Quenya 

Tindómisel

noun. nightingale

PQ. nightingale

Quenya [name of Thingol's dau. PE 19:33] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

tindómizel

noun. nightingale

PQ. nightingale

Quenya [PE 19:73] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

tindómerel

noun. nightingale

TQ. nightingale

Quenya [PE 19:73] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

morilindë

nightingale

morilindë noun "nightingale" (MOR)

Sindarin 

tinúviel

feminine name. Nightingale, (lit.) Daughter of Twilight

The name that Beren gave to Lúthien, translated “Nightingale”, more literally “Daughter of Twilight” (S/165), a derivation of the primitive form ✶Tindōmiselde (PE19/73). It is essentially a combination of tinnu “twilight” and the suffix -iel, except that the archaic final -v lost in tinnu was preserved in the compound.

Conceptual Development: This name first appeared as G. Tynwfiel in the earliest Lost Tales, probably a Welsh-like spelling of the name, but this was revised to Tinúviel (LT2/41), the form Tolkien more or less retained thereafter. The translation “Nightingale” for ᴱN. Tinúviel emerged in the Lays of Beleriand from the 1920s (LB/153). In The Etymologies from the 1930s, N. Tinúviel had the same derivation as given above (Ety/SEL-D, TIN).

Cognates

  • Q. Tindómerel “Daughter of Twilight” ✧ PE19/073; SA/tin

Derivations

  • Tindōmiselde “Nightingale, (lit.) Daughter of Twilight” ✧ PE19/073

Element in

Elements

WordGloss
tinnu“*twilight, [N.] (starry) twilight, dusk, early night (without moon)”
-iel“daughter; feminine suffix”

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
tindōmi-sel(dĕ) > tindúmhihel > Tinnúviel[tindōmiselde] > [tindōmihelde] > [tindōmihelðe] > [tindūmihelðe] > [tindūmihelð] > [tindūmielð] > [tindūmiell] > [tinnūmiell] > [tinnūviell] > [tinnūviel]✧ PE19/073

Variations

  • Tinnúviel ✧ PE19/073
Sindarin [LB/354; LotR/0193; LotRI/Lúthien; LotRI/Tinúviel; LT1I/Tinúviel; MR/373; MRI/Tinúviel; PE19/073; S/165; SA/tin; SI/Tinúviel; UTI/Lúthien; UTI/Tinúviel; WJ/062; WJI/Tinúviel] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Tinnúviel

noun. nightingale

nightingale

Sindarin [PE 19:73] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

le linnon im tinúviel

*to thee I sing, I, Tinúviel

The fifth phrase of Lúthien’s Song (LB/354). Three translations of this phrase are:

  • Patrick Wynne: “✱to thee I sing, I, the Nightingale” (NTTLS/11)

  • David Salo: “✱I sing to you, I, Nightingale” (GS/211)

  • Bertrand Bellet and Benjamin Babut: “✱to thee I sing, Tinúviel myself” (GTLC)

The first word is the 2nd-person-polite pronoun le “thee”, with its use as the indirect object “to thee” implied by its position before the verb, as suggested by Wynne and Salo (NTTLS/10, GS/213). The second word linnon “I sing” is the present 1st-person-singular form of the verb linna- “to sing”. The third word is the first person or reflexive pronoun im “I, myself”. The last word Tinúviel is the other name of the speaker, Lúthien, usually translated “Nightingale”.

Element in

dúlin

noun. nightingale

Sindarin [Ety/354, Ety/369, S/430, X/ND4] dû+lind "dusk singer". Group: SINDICT. Published by

dúlin

noun. nightingale

A word for “nightingale” appearing in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a combination of N. “night” and N. lhinn “tune” (Ety/DOƷ, Ety/LIN², TIN). It appeared as both dúlinn (Ety/LIN²) and dúlin (Ety/TIN). In The Notion Club Papers of the 1940s, Tolkien instead gave duilin “nightingale” as a derivative of primitive ᴹ✶dōmilindē, demonstrating a phonetic development whereby the ancient m became v and then vanished after the u, but the medial i was preserved. However, Christopher Tolkien used the form dúlin in The Silmarillion appendix (SA/dú), and that form is thus better known.

Cognates

  • Q. lómelindë “nightingale, (lit.) dusk-singer” ✧ SA/dú

Elements

WordGloss
“night, dimness; dim, dark, night, dimness; [N.] night-fall, late evening; [S.] dim, dark”
lind“song, chant, singing; singer, song, chant, singing, [N.] air, tune; [N. and S.] singer”

tinúviel

nightingale

(”daughter of twilight”, a poetic kenning) (i** dinúviel, o thinúviel), pl. ?tinúvil (i** thinúvil), coll. pl. tinúviellath** **(MR:373, WJ:62)

dúlinn

nightingale

1) dúlinn (i dhúlinn) (dusk-singer), same form pl. except with article (i núlinn) (SD:302). 2) merilin (i verilin), no distinct pl. form except with article (i merilin), coll. pl. merilinnath. Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” ”moerilind” = mörilind. 3) tinúviel (”daughter of twilight”, a poetic kenning) (i dinúviel, o thinúviel), pl. ?tinúvil (i thinúvil), coll. pl. tinúviellath (MR:373, WJ:62)

dúlinn

nightingale

(i** dhúlinn) (dusk-singer), same form pl. except with article (i** núlinn) (SD:302).

merilin

nightingale

(i** verilin), no distinct pl. form except with article (i** merilin), coll. pl. merilinnath. Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” ”moerilind” = mörilind.

Primitive elvish

tindōmiselde

feminine name. Nightingale, (lit.) Daughter of Twilight

Derivatives

  • Q. Tindómerel “Daughter of Twilight” ✧ PE19/073
  • S. Tinúviel “Nightingale, (lit.) Daughter of Twilight” ✧ PE19/073

Variations

  • tindōmi-sel(dĕ) ✧ PE19/073
Primitive elvish [PE19/073] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Noldorin 

tinúviel

feminine name. Nightingale, (lit.) Daughter of Twilight

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. Tindómerel “Nightingale, (lit.) Daughter of Twilight” ✧ Ety/SEL-D; Ety/TIN; PE19/033

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶Tindōmiselde “Nightingale, (lit.) Daughter of Twilight” ✧ Ety/SEL-D; PE19/033
  • On. Tindūmhiell “Daughter of Twilight” ✧ Ety/TIN
    • ᴹ✶Tindōmiselde “Nightingale, (lit.) Daughter of Twilight” ✧ Ety/TIN

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
On. tindūmhiell > Tinnúviel > Tinúviel[tindūviell] > [tinnūviell] > [tinnūviel] > [tinūviel]✧ Ety/TIN

Variations

  • Tinnúviel ✧ Ety/SEL-D; PE19/033
Noldorin [Ety/SEL-D; Ety/TIN; LRI/Tinúviel; PE19/033; RS/182; RSI/Tinúviel; SM/109; SMI/Tinúviel] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Tinnúviel

noun. nightingale

nightingale

Noldorin [name of Thingol's dau. PE 19:33] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

duilin

noun. nightingale

dúlin

noun. nightingale

Noldorin [Ety/354, Ety/369, S/430, X/ND4] dû+lind "dusk singer". Group: SINDICT. Published by

dúlin(n)

noun. nightingale

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. lómelinde “nightingale” ✧ Ety/DOƷ; Ety/LIN²; Ety/TIN; SD/302

Derivations

  • ᴹ√DOƷ “night” ✧ Ety/DOƷ
  • ᴹ√DOM “faint, dim” ✧ Ety/TIN
  • ᴹ✶dōmilindē “nightingale” ✧ SD/302

Elements

WordGloss
“night, night-fall, late evening”
lhinn“air, tune”

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√DOƷ/DÔ > dúlind > dúlin(n)[dōlindē] > [dūlindē] > [dūlinde] > [dūlind] > [dūlinn] > [dūlin]✧ Ety/DOƷ
ᴹ√DOM > dúlind > dúlin[dūvlinde] > [dūvlind] > [dūlind] > [dūlinn] > [dūlin]✧ Ety/TIN
ᴹ✶dōmilindē > duilin[dōmilindē] > [dūmilindē] > [dūmilinde] > [dūmilind] > [dūvilind] > [duilind] > [duilinn] > [duilin]✧ SD/302

Variations

  • dūlinn ✧ Ety/LIN²
  • dúlin ✧ Ety/TIN
  • dúlinn ✧ EtyAC/LIN²
  • duilin ✧ SD/302
Noldorin [Ety/DOƷ; Ety/LIN²; Ety/TIN; EtyAC/LIN²; SD/302] Group: Eldamo. Published by

dúlind

noun. nightingale

Noldorin [Ety/354, Ety/369, S/430, X/ND4] dû+lind "dusk singer". Group: SINDICT. Published by

dúlinn

noun. nightingale

Noldorin [Ety/354, Ety/369, S/430, X/ND4] dû+lind "dusk singer". Group: SINDICT. Published by

merilin

noun. nightingale

Noldorin [Ety/394, X/ND4] môr+lind, irreg. OS *morilinde. Group: SINDICT. Published by

merilin(n)

noun. nightingale

A noun for “nightingale” in The Etymologies of the 1930s, adapted from Ilkorin myrilind “since mori did not = ‘night’ in N” (Ety/TIN). S. dúlin “nightingale” is better attested.

Derivations

  • Ilk. myrilind “nightingale” ✧ Ety/TIN
    • ᴹ√MOR “*black, dark” ✧ Ety/TIN

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
Ilk. mur(i)lind/myr(i)lind > mœrilind > merilin[myrilind] > [mœrilind] > [mœrilinn] > [merilinn] > [merilin]✧ Ety/TIN
Ilk. mur(i)lind/myr(i)lind > mœrilinn > merilinn[myrilind] > [mœrilind] > [mœrilinn] > [merilinn] > [merilin]✧ Ety/TIN

Variations

  • merilin ✧ Ety/TIN
  • merilinn ✧ EtyAC/TIN
  • moerilind ✧ EtyAC/TIN
Noldorin [Ety/TIN; EtyAC/TIN] Group: Eldamo. Published by

mœrilind

noun. nightingale

Noldorin [Ety/394, X/ND4] môr+lind, irreg. OS *morilinde. 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 

tinúviel

feminine name. Tinúviel

Qenya [PE21/33; PE21/35] Group: Eldamo. Published by

tindómerel

feminine name. Nightingale, (lit.) Daughter of Twilight

Cognates

  • N. Tinúviel “Nightingale, (lit.) Daughter of Twilight” ✧ Ety/SEL-D; Ety/TIN; PE19/033

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶Tindōmiselde “Nightingale, (lit.) Daughter of Twilight” ✧ Ety/SEL-D; Ety/TIN; PE19/033

Elements

WordGloss
tindóme“(starry) twilight, starlit dusk”
selde“child [f.]”

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶tindōmiselde > Tindómerel[tindōmiselde] > [tindōmiseld] > [tindōmizeld] > [tindōmizel] > [tindōmirel] > [tindōmerel]✧ Ety/SEL-D
ᴹ✶Tindōmiselde > Tindómerel[tindōmiselde] > [tindōmiseld] > [tindōmizeld] > [tindōmizel] > [tindōmirel] > [tindōmerel]✧ Ety/TIN
ᴹ✶Tindōmi-seldĕ > Tindómisel > Tindómirel[tindōmiselde] > [tindōmiseld] > [tindōmizeld] > [tindōmizel] > [tindōmirel]✧ PE19/033

Variations

  • Tindomerel ✧ EtyAC/YEL (Tindomerel)
  • Tindómirel ✧ PE19/033
Qenya [Ety/SEL-D; Ety/TIN; EtyAC/YEL; PE19/033] Group: Eldamo. Published by

lómelinde

noun. nightingale

Cognates

  • N. dúlin(n) “nightingale” ✧ Ety/DOƷ; Ety/LIN²; Ety/TIN; SD/302
  • Ilk. myrilind “nightingale” ✧ Ety/TIN

Derivations

Elements

WordGloss
lóme“night, night-time, shades of night, gloom”
linde“air, tune”

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶dōmilindē > lōmelinde[dōmilindē] > [lōmilindē] > [lōmelindē] > [lōmelinde]✧ SD/302

Variations

  • lōmelindë ✧ LR/041
  • lōmelinde ✧ SD/302
Qenya [Ety/DOƷ; Ety/LIN²; Ety/TIN; LR/041; SD/302] Group: Eldamo. Published by

morilinde

noun. nightingale

A noun for “nightingale” in The Etymologies of the 1930s, a combination of ᴹQ. móre “night” and ᴹQ. linde “song” (Ety/MOR). Q. lómelindë “nightingale” is better attested.

Cognates

  • Ilk. myrilind “nightingale” ✧ Ety/MOR

Elements

WordGloss
móre“blackness, dark, night”
linde“air, tune”

Doriathrin

myrilind

noun. nightingale

The Ilkorin noun for “nightingale”, appearing as both murilind and myrilind (Ety/MOR, TIN). Its Quenya cognate ᴹQ. morilinde indicates a primitive form of ✱✶morilindē, further supported by the rejected Ilkorin form morilind (EtyAC/MOR). This would have produced murilind according to the rules of Ilkorin i-affection. The variant form myrilind hints at a different (dialectical?) phonetic development, as pointed out by Helge Fauskanger (AL-Ilkorin/murilind). See the entry on i-affection for further discussion.

Changes

  • morilindmurilind/myrilind ✧ Ety/MOR

Cognates

Derivations

  • ᴹ√MOR “*black, dark” ✧ Ety/TIN

Derivatives

Elements

WordGloss
môr“night”
lind“tuneful, sweet; *singing”

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√MOR > mur(i)lind/myr(i)lind[morilindē] > [morilinde] > [murilinde] > [murilind]✧ Ety/TIN

Variations

  • murilind/myrilind ✧ Ety/MOR
  • mur(i)lind/myr(i)lind ✧ Ety/TIN
  • murulind/myrilind ✧ EtyAC/MOR
  • morilind ✧ EtyAC/MOR (morilind)
Doriathrin [Ety/MOR; Ety/TIN; EtyAC/MOR] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Middle Primitive Elvish

tindōmiselde

feminine name. Nightingale, (lit.) Daughter of Twilight

Derivatives

  • ᴹQ. Tindómerel “Nightingale, (lit.) Daughter of Twilight” ✧ Ety/SEL-D; Ety/TIN; PE19/033
  • N. Tinúviel “Nightingale, (lit.) Daughter of Twilight” ✧ Ety/SEL-D; PE19/033
  • On. Tindūmhiell “Daughter of Twilight” ✧ Ety/TIN
    • N. Tinúviel “Nightingale, (lit.) Daughter of Twilight” ✧ Ety/TIN

Elements

WordGloss
TIN“sparkle, emit slender (silver pale) beams”
DOM“faint, dim”
SEL(D)“child, child; *daughter”

Variations

  • tindōmiselde ✧ Ety/SEL-D
  • Tindōmi-seldĕ ✧ PE19/033
Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/SEL-D; Ety/TIN; PE19/033] Group: Eldamo. Published by

dōmilindē

noun. nightingale

Derivatives

Middle Primitive Elvish [SD/302] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Gnomish

tinúviel

feminine name. Tinúviel

Changes

  • TynwfielTinúviel ✧ LT2/041
  • TynwfielTinúviel ✧ LT2/051

Variations

  • Tynwfiel ✧ LT2/041; LT2/051 (Tynwfiel)
Gnomish [LT2/041; LT2/051; LT2I/Tinúviel] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Noldorin

tinúviel

feminine name. Nightingale

Changes

  • TinwielTinúviel ✧ LB/022

Variations

  • Tinwiel ✧ LB/022; LBI/Tinúviel
Early Noldorin [LB/022; LB/153; LB/180; LBI/Tinúviel; SM/024] Group: Eldamo. Published by