nalda

valley

nalda adj. "valley" (used as an adjective), also "lowly" (LT1:261, QL:66)$

nandë

valley

nandë (1) noun "valley" in Laurenandë (UT:253), elided nand in the name Nand Ondoluncava (k") "Stonewain Valley" (PE17:28). Possibly the complete word is here meant to be the variant nando (PE17:80), as suggested by the alternative form Ondoluncanan(do) ("k") "Stonewain Valley". Also nan, nand- noun "valley" (Letters:308); Nan-Tasarion "Vale of Willows" (LotR2:III ch. 4) (Note that this and the next nandë would be spelt differently in Tengwar writing, and originally they were also pronounced differently, since nandë "harp" was ñandë in First Age Quenya.)

nandë

noun. valley

tumba

deep valley

tumba noun "deep valley" (Letters:308; SA:tum and TUB gives tumbo "valley, deep valley"); apparently an extended form *tumbalë in tumbalemorna "deepvalleyblack" or (according to SA:tum) "black deep valley", also tumbaletaurëa "deepvalleyforested"; see Taurelilómëa-tumbalemorna...

tumba

adjective. deep valley, [ᴹQ.] deep, lowlying; [Q.] deep valley

The adjective ᴹQ. tumba “deep, lowlying” appeared in rough (and ultimately rejected) notes on irregular verbs from the Quenya Verbal System of the late 1940s as a derivative of ᴹ√TUB “fall low, go down” (PE22/127). In a 1961 letter to Rhona Beare tumba was glossed “deep valley” as an element in the Entish phrase Q. Taurelilómëa-tumbalemorna Tumbaletaurëa Lómëanor “Forestmanyshadowed-deepvalleyblack Deepvalleyforested Gloomyland” (Let/308; LotR/467), but I think this is only an approximate translation, and the word is better understood as adjectival in sense: “✱like a deep valley”. As further evidence of this, in notes from the late 1960s the form tumba was changed to a more typical noun form Q. tumbo in the name Q. i Tumbo Tarmacorto “the Vale of the High Mountain Circle” (NM/351).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I’d treat this word as an adjective only, and use Q. tumbo for the noun.

Changes

• Tumba → Tumbo ✧ NM/351

Element in

• Q. tumbalë “depth, deep valley”
• Q. Tumbaletaurëa “Deepvalleyforested” ✧ Let/308

Variations

• Tumba ✧ NM/355 (Tumba)

nan

noun. valley, vale

tumbo

(deep) valley

tumbo (stem *tumbu-, given the primitive form ¤tumbu) noun "(deep) valley", under or among hills (TUB, SA:tum), "depth" (PE17:81). - In early "Qenya", the gloss was "dark vale" (LT1:269). See tumba.

tumbo

noun. deep vale, valley, deep vale, valley, [ᴱQ.] dale

This word was used for “valley” or “vale” for much of Tolkien’s life. In notes from the 1940s Tolkien specified it was a “deep valley with hi[gh] sides though often a wide extent” (PE22/127) and in notes from the late 1960s Tolkien described it as a valley which was “more or less circular, but deeply concave, and had high mountains at the rim” (NM/351).

Conceptual Development: The earliest appearance of this word was as ᴱQ. tumbo “dale, vale” in the Qenya Lexicon as a derivative of the early root ᴱ√TUM(B)U (QL/95). It reappeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as ᴹQ. tumbo “deep valley under or among hills” derived from ᴹ√TUB (Ety/TUB), and again in the Quenya Verbal System of the 1940s as a derivative of ᴹ√TUB with the gloss “deep valley with hi[gh] sides though often a wide extent” as noted above (PE22/127).

In Words, Phrases and Passages from the Lord of the Rings from the late 1950s or early 1960s it was given as the equivalent of Q. tumbalë “depth or deep vale” (PE17/81). In notes from the late 1960s it was described as a valley that was “more or less circular, but deeply concave, and had high mountains at the rim” as noted above, with a primitive form ✶tumbu (NM/351), the same primitive form it had in The Etymologies of the 1930s (Ety/TUB). Thus it seems this word and its basic meaning was pretty well established in Tolkien’s mind.

Cognates

• S. tum “valley, vale, (deep) valley, vale; [ᴱN.] flat vale” ✧ SA/tum; NM/351

Derivations

• ✶tumbu “deep vale” ✧ NM/351
  • ᴹ√TUB “to fall low[?], go down (below normal ground level), (esp.) to go down (sink, dive) into water”

Element in

• Q. i Tumbo Tarmacorto “the Vale of the High Mountain Circle” ✧ NM/351
• Q. Tumbalemorna “deepvalleyblack” ✧ SA/tum
• Q. Utumno “Deep-hidden” ✧ SA/tum

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶tumbu > Tumbo	[tumbu] > [tumbo]	✧ NM/351

Variations

• Tumbo ✧ NM/351

Nando

valley, wide valley

nando (2) "valley, wide valley", variant of nandë #1, q.v. (PE17:80)

Noirinan

valley of the tombs

Noirinan noun the "Valley of the Tombs" in Númenor (evidently *noirë*, noiri- "tomb" + nan** "valley") (UT:166)

nal

dale, dell

nal, nallë noun "dale, dell" (LT1:261)

miruvor

mead

miruvor, full form miruvórë noun "mead", "a special wine or cordial"; possessive miruvóreva "of mead" (Nam, RGEO:66; WJ:399).In the "Qenya Lexicon", miruvórë was defined "nectar, drink of the Valar" (LT1:261).

im

noun. valley, valley; [N.] dell, deep vale

An archaic element meaning “valley” that survived only in compounds, a derivation of ✶imbi “between” (VT47/14). The basic sense “valley” was transferred to its more elaborate form imlad as in Imladris “Rivendell”, and †im “valley” fell out of use due to its conflicted with other words like the reflexive pronoun im.

Conceptual Development: N. imm “dell, deep vale” was mentioned in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a derivative of the root ᴹ√IMBE, alongside its elaboration N. imlad of the same meaning (Ety/IMBE).

Derivations

• ✶imbi “between” ✧ VT47/14
  • √MI/IMI “in, within, [ᴹ√] inside” ✧ PE17/092; VT47/11; VT47/30

Element in

• S. imlad “deep valley, narrow valley with steep sides, gap, gully, deep valley, narrow valley with steep sides, gap, gully, [N.] dell, glen” ✧ VT47/14
• S. Imloth Melui “Lovely or Sweet Flower-valley” ✧ VT42/18
• S. imrad “path or pass between mountains or trackless forest, *(lit.) valley path” ✧ VT47/14
• S. imrath “long narrow valley with road or watercourse running through it lengthwise, *(lit.) valley course”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶imbi > imm > im	[imbi] > [imbe] > [imb] > [imm] > [imm] > [im]	✧ VT47/14

Variations

• im ✧ VT42/18; VT47/14

nan

noun. valley

nand

noun. valley

nan

vale

_ n. _vale. >> nand, Nanduhirion

nand

vale

_ n. _vale. >> nan, Nanduhirion

nan(d)

noun. vale, valley, vale, valley, [ᴱN.] dale; [N.] wide grassland; [G.] field acre

A word for “valley” or “vale” appearing as an element in many names, mostly referring to wide valleys as opposed to imlad for narrow valleys. As an element in compounds or before another word in names it generally took the form nan as in Mornan “Dark Valley” and Nan Dungortheb “Valley of Dreadful Death”. As an independent word it had the form nand: “In Sindarin this gave nand which as other words ending in nd remained in stressed monosyllables but > nann > nan in compounds” (NM/351). It was a derivative of the root √NAD (NM/351; Ety/NAD).

Conceptual Development: The first appearance of this word was as G. nand or nann “a field acre” where it was probably a derivative of the early root ᴱ√NAŘA [NAÐA] as suggested by Christopher Tolkien (GL/59; LT1A/Nandini). Its use in early names like G. Nan Dumgorthin “Land of the Dark Idols” (LT2/35) and G. Nan Tathrin “Land of Willows” (GL/67; LT2A/Nantathrin) indicates the actual meaning was closer to “land”. The word reappeared as ᴱN. nann or nand “dale” in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s (PE13/150), consistent with the new gloss “Valley of Willows” for ᴱN. Nan Tathrin in Silmarillion drafts from the late 1920s (SM/35).

The word N. nand or nann “wide grassland” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a derivative of the root ᴹ√NAD (Ety/NAD), and the word nan(d) “valley” or “vale” was mentioned a number of times in Tolkien’s later notes (PE17/37, 83; RC/269). In notes from the late 1960s it was derived from primitived ✶nandē based on the root √NAD meaning “hollow of structures or natural features more or less concave with rising sides”. In these notes Tolkien said this word was:

> ... originally used only of not very large areas the sides of which were part of their own configuration. Vales or valleys of great extent, plains at the feet of mountains, etc. had other names. As also had the very steep-sided valleys in the mountains such as Rivendell (NM/351).

This note confirms that imlad was the proper word for a steep and narrow valley, but the notion that nand was not used for “valleys of great extent” contradicts its 1930s gloss “wide grassland” (Ety/NAD), as well as its use in names like Nan Dungortheb which were the extensive plains south of Ered Gorgoroth, or in the name Nan-tathren which had no particular boundaries.

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would ignore Tolkien’s late 1960s notion that this word was not used for large valleys, and apply it to wide valleys and even extensive grasslands between or below mountains, using imlad for narrow valleys and tum for deep (and round) valleys surrounded on all sides.

Cognates

• Q. nan(do) “(wide) valley, vale, (wide) valley, vale; [ᴹQ.] water-mead, watered plain; [ᴱQ.] woodland” ✧ NM/351

Derivations

• √NAD “hollow (of structures or natural features more or less concave with rising sides)” ✧ NM/351

Element in

• S. Glornan “Valley of Gold(en Light)”
• S. Mornan “Dark Valley”
• S. Nan Curunír “Valley of Saruman”
• S. Nanduhirion “Dimrill Dale, (lit.) Vale of (the Region of) Dim Streams” ✧ PE17/037; RC/269; SA/sîr
• S. Nan Dungortheb “Valley of Dreadful Death” ✧ SA/nan(d)
• S. Nan Elmoth “*Valley of Starry Dusk” ✧ SA/nan(d)
• S. Nan Gondresgion “Stonewain Valley”
• S. Nan Laur “Valley of Gold(en Light)” ✧ UT/253
• S. Nan-tathren “Land of Willows, (lit.) Willow-vale” ✧ SA/nan(d)

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√NAD > nand	[nando] > [nand]	✧ NM/351
√NAD > nann > nan	[-nando] > [-nand] > [-nann] > [-nan]	✧ NM/351

Variations

• nand ✧ NM/351
• nan ✧ NM/351
• Nan ✧ UT/253

tum

noun. valley, vale, (deep) valley, vale; [ᴱN.] flat vale

A word for a valley or vale derived from primitive ✶tumbu, specifically meaning a deep valley surrounded on all sides as described by Tolkien in notes from the late 1960s: “Those [valleys] such as the valley of Gondolin which were more or less circular, but deeply concave, and had high mountains at the rim were called ✱tumbu (NM/351)”. Its most notable use was in the name Tumladen for the hidden valley where Nargothrond lay (S/115).

Conceptual Development: This word dates all the way back to the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, where Tolkien had {tum >>} G. tûm “valley” (GL/71), probably a derivative of the early root ᴱ√TUM(B)U as suggested by Christopher Tolkien (LT1A/Tombo; QL/95). In Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s Tolkien had ᴱN. tumb or tum “flat vale” (PE13/154), and in The Etymologies of the 1930s there was N. tum “deep valley under or among hills” from the root ᴹ√TUB (Ety/TUB). The most complete description of this word in Tolkien’s later writings was in notes on Galadriel and Celeborn from the late 1960s, with the meaning given above (NM/351). In this late 1960s note the primitive form was given as ✶tumbu, which is the same primitive form Tolkien gave in The Etymologies (Ety/TUB).

Cognates

• Q. tumbo “deep vale, valley, deep vale, valley, [ᴱQ.] dale” ✧ SA/tum; NM/351

Derivations

• ✶tumbu “deep vale” ✧ NM/351
  • ᴹ√TUB “to fall low[?], go down (below normal ground level), (esp.) to go down (sink, dive) into water”

Element in

• S. Carn Dûm “?Red Valley”
• S. Tum Gondregain “Stonewain Valley” ✧ NM/363
• S. Tumhalad ✧ SA/tum
• S. Tumladen “Wide Valley, flat valley with steep sides” ✧ NM/351; SA/tum
• S. Tum Orchorod “Vale of the High Mountain Circle” ✧ NM/351

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶tumbu > Tum	[tumbu] > [tumbo] > [tumbo] > [tumb] > [tumm] > [tumm] > [tum]	✧ NM/351

Variations

• Tum ✧ NM/351; NM/363

lad

noun. plain, valley

lad

noun. plain, valley, plain, valley; [G.] a level, a flat; fair dealing

An element meaning “plain” in many Sindarin names, such as S. Dagorlad “Battle-plain” (S/292) and S. Lithlad “Plain of Ashes” (LotR/636; RC/457). Christopher Tolkien translated it as “plain, valley” in The Silmarillion appendix, but it only seems to have had the sense “valley” in the word S. imlad as in S. Imladris “Rivendell”, so I think “plain” is the better translation.

Conceptual Development: This word was connected to flat things very early in Tolkien’s notions of the Elvish languages. It first appeared as G. lad “a level, a flat; fair dealing” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/52), probably a derivative of the early root ᴱ√LATA (QL/51). The element -lad also appeared in many Noldorin names from the 1930s and 40s, though in this period it likely had the form N. lhad, as in N. lhaden “open, cleared” (Ety/LAT). It seems to appear in the earliest name for the “Gladden Fields” from Lord of the Rings drafts form the 1940s: N. Palath-ledin (TI/114). Here it has an unusual plural form ledin using the plural suffix -in, but whether that would have remained true in Sindarin is unclear.

Derivations

• √LAT “open, unenclosed, free to entry; low, lowlying, at ground level, open, unenclosed, free to entry, [ᴹ√] lie open; be extended, stretch, be situated (of an area); [√] low, lowlying, at ground level”

Element in

• S. Dagorlad “Battle-plain” ✧ S/292; SA/lad
• S. Himlad “Cool Plain; (lit.) ?Ever-plain” ✧ SA/lad
• S. imlad “deep valley, narrow valley with steep sides, gap, gully, deep valley, narrow valley with steep sides, gap, gully, [N.] dell, glen” ✧ SA/lad
• S. laden “flat, wide, flat, wide, *level; [N.] open, cleared; [G.] fair, equitable; [ᴱN.] smooth”
• S. Lithlad “Plain of Ashes”

talf

noun. flat field, flat land

imloth

noun. flower-valley, flowery vale

This word only occurs in the place name Imloth Melui, a vale where roses grew

tum

noun. deep valley, under or among hills

nan

noun. wide grassland, land at foot of hills with many streams

nand

noun. wide grassland, land at foot of hills with many streams

imlad

noun. deep valley, narrow valley with steep sides (but a flat habitable bottom)

imrad

noun. a path or pass (between mountains, hills or trackless forest)

parth

noun. field, enclosed grassland, sward

imrath

noun. long narrow valley with a road or watercourse running through it lengthwise

imrath

valley

(pl. imraith)

imrath

valley

(long narrow valley with a road or watercourse running through it lengthwise) imrath (pl. imraith)

lâd

valley

(lowland, plain), construct lad, pl. laid

nand

valley

1) nand (construct nan) (wide grassland, land at the foot of hills with many streams), pl. naind, coll. pl. nannath (VT45:36), 2) lâd (lowland, plain), construct lad, pl. laid, 3) (long narrow valley with a road or watercourse running through it lengthwise) imrath (pl. imraith).

nand

valley

(construct nan) (wide grassland, land at the foot of hills with many streams), pl. naind, coll. pl. **nannath **(VT45:36)

im

vale

(deep vale) im (dell), no distinct pl. form (though the pl. article in will mark the word as pl. when definite). The word typically occurs, not by itself, but in compounds like imlad, imloth, imrath, imrad (VT45:18, VT47:19)

im

vale

(dell), no distinct pl. form (though the pl. article in will mark the word as pl. when definite). The word typically occurs, not by itself, but in compounds like imlad, imloth, imrath, imrad *(VT45:18, VT47:19)***

talath

wide valley

(i** dalath, o thalath) (flat surface, plane, flatlands, plain), pl. telaith (i** thelaith). *Tolkien changed this word from ”Noldorin” dalath, LR:353 s.v.*

tûm

deep valley

(under or among hills) tûm, tum- (i dûm, o thûm, construct tum), pl. tuim (i thuim)

tûm

deep valley

(under or among hills) tûm, tum- (i dûm, o thûm, construct tum), pl. tuim (i thuim). or

imloth

flowering valley

(pl. imlyth) (VT42:18).

im

deep vale

im (dell), no distinct pl. form (though the pl. article in will mark the word as pl. when definite). The word typically occurs, not by itself, but in compounds like imlad, imloth, imrath, imrad (VT45:18, VT47:19)

talath

dal

Dirnen or ”Guarded Plain” mentioned in the Silmarillion.

talf

field

(i dalf, o thalf), pl. telf (i thelf), coll. pl. talvath. (Names:195). Note: a homophone means ”palm”.

laden

plain

(adjective) laden (flat, wide, open, cleared), pl. ledin (suggested Sindarin forms for ”Noldorin” lhaden pl. lhedin, LR:368 s.v. LAT)

laden

plain

(flat,  wide, open, cleared), pl. ledin (suggested Sindarin forms for ”Noldorin” lhaden pl. lhedin, LR:368 s.v. LAT)

talath

plain

(noun) 1) talath (i dalath, o thalath) (flat surface, plane, flatlands, [wide] valley), pl. telaith (i thelaith). Tolkien changed this word from ”Noldorin” dalath_, LR:353 s.v.

talath

plain

(i dalath, o thalath) (flat surface, plane, flatlands, [wide] valley), pl. telaith (i thelaith). *Tolkien changed this word from ”Noldorin” dalath, LR:353 s.v. DAL. Compare the Talath Dirnen or ”Guarded Plain” mentioned in the *Silmarillion.

nand

grassland

(construct nan) (valley, land at the foot of hills with many streams), pl. naind, coll. pl. **nannath** (VT45:36)

parth

grassland

: 1) (enclosed grassland) parth (i barth, o pharth) (field, sward), pl. perth (i pherth), 2) (wide grassland) nand (construct nan) (valley, land at the foot of hills with many streams), pl. naind, coll. pl. nannath (VT45:36)

parth

grassland

(i barth, o pharth) (field, sward), pl. perth (i pherth)

mên

road

mên (i vên, construct men, in compounds -ven) (way), pl. mîn (i mîn). Cf. also:

mên

road

(i vên, construct men, in compounds -ven) (way), pl. mîn (i mîn). Cf. also:

sant

field

(i hant, o sant) (garden, yard, or other privately owned place), pl. saint (i saint) (VT42:20) 

lâd

plain

(valley, lowland), construct lad, pl. laid

parth

field

1) parth (i barth, o pharth) (sward, enclosed grassland), pl. perth (i pherth), 2) (low, flat field, or wetland) talf (i dalf, o thalf), pl. telf (i thelf), coll. pl. talvath. _(Names:195). Note: a homophone means ”palm”. 3) sant (i hant, o sant) (garden, yard, or other privately owned place), pl. saint (i saint) (VT42:20)_

parth

field

(i barth, o pharth) (sward, enclosed grassland), pl. perth (i pherth)

rîdh

sown field

(acre);  no distinct pl. form except possibly with article (idh rîdh)

nand

noun. valley

Isolated from Lindórinand, Lórinand (q.v. for reference). While this word is not given in the Etymologies, it is clearly derived from the stem NAD (LR:374) and hence a close cognate of the similar Doriathrin word nand "field, valley". The Quenya cognate nanda (meaning "water-mead, watered plain") indicates a primitive form *nandâ; as in most cases, the final -â is lost in Nandorin.

duban

noun. valley

tumbu

noun. deep vale

Changes

• tumbā → tumbu ✧ NM/351

Derivations

• ᴹ√TUB “to fall low[?], go down (below normal ground level), (esp.) to go down (sink, dive) into water”

Derivatives

• Q. tumbo “deep vale, valley, deep vale, valley, [ᴱQ.] dale” ✧ NM/351
• S. tum “valley, vale, (deep) valley, vale; [ᴱN.] flat vale” ✧ NM/351

Variations

• tumbā ✧ NM/355 (tumbā)
• tumbŭ ✧ NM/355

palad

noun. plain

Derivations

• √PAL “wide, broad, extended, wide, broad, extended; [ᴹ√] wide (open); [ᴱ√] flatness”

Derivatives

• ᴹQ. palar “flat field, ‘wang’, plain, plain, flat field, ‘wang’”

nand

noun. valley

nann

noun. valley

tum

noun. (deep) valley

Cognates

• ᴹQ. tumbo “deep valley (under or among hills, with high sides)” ✧ Ety/TUB

Derivations

• ᴹ✶tumbu “deep valley under or among hills” ✧ Ety/TUB
  • ᴹ√TUB “to fall low[?], go down (below normal ground level), (esp.) to go down (sink, dive) into water” ✧ Ety/TUB

Element in

• N. Caron-dûn “Red Valley” ✧ RS/419
• N. Dunruin “Red Valley”
• N. Narodûm “Red Valley”
• N. Tum Dincelon “Dimrill-dale”
• N. Tumladen “Level Vale” ✧ Ety/TUB

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶tumbu > tum	[tumbu] > [tumbo] > [tumbo] > [tumb] > [tumb] > [tumm] > [tum]	✧ Ety/TUB

tum

noun. deep valley, under or among hills

pel

noun. fenced field (= Old English tún)

lhad

noun. plain

Derivations

• ᴹ√LAT “lie open; be extended, stretch, be situated (of an area)”

Element in

• N. Palath-ledin “Gladden Fields” ✧ TI/114
• N. Dagorlad “Battle Plain”
• N. imlad “dell, deep vale, glen” ✧ EtyAC/IMBE
• N. lhaden “flat (and wide); open, cleared, flat (and wide); open, cleared; [ᴱN.] smooth”
• N. Lithlad “Plain of Ash”
• N. Lanhail “Plain-wise”

nand

noun. wide grassland, land at foot of hills with many streams

nann

noun. wide grassland, land at foot of hills with many streams

imlad

noun. deep valley, narrow valley with steep sides (but a flat habitable bottom)

rîdh

noun. sown field, acre