An earlier form of the Quenya adjective for “grey”, first appearing in The Etymologies (Ety/THIN). It appears in some later writings as well, notably on WJ/384, and possibly remains a valid variant of the better-known sinda. However, I think it is more likely that Tolkien replaced earlier sindë with sinda. For example, Tolkien changed the Quenya name of Thingol “Grey-cloak” from Sindicollo (with sindë as an element) to Sindacollo (with sinda as an element) @@@.
Quenya
sindë
grey, pale or silvery grey
sindë
adjective. grey, pale or silvery grey, grey, pale or silvery grey, [ᴹQ.] pale
Cognates
- S. thind “grey, grey, [N.] pale” ✧ PE17/141
Derivations
Element in
- Q. Sindicollo “Grey-cloak”
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶thindi- > sinde [tʰindi] > [θinde] > [θinde] > [sinde] ✧ PE17/141 Variations
- sinde ✧ PE17/141; WJ/384
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, but the form sinda is more recognizable.
Cognates
- S. thind “grey, grey, [N.] pale” ✧ PE17/072; SA/thin(d)
Derivations
Element in
- Q. Eldar Sindar “Grey Elves” ✧ PE21/77
- Q. Eldar sindaron “Grey Elves’” ✧ PE21/77
- Q. Sinda “Grey-elf” ✧ SA/thin(d)
- Q. Sindacollo “Grey-cloak, Greymantle” ✧ PE17/072; SA/thin(d)
- Q. Sinda Eldō “a Grey Elf’s” ✧ PE21/77
- Q. Sindanórië “Grey Country, Land of Greyness” ✧ PE17/072
- Q. Sindar Eldar “Grey Elves” ✧ PE21/77
- Q. Sindar Eldaron “Grey Elves’” ✧ PE21/77
- Q. Sindar i Eldar Malariando “Grey are the Elves of Beleriand” ✧ PE21/77
- Q. Sindel “Grey-elf”
- Q. sindië “greyness” ✧ PE17/072
- Q. Singollo “Grey-cloak, Greymantle” ✧ SA/thin(d)
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √ΘIN > sinda [tʰinda] > [θinda] > [sinda] ✧ PE17/072 ✶þindā > sinda [tʰindā] > [θindā] > [θinda] > [sinda] ✧ PE17/072 Variations
- Sinda ✧ PE21/77
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
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
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
- √MITH “grey”
Element in
- Q. Lassemista “Leaf-Grey” ✧ PE17/083
lutta-
flow, float
lutta- vb. "flow, float" (LT1:249)
lutu-
flow, float
lutu- vb. "flow, float" (LT1:249)
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.)