ita-

verb. sparkle

ita- 1) vb. "sparkle" (SA:ril, PM:363)

tintina-

verb. sparkle

tintina- vb. "sparkle" (actually glossed "it sparkles") (TIN)

tintila-

verb. to twinkle, sparkle, glitter, give tremulous light, †tremble

A verb appearing in the Namárië poem, where Tolkien translated it as “tremble” (LotR/377). It is clear form his writings elsewhere that this a poetic rendering, and the actual meaning of the word is “twinkle, give tremulous light” (PE17/66) or “sparkle, glitter” (RGEO/61). It seems to be a combination of the roots √TIN “sparkle” and √THIL “shine silver” (PE17/66), and so is especially appropriate for describing starlight.

Conceptual Development: In The Etymologies from the 1930s, there was a similar verb ᴹQ. tintina- “to sparkle”, likely a reduplication of the root ᴹ√TIN “sparkle”. For Neo-Quenya writing, it is probably preferable to use the better known tintila-.

tinta-

verb. kindle, cause to sparkle

tinta- vb. "kindle, cause to sparkle", cf. Tintallë (TIN, SA:tin, MR:388)

ita-

verb. to sparkle

tinwë

spark

tinwë noun "spark" (gloss misquoted as "sparkle" in the Etymologies as printed in LR, see VT46:19), also "star"; pl. tinwi "sparks", properly used of the star-imagines on Nur-menel (q.v.). Cf. nillë. (TIN, MR:388) In early "Qenya", tinwë was simply glossed "star" (LT1:269, cf. MC:214). In one late source, the meaning of tinwë is given as "spark", and it is said that this word (like Sindarin gil) was used of the stars of heaven "in place of the older and more elevated el, elen- stem" (VT42:11).

falmasil

noun. mareel, sea sparkle, milky seas, blue tide, (lit.) wave-sheen

A neologism for “mareel”, which is a term for phosphorescence in the ocean, also known as “sea sparkle, milky seas, blue tide”. It was coined by Fëastorno and posted on 2025-03-01 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS) as a combination of falma “wave” and THIL “shine (white)”, so more literally “wave-sheen”.

titinwë

noun. small star, sparkle of dew, *small sparkling thing

Tintallë

kindler

Tintallë noun "Kindler", a title of Varda who kindled the stars (TIN, Nam, RGEO:67). From tinta- "kindle, make to sparkle" (MR:388). According to PE17:69, the form "should be Tintalde", apparently because -llë was at the time the ending for plural "you" and Tintallë could be taken as meaning *"you kindle" rather than as a noun "Kindler". However, Tolkien later changed the pronominal suffix, eliminating the clash of forms while leaving Tintallë correct (after the revision, it was *tintaldë itself that would be the verb "you kindle").

-ldë

kindler

-ldë (2) feminine agental suffix. Tolkien at one point commented that Vardas title Tintallë "Kindler" should be Tintaldë because the ending -llë was rather the suffix for plural "you" (PE17:69). Since this pronominal suffix -llë was later revised to -ldë, it is now the ending of Tintaldë itself that would be potentially problematic.

Tintanië

kindler

Tintanië noun "Kindler" = Varda (TIN; Tintánië under TAN, which according to VT46:17 Tolkien interpreted both as "Star-maker" and "Star-making")

hísë

blinking

hísë (3) adj.? "blinking" (?) (MC:214) A "Qenya" form possibly obsoleted by #1 above.

narta-

verb. kindle

narta- vb. "kindle" (VT45:37)

tintila-

verb. twinkle

tintila- vb. "twinkle", present (or maybe rather aorist) pl. tintilar (Nam, RGEO:67)

tunda-

verb. kindle

tunda- vb. "kindle" (LT1:270; rather tinta- or narta- in Tolkien's later Quenya)

turu-

verb. kindle

turu- (2) vb. "kindle" (a "Qenya" form from LT1:270; rather narta- or tinta- in LotR-style Quenya)

tîn

noun. spark, sparkle, twinkle of stars

A word for “spark, sparkle, twinkle of stars” appearing as an element in S. ithildin “moon-star” (PE17/39, 66). Tolkien sometimes gave it the form tĭn (PE17/39) and sometimes tîn (PE17/66). It was derived from the root √TIN “sparkle, spark” (PE17/66). Primitive ✶tĭnĭ “spark” from Common Eldarin: Noun Structure of the early 1950s may be its ancient form (PE21/80).

In one place Tolkien gave the form tim “spark” as another name for (apparent) stars, but its final m is hard to explain (MR/388; PE17/22). In notes associated with The Shibboleth of Fëanor from 1968 Tolkien said “In the Northern dialect, however, in final position only, C.E. tw > dw, dw > ðw, thw > þw, nw became b, v, f, m” (VT41/8). Thus, tim may be the North Sindarin equivalent of Q. tinwë. However, in the document where it appeared, tim was clearly marked “S” for Sindarin. This form could also be a remnant of Gnomish or Ilkorin tim (see below).

Conceptual Development: The earliest precursor of this word was G. tim “spark, gleam, (star)” in the Gnomish Lexicon of 1910s, derived from the early root ᴱ√tin- (GL/70), cognate to ᴱQ. tinwe (QL/92). In the Gnomish period, [[g|final [nw] became [m]]], as discussed by Roman Rausch in his Historical Phonology of Goldogrin (HGP/§2.7). This was not true later, since in The Etymologies of the 1930s, N. tinw “spark, small star” was the cognate for ᴹQ. tinwe and the form tim was Ilkorin, all of these under the root ᴹ√TIN “sparkle” (Ety/TIN). In his later writings, Tolkien had the forms tin, tîn and tim, as noted above. Thus while the root and basic meaning of this word were quite stable, its form went through a number of variations.

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I’d use the form tîn since short vowels generally lengthened in monosyllables. I think properly it has the meaning “spark(le)” but metaphorically can apply to stars. For the ordinary word for “star”, I’d use gil.

míria-

verb. to sparkle like jewels

A verb for “to sparkle like jewels” or “to shine like a jewel” serving as the basis for míriel “like a jewel” (PE17/24), which appeared in the poem A Elbereth Gilthoniel (LotR/238).

tin

noun. spark, sparkle, twinkle of stars

tin

noun. spark

_ n. _spark, sparkle (esp. used of the twinkle of stars). >> ithildin

gil-

prefix. spark

_ pref. _spark, often used for 'star'. Form of gail/geil in compounds. >> gail, geil, Gilgalad

tîn

spark

n. spark, star. Q. tinwe spark (Poet. star).

tinthiltha-

verb. to twinkle, *sparkle

tint

spark

1. tint (i dint, o thint), no distinct pl. form except with article (i thint), coll. pl. tinnath; 2) tinu (i dinu, o thinu; also -din at the end of compounds), analogical pl. tiny (i thiny). The word is also used =

tint

spark

(i dint, o thint), no distinct pl. form except with article (i thint), coll. pl. tinnath

tinu

spark

(i dinu, o thinu; also -din at the end of compounds), analogical pl. tiny (i thiny). The word is also used =

nartha

kindle

nartha- (i nartha, in narthar) (VT45:37)

thoniel

kindler

(feminine) #thoniel (pl. thonil). Isolated from Vardas title Gilthoniel, Star-kindler.

tim

small star

. In First Age North Sindarin this word appears as tim (MR:388). Archaic tinw, so the coll. pl. is likely tinwath. 3)

tinu

small star

tinu (i dinu, o thinu; also -din at the end of compounds) (spark), analogical pl. tiny (i thiny). Archaic tinw, so the coll. pl. is likely tinwath.

tinu

small star

tinu (i dinu, o thinu; also -din at the end of compounds) (spark), analogical pl. tiny (i thiny), coll. pl. tinwath

tinu

noun. spark, small star

toniel

noun. kindler

tim

small star

(MR:388). Archaic tinw, so the coll. pl. is likely  tinwath. 3)

tim

noun. spark, sparkle (of stars)

tint

noun. spark

tint

noun. spark

gildin

noun. silver spark

nartha-

verb. to kindle

tinw

noun. spark, small star

tini

noun. spark

tithilla-

verb. twinkle