adj. steadfast. Q. thorna, sorna. >> Arathorn
Sindarin
beren
masculine name. Bold
Element in
- S. Narn Beren ion Barahir “*Tale of Beren son of Barahir” ✧ MR/373
Elements
Word Gloss beren “bold”
adanath
noun. men
thorn
adjective. steadfast
thorn
adjective. steadfast
Cognates
- Q. sorna “steadfast” ✧ PE17/113
Derivations
- √STOR “steadfast” ✧ PE17/113; PE17/113
Element in
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √THOR > thorn [tʰorna] > [θorna] > [θorn] ✧ PE17/113 √STOR > thorn [storna] > [sθorna] > [θorna] > [θorn] ✧ PE17/113 Variations
- thorn ✧ PE17/113; PE17/113
drúadan
noun. wild man, one of the Woses
dîr
noun. man, man, [N.] adult male; agental suffix
A word for “man” as a male person, attested only as an element in compounds or as (archaic?) ndir (PE17/60). This word likely refers to male individuals of all races including Elves, Men, Dwarves and so forth, much like its Quenya cognate Q. nér. This word must have been derived from the primitive subjective form ✶ndēr of the root √N(D)ER “male person”, where the ancient long ē became ī, and the initial cluster nd- became d-, though the ancient cluster would still be reflected in mutated forms, such as in i nîr “the man” rather than ✱✱i dhîr.
Conceptual Development: Perhaps the earliest precursor to this word is (archaic) G. †drio “hero, warrior” with variants driw, driodweg and driothweg, a cognate of ᴱQ. nēr (GL/22). This Gnomish word was derived from primitive ᴱ✶n’reu̯, where the initial nr- became dr-. At this early stage, the root was unstrengthened ᴱ√NERE (QL/65), as reflected in (archaic) ᴱN. nîr “hero, prince, warrior-elf” in the Early Noldorin Dictionary of the 1920s (PE13/164).
In The Etymologies of the 1930s the root became ᴹ√DER “adult male, man” of any speaking race and the derived form was N. dîr (Ety/DER). However, in this document Tolkien said:
> EN †dîr surviving chiefly in proper names (as Diriel older Dirghel [GYEL], Haldir, Brandir) and as agental ending (as ceredir “doer, maker”) ... In ordinary use EN has benn [for “man”] (properly = “husband”).
Thus in the scenario described in The Etymologies, dîr “man” was archaic and used only as an element in names or as a suffix. In ordinary speech it was replaced by N. benn, which used to mean “husband” but now meant “man”, while the word for “husband” became N. hervenn (Ety/BES). It is unlikely Tolkien imagined this exact scenario in later Sindarin, however, since the 1930s root for benn was ᴹ√BES “wed”, but by the 1960s the root for husband/wife/marry words had become √BER.
Neo-Sindarin: Since the status of N. benn is questionable given ᴹ√BES >> √BER, many Neo-Sindarin writers prefer to use S. ✱dîr as the Sindarin word for man. I am of the opinion that both dîr and benn are acceptable for “man, male person”. This is because I prefer to retain ᴹ√BES as the root for “marry, wed”, since it is the best basis for attested husband/wife words in (Neo) Sindarin.
Derivations
Element in
- S. Borondir “?Steadfast-man”
- S. Brandir “*Noble Man”
- S. condir “mayor, *(lit.) chief-man”
- S. curunír “wizard, wizard, [N.] man of craft”
- S. dagnir “slayer, bane”
- S. Dírhael “*Wise Man”
- S. dírnaith “wedge-shaped battle-formation, (lit.) man-spearhead”
- S. Emeldir “Manhearted, *Manly-mother”
- S. Haldir
- S. Handir
- S. Hathaldir
- S. Hatholdir “*Axe-man”
- S. herdir “master”
- S. Lindir
- S. Othrondir “?Stronghold Man”
- S. randir “wanderer, wandering man, pilgrim” ✧ PE17/060
- S. Thorondir “*Eagle-man”
Variations
- ndir ✧ PE17/060
adanadar
noun. man, one of the Fathers of Men
adan
noun. man, one of the Second People (elvish name for men)
cand
adjective. bold
drû
noun. wild man, Wose, Púkel-Man
In PE/11:31, an older Gnomish word drû, drui meant "wood, forest", and in PE/13:142, the early Noldorin word drú was assigned the meaning "dark". Drû pl. Drúin later came to be used for the name of the Woses, with other derivatives (Drúadan, etc.). "Wose" is actually the modernization of an Anglo-Saxon word wasa only found in the compound wudu-wasa "wild man of the woods", cf. UT/385 sq. In the drafts of the "Ride of the Rohirrim" in WR/343-346, the Woses first appeared as "the dark men of Eilenach". Though internally said to derive from drughu in their own tongue, Tolkien's choice for the Sindarin name of the Woses was apparently influenced by earlier meanings assigned to this word
Dúnadan
noun. Man of the west, Númenórean
beren
bold
1) beren (lenited veren), pl. berin. Also used as masc. name Beren. 2) cand (lenited gand, pl. caind)
beren
bold
(lenited veren), pl. berin. Also used as masc. name Beren.
meren
festive
meren (lenited veren; pl. merin) (gay, joyous). Note: In the Etymologies, Tolkien changed the relevant root from _ to
meren
festive
(lenited veren; pl. merin) (gay, joyous). Note: In the Etymologies, Tolkien changed the relevant root from MER to MBER so that meren became beren, but names occurring in Tolkien’s narratives (Mereth Aderthad, Merethrond) were not changed, so this revision was never fully implemented. (If meren were to become beren, the related word mereth ”feast” would also become bereth.)
meren
gay
meren (lenited veren; pl. merin) (festive, joyous). Note: In the Etymologies, Tolkien changed the relevant root from _ to
meren
gay
(lenited veren; pl. merin) (festive, joyous). Note: In the Etymologies, Tolkien changed the relevant root from MER to MBER so that meren became beren, but names occurring in Tolkien’s narratives (Mereth Aderthad, Merethrond) were not changed, so this revision was never fully implemented. (If meren were to become beren, the related word mereth ”feast” would also become bereth.)
meren
joyous
meren (lenited veren; pl. merin) (gay, festive). Note: In the Etymologies, Tolkien changed the relevant root from _ to
meren
joyous
(lenited veren; pl. merin) (gay, festive). Note: In the Etymologies, Tolkien changed the relevant root from MER to MBER so that meren became beren, but names occurring in Tolkien’s narratives (Mereth Aderthad, Merethrond) were not changed, so this revision was never fully implemented. (If meren were to become beren, the related word mereth ”feast” would also become bereth.)
meren
adjective. festive, gay, joyous
Derivations
- ᴹ√M(B)ER “*feast, festive”
bôr
trusty man
(boron-) (i vôr, construct bor) (steadfast man, faithful vassal), pl. *b**ŷr* for older beryn, i meryn (archaic böryn, i möryn). In ”Noldorin”, the older pl. forms were berein, beren.
bôr
faithful vassal
bôr (boron-) (i vôr, construct bor) (trusty/steadfast man), pl. bŷr for older beryn, i meryn (archaic böryn, i möryn). In ”Noldorin”, the older pl. forms were berein, beren.
bôr
faithful vassal
bôr (boron-) (i vôr, construct bor) (trusty/steadfast man), pl. bŷr (i mŷr) for older beryn, i meryn (archaic börin, i mörin). In ”Noldorin”, the older pl. forms were berein, beren.
bôr
faithful vassal
(boron-) (i vôr, construct bor) (trusty/steadfast man), pl. *b**ŷr* for older beryn, i meryn (archaic böryn, i möryn). In ”Noldorin”, the older pl. forms were berein, beren.
bôr
steadfast man
bôr (boron-) (i vôr, construct bor) (trusty man, faithful vassal), pl. bŷr (i mŷr) for older beryn, i meryn (archaic börin, i mörin). In ”Noldorin”, the older pl. forms were berein, beren.
bôr
steadfast man
bôr (boron-) (i vôr, construct bor) (trusty man, faithful vassal), analogical pl. pl. bŷr (i mŷr) for older beryn, i meryn (archaic börin, i mörin). In ”Noldorin”, the older pl. forms were berein, beren.
bôr
steadfast man
(boron-) (i vôr, construct bor) (trusty man, faithful vassal), pl. *b**ŷr* (i m**ŷr) for older beryn, i meryn (archaic börin, i mörin). In ”Noldorin”, the older pl. forms were **berein, beren.
firion
mortal man
(pl. firyn).
rhavan
wild man
(?i thravan or ?i ravan – the lenition product of rh is uncertain), pl. rhevain (?idh revain) (WJ:219). – The following terms apparently apply to ”men” of any speaking race:
curunír
man of craft
(i gurunír, o churunír) (wizard), no distinct pl. form except with article (i churunír), coll. pl. ?curuníriath.
adan
man
(pl. Edain; the coll. pl. Adanath is attested). The word Adan came to be used primarily of a member of the Three Houses of the Edain, not of the mortal race of Men in general.
dîr
man
1) (adult male of any speaking race) dîr (dír-, also agentive ending -dir or -nir; with article, i nîr, hard mutation as in o ndîr), no distinct pl. form except with article (i ndîr); coll. pl. díriath. Also benn (i venn, construct ben), pl. binn (i minn). The latter is in archaic language used = "husband" (the etymological meaning). The ending -we in names may also express ”being, man, person”. 2) (mortal human as opposed to Elf) Adan (pl. Edain; the coll. pl. Adanath is attested). The word Adan came to be used primarily of a member of the Three Houses of the Edain, not of the mortal race of Men in general.
dîr
man
(dír-, also agentive ending -dir or -nir; with article, i nîr, hard mutation as in o ndîr), no distinct pl. form except with article (i ndîr); coll. pl. díriath. Also benn (i venn, construct ben), pl. binn (i minn). The latter is in archaic language used = "husband" (the etymological meaning). The ending -we in names may also express ”being, man, person”.
cand
adjective. bold
Element in
- ᴺS. úgan(n) “gutless, faint-hearted, diffident”
cand
bold
(lenited gand, pl. caind)
thalion
dauntless man
(hero), pl. thelyn. Also used as an adj. ”dauntless, steadfast, strong”.
thalion
steadfast
thalion (dauntless, strong), pl. thelyn. Also used as a noun ”hero, dauntless man”.
thalion
steadfast
(dauntless, strong), pl. thelyn. Also used as a noun ”hero, dauntless man”.
dúnadan
man of the west
(i Núnadan), pl. Dúnedain (i Ndúnedain) (WJ:378, 386).
him
steadfast
1) him (abiding), lenited chim, no distinct pl. form. Note that homophones include both the adjective ”cool” and the adverb ”continually”.
him
steadfast
(abiding), lenited chim, no distinct pl. form. Note that homophones include both the adjective ”cool” and the adverb ”continually”.
Hero of Beleriand and love of Lúthien who wrested a Silmaril from the crown of Morgoth (S/162). His name is simply [N.] beren “bold” used as a name.
Conceptual Development: The name G. Beren dates back to the earliest Lost Tales, though in the earliest stories he was a Noldorin Elf instead of a Man (LT2/11). The name N. Beren appeared in The Etymologies from the 1930s as a derivative of ᴹ√BER alongside N. beren “bold” (Ety/BER), which is the source of the derivation given above.