Caranthir's father-name was Morifinwë, meaning "Dark Finwë", a reference to his dark hair. The Quenya word was formed using the noun more, meaning "blackness", "night" or "dark", which became mori- when added to his grandfather's name, Finwë. His mother-name was Carnistir, which can be translated as "Red-face". Carnë in Quenya means "red" or "scarlet". The name Caranthir is the Sindarin translation of his mother-name.
Sindarin
caranthir
masculine name. Red-face
Changes
Cranthir→ Caranthir ✧ MR/128- Caranthir → Cranthir ✧ WJ/115
Cognates
- Q. Carnistir “Red-face” ✧ PM/353; PMI/Caranthir
Derivations
- ✶Karani-stīrē ✧ VT41/10
Element in
- S. Dor Caranthir “Land of Caranthir”
Elements
Word Gloss caran “red” thîr “face, face, [N.] look, expression, countenance” Variations
- Cranthir ✧ MR/128 (
Cranthir); WJ/115- Carathir ✧ WJI/Caranthir
Caranthir
Red-face
Caranthir
Caranthir
Caranthir's father-name was Morifinwë, meaning "Dark Finwë", a reference to his dark hair. The Quenya word was formed using the noun more, meaning "blackness", "night" or "dark", which became mori- when added to his grandfather's name, Finwë. His mother-name was Carnistir, which can be translated as "Red-face". Carnë in Quenya means "red" or "scarlet". The name Caranthir is the Sindarin translation of his mother-name.
Fourth son of Fëanor, called “the Dark” (S/60). His name is a combination of caran “red” and thîr “face” (VT41/10), an adaptation of his mother name Q. Carnistir “Red-face” (PM/353).
Conceptual Development: In the earliest Lost Tales, his name was ᴱN. Cranthor (LT2/241). Tolkien change his name to Cranthir in the Lays of Beleriand from the 1920s (LB/80) and this was also his name in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (LR/223). N. Cranthir appeared in The Etymologies with the translation “Ruddy-face” (Ety/KARÁN, THĒ), already with essentially the same etymology as its final version.
In Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s, Tolkien vacillated between Cranthir and Caranthir, ultimately settling on the latter (WJ/115).