; SA/thin(d); SI/Grey-elves; SI/Sindar; SMI/Sindar; UTI/Sindar; VT41/09; WJ/175; WJ/369; WJ/375; WJ/384; WJ/410; WJI/Sindar] Group: Eldamo. Published by

thindë

thindë

thindë (þindë) older form of sindë, q.v., preserved in Vanyarin (WJ:384, there spelt with the special letter þ, not the digraph th)

Sindicollo

grey-cloak

Sindicollo (þ) noun "Grey-cloak", title of Elwë (Elu). Sindarin Thingol. (WJ:410, MR:217).(Sindi- in this name is a compound form of sindë, q.v.) Original form Thindicollo (WJ:333). The Silmarillion appendix (SA:thin(d) ) gives Sindacollo.

sir-

flow

sir- (1) vb. "flow" (SIR)

sir-

verb. flow

Quenya [PE 22:126] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

mísë

grey

mísë (þ, cf. Sindarin mith-) adj. "grey" (used as noun of grey clothes in the phrase mi mísë of someone clad "in grey"). The underlying stem refers a paler or whiter "grey" than sinda, making mísë "a luminous grey" (PE17:71-72)

sirya

verb. flow

Quenya [PE 22:114] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

hiswa

grey

hiswa (þ) adj. "grey" (KHIS/KHITH, Narqelion)

mista

grey

mista adj. "grey"; see lassemista

mista

adjective. grey

Cognates

  • S. mith “grey, light grey, pale grey”

Derivations

Element in

lutta-

flow, float

lutta- vb. "flow, float" (LT1:249)

lutu-

flow, float

lutu- vb. "flow, float" (LT1:249)

Sindarin 

thind

adjective. grey, pale

Sindarin [Ety/392, S/438] Group: SINDICT. Published by

thind

adjective. grey

adj. grey. Q. sinda. >> thin, Thingol, thinn

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:72:112:141] < _þindā_ grey. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

thind

adjective. grey

_ adj. _grey. Obsolete except in names as Thingol. >> hithren

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:140] < _þindĭ_-. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

thind

adjective. grey, grey, [N.] pale

if from þindā, why no a-affection? @@@

Cognates

  • Q. sinda “grey” ✧ PE17/072; SA/thin(d)
  • Q. sindë “grey, pale or silvery grey, grey, pale or silvery grey, [ᴹQ.] pale” ✧ PE17/141; PE17/141; PE17/141

Derivations

  • thindā “grey” ✧ PE17/072
  • thindi “grey” ✧ PE17/140; PE17/141; PE17/141
    • THIN “*grey” ✧ WJ/384

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
þindā > thin(n)[tʰindā] > [tʰinda] > [θinda] > [θind] > [θinn]✧ PE17/072
þindĭ- > thind[tʰindi] > [tʰinde] > [θinde] > [θind]✧ PE17/140
thĭndĭ > thind[tʰindi] > [θindi] > [θind] > [θinn]✧ PE17/141

Variations

  • thin(n) ✧ PE17/072; PE17/112
  • thinn ✧ PE17/141; PE17/141
  • thin(d) ✧ SA/thin(d)
Sindarin [PE17/072; PE17/112; PE17/140; PE17/141; SA/thin(d)] Group: Eldamo. Published by

thin

adjective. grey

adj. grey. Q. sinda. >> thind, Thingol, thinn

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:72:112] < _þindā_ grey. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

thinn

adjective. grey

adj. grey. Q. sinda. >> thin, thind, Thingol

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:72:112:141] < _þindā_ grey. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

thinn

adjective. grey

_adj. _grey. Q. sinde.

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:141] < _thindi-_. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

thinn

adjective. grey

thinnedhel

proper name. Grey-elf

A Sindarin term for a “Grey-elf”, equivalent of Q. Sinda, a combination of thind “grey” and Edhel “Elf” (PE17/139).

Elements

WordGloss
thind“grey, grey, [N.] pale”
Edhel“Elf”

Variations

  • Thinneðel ✧ PE17/139
Sindarin [PE17/139] Group: Eldamo. Published by

hithren

adjective. grey

_ adj. _grey. >> thind

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:140] -. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

hithren

adjective. grey

Elements

WordGloss
hîth“mist”
Sindarin [PE17/140] Group: Eldamo. Published by

mithren

adjective. grey

Sindarin [UT/436] Group: SINDICT. Published by

mithren

adjective. grey

Changes

  • mithrenhithren ✧ PE17/140

Element in

Elements

WordGloss
mith“grey, light grey, pale grey”
-ren“adjective suffix”
Sindarin [LotR/1064; PE17/140] Group: Eldamo. Published by

mith

adjective. (pale) grey

Sindarin [Ety/373, S/434, TC/187] Group: SINDICT. Published by

mith

grey

adj. grey, light grey. >> Mithrandir, mithril

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:47:60:140] -. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

rib-

verb. to flow like a (torrent ?)

The reading of the gloss is uncertain

Sindarin [Ety/384, X/RH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

thind

grey

(pale); no distinct pl. form.

siria

flow

(vb.) siria- (i hiria, i siriar).

siria

flow

(i hiria, i siriar).

mithren

grey

1) *mithren (lenited vithren, pl. mithrin). 2) thind (pale); no distinct pl. form. 3) (pale grey) mith (lenited vith; no distinct pl. form). David Salo would read mîth with a long vowel. Note: a homophone means ”white fog, wet mist”.

mithren

grey

(lenited vithren, pl. mithrin).

mith

grey

(lenited vith; no distinct pl. form). David Salo would read mîth with a long vowel. Note: a homophone means ”white fog, wet mist”.

rimma

flow like a torrent

(i rimma, idh rimmar)

Quendya 

thindë

adjective. grey, pale or silvery grey

Derivations

  • thindi “grey” ✧ WJ/384
    • THIN “*grey” ✧ WJ/384

Variations

  • þinde ✧ WJ/384

Primitive elvish

stin

root. grey

Primitive elvish [PE17/184; PE17/186] Group: Eldamo. Published by

thindi

adjective. grey

Changes

  • thinidethinida ✧ PE17/141
  • thinidithĭndĭ ✧ PE17/141

Derivations

  • THIN “*grey” ✧ WJ/384

Derivatives

  • Q. sindë “grey, pale or silvery grey, grey, pale or silvery grey, [ᴹQ.] pale” ✧ PE17/141; PE17/141; PE17/141; WJ/384
  • S. thind “grey, grey, [N.] pale” ✧ PE17/140; PE17/141; PE17/141
  • Van. thindë “grey, pale or silvery grey” ✧ WJ/384

Variations

  • þindĭ- ✧ PE17/140
  • thindi- ✧ PE17/141
  • thĭndĭ ✧ PE17/141
  • thinide ✧ PE17/141 (thinide)
  • thinidi ✧ PE17/141 (thinidi)
  • thini ✧ PE21/81
Primitive elvish [PE17/140; PE17/141; PE21/81; WJ/384] Group: Eldamo. Published by

thindā

adjective. grey

Derivations

Derivatives

  • Q. Sinda “Grey-elf” ✧ PE17/141; PE17/141
  • Q. sinda “grey” ✧ PE17/072
  • S. Thend “*Sinda, Grey-Elf” ✧ PE17/141; PE17/141
  • S. thind “grey, grey, [N.] pale” ✧ PE17/072

Variations

  • þindā ✧ PE17/072
  • thinida ✧ PE17/141
Primitive elvish [PE17/072; PE17/141; PE21/81] Group: Eldamo. Published by

sir

root. flow

The root √SIR and similar roots meant “flow” for most of Tolkien’s life. The earliest form of this root was ᴱ√SIŘI [SIÐI] “flow” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with variant sini and derived forms like ᴱQ. sindi “river” and ᴱQ. síre “stream” (QL/84). The latter word became “river” in Tolkien’s later writings, and words appearing in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon like G. sîr “river” and G. siriol “flowing” (GL/67-68) rather than ✱✱sidh- indicate Tolkien very early revised the root to ✱ᴱ√SIRI. Indeed, the root was ᴹ√SIR “flow” in The Etymologies of the 1930s, and the root appeared with this form and essential meaning several times in Tolkien’s later writings (PE22/127, 135).

Derivatives

  • siru-
  • sīru “stream”
  • sirya- “to flow, to flow [smoothly]” ✧ PE22/135
    • Q. sirya- “to flow, to flow [smoothly]”
  • Q. sír(ë) “river, river, [ᴱQ.] stream”
  • S. sîr “river, stream” ✧ SA/sîr
  • ᴺS. siriol “flowing, fluent, liquid, melliflous”

Element in

Variations

  • sir- ✧ SA/sîr
Primitive elvish [PE22/135; SA/sîr] Group: Eldamo. Published by

thini

adjective. grey

mith

root. grey

Tolkien introduced the root ᴹ√MITH in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a blending of ᴹ√MIS “✱wet” and ᴹ√KHITH “mist, fog”, with the derivative N. mith “white fog, wet mist” as in N. Mithrim “✱Mist Lake” (Ety/MITH, RINGI; EtyAC/MITH). As a later addition to this entry Tolkien wrote the adjective N. mith “grey”, and that was the more common use of this word in Tolkien’s later writings. In a 1955 letter to David Masson Tolkien specified that “usage suggests that MIÞ- is paler and whiter, a luminous grey” (PE17/72).

Derivatives

  • mītha “*grey”
    • S. Mîth “*Sinda, Grey-Elf” ✧ PE17/140
  • Q. mísë “(light) grey”
  • Q. mista “grey”
  • S. mith “grey, light grey, pale grey”

Variations

  • MIÞ ✧ PE17/072
Primitive elvish [PE17/072] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Noldorin 

thind

adjective. grey, pale

Noldorin [Ety/392, S/438] Group: SINDICT. Published by

mid

adjective. grey

Element in

Noldorin [AotH/056] Group: Eldamo. Published by

thinn

adjective. grey, pale

Noldorin [Ety/392, S/438] Group: SINDICT. Published by

thinn

adjective. grey, pale

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. sinde “grey, pale” ✧ Ety/THIN

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶thindi “pallid, grey, wan” ✧ Ety/THIN
    • ᴹ√THIN “*grey” ✧ Ety/THIN

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶thindi > thind > thinn[tʰindi] > [tʰinde] > [θinde] > [θind] > [θinn]✧ Ety/THIN
Noldorin [Ety/THIN] Group: Eldamo. Published by

siria-

verb. to flow

Noldorin [Ety/385] Group: SINDICT. Published by

mith

adjective. (pale) grey

Noldorin [Ety/373, S/434, TC/187] Group: SINDICT. Published by

mith

adjective. grey

Derivations

  • ᴹ√MITH “*mist, grey” ✧ Ety/MITH

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√MITH > mith[mitʰe] > [miθe] > [miθ]✧ Ety/MITH

Variations

  • mith ✧ Ety/MITH
Noldorin [Ety/MITH] Group: Eldamo. Published by

rhib-

verb. to flow like a (torrent ?)

The reading of the gloss is uncertain

Noldorin [Ety/384, X/RH] Group: SINDICT. Published by

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!

Qenya 

sinde

adjective. grey, pale

Cognates

  • N. thinn “grey, pale” ✧ Ety/THIN
  • Ilk. thind “grey” ✧ Ety/THIN

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶thindi “pallid, grey, wan” ✧ Ety/THIN
    • ᴹ√THIN “*grey” ✧ Ety/THIN

Element in

  • ᴹQ. Sindo “The Grey” ✧ Ety/THIN
  • ᴹQ. Tindingol “*Grey-wise”

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶thindi > sinde[tʰindi] > [θinde] > [θinde] > [sinde]✧ Ety/THIN

hiswa

adjective. grey, grey [of weather], *foggy, overcast; [ᴱQ.] dim, fading

This word is glossed “grey” in The Etymologies, but perhaps means “✱foggy, overcast”, since Sindarin cognate hethw means “foggy, obscure, vague” and related noun hiswë means “fog”. @@@

Cognates

  • N. hethw “foggy, obscure, vague” ✧ Ety/KHIS
  • Ilk. hedhu “grey” ✧ Ety/KHIS

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶khithwa ✧ Ety/KHIS
    • ᴹ√KHITH “mist, fog” ✧ Ety/KHIS

Elements

WordGloss
hiswe“fog”
-a“adjectival suffix”

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶khithwa > hiswa[kʰitʰwa] > [kʰiθwa] > [xiθwa] > [hiθwa] > [hiswa]✧ Ety/KHIS

Doriathrin

thind

adjective. grey

An adjective for “grey” derived from primitive ᴹ✶thindi (Ety/THIN) because primitive final vowels vanished in Ilkorin.

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. sinde “grey, pale” ✧ Ety/THIN

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶thindi “pallid, grey, wan” ✧ Ety/THIN
    • ᴹ√THIN “*grey” ✧ Ety/THIN

Element in

  • Ilk. Thind ✧ Ety/THIN
  • Ilk. Thingol “*Grey-wise” ✧ Ety/THIN

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶thindi > thind[tʰindi] > [tʰinde] > [θinde] > [θind]✧ Ety/THIN
Doriathrin [Ety/THIN] Group: Eldamo. Published by

hedhu

adjective. grey

A Doriathrin adjective for “grey” written heðu in The Etymologies, and derived from the primitive form ᴹ✶khithwa [kʰitʰwa] (Ety/KHIS). This word illustrates several interesting phonetic changes in Ilkorin.

  • The [[ilk|[i] became [e] before the final [a]]].

  • Both the aspirates became voiceless spirants: [kʰ-] > [x-] and [-tʰ-] > [-θ-].

  • Later the [[ilk|initial [x-] became [h-]]].

  • Meanwhile the [[ilk|medial [-θ-] voiced to [-ð-]]] (“dh”).

  • The [[ilk|primitive final [a] was lost]].

  • Afterwards, the resulting [[ilk|final [w] became [u]]].

In most other Doriathrin words, a [[ilk|final [u] from [w] further developed into [o]]]; it is unclear why this change did not occur here.

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. hiswa “grey, grey [of weather], *foggy, overcast; [ᴱQ.] dim, fading” ✧ Ety/KHIS

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶khithwa ✧ Ety/KHIS
    • ᴹ√KHITH “mist, fog” ✧ Ety/KHIS

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶khithwa > heðu[kʰitʰwa] > [kʰetʰwa] > [xetʰwa] > [xeθwa] > [xeθw] > [xeðw] > [heðw] > [heðu]✧ Ety/KHIS

Variations

  • heðu ✧ Ety/KHIS (Dor. heðu); EtyAC/KHIS (Dor. heðu)
Doriathrin [Ety/KHIS; EtyAC/KHIS] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Old Noldorin 

sirya-

verb. flow

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. sir- “to flow” ✧ Ety/SIR

Derivations

  • ᴹ√SIR “flow” ✧ Ety/SIR

Derivatives

  • N. siria- “to flow” ✧ Ety/SIR

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√SIR > sirya-[sirja]✧ Ety/SIR
Old Noldorin [Ety/SIR] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Middle Primitive Elvish

sir

root. flow

Derivatives

  • ᴹ✶sirya- “to flow smoothly”
    • ᴹQ. sirya- “to flow [smoothly]”
  • ᴹQ. sir- “to flow” ✧ Ety/SIR
  • ᴹQ. síre “river” ✧ Ety/SIR
  • ᴹQ. siril “rivulet” ✧ Ety/SIR
  • On. sīre “river” ✧ Ety/SIR
    • N. sîr “river” ✧ Ety/SIR
  • On. sirya- “flow” ✧ Ety/SIR
    • N. siria- “to flow” ✧ Ety/SIR

Element in

  • ᴹ✶etsiri “mouth of a river” ✧ Ety/ET

Variations

  • SIRI ✧ PE22/127 (SIRI)
Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/ET; Ety/SIR; PE22/127] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Gnomish

musc

adjective. grey

Early Primitive Elvish

siði

root. flow

Derivatives

  • Eq. sindi “river” ✧ LT1A/Sirion; QL/084
  • Eq. siri- “flow” ✧ QL/084
  • Eq. síre “stream” ✧ LT1A/Sirion; QL/084
  • G. sîr “river” ✧ LT1A/Sirion
  • G. siriol “flowing, fluent, liquid, melliflous” ✧ LT1A/Sirion

Element in

  • Eq. sírima “liquid, flowing” ✧ LT1A/Sirion
  • Eq. Sirnúmen “Western Stream” ✧ LT1A/Sirion

Variations

  • SIRI ✧ LT1A/Sirion
  • SIŘI ✧ QL/084
  • sini ✧ QL/084
Early Primitive Elvish [LT1A/Sirion; QL/084] Group: Eldamo. Published by

nene

root. flow

Derivatives

  • ᴱ✶ninda “*stream”
    • Eq. ninda “water, river”
    • En. nen(n) “water, river, stream” ✧ PE13/123
    • Et. ninda “water, river”
  • Eq. nen “river, water” ✧ LT1/248; LT1A/Neni Erúmëar; QL/065
  • Eq. nenda “wet”
  • Eq. nénu “yellow water lily” ✧ LT1/248; QL/065
  • G. nen(n) “water; river” ✧ LT1A/Neni Erúmëar
  • G. nîn “pool”

Variations

  • nen ✧ GL/60
  • nēn- ✧ QL/066
Early Primitive Elvish [GL/60; LT1/248; LT1A/Neni Erúmëar; QL/065; QL/066] Group: Eldamo. Published by

siři

root. flow

Early Primitive Elvish Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Quenya

siri-

verb. flow

Derivations

  • ᴱ√SIÐI “flow” ✧ QL/084

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√SIŘI > siri-[siði-] > [sizi-] > [siri-]✧ QL/084
Early Quenya [QL/084; VT40/08] Group: Eldamo. Published by