A hypothetical (Sindarin-only?) root serving as the basis for Sindarin words like dîn “silence” and dínen “silent” (PE17/95, 98). Tolkien’s use of these words in The Lord of the Rings is rather inconsistent, reflecting shifting rules on the circumstances in which words mutated in Sindarin. In his Unfinished Index of The Lord of the Rings, he said these words were tîn and tínen (RC/551). Given the conflict this would have with the root √TIN “spark”, for purposes of Neo-Eldarin I think it is best to assume this root is √DIN.
Primitive elvish
tin
root. sparkle, spark, sparkle, spark, [ᴱ√] twinkle, [ᴹ√] emit slender (silver pale) beams
Derivatives
- ✶tini “spark”
- S. tîn “spark, sparkle, twinkle of stars”
- Q. tin- “to spark, glitter, to spark, glitter, [ᴹQ.] glint, [ᴱQ.] gleam, shine as a star”
- Q. tinta- “to kindle, cause to spark, to kindle, cause to spark, [ᴹQ.] make to spark” ✧ PE17/022; SA/tin
- Q. tinwë “spark, [apparent] star” ✧ MR/388; PE17/022; PE17/066; RGEO/61; SA/tin
- north S. tim “spark, sparkle (of stars)” ✧ MR/388; PE17/022
- S. tîn “spark, sparkle, twinkle of stars” ✧ PE17/066
Element in
- √STIN “grey” ✧ PE17/184
- ✶tindōmi “*twilight”
- Q. tindómë “(starry) twilight, (usually) time near dawn, (starry) twilight, time near dawn, [ᴹQ.] starlit dusk” ✧ SA/tin
- Q. tinta- “to kindle, cause to spark, to kindle, cause to spark, [ᴹQ.] make to spark” ✧ PE17/069
- Q. Tintallë “(Star) Kindler” ✧ PE17/066; RGEO/61
- Q. tintila- “to twinkle, sparkle, glitter, give tremulous light, †tremble” ✧ PE17/066; PE17/066; RGEO/61
- ᴺQ. tinwírë “sparkling gem, diamond”
- S. ithildin “magical alloy that glows in moonlight, (lit.) moon-star” ✧ SA/tin
- S. tinnu “*twilight, [N.] (starry) twilight, dusk, early night (without moon)”
- ᴺS. tinthiltha- “to twinkle, *sparkle”
- S. Tinúviel “Nightingale, (lit.) Daughter of Twilight” ✧ SA/tin
Variations
- tin ✧ MR/388
- tin- ✧ RGEO/61; SA/tin
tini
noun. spark
Derivations
- √TIN “sparkle, spark, sparkle, spark, [ᴱ√] twinkle, [ᴹ√] emit slender (silver pale) beams”
Derivatives
- S. tîn “spark, sparkle, twinkle of stars”
Variations
- tĭnĭ ✧ PE21/80
tin²
root. silence
din Reconstructed
root. silence
Derivatives
- S. dîn “silence; silent, quiet”
The root √TIN was connected to Elvish words for twinkle and sparkle for much of Tolkien’s life. The root first appeared as ᴱ√TINI “twinkle” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. tintya- “sparkle” and ᴱQ. tinwe “star” (QL/92). The root also had derivatives in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon such as G. tim “spark, gleam, (star)” and G. tintiltha- “twinkle” (GL/72). In The Etymologies of the 1930s he had the root ᴹ√TIN “sparkle, emit slender (silver pale) beams” with derivatives like ᴹQ. tin-/N. tinna- “glint” and ᴹQ. tinwe/N. tinw “spark, (small) star” (Ety/TIN). The root √TIN was mentioned regularly in his later writings with glosses like “spark” or “sparkle” (MR/388; PE17/22, 66).