fána

adjective. white, white; [ᴹQ.] cloud

@@@ as suggested by Helge Fauskanger, the form fánë “white” in the Markirya poem may be a slip or misreading

fána

white

fána, fánë (1) adj. "white" (Markirya - fánë as a sg. form in may be a misreading). Compare fanya.

fánë

adjective. white

oiolossë

place name. Ever (Snow) White

Another name for Taniquetil (LotR/377, S/37) variously translated as “Everlasting Whiteness”, “Ever-snow”, “Ever-white” or “Ever-snow-white”. This name is a compound of oi(o) “ever” and lossë “snow, snow-white” (RGEO/61).

Conceptual Development: In Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, this name first appeared as ᴹQ. Ialasse “Everlasting Whiteness” (SM/81). A similar form ᴹQ. Iolosse appeared in The Etymologies (Ety/EY, GEY) and possibly also in the Silmarillion texts (LR/210), but it was rejected and replaced by its final form ᴹQ. Oiolosse (Ety/OY, LR/209).

taniquetil

place name. High White Peak

Tallest mountain in the world, where Manwë and Varda made their home (S/26). The name was adapted from its Valarin name of unknown meaning (PE17/168, 186), perhaps Val. Dahanigwishtilgūn (WJ/417). The Valarin name was altered to give it meaning as Quenya word. In Ancient Quenya, the name became ✶tār(a)-ninqui-tilde “High White Peak” (PE17/186). Taniquetil was thereafter interpreted as a compound of tar- (ta-) “high”, ninquë “white” (or niquë “cold, snow”) and tildë “point”, once its true origin was obscured.

Conceptual Development: This name dates back to the earliest Lost Tales (LT1/58), and ᴱQ. Taniqetil “Lofty Snowcap” appeared in the Qenya Lexicon where it was a compound of ᴱQ. tá “high” and ᴱQ. niqetil “snow cap” (QL/66, 86; LT1A/Taniquetil). ᴹQ. Taniqetil “High White Horn” appeared in The Etymologies from the 1930s as a compound of ᴹ✶tāna “✱high” (Ety/TĀ), ᴹQ. ninqe “white” (Ety/NIK-W) and ᴹQ. tilde “horn” (Ety/TIL). The concept of the Valarin origin of this name did not emerge until the 1950-60s (PE17/168, 186; WJ/416-7).

In The Etymologies, Tolkien indicated that its (ᴹQ) genitive form was Taniqetilden (Ety/TIL, EtyAC/TIL), so that its stem form would be Taniqetild-, which was also its stem form in the Qenya Lexicon (QL/87). In the 1950s, Tolkien gave its ancient form as ✶tār(a)-ninqui-tilde (PE17/186), further supporting a stem-form of Taniquetild-.

arfanyarassë

place name. High Shining White Peak

A variant or close equivalent of Taniquetil (WJ/403), this name is glossed “High Shining White Peak” (WJ/416) and seems to be a compound of ar(a)- “high”, fanya “cloud; white and shining [thing]” and rassë “horn (of animals and mountains)”. It is attested only in the Quendi and Eldar essay from 1959-60; the name Taniquetil is much more common.

fanya

noun. (white) cloud, white and shining [thing], (white) cloud, white and shining [thing]; [ᴹQ.] sky; white

The usual word for “cloud” in Quenya, appearing within both the Namárië and Markirya poems (LotR/377; MC/223), in the latter as an element in Q. fanyarë “the skies” (MC/222). More specifically, it was a “white cloud” (PE17/26, 175). For dark or stormy clouds, lumbo is a more accurate word.

Conceptual Development: ᴱQ. aulo “cloud” appeared in Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s, but Tolkien wrote ᴱQ. fanya in pencil next to it (PE16/142) and seems to have stuck with that form thereafter. In Fíriel’s Song of the 1930s, however, Tolkien translated ᴹQ. fanya as “sky” (LR/72), while in The Etymologies of the 1930s fanya was “white” and derived from the root ᴹ√SPAN of the same meaning (Ety/SPAN). In that document, ᴹQ. fána was “cloud” (Ety/SPAN), but in later writings Q. fána became “white” (MC/222) and Q. fanya “cloud” (LotR/377; MC/223).

Fanya was derived from the root ᴹ√SPAN “white” in the 1930s, and the root √SPAN did reappear briefly in a discussion from 1967 (PE17/184-185), but in later writings Tolkien usually derived fanya from √PHAN. Tolkien wrote several lengthy essays on this root, and in one them said:

> √PHAN-. The basic sense of this was “cover, screen, veil”, but it had a special development in the Eldarin tongues ... The derivative (properly adjectival in form) ✱phanyā became [in Sindarin] fain, used as an adjective meaning “dim, dimmed” (applied to dimmed or fading lights or to things seen in them) or “filmy, fine-woven etc.” ... the word for “cloud” was in Quenya supplied by the derivative fanya (cf. I, 394), which was no longer used as an adjective. But this was used only of white clouds, sunlit or moonlit, or of clouds reflecting sunlight as in the sunset or sunrise, or gilded and silvered at the edges by moon or sun behind them (PE17/174-175).

lossë

noun/adjective. snow, fallen snow; snow-white, snowy

The general Quenya word for “snow” derived from the root √(G)LOS (PE17/26; VT42/18), more specifically “fallen snow” (RGEO/61), as opposed to a “snow fall” or “✱falling snow” which is hrissë (PE17/168). At various points Tolkien said this word could also be used as an adjective “snowy, snow-white” (RGEO/61; PE17/161), but I would do so only in poetry or in compounds. For more ordinary speech, I would use the adjective form lossëa for clarity (PE17/71, 161; VT42/18). Strictly speaking, the noun and adjective forms of lossë have distinct primitive origins: ✶lossē “snow” vs. ✶lossĭ “snowy, snow-white” (PE17/161), so the stem form of the adjective would be lossi-.

Conceptual Development: In The Etymologies of the 1930s there was a word ᴹQ. olosse “snow, fallen snow” derived from the root ᴹ√GOLOS; Tolkien modified the entry to mark this form as poetic (†) and gave it a variant olos (Ety/GOLÓS).

lossëa

adjective. snowy, (snow) white

A word for “snowy” or “snow-white”, an adjective form of lossë “snow” (PE17/161; VT42/18). In one place it was simply glossed “white” (PE17/71), though in most places the generic Quenya word for “white” is ninquë.

Conceptual Development: In some poems from written around 1930, Tolkien used similar words for “white” in a couple places, for example in the phrase ᴱQ. ondoli losse karkane “the white rocks snarling” from the Oilima Markirya poem (MC/213); here the word for “white” might be the plural of an adjective ᴱQ. lossa as suggested by Gilson, Welden and Hostetter (PE16/84). An element losse “white” also appears in the phrase ᴱQ. losselie telerinwa “the white people of the shores of Elfland” from the Nieninqe poem (MC/216). However, for this most part in the earliest period, losse was use for “flower” words; see that entry for discussion.

narsil

proper name. Red and White Flame

The Sword of Elendil that was broken (LotR/243), later reforged as Andúril (LotR/277). This name is a combination of the primitive roots √NAR “fire” and √THIL “white light” (Let/425), and was translated “red and white flame” in the 1966 index of The Lord of the Rings (RC/231).

Conceptual Development: Its Quenya name first appeared as ᴹQ. Narsil in the draft of The Lord of the Rings chapter: “The Battle of the Pelennor Fields” (WR/370, 372 note #14).

ninquelótë

proper name. White Blossom

A name for Telperion (S/38). It is a compound of ninquë “white” and lótë “flower” (SA/min, loth).

Conceptual Development: The name ᴹQ. Ninquelóte also appeared in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (LR/209) and Lord of the Rings drafts (SD/58).

ninqui carcar yarra

the white rocks snarling

The sixteenth line of the Markirya poem (MC/222). The first word is the plural of the adjective ninquë “white” modifying the plural of the noun carca “rock”, followed by the infinitive (or short active-participle) of the verb yarra- “to snarl”, used adjectivally. Note that carca normally means “fang, tooth”, so its uses for “rocks” here may be poetic to describe sharp rocks, as suggested by Helge Fauskanger (AL/Markirya).

Decomposition: Broken into its constituent elements, this phrase would be:

> ninqu-i carca-r yarra = “✱white-(plural) rock-(plural) snarling”

Conceptual Development: In the first draft, noun was the plural of ondo “rock” (MC/222).

silma

noun/adjective. crystal (white), crystal (white); [ᴹQ.] silver, shining white

A word for “crystal (white)” (PE17/23) and “silver, shining white” (Ety/SIL) based on the root √SIL “shine (white or silver)”. It seems to function as both an adjective and a noun, and is related to silima, the substance Feanor used to craft the Silmarils. Given this word’s strong association with the Silmarils, it probably could no longer be used for other kinds of crystals.

Taniquetil

high white horn

Taniquetil (Taniquetild-), place-name: the highest of the mountains of Valinor, upon which were the mansions of Manwë and Varda. Properly, this name refers to the topmost peak only, the whole mountain being called Oiolossë (SA:til). The Etymologies has Taniquetil, Taniquetildë ("q") (Ta-niqe-til) ("g.sg." Taniquetilden, in LotR-style Quenya this is the dative singular) "High White Horn" (NIK-W, TIL, TA/TA3, OY). Variant Taníquetil with a long í, translated "high-snow-peak"(PE17:26, 168).

fanya

(white) cloud

fanya noun "(white) cloud" (translated "sky" in FS); pl. fanyar in Namárië(Nam, RGEO:67). ). Used "only of white clouds, sunlit or moonlit, or clouds gilded or silvered at the edges by light behind them", not "of storm clouds or cloud canopies shutting out the light" (PE17:174). Cf. lumbo, q.v. According to VT46:15, fanya was originally given as an adjective "white" in the Etymologies; the printed version in LR wrongly implies that fanya and fána both mean "cloud", whereas actually the first was at this stage meant to be an adjective "white" whereas fána is both noun "cloud" and adj. "white". However, Namárië and later emendations to the entry SPAN in Etym indicate that Tolkien would later think of fanya as a noun "cloud", perhaps giving it the same double meaning as fána: noun "cloud" as well as adjective "white". According to PE17:26, fanya was originally an adjectival form "white and shining" that was however often used as a noun "applied to various things, notably to white clouds lit by sun or moon". In Namárië, the word is used poetically with reference to the hands of Varda (she lifted her hands ve fanyar "like clouds").

ilca-

verb. gleam (white)

ilca- ("k") vb. "gleam (white)", participle ilcala with pl. allative ending ilcalannar in Markirya (axor ilcalannar "on bones gleaming")

losselië

white people

losselië noun"white people" (MC:216, PE16:96)

lossë

noun. inflorescence (of white flowers), [ᴹQ.] (white) blossom, flower, [ᴱQ.] (white) flower; [Q.] inflorescence (of white flowers); [ᴱQ.] rose

This word was associated with white flowers for much of Tolkien’s life. In the Qenya Lexicon and Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa of the 1910s, ᴱQ. losse was “rose” (QL/65; PME/56), but in the Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s its plural was translated as “flowers” (PE14/56), while its gloss became “white-flower” in notes associated with the Earendel poem from around 1930 (PE16/100).

The Etymologies written around 1937, Tolkien derived ᴹQ. losse from the root ᴹ√LOT(H) and translated it as “blossom” or “flower”, but specified that it was “usually, owing to association with olosse snow, only used of white blossom” (Ety/LOT(H); GOLÓS). In notes from around 1959, Tolkien said losse was used of “snow” but also as “the laden inflorescence of flowers on trees or shrubs, especially infoliate or pale” (PE17/161).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would assume lossë mainly meant “snow”, but that it could also be used of white flowers, either an individual white flower or a scattering of white flowers on a plant, as if covered by snow (though in the latter case, I would use plural lossi “white flowers” to be less ambiguous).

lossëa

snow-white

lossëa adj. "snow-white" (so in VT42:18; this would be an adjective derived from lossë "snow", but elsewhere, Tolkien implies that lossë itself can also be used as an adjective "snow-white"; see lossë #1 above)

man tiruva fána cirya?

Who shall heed a white ship?

The sixth line of the Markirya poem (MC/222). The first word is man “who” followed by the future of tir- “to heed”. The object of the phrase is the noun cirya “ship”, preceded by the adjective fána “white”.

Decomposition: Broken into its constituent elements, this phrase would be:

> man tir-uva fána cirya? = “✱who heed-(future) white ship”

ninquanéron

white shining

ninquanéron ("q")adj. "white shining" (MC:220; this is "Qenya")

ninquita-

verb. shine white

ninquita- ("q")vb. "shine white" (NIK-W)

ninquë

white, chill, cold, palid

ninquë adj. "white, chill, cold, palid" (WJ:417, SA:nim, PE17:168, NIK-W - spelt "ninqe" in Etym and in LT1:266, MC:213, MC:220, GL:60), pl. ninqui in Markirya. Compounded in Ninquelótë noun "White-Flower" (SA:nim), = Sindarin Nimloth, the White Tree of Númenor; ninqueruvissë ("q") "white-horse-on" _(MC:216; this is "Qenya", read _ninqueroccossë or *ninquiroccossë in LotR-style Quenya). Normally ninquë would be expected to have the stem-form ninqui-, given the primitive form ¤ninkwi; Ninquelótë rather than *Ninquilótë must be seen as an analogical form.

niquis

frost-patterns; ice-flake or snowflake also petal (loose) of a white flower

niquis noun "frost-patterns; ice-flake or snowflake also petal (loose) of a white flower" (stem niquits- or niquiss-), also niquessë by association with quessë "feather" (WJ:417, PE17:168). In early "Qenya", the gloss was simply "snow" (LT1:266).

silma

silver, shining white

silma adj. "silver, shining white" (SIL), "crystal (white)" (PE17:23)

silpion

proper name. White Tree

A name for the White Tree of Valinor, the one of the Two Trees which shone with silver light (S/38). The exact meaning of this name is unclear, but its initial element is from the root √SIL “shine (white or silver)” (SA/sil) or possibly from its extended form ᴹ√SILIP (Ety/SIL).

Conceptual Development: The very first name of this tree was ᴱQ. Valpio “Holy Cherry”, appearing in the Qenya Lexicon from the 1910s (LTA2/Silpion, QL/55). In the earliest Lost Tales, however, it was called ᴱQ. Silpion (LT1/73). At this early stage, the name was translated “Cherry-moon” (LT2/215), using the same element ᴱQ. pio “cherry” as its predecessor Valpio. It is unlikely this meaning persisted into later writings. In The Etymologies from the 1930s, the name ᴹQ. Silpion was glossed “White Tree of Valinor” (Ety/BAL). Although not exact, "White Tree" is the best available later translation of this name.

silquelosseën

blossom-white hair

silquelosseën ("q") noun "blossom-white hair" (MC:216; this is "Qenya", but compare lossë)

ninquita-

verb. to whiten, grow white, to whiten, grow white, [ᴹQ.] make white; to shine white

ninquë

adjective. white; chill, cold; pallid

alaninquitálima

adjective. that cannot be made white (again)

ilca-

verb. to gleam (white)

losselië telerinwa

*the white people of the shores of Elfland

ninquita-

verb. make pale, white

ninquita-

verb. grow white, whiten

sanomë tarnë olórin, aracorno, eomer, imrahil, mi mísë, mi telepta yo morna, mi laiqua yo ninquë, mi luinë, ta gimli mi lossëa

There stood Gandalf, Aragorn, Eomer and Imrahil in grey, in silver and black, in green and white, and in blue, and also Gimli in white

sil-

verb. to shine (white)

sil-

verb. shine (white)

sisilla-

verb. glitter (white)

taniquelassë

noun. *high-white-leaf

Name of a species of tree in Númenor (UT/167), apparently a combination of the initial part of Taniquetil with lassë “leaf”.

ninteccon

noun. chalk, (lit.) white writing rock

A neologism for “chalk” coined by Luinyelle in a 2022 Discord discussion of words for stones, a combination of ninquë “white”, [ᴹQ.] tek- “write” and ondo “stone”.

man cenuva fána cirya?

Who shall see a white ship?

The first line of the Markirya poem (MC/221). The first word is man “who” (men [sic] in the published version, likely a mistake) followed by the future tense of the verb cen- “to see”. The object of the phrase is the noun cirya “ship”, preceded by the adjective fána “white”. In the published version, the adjective is given in the plural form fáne, but this may be a mistake, as suggested by Helge Fauskanger (AL/Markirya).

Decomposition: Broken into its constituent elements, this phrase would be:

> man cen-uva fána cirya = “✱who see-(future) white ship”

fanoiolossë

 proper name. bright (angelic) figure upon uilos

An adaptation of the Sindarin title for Varda, *Fanuilos*.

nim

white

_adj. _white. >> Nimbrethil

nim

white

_adj. _white (usual word). >> nimp, nimras

glân

adjective. white, [bright shining] white; [N.] clear; [G.] pure, †bright; [ᴱN.] clean

nim

adjective. white

fain

noun/adjective. white

ered nimrais

place name. White Mountains, (lit.) White-horns Mountains

Sindarin name of the “White Mountains” (LotR/258), more literally “White-horns Mountains” (UTI/Ered Nimrais). This name is a combination of the plural of orod “mountain” and the plural of Nimras “White Horn” (SA/nim, ras; PE17/89, 168).

Conceptual Development: In Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, these mountains were first called N. Eredvyrn or Ered Myrn “Black Mountains” (TI/124), later changed to “White Mountains” with numerous Elvish forms: N. Hebel Orolos >> Hebel Uilos (WR/137) >> Hebel or Ephel Nimrais (WR/137) >> Hebel or Ered Nimrath (WR/137, 167) >> Ered Nimras (WR/168), then briefly to Eredfain before finally Ered Nimrais (WR/288). In later writings it occasionally appeared with the proper Sindarin plural of orod: S. Eryd (PE17/168, WJ/385).

ar-feiniel

feminine name. White Lady

A sobriquet of Aredhel translated “White Lady” (S/60). This name is probably a combination of ar(a)- “noble”, fain “white and shining [thing]” and the feminine suffix -iel (as suggested by David Salo, GS/342).

See the entry for Aredhel for discussion of her other names.

barad nimras

place name. White Horn Tower

A tower raised by Finrod on the cape of Eglarest, translated “White Horn Tower” (S/120, SI/Barad Nimras). It is a combination of barad “tower”, nim “white”, and ras(s) “horn” (SA/barad, nim, ras).

Conceptual Development: In Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, this tower was first named N. Tindobel (LR/129, 265). In Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s, Tolkien changed the name to the Tower of Ingildon (WJ/118, notes §90) and later to its final form Barad Nimras (WJ/197-8, notes §120).

galathilion

proper name. White Tree

A tree in Tirion made after Telperion and translated “White Tree” (S/59). It may be a combination of galadh “tree” and the root THIL “shine silver” (SA/sil). The final element seems to be the patronymic suffix -ion, the last of these perhaps indicating its decent from Telperion.

Conceptual Development: In Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, N. Galathilion was another name for Telperion (LR/209). In The Etymologies it was glossed the “White Tree of Valinor” and had the derivation given above (Ety/BAL, GALAD, THIL), though the final element -ion was not explained. In Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, it was glossed “Silver Cherry”, but as Christopher Tolkien pointed out, this was not its actual meaning (RS/187).

nimrodel

feminine name. Lady of the White Cave

An Elf-maiden, the beloved of Amroth, as well as the name of the stream by which she dwelled (LotR/339). According to Tolkien, this name was of Silvan (Nandorin) origin adapted to Sindarin (LotR/1127). It is translated “Lady of the White Cave” (RC/302) and is a combination of nim “white”, the suffixal form -rod of grod “cave” and the feminine suffix -iel (SA/groth, PE17/49).

Conceptual Development: In Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, this river was first named N. Linglor and the maiden N. Linglorel (TI/222-3), both revised to N. Nimladel >> Nimlorel >> Nimlothel (TI/223, 238-9 note #17, the last of these used only for the maiden). Later still both were changed to their final form Nimrodel (TI/223, 239). In later notes from the 1950s, Tolkien considered interpreting the final element as either “lofty star” or “high lady” (S. rodel) from raud “lofty, noble” (PE17/49).

silef

noun/adjective. crystal (white), (white) crystal; [N.] silver, shining white

A word for “crystal (white)” (PE17/23) or “silver, shining white” (Ety/SIL) based on the root √SIL “shine (white or silver)”. It seemed to function as both a noun (1950s-60s) and an adjective (1930s), and was the basis for the adjective silivren appearing in the A Elbereth Gilthoniel prayer (PE17/23).

Conceptual Development: Earlier words for “crystal” appeared in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, such as G. glint (GL/39) and G. sincli (GL/67), both elements in G. Crosailin(t) or Crosincli “Crystal Globe”, a Gnomish name for the Moon.

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would use S. silef mainly as the noun “(white) crystal”, and would use silivren as the adjective form.

Fanuilos

' angelic figure ever- white '

theon. '(bright) angelic figure ever-(snow) white (shining after)', 'of/upon Uilos', 'far away upon Uilos', a title or second name of Elbereth/Varda.

Nimloth

noun. white flower

nimp (“pale, white”) + loth (“a head of small flowers”)

curunír ’lân

masculine name. Saruman the White

Sindarin translation of “Saruman the White” (UT/390), a combination of his Sindarin name Curunír and lenited form ’lân of the (otherwise unattested) adjective glân “white”.

fain

white and shining

_adj. _white and shining, white, shimmering. Q. fanya. >> fân, fanui

glos

adjective. snow white

_ adj. _snow white. Q. losse. >> glosui, los

glosui

adjective. snow white

_ adj. _snow white. Q. lossea. >> glosui, los

glân

adjective. bright, shining white

The word is deduced from its mutated form, but it is worth mentioning that a stem GALÁN "bright", with glan "daylight" (and later "clear") as derivative, is listed in the Etymologies (not included in the published text, but see VT/45:13). Most of the words meaning "white" in the Indo-Eureopean languages come from the original notion of "brightness", e.g. Greek leukós "white" is cognate with Latin lucere "to shine", lux "light". This association of sense is also found in Gnomish, PE/11:39 (glan "clean, pure", from "bright" originally) and in Early Noldorin (PE/13:144, glann "clean"). The similarity with Welsh glan (where the vowel, incidentally, is also long, though this is concealed by Welsh orthographic convention) is also striking

nimbrethil

noun. 'white princess'

n. Bot. 'white princess', silver birch. Fuller form of brethil. >> brethil, fimbrethil

nimbrethil

noun. 'White Princess'

prop.n. 'White Princess'. >> brethil II, nim

niphredil

a pale white flower

n.Bot. a pale white flower (like snowdrop). >> -il, niphred, til

nimrais

white-peaks

_pl1. n. _white-peaks, pale-horns.

fain

noun/adjective. white, shimmering, shining; white and shining [thing]; dim, dimmed; filmy, fine-woven; (vague) apparition; cloud, white, shimmering, shining, [N.] radiant; [S.] white and shining [thing]; dim, dimmed; filmy, fine-woven; (vague) apparition; cloud

gloss

adjective. (dazzling) white, (dazzling) white, [N.] snow-white, [G.] clear white; [N.] snow

nimp

adjective. pale, pallid, white, pale, pallid, white; small and frail, [ᴱN.] wan, sickly

nimras

place name. White Horn

Amon Uilo

noun. mount of ever-white snow

amon (“hill, steep-sided mount”), #ui (stem of uireb “eternal”) + loss (“snow”) The final s in loss is dropped at the end of a polysyllable [HKF].

aeglos

noun. snowthorn, a plant like furze (gorse), but larger and with white flowers

alfirin

noun/adjective. also used for another small white flower

faen

adjective. radiant, white

gloss

adjective. snow-white, dazzling-white

glosui

adjective. snow white

mallos

noun. golden-white (flower, plant)

mall ([Etym. SMAL-] malt “gold”) + loss (“snow”) Final s in loss is dropped at the end of a polysyllable [HKF].

orgaladh

noun. fourth day of the Númenórean week, day of the White Tree

This day was formerly called orgaladhad in the Elvish calendar

silivren

adjective. (white) glittering

uilos

noun/adjective. always white, ever white as snow

uilos

noun/adjective. a small white everlasting flower also called simbelmynë or "evermind"

uilos

noun. ever-white snow

#ui (stem of uireb “eternal”) + loss (“snow”) Final s in loss is dropped at the end of a polysyllable [HKF].

glân

white

1. glân (clear), lenited lân, pl. glain. (UT:390, VT45:13). Note: a homophone means ”hem, border”. 2) nimp (nim-) (pale); no distinct pl. form. 3) faen (radiant). No distinct pl. form. 4) fain; no distinct pl. form.

faen

white

(radiant). No distinct pl. form.

fain

white

; no distinct pl. form.

glân

white

(clear), lenited ’lân, pl. glain. (UT:390, VT45:13). Note: a homophone means ”hem, border”.

nimp

white

(nim-) (pale); no distinct pl. form.

brass

white heat

brass (i vrass, construct bras), pl. brais (i mrais) if there is a pl.

brass

white heat

brass (i vrass, construct bras), pl. brais (i mrais) if there is a pl.

brassen

white-hot

brassen (lenited vrassen, pl. bressin)

brassen

white-hot

brassen (lenited vrassen, pl. bressin)

gloss

white as snow, dazzling white

gloss (in compounds -los), lenited loss; pl. glyss.

gloss

white as snow, dazzling white

gloss (in compounds -los), lenited loss; pl. glyss.

mith

white fog

mith (i vith) (wet mist), no distinct pl. form except with article (i mith). David Salo would read mîth with a long vowel. Note: a homophone is the adjective ”pale grey”.

mith

white fog

mith (i vith) (wet mist), no distinct pl. form except with article (i mith). David Salo would read mîth with a long vowel. Note: a homophone is the adjective ”pale grey”.

silef

shining white

(or ”silver”, as adj.): The form silef is listed in LR:385 s.v. _

silivren

glittering white

(like a Silmaril) silivren (lenited hilivren; pl. silivrin).

silivren

glittering white

(like a Silmaril) silivren (lenited hilivren; pl. silivrin_). _Verb

síla

shine white

síla- (i híla, i sílar) Adj.

síla

shine white

síla- (i híla, i sílar)

uilos

always snow-white

Uilos (name of Mount Taniquetil, or Oiolossë)

alfuil

noun. large white sea-bird, albatross, †swan

brass

white heat

(i vrass, construct bras), pl. brais (i mrais) if there is a pl.

brass

white heat

(i vrass, construct bras), pl. brais (i mrais) if there is a pl.

brassen

white-hot

(lenited vrassen, pl. bressin)

gloss

dazzling white

(in compounds -los), lenited ’loss; pl. glyss

gloss

white as snow, dazzling white

(in compounds -los), lenited ’loss; pl. glyss.  

gloss

white as snow, dazzling white

(in compounds -los), lenited ’loss; pl. glyss.

golovir

glittering white

(= ”Noldo-jewel”) (i Ngolovir =   i Ñolovir, o N’golovir = o Ñgolovir), no distinct pl. form except with article (in Golovir = i Ñgolovir), 3) Mirion (i Virion), pl. Míryn (i Míryn). (LR:373 s.v. MIR lists the archaic ”Noldorin” plural Miruin.)

mith

white fog

(i vith) (wet mist), no distinct pl. form except with article (i mith). David Salo would read mîth with a long vowel. Note: a homophone is the adjective ”pale grey”.

silef

shining white

is listed in LR:385 s.v. SIL as the cognate of Quenya silma of this meaning, but silef is there asterisked, apparently to indicate that it only appears as part of the word Silevril ”Silmaril”. The word silef may also be used = Quenya silima (noun), the crystal substance of the Silmarils.

silivren

glittering white

(lenited hilivren; pl. silivrin).

silivren

glittering white

(lenited hilivren; pl. *silivrin**). *Verb

síla

shine white

(i híla, i sílar) Adj.

uilos

always snow-white

(name of Mount Taniquetil, or Oiolossë)

fain

noun/adjective. cloud

nimbi

adjective. white

fein

noun/adjective. white

arafain

masculine name. ?White King

A transient name for Keleborn appearing in the Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s (TI/256). Roman Rausch suggested it might be a combination of aran “king” and a variant form of fein “white” (EE/2.34).

forfain

place name. ?White Beach

An earlier name for S. Parth Galen that appeared in Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s (TI/382). It seems to be a combination of faur “beach, shore” and fein “white”, as suggested by Roman Rausch (EE/2.62).

hebel uilos

place name. White Mountains

Earlier name for S. Ered Nimrais appearing in Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s with the gloss “White Mountains” (WR/137). It is a combination of hebel and Uilos “Ever-snow”. The second element was initially (rejected) Orolos, perhaps meaning “?Mountain Snow” as suggested by Roman Rausch (EE/3.14).

kelufain

place name. ?White Source

An earlier name for S. Parth Galen that appeared in Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s (TI/371, 382). It seems to be a combination of celw “spring, source” and fein “white”, as suggested by Roman Rausch (EE/2.62).

neleglos

place name. White Tooth

Another name for Minas Morgul appearing in Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s (WR/106), a combination of neleg “tooth” and the lenited form of gloss “white”.

Conceptual Development: This name first appeared as Neleg Thilim with the plural of neleg and the adjective thilim “gleaming”.

rhosfein

place name. *White Rain

Earliest name for S. Rauros in Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s (TI/283), also appearing as Rosfein (TI/273). Its seems to be a combination of rhoss “rain” and fein “white”, as suggested by Roman Rausch (EE/2.39).

mith

noun. white fog, wet mist

A word in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “white fog, wet mist” derived from the root ᴹ√MITH (Ety/MITH). As a later addition to this entry, Tolkien instead gave N. mith “grey”, and that was how this word was typically used in Tolkien’s later writings.

brass

noun. white heat, *extreme heat

ered nimrath

place name. White Mountains

Earlier name for S. Ered Nimrais (WR/137), with a final element rath “course” (“?climb”) instead of rais “horns”, as suggested by Roman Rausch (EE/3.14). It also appeared as Hebel Nimrath (WR/167).

fein

adjective. white, radiant

gloss

noun/adjective. snow, snow-white

nimdil

place name. White Horn

nimdildor

place name. High White Horn

silef

adjective. silver, shining white

brass

noun. white heat

brassen

adjective. white-hot

brassen

adjective. white-hot, *very hot

ered nimras

place name. White Mountains

Earlier name for S. Ered Nimrais (WR/168), with singular ras “horn” instead of plural rais “horns”. The plural was introduced later (WR/288).

foen

adjective. radiant, white

foen

adjective. radiant, white

galathilion

proper name. White Tree of Valinor

gloss

adjective. snow-white, dazzling-white

mith

noun. white fog, wet mist

nim-

adjective. pale, white

nimp

adjective. pale, white

síla

verb. (he) shines white

síla-

verb. to shine white

fein

noun/adjective. cloud

nimbi

adjective. white

nimbi

adjective. white

About Nimrodel: "Nim is evidently the Telerin word nimbi 'white'." >> Nimrais >> Nimrodel

sil

root. shine (white or silver)

Tolkien used the root √SIL and its variant √THIL for Elvish words for shining things for most of his life. This root first appeared in the Qenya Lexicon as unglossed ᴱ√SILI with variant ᴱ√ÞILI and derivatives like ᴱQ. Sil “Moon”, ᴱQ. sili- “gleam, glint”, ᴱQ. silik “flint”, and ᴱQ. silqe “glossy hair” (QL/83), though last of these was the result of blending with ᴱ√SḶKḶ “rich, lush”, variant of ᴱ√SṚKṚ “fat” (QL/86). The contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon had derivatives like G. Sil “Moon” and G. silc “flint” pointing only to ᴱ√SILI (GL/67); the only indication of variant ᴱ√ÞILI was in unglossed G. thil followed by deleted forms like G. Thil “Moon” (GL/72).

By The Etymologies of the 1930s, the variants ᴹ√SIL “shine silver” and ᴹ√THIL were better established (Ety/SIL, THIL). The variant ᴹ√SIL had derivatives like ᴹQ. silme/N. silif “moonlight, light of Silpion” and the extended form ᴹ√SÍLIP from which ᴹQ. Silpion was derived (Ety/SIL), and its most notable use from the 1930s forward was as the basis for the initial element of Q. Silmaril vs. S./N. silef as in N. Silevril (Ety/SIL; PE17/23; Let/425). The variant ᴹ√THIL had derivatives like ᴹQ. Isil/N. Ithil “Moon, (lit.) the Sheen” (Ety/THIL), forms Tolkien also retained from the 1930s forward. Tolkien mentioned both root variants √SIL and √THIL with the glosses like “shine (white or silver)” regularly in his later writings (Let/425; PE17/66; PE22/136; SA/sil).

(ñ)gil

root. shine (white); silver glint; white or silver light

This root was the basis for Elvish words for stars and starlight, especially in the Sindarin branch of the Elvish languages. It first appeared as ᴱ√Gil- in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like G. gil- “gleam”, G. giltha “white metal, †silver”, and (probably) G. gail “star” (GL/37-38). Its Early Qenya derivatives were ᴱQ. ilsa “mystic name of silver” (QL/42) and ᴱQ. īle “star” (GL/37), indicating the true form of the root was probably ᴱ√ƷILI, since initial voiced stops were unvoiced in Early Qenya, so that ancient ✱gīle would become ✱✱kíle, not íle.

This root appeared as ᴹ√GIL “shine (white or pale)” in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives like N. geil “star” and ᴹQ. Ilma “Starlight” (Ety/GIL). The root regularly appeared in this unstrengthened form in Tolkien’s later writing, for example as √GIL “shine (white)” in a 1955 letter to David Masson (PE17/152) or as gil “white or silver light” in a 1958 letter to Rhona Beare (Let/278). In one place Tolkien considered giving it a kil- variant, analogous to √GAL vs. √KAL for “(golden) light” (PE17/50), but that seems to have been a transient idea. In other notes dating to the late 1950s Tolkien gave the root in strengthened form as √NGIL “silver glint” (MR/388; PE17/22) and also √GIL >> √ÑGIL as the basis for the initial element of the name S. Gil-galad (PE17/23).

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I think it is best to assume the root was originally unstrengthened √GIL, but was sometimes strengthened to √ÑGIL to produce words like Q. ñille “silver glint”.

phan

root. cover, screen, veil; white, (light white) shape; shape, vision

The earliest iteration of this root was unglossed ᴱ√FANA or ᴱ√FṆTṆ (the latter marked with a “?”) in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. fanóre “day-dream”, ᴱQ. fansa “swoon”, and ᴱQ. fantl “vision, dream, hazy notion, imaginary idea” (QL/37). The root ᴹ√PHAN also appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s, but the entry was unglossed, empty and eventually deleted (EtyAC/PHAN), perhaps supplanted by ᴹ√SPAN; see that entry for discussion.

√PHAN appeared quite a few times in Tolkien’s later writings, however, mostly in connection to Q. fanya “cloud” from the Namárië poem and S. Fanuilos as a name for Elbereth in the Sindarin prayer A Elbereth Gilthoniel. In connection to Fanuilos Tolkien said: “√FAN ‘white’, but especially applied to reflected light as of clouds, snow, frost, mist. Cf. fanya, Quenya, (white) cloud” (PE17/26). In a more extensive note he wrote:

> The element FAN- (Q fana, S fân) is “elvish” and not easy to translate. It may be said to mean “shape”, but with the added notion of light and whiteness; it is thus often used where we might use “a vision” - of something beautiful or sublime. Yet being elvish, though it may be used of things remote, it has no implication either of uncertainty or unreality. The Fân here is the vision of the majesty of Elbereth upon the mountain where she dwelt. So that Fanuilos really means in full: Figure (bright and majestic) upon Uilos (PE17/26).

Tolkien also wrote a lengthy essay discussing this root in several versions (PE17/173-180). The second version of this essay began:

> √PHAN-. The basic sense of this was “cover, screen, veil”, but it had a special development in the Eldarin tongues. This was largely due to what appears to have been its very ancient application to clouds, especially to separate floating clouds as (partial) veils over the blue sky, or over the sun, moon, or stars. This application of the most primitive derivative ✱phanā (Q fana, S fân) was so ancient that when ✱phanā (or other derivatives) was applied to lesser, handmade, things this was felt to be a transference from the sense “cloud”, and words of this group were mainly applied to things of soft textures, veils, mantles, curtains and the like, of white or pale colours (PE17/174).

Finally, in The Road Goes Ever On (RGEO) from 1967, Tolkien wrote:

> Fana- is an Elvish element, with primary meaning “veil”. The S. form fân, fan- was usually applied to clouds, floating as veils over the blue sky or the sun or moon or resting on hills. In Quenya, however, the simple word fana acquired a special sense. Owing to the close association of the High-Elves with the Valar, it was applied to the “veils” or “raiment” in which the Valar presented themselves to physical eyes ... The High-Elves said these forms were always to some degree radiant, as if suffused from a light within. In Quenya, fana thus came to signify the radiant and majestic figure of one of the great Valar. In Sindarin, especially as used by the High-Elves, the originally identical word fân “cloud” was also given the same sense (RGEO/66).

This discussion in RGEO is essentially a summary of the much lengthier essay on √PHAN noted above. Thus it seems Tolkien’s latest notion of the root was that it originally mean “cover, screen, veil”, and was applied to clouds as veiling the sun, and from this application the root came to refer to white, radiant and soft things. In the Quenya of Valinor the word Q. fana was then applied to the radiant materialized bodies of the Valar, and when the Noldor again encountered the Sindar this sense influenced S. fân (originally just “cloud”) as well.

ninkwi

adjective. white, pale

lossĭ

adjective. snowy, snow-white

ninkwita-

verb. to grow white, whiten

ninkwitā-

verb. to make white, whiten

silimā

noun/adjective. crystal (white), crystal (white); [ᴹ✶] silver, shining white

tār(a)-ninqui-tilde

place name. High White Peak

Correction from: discord.com

rôth

noun. foam, white crest of waves

An element appearing in the name Rothinzil “Foam-flower”, attested in later writings (1968) as roth (PM/369, 376). This later form is incompatible with the earlier phonetic rules of Lowdham’s Report from the 1940s, which allowed only long [ō] in Adûnaic words. If this word were used in the phonetic context of Lowdham’s Report (Middle Adûnaic), it should be rôth, and in these earlier texts, the Adûnaic name of Eärendi’s ship was Rôthinzil with a long ô (SD/360). Even in later writings, Tolkien lists róþ ([rōθ] = rôth) as one of its possible forms (PM/369). See the entry on conceptual-changes-in-late-Adûnaic for further discussion.

rôs

noun. foam, white crest of waves