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

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

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

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)

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.)

Sindel

grey-elf

Sindel (þ) (Sindeld-, as in pl. Sindeldi) noun "Grey-elf" = Sinda pl. Sindar, but less common (WJ:384)

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

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)

thind

Thind

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

Derivations

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

Element in

• ᴺS. thindrostir “badger”
• S. Thindrim “Sindar”
• S. Thingódhel “*Grey Noldo”
• S. Thingol “Greycloak, Greymantle” ✧ PE17/072; PE17/112; SA/thin(d)
• S. Thinnedhel “Grey-elf”
• S. Thinrod “noble member of the Thindrim”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶þindā > thin(n)	[tʰindā] > [tʰinda] > [θinda] > [θind] > [θinn]	✧ PE17/072
✶þindĭ- > thind	[tʰindi] > [tʰinde] > [θinde] > [θind]	✧ PE17/140

Variations

• thin(n) ✧ PE17/072; PE17/112
• thinn ✧ PE17/141
• thin(d) ✧ SA/thin(d)

thind

adjective. grey, pale

thind

adjective. grey

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

thind

adjective. grey

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

thind

Grey-Elf

pl2. thindrim n. #Grey-Elf.

thin

adjective. grey

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

thindon

noun. Grey-Elf

masc. n. #Grey-Elf. >> -on

thinedh

noun. Grey-Elf

{ð} fem. n. #Grey-Elf. >> -eth

thinidh

Grey-Elf

pl2. thinidhrim {ð} n. #Grey-Elf.

Thend

Grey-Elf

pl2. thendrim, thennath n. #Grey-Elf. Tolkien notes that in the plural forms "The e is analogical from (rare) sg. thend" (PE17:141).

thinn

adjective. grey

thinn

adjective. grey

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

thinn

adjective. grey

_adj. _grey. Q. sinde.

thindeth

noun. Grey-Elf

fem. n. #Grey-Elf. >> -eth

thinidhes

noun. Grey-Elf

{ð} fem. n. #Grey-Elf.

thenn

Grey-Elf

pl1. thinn n. Grey-Elf. Q. thinda, sinda. The form thinn is given with a dagger, indicating an archaic or poetical form.

hithren

adjective. grey

_ adj. _grey. >> thind

hithren

adjective. grey

Elements

Word	Gloss
hîth	“mist”

mithren

adjective. grey

Element in

• S. Ered Mithrin “Grey Mountains” ✧ LotR/1064
• S. Mithrellas

Elements

Word	Gloss
mith	“grey, light grey, pale grey”
-ren	“adjective suffix”

mithren

adjective. grey

thennes

noun. Grey-Elf

fem. n. Grey-Elf. >> -es

thennon

noun. Grey-Elf

pl1. thennyn masc. n. Grey-Elf. Note the rule on the same page stating that the ending was "after n -or". >> -on

thennor

noun. Grey-Elf

pl1. thennyr masc. n. Grey-Elf.

thenneth

noun. Grey-Elf

fem. n. Grey-Elf. >> -eth

mith

grey

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

mith

adjective. (pale) grey

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”.

send

grey-elf

#send (i hend, o send, construct sen) _(probably a term only used by the Noldor, borrowed from Quenya Sinda)_, pl. sind (i sind), coll. pl. Sendrim.

thindi

adjective. grey

Derivations

• √THIN “*grey” ✧ WJ/384

Derivatives

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

Variations

• þindĭ- ✧ PE17/140
• thindi- ✧ PE17/141
• thini ✧ PE21/81

thindā

adjective. grey

Derivations

• √THIN “*grey”

Derivatives

• Q. sinda “grey” ✧ PE17/072
• S. thind “grey, grey, [N.] pale” ✧ PE17/072

Variations

• þindā ✧ PE17/072

thini

adjective. grey

stin

root. 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

• Q. mísë “(light) grey”
• Q. mista “grey”
• S. mith “grey, light grey, pale grey”

Variations

• MIÞ ✧ PE17/072

thind

adjective. grey, pale

thinn

adjective. grey, pale

mith

adjective. (pale) grey

mith

adjective. grey

Derivations

• ᴹ√MITH “*mist, grey” ✧ Ety/MITH

Element in

• N. Mitheithel “Hoarwell”
• N. Mithlond “?Grey Havens, Grey Gulf”
• N. Mithrandir “Grey Wanderer/Pilgrim”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√MITH > mith	[mitʰe] > [miθe] > [miθ]	✧ Ety/MITH

Variations

• mith ✧ Ety/MITH