Hello World!
So for a personal project I'm trying to translate: "Seeker of the secret Light" into Sindarin.
It's an imaginary name for someone who searches or seeks actively (seeker) hidden truths, knowledge, or things concealed from the surface (secrets). Light is a metaphor for clarity, enlightenment, or truth. In a nutshell, it conveys the idea of someone actively searching for truths or enlightenment that are concealed or not immediately obvious.
I asked our dear friend ChatGPT to give it a go and here is what he gave. Could anyone confirm if its translation is correct? :
" "Thol" (hidden, secret) + "dir" (seeker) = Tholdir ("Seeker of secrets")*
"Galad" (light, clarity)
"Tholdir galad" means "Seeker of hidden light" or "Seeker of secret clarity".
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Finding the Sindarin Word for ‘Secrets’
The Sindarin word for "secret" is "thol", which comes from the root thol- meaning "veil" or "conceal." This root reflects the idea of something hidden or obscured. Source: The word "thol" appears in The Silmarillion, and is attested in the lexicon of Tolkien’s Elvish languages, especially in compounds like "Thuringwethil" (a bat-like servant of Sauron, whose name contains thol- for "hidden"). Additional mention: Parma Eldalamberon (PE17), one of Tolkien's linguistic papers, lists thol- as a root for "hide, conceal."
Application: I replaced "Thin" (which means "grey" or "pale") with "Thol" to reflect the idea of seeking secrets or hidden truths more directly. This gave us the base: "Tholdir."
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Sindarin Word for ‘Seeker’
The suffix "-dir" in Sindarin is commonly used for someone who seeks, watches, or guards. It comes from the verb tir- meaning "to watch, to guard." Source: The root tir- is well-documented, especially in the name "Ecthelion" (meaning "fountain watcher") or "Elendil" ("friend of the stars," where -ndil is a Quenya cognate of Sindarin -dir). Tolkien’s writings in The Lord of the Rings (Appendix E) confirm the usage of tir and its derivatives in Elvish languages.
Application: The combination of "Thol" (hidden) and "dir" (seeker, watcher) gives "Tholdir", meaning "Seeker of secrets" or "Seeker of hidden things."
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Sindarin Word for ‘Light’ or ‘Clarity’
"Galad" in Sindarin means "light," with connotations of brightness and illumination. It comes from the root kal- (light, shine), and is commonly seen in names like "Galadriel" ("Maiden crowned with a radiant garland"). This word is well attested in Tolkien’s works, and its meaning is consistent. Source: The Silmarillion, Appendix F of The Lord of the Rings, and Unfinished Tales all reference this root and its derivatives.
Application: Using "galad" in the translation perfectly matches the idea of seeking clarity or enlightenment. The final compound "Tholdir galad" thus becomes "Seeker of hidden light.""
EDIT: While searching, I tried another AI tool and it gave me an intersting alternative: Tírothan Aearcalad.
Tírothan: "one who watches or seeks"
Aearcalad: "sea-light" (metaphor for elusive or hidden light)
Does that translation also work? I don't trust too much into AI translation for imaginary languages.... but I must say I loved the metaphor it gave.
