ar (prefix “high, noble, royal”) + gwend (“maiden, woman”)
Sindarin
arwen
feminine name. Noble Maiden
Element in
- Q. Arwen vanimelda, namárië “Arwen beautiful and beloved, farewell” ✧ LotR/0352
- Q. Arwen vanimalda, namárië ✧ WJ/369
- S. Haudh-en-Arwen “Ladybarrow”
Elements
Word Gloss ar(a)- “noble, royal, high” gwend “maiden, maiden, *young woman”
arwen
noun. noble woman
arwen
noun. royal, noble maiden
arphen
noun. a noble
arwen
Arwen
Arwen means "Noble Maiden" in Sindarin (from ara- = "noble" and gwenn = "maiden"). The Quenya form of her name is not entirely certain, but as just a name, it is grammatically possible to calque Arwen to Quenya as Aranwen (pron. [aˈranwen] using aran- and wendë, stem Aranwend-; compare masculine Aranwë), but Arwen itself is also coincidentally a valid Quenya synthesis (using ar-, stem Arwend-), meaning the possibility that Arwen's name is the same in Sindarin and Quenya. Her epessë, Undómiel, means "Evenstar", from Undómë "evening twilight" and el "star".
arwen
noble maiden
Arwen means "Noble Maiden" in Sindarin (from ara- = "noble" and gwenn = "maiden"). The Quenya form of her name is not entirely certain, but as just a name, it is grammatically possible to calque Arwen to Quenya as Aranwen using aran- and wendë, stem Aranwend-; compare masculine Aranwë), but Arwen itself is also coincidentally a valid Quenya synthesis (using ar-, stem Arwend-), meaning the possibility that Arwen's name is the same in Sindarin and Quenya. Her epessë, Undómiel, means "Evenstar", from Undómë "evening twilight" and el "star".
arwen
noble woman
arwen (pl. erwin).:
arwen
noble woman
arwen (pl. erwin); CROWNED WOMAN (= queen): rîn, construct rin, no distinct pl. form except when article precedes (idh rîn). This is basically the adj. rîn ”crowned” used as a noun. Note: a homphone means ”remembrance”.
arwen
noble woman
(pl. erwin).****
elrenniel
feminine name. Arwen; *(lit.) Elrond-daughter
Another name for Arwen (PE17/56), a combination of a variant form of her father’s name Elrond and the feminine suffix -iel. Like its Quenya cognate Elerondiel, it is apparently intended to mean “Daughter of Elrond”. There are several variant forms of both the Sindarin and Quenya names, reflecting Tolkien’s uncertainties on the Elvish words for “daughter”: sell versus iell. See those entries for further discussion.
Changes
Elrondiel→ Elrendiel ✧ PE17/056Elrendiel→ Elrenniel ✧ PE17/056Cognates
- Q. Elerondiel “*Daughter of Elrond” ✧ PE17/056
Elements
Word Gloss Elrond “Star-dome” -iel “daughter; feminine suffix” Variations
- Elrondiel ✧ PE17/056 (
Elrondiel)- Elrendiel ✧ PE17/056 (
Elrendiel)
arn
noble
(adjective) 1) arn (royal), pl. ern, also arth (lofty, exalted), pl. erth, or arod (archaic *araud), pl. aroed. 2) brand (high, lofty, fine), lenited vrand, pl. braind; 3) raud (eminent, high), in compounds -rod, pl. roed. 4) taur (also tor-, tar- in compounds) (lofty, high, sublime; vast, masterful, mighty, overwhelming, huge, awful), lenited daur, pl. toer. Note: homophones mean ”king (of a people)” and also ”great wood, forest”. Also used as noun ”a noble”; see below.
arn
noble
(royal), pl. ern, also arth (lofty, exalted), pl. erth, or arod (archaic ✱araud), pl. aroed.
arphen
noble
(noun, "a noble") 1) arphen, pl. erphin; 2) raud (eminent man, champion), pl.roed (idh roed), coll. pl. rodath.
arphen
noble
pl. erphin
arth
adjective. (unknown meaning, perhaps (?) noble, lofty, exalted)
adaneth
noun. (mortal) woman
arod
adjective. noble
arod
noble
1b _adj._noble. >> raud
arod
adjective. noble
adj. #noble.
arod
adjective. noble
d adj. noble. Q. arata. >> raud
arod
adjective. noble
Cognates
Derivations
Element in
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶arātā > arod [arātā] > [arāta] > [arǭta] > [arauta] > [araut] > [araud] > [arod] ✧ PM/363
bess
noun. (young) woman
bess
noun. wife
adaneth
mortal woman
(pl. edenith), also firieth (pl. firith).
ar
noble
(adjectival prefix) ar- (high, royal). In the form ar(a)- this is an element in the names of the kings of Arnor and Arthedain.
ar
noble
(high, royal). In the form ar(a)- this is an element in the names of the kings of Arnor and Arthedain.
bess
woman
bess (i vess, construct bes) (wife), pl. biss (i miss). The word etymologically means ”wife”, but the meaning was generalized.
bess
woman
(i vess, construct bes) (wife), pl. biss (i miss). The word etymologically means ”wife”, but the meaning was generalized.
brand
noble
(high, lofty, fine), lenited vrand, pl. braind
dess
young woman
(i ness, o ndess, constuct des), pl. diss (i ndiss).
gwanur
kinsman
(i ’wanur) (brother), pl. gwenyr (in gwenyr). Note: a homophone of the sg. means ”pair of twins”.
raud
noble
(eminent, high), in compounds -rod, pl. roed. 4) taur (also tor-, tar- in compounds) (lofty, high, sublime; vast, masterful, mighty, overwhelming, huge, awful), lenited daur, pl. toer. Note: homophones mean ”king (of a people)” and also ”great wood, forest”. Also used as noun ”a noble”; see below.
Beloved of Aragorn and first queen of reunited Gondor and Arnor (LotR/973). Her name was translated “Noble Maiden” in one of Tolkien’s letters (RC/205). The initial element of her name is the prefix ar(a)- “noble” and its final element is the suffixal form -wen of gwend “maiden”, common in female names.
Conceptual Development: Arwen’s name did not emerge until late in the Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s. She was first named N. Ellonel, but this was revised to Finduilas >> Amareth >> Emrahil before Tolkien finally settled on Arwen (SD/66).