círdan

masculine name. Shipwright

An Elf-lord who was a famous ship builder, whose name was translated “Shipwright” (LotR/240). His name is simply círdan “shipbuilder” used as a name (Ety/KIR).

Conceptual Development: In Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, his name was first given as N. Cirdan with a short i (WR/76). His name appeared in The Etymologies as C(e)irdan (Ety/TAN), where the (e) probably indicates its development from N. ceir “ship” (later S. cair).

círdan

noun. shipbuilder, shipwright

A Sindarin word for “shipbuilder” or “shipwright”, most notably used as a name for Círdan of the same meaning (LotR/240; PE17/27). It was clearly a combination of cair “ship” [< ✶kiryā] and tân “builder, wright”. The Etymologies of the 1930s instead had N. cirdan “shipbuilder” with a short i (Ety/KIR), while the name was given as N. C(e)irdan [containing N. ceir “ship”] making its etymology clear (Ety/TAN). Cirdan’s name appeared with either a short i or long í in Lord of the Rings drafts of the 1940s (WR/76; SD/67).

Conceptual Development: The first version of the Tengwesta Qenderinwa (TQ1) of the 1930s had another word N. ciriaeth “shipwright” derived from ᴹ✶kirya-k’tō (PE18/62), but it was never used as a name.

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I think both círdan and ciriaeth can coexist, with the círdan referring to the principle designer or builder of the ship, and ciriaeth for other workers helping build the ship.

círdan

noun. shipbuilder, shipwright

círdan

noun. ship-maker

cír (pl. of cair “ship”) + tan (“maker, smith”)

círdan

'the Shipbuilder'

prop. n. 'the Shipbuilder'.

círdan

shipwright

(i gírdan, o chírdan) (shipbuilder), pl. círdain (i chírdain). Compare Círdan as a proper name.****

círdan

shipbuilder

círdan (i gírdan, o chírdan) (shipwright), pl. círdain (i chírdain)

círdan

shipwright

círdan (i gírdan, o chírdan) (shipbuilder), pl. círdain (i chírdain). Compare Círdan as a proper name.

círdan

shipbuilder, shipwright

círdan (i gírdan, o chírdan) (shipwright), pl. círdain (i chírdain).

círdan

shipbuilder, shipwright

(i gírdan, o chírdan) (shipwright), pl. círdain (i chírdain).

círdan

shipbuilder

(i gírdan, o chírdan) (shipwright), pl. círdain (i chírdain)  

tân

maker

1) ?tân (i dân, o thân), only attested as -dan or -than as the final element of compounds, e.g. Círdan ”Ship-maker”). Construct tan, pl. tain (i thain), 2)

tân

maker

(i dân, o thân), only attested as -dan or -than as the final element of compounds, e.g. Círdan ”Ship-maker”). Construct tan, pl. tain (i thain)

cair

noun. ship

The Sindarin word for “ship”, most notably appearing as an element in the name Cair Andros “Ship of Long Foam” (LotR/812; PM/371). It is derived from primitive ✶kiryā, with the ancient i becoming e via a-affection [kery(a)], then the y intruding into the main syllable to form the diphthong ei [keir], and ultimately ei becoming ai as usual in final syllables in Sindarin of the 1950s and 60s [kair]. This word has a somewhat unusual plural, since ī replaced final ā in its ancient plural [kiryā-ī > kirī], so that a-affection did not occur resulting in a modern plural form cîr “ships” (PE17/147). Its class plural is likewise the somewhat unusual ciriath “[all the] ships” for similar reasons.

Conceptual Development: The Etymologies from around 1937 had N. ceir “ship” under the root ᴹ√KIR “cleave” (Ety/KIR), since in Noldorin of the 1930s ei did not (usually) become ai in final syllables. In Primitive Quendian Structure: Final Consonants from 1936, Tolkien gave cīr “ship”, first marked “N.”, then “Ilk.”, then “N. & Ilk.” (PE21/57 and note #28). It had the class plurals círiath or ciriath but it is not clear which of these was the intended final form (PE21/57 note #28). I think ciriath is more phonologically plausible; compare class plural S. Firiath “Mortals” vs. ordinary plural Fîr (WJ/387).

Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s had the word ᴱN. cair followed by ᴱN. braithgair, but neither word was translated (PE13/139-140).

cair

noun. ship

cair

ship

cair (in compounds cír-) (i gair, o chair), pl. cîr, i chîr; coll. pl. ciriath.

cair

ship

(in compounds cír-) (i gair, o chair), pl. cîr, i chîr; coll. pl. ciriath.

ceredir

maker

ceredir (i geredir, o cheredir) (doer), no distinct pl. form except with article (i cheredir)

ceredir

maker

(i geredir, o cheredir) (doer), no distinct pl. form except with article (i cheredir)

cirion

shipman

(i girion) (sailor), pl. ciryn (i chiryn), coll. pl. cirionnath.

thavron

wright

thavron (carpenter, builder), pl. thevryn, coll. pl. thavronnath.

thavron

wright

(carpenter, builder), pl. thevryn, coll. pl. thavronnath.

thavron

builder

thavron (wright, carpenter), pl. thevryn, coll. pl. thavronnath.

thavron

builder

(wright, carpenter), pl. thevryn, coll. pl. thavronnath.