Sindarin 

arthor

realm

_n. _realm.

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:28] < _artaurē_. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

arthor

noun. realm

Sindarin [PE17/028] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ceven

noun. *Earth, *earth; Earth

A word for “Earth” used in the Sindarin translation of the Lord’s Prayer from the 1950s, in the phrase: bo Ceven sui vi Menel “on Earth as [it is] in Heaven” (VT44/21). It is clearly a cognate of Q. cemen of the same meaning, and like Quenya I suspect this word can be used for both “Earth” and “earth”. The more usual Sindarin word for “world” was amar, so I suspect that, where referring to the global realm, ceven meant more the “habitable surface of the earth” rather than the entire planet. See, for example Christopher Tolkien’s note on kemen “referring to the earth as a flat floor beneath menel, the heavens” from The Silmarillion appendix (SA/kemen).

Possible Etymology: If this word is indeed a direct cognate of Q. cemen < ✱kemen, it is not clear why the final n didn’t vanish as was usual in Sindarin; perhaps the Sindarin form was derived from a variant primitive form like kemenē. Alternately, it may be a back-formation from some inflected form, as happened with other similar words like S. aran and S. thoron.

cae

noun. earth

This word is indeclinable, according to the Etymologies

Sindarin [Ety/363, X/OE] Group: SINDICT. Published by

ceven

noun. Earth

Sindarin [VT/44:21,27] Group: SINDICT. Published by

ennorath

noun. central lands, middle-earth

Sindarin [LotR/E, LotR/II:I, RGEO/72-75] Group: SINDICT. Published by

barthan

noun. Earthbuilder (Aulë)

(m-)bar (“dwell, inhabit”) + tan (“maker, smith”)

Sindarin [Tolkiendil] Group: Tolkiendil Compound Sindarin Names. Published by

cefn

adjective. earthen

Sindarin [Ety/363, X/Z] Group: SINDICT. Published by

ceven

earth

1) ceven (i geven, o cheven), pl. cevin (i chevin) (VT48:23), 2) (world) Amar (archaic Ambar), pl. Emair; 3) bâr (dwelling, house, home, family; land) (i mâr, o mbâr, construct bar), pl. bair (i mbair). Also -bar, -mar at the end of compounds. 4) (maybe ”earth” as substance) cae (i gae, o chae). No distinct pl. form even if there is a pl., except with article (i chae). For ”earth” as a substance, see also SOIL.

cae

earth

(i gae, o chae). No distinct pl. form even if there is a pl., except with article (i chae). For ”earth” as a substance, see also

cae

noun. earth

Sindarin Group: Eldamo - neologism/adaptations. Published by

amar

earth

(archaic Ambar), pl. Emair

bâr

earth

(dwelling, house, home, family; land) (i mâr, o mbâr, construct bar), pl. bair (i mbair). Also -bar, -mar at the end of compounds.

ceven

earth

(i geven, o cheven), pl. cevin (i chevin) (VT48:23)

cevemphast

noun. earth quake

A neologism for “earthquake” created by Paul Strack in 2021 specifically for Eldamo, inspired by Gnomish G. maragwast from the 1910s but with its elements updated to S. ceven “earth” and ᴺS. past “shaking”. Another possibility would be cevemmast if it were a more ancient compound with medial mph &gt; mm, but I think the elements would remain transparent and the word would be reformed to back to cevemphast.

Sindarin Group: Eldamo - neologism/reconstructions. Published by

cefn

adjective. of earth, earthen

Sindarin Group: Eldamo - neologism/adaptations. Published by

ennor

place name. central land, middle-earth

Sindarin [LotR/E, X/ND2] Published by

cefn

earthen

cefn (lenited gefn, pl. cifn)

cefnas

earthenware

cefnas (i gefnas, o chefnas), pl. cefnais (i chefnais) (VT45:19)

cefn

earthen

(lenited gefn, pl. cifn)

cefnas

earthenware

(i gefnas, o chefnas), pl. cefnais (i chefnais) (VT45:19)

bâr

dwelling

bâr (house, home, family; land, earth) (i mâr, o mbâr, construct bar), pl. bair (i mbair). Also -bar, -mar at the end of compounds

bâr

house

bâr (dwelling, home, family; land, earth) (i mâr, o mbâr, construct bar), pl. bair (i mbair). Also -bar, -mar at the end of compounds.

bâr

home

bâr (dwelling, house, family; land, earth) (i mâr, o mbâr, construct bar), pl. bair (i mbair). Also -bar, -mar at the end of compounds.

bâr

dwelling

(house, home, family; land, earth) (i mâr, o mbâr, construct bar), pl. bair (i mbair). Also -bar, -mar at the end of compounds

bâr

house

(dwelling, home, family; land, earth) (i mâr, o mbâr, construct bar), pl. bair (i mbair). Also -bar, -mar at the end of compounds.

bâr

home

(dwelling, house, family; land, earth) (i mâr, o mbâr, construct bar), pl. bair (i mbair). Also -bar, -mar at the end of compounds.

ardh

realm

ardh (region), pl. erdh

ardhon

world

ardhon (great region/province), pl. erdhyn, coll. pl. ardhonnath

car

house

(building, dwelling-place) 1) car or cardh (i gar[dh], o char[dh]) (building), pl. cerdh (i cherdh) or cair (i chair). Note: cardh also means "deed, feat". Therefore, the form car may be preferred for clarity. 2) adab (building), pl. edaib. In ”Noldorin”, the plural was edeb. 3)

cêf

soil

(noun) 1) *cêf (i gêf, o chêf), pl. cîf (i chîf), coll. pl. cevath (suggested Sindarin forms of ”Noldorin” cef, pl. ceif). 2) maw (i vaw) (stain), pl. moe (i moe). Note: a homophone is an archaic word for ”hand”.

gwatha

soil

(verb) gwatha- (i **watha, in gwathar**) (stain)

noss

house

(family) 1) noss (construct nos, pl. nyss) (family, clan), 2) nost (pl. nyst) (family) (PM:360), 3) nothrim (family); no distinct pl. form (PM:360)

talaf

ground

talaf (i dalaf, o thalaf) (floor), pl. telaif (i thelaif); coll. pl. talavath. The ”Noldorin” plural form listed in LR:390 s.v.

amar

world

n. world.

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:104] < *_ammar_. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

ardhon

place name. The World

A Sindarin name for the world appearing only in the name Mîr n’Ardhon “Jewel of the World” (PM/348). Since this name is the translation of Q. Ardamírë, it follows that Ardhon may be a cognate of Q. Arda: “The World, (lit.) Realm”. As such, it may be a combination of some form of S. gardh “region” (in early writings, N. ardh) with a suffixal element -on, possibly the augmentative suffix -on. It is also possible that this form is lenited, and the proper form is gardhon.

bar

noun. dwelling, home

Sindarin [S/428, WR/379-80, SD/129-31] Group: SINDICT. Published by

bar

noun. inhabited land

Sindarin [S/428, WR/379-80, SD/129-31] Group: SINDICT. Published by

bardh

home

{ð}_ n. _home, the (proper) place for one (or a community) to dwell in.

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:164] < *_mbar_ or _mbardă_ < MBAR settle. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

bardh

noun. home

A word for “home” appearing in draft notes from the 1960s discussing the root √MBAR, where it was contrasted with bâr “house, dwelling”:

> In Sindarin bar [< ✱mbăr-] (pl. bair) was used for a single house or dwelling, especially of the larger and more permanent sort; barð [< ✱mbardā̆] was much as English “home”, the (proper) place for one (or a community) to dwell in (PE17/164).

It was also contrasted with milbar “dear home” which was used for the “emotional senses ‘home’ as the place of one’s birth, or desire, or one’s home returned to after journey or exile” (PE17/164). In later versions of these notes on √MBAR, Tolkien mentioned bâr and milbar but not bardh (PE17/109).

Neo-Sindarin: Given its absense from the final version of the √MBAR notes, it is possible Tolkien abandoned bardh “home”. However, I prefer to retain it for purposes of Neo-Sindarin for the ordinary sense of “home”, and reserve milbar for one’s “emotional home” or “✱true home” from which one is currently separated, as opposed to the home that you are living now = bardh. I would use bâr primarily in the sense “house, dwelling”.

Sindarin [PE17/164] Group: Eldamo. Published by

sennas

noun. guesthouse

Sindarin [RC/523] "resting place", from *send, *senn (SED) ?. Group: SINDICT. Published by

adab

house

(building), pl. edaib. In ”Noldorin”, the plural was edeb.

ardh

realm

(region), pl. erdh

ardhon

world

(great region/province), pl. erdhyn, coll. pl. ardhonnath

car

house

or cardh (i gar[dh], o char[dh]) (building), pl. cerdh (i cherdh) or cair (i chair). Note: cardh also means "deed, feat". Therefore, the form car may be preferred for clarity.

cêf

soil

(i gêf, o chêf), pl. cîf (i chîf), coll. pl. cevath (suggested Sindarin forms of ”Noldorin” cef, pl. ceif).

dôr

dwelling place

(i nôr, construct dor) (land, region), pl. dŷr (i ndŷr) (WJ:413).

gobel

enclosed dwelling

(i ’obel) (walled house or village, ”town”), pl. gebil (i ngebil = i ñebil). Archaic pl. göbil.

gobel

village

(i ’obel) (enclosed dwelling, ”town”), pl. gebil (i ngebil = i ñebil). Archaic pl. ✱göbil.

grôd

underground dwelling

(i ’rôd, construct grod) (cave, delving, excavation), pl. grŷd (in grŷd) (WJ:414)

gwatha

soil

(i ’watha, in gwathar) (stain)

maw

soil

(i vaw) (stain), pl. moe (i moe). Note: a homophone is an archaic word for ”hand”.

noss

house

(construct nos, pl. nyss) (family, clan)

nost

house

(pl. nyst) (family) (PM:360)

nothrim

house

(family); no distinct pl. form (PM:360)

rhûd

dwelling underground

(construct rhud, with article ?i thrûd or ?i rûd – *the lenition product of rh- is uncertain) (artificial cave, rockhewn hall, mine), pl. rhuid (?idh ruid) (PM:365)*.

sennas

guesthouse

(i hennas), pl. sennais (i sennais), coll. pl. sennassath (RC:523)

talaf

ground

(i dalaf, o thalaf) (floor), pl. telaif (i thelaif); coll. pl. talavath. The ”Noldorin” plural form listed in LR:390 s.v.

Noldorin 

coe

noun. earth

An indeclinable word given as {cíw >>} coe “earth” in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a derivative of the root ᴹ√KEM (Ety/KEM; EtyAC/KEM).

Possible Etymology: The primitive form of rejected cíw is given as ᴹ✶kēm and its derivation is clear: the long ē became ī and then the final m reduced to w after i as usual. The derivation of coe is more obscure, however. The likeliest explanation is that Tolkien imagined its ancient form with a slightly lowered vowel which he generally represented as ǣ in this period (in later writings as ę̄). According to the first version of the Tengwesta Qenderinwa and Comparative Vowel Tables from the 1930s (PE18/46; PE19/25), ǣ &gt; ei &gt; ai &gt; ae, and in The Etymologies itself, it seems ai often became oe instead of ae.

Neo-Sindarin: Updating the derivation of hypothetical ✱kę̄m would produced ᴺS. cae in Sindarin phonology. But given the obscurity of its derivation, I recommend using 1950s S. ceven for “earth” instead.

Noldorin [Ety/KEM; EtyAC/KEM] Group: Eldamo. Published by

amar

noun. Earth

Noldorin [Ety/MBAR] Group: Eldamo. Published by

amar

noun. earth

Noldorin [Ety/372] Group: SINDICT. Published by

ambar

noun. earth

Noldorin [Ety/372] Group: SINDICT. Published by

coe

noun. earth

This word is indeclinable, according to the Etymologies

Noldorin [Ety/363, X/OE] Group: SINDICT. Published by

cevn

adjective. of earth, earthen

A Noldorin adjective in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “of earth, earthen” and given as a derivative of the root ᴹ√KEM (Ety/KEM). Hiswelókë’s Sindarin Dictionary suggested an alternate (Neo) Sindarin spelling cefn (HSD/cefn) which is more than in keeping with Tolkien’s usual spelling conventions from the 1930s, but I prefer cevn as it makes the pronunciation clearer; see the discussion of the Sindarin phoneme [v] for more details.

Noldorin [Ety/KEM; EtyAC/KEM] Group: Eldamo. Published by

barthan

masculine name. Earth-smith, Earthbuilder

Noldorin [Ety/GAWA; Ety/MBAR; Ety/TAN] Group: Eldamo. Published by

bár

noun. home; earth

Noldorin [Ety/GAWA; Ety/MBAR; Ety/TAN; EtyAC/MBAR; PE22/035; PE22/036; WR/379; WR/380] Group: Eldamo. Published by

cevnas

noun. earthenware

Noldorin [EtyAC/KEM] Group: Eldamo. Published by

cevn

adjective. earthen

Noldorin [Ety/363, X/Z] Group: SINDICT. Published by

cef

noun. soil

A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “soil” derived from the root ᴹ√KEM “soil, earth” (Ety/KEM). It had a rather unusual plural form ceif which shows i-intrusion but not the usual i-raising of e to i; under ordinary phonetic developments the expected plural would be ✱cif. I can think of no good reason for this abnormal plural, but it would be ^caif if adapted to Sindarin. It is mostly moot since this word is very unlikely to be used in the plural.

car(dh)

noun. house, house, *construction, structure

A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s appearing as car or carð with the gloss “house” under the root ᴹ√KAR “make, build, construct” (Ety/KAR). Its Quenya cognate ᴹQ. kar (kard-) was glossed “building, house”.

Neo-Sindarin: Given the meaning of its root, I would use cardh for any kind of building-like construction or structure for purposes of Neo-Sindarin. For an ordinary “house” where people live, I would use S. bâr.

ardh

noun. realm, region

Noldorin [Ety/360] Group: SINDICT. Published by

ardh

noun. realm

Noldorin [Ety/ƷAR; Ety/NÁRAK; EtyAC/GAR; EtyAC/ƷARA] Group: Eldamo. Published by

car

noun. house, building

Noldorin [Ety/362] Group: SINDICT. Published by

cardh

noun. house, building

Noldorin [Ety/362] Group: SINDICT. Published by

cef

noun. soil

Noldorin [Ety/363] Group: SINDICT. Published by

gobel

noun. walled house or village, town

Noldorin [Ety/380] Group: SINDICT. Published by

gwatha-

verb. to soil, stain

Noldorin [Ety/397] Group: SINDICT. Published by

hmaw

noun. soil, stain

Noldorin [Ety/386, VT/46:14] Group: SINDICT. Published by

maw

noun. soil, stain

Noldorin [Ety/386, VT/46:14] Group: SINDICT. Published by

talaf

noun. ground, floor

Noldorin [Ety/390, X/EI] Group: SINDICT. Published by

Adûnaic

dâira

noun. Earth

A noun translated as “Earth” in the final version of the Lament of Akallabêth (SD/247). It may be related to S. dôr “land”, as suggested by Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynn (AAD/13).

Conceptual Development: In the Lament of Akallabêth (first draft), this noun appeared as kamāt (SD/311).

kamāt

noun. earth (draft)

The noun for “Earth” in the first draft version of the Lament of Akallabêth (SD/311), later replaced by dâira (SD/247). Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynne suggested (AAD/17) that it may be related to the Elvish root ᴹ√KEM “soil, earth”.

zadan

noun. house

A noun translated “house” and fully declined as an example of a Strong I noun (SD/430).

Quenya 

kemen

earth

kemen noun "earth"; see cemen.

mar

earth

mar (1) noun "earth" (world), also "home, dwelling, mansion". Stem mard- (VT46:13, PE17:64), also seen in the ablative Mardello "from earth" (FS); the word is used with a more limited sense in oromardi "high halls" (sg. oromar, PM17:64), referring to the dwellings of Manwë and Varda on Mt. Taniquetil (Nam, RGEO:66). The initial element of Mardorunando (q.v.) may be the genitive mardo (distinguish mardo "dweller"). May be more or less identical to már "home, house, dwelling" (of persons or peoples; in names like Val(i)mar, Vinyamar, Mar-nu-Falmar, Mardil) (SA:bar, VT45:33, VT47:6). Már is however unlikely to have the stem-form mard-; a "Qenya" genitive maren appears in the phrase hon-maren, q.v., suggesting that its stem is mar-. A possible convention could therefore be to use már (mar-) for "home, house" (also when = household, family as in Mardil, q.v.), whereas mar (mard-) is used for for "earth, world". Early "Qenya" has mar (mas-) "dwelling of men, the Earth, -land" (LT1:251); notice that in LotR-style Quenya, a word in -r cannot have a stem-form in -s-.

ambar

noun. The World, Earth, (lit.) Habitation, Settlement

The word Ambar is probably the most common Quenya word for the “World”. Its more literal meaning is “Habitation” (MR/337; NM/226) or “Settlement” (PE17/163) in the sense that it is the realm in which the children of Eru (Elves and Men) live. A clear description of this notion can be found in notes from late 1960s:

> Ambar was thus “the great settlement”. This may be translated “world” — meaning this Earth as the place (by destiny) inhabited by Elves and Men, the Children of Eru. It thus resembles ἡ οἰκουμένη [Greek = “the inhabited world”], but was not limited either to the parts of Earth actually inhabited, or to those inhabited by any special peoples such as the Elves, or among Men the Numenóreans. The decision, the fixing of the dwelling place, was thought of as proceeding from Eru and was so part of his Umbar [Destiny]. Umbar, so used, might be said to be “the history of Ambar”, so far as already accomplished, and its future so far as already arranged and defined (PE17/163).

This specific note was rejected, but similar descriptions appear elsewhere (NM/226-227). As noted by Tolkien here and elsewhere, the term Ambar was also intertwined with the notion of Destiny (Umbar) as willed by Eru.

Another common term for “world” was Q. Arda, more literally “Realm”, but strictly speaking this referred to the regions under the dominion of Manwë, and so included areas outside of the world such as Aman (after its removal from the world) and the remainder of the Solar System (PE17/105; MR/337; NM/227). Tolkien also sometimes used Q. cemen “earth” for “the Earth” (VT44/34; MR/387), particularly in Q. Kementári “Queen of the Earth” as a name for Yavanna (S/28). But that seems to refer more to livable surface of the world rather than the entire world itself.

Etymology: This word was derived from the root √MBAR “settle, dwell”, with a vocalic augment: ✶a-mbar (PE17/105, 124). It is not the result of a syllabic nasal ✶ṃbar, as that would produce Q. umbar, the Elvish word for fate or destiny (PE17/104).

Conceptual Development: The word ᴹQ. Ambar first appeared in a document labeled ᴹQ. Ambarkanta “The Shape of the World” from the early 1930s (SM/235-240). It appeared as ᴹQ. Ambar “Earth” in The Etymologies of the 1930s, already with the same basic meaning and derivation as given above. A possible precursor is the word ᴱQ. irmin “the inhabited world” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, which was similar in form and meaning but derived from a different root ᴱ√IŘI [IÐI] “dwell” (QL/43). There was a variant Imbar of Ambar in Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth from around 1959 (MR/337) which might be a callback to this earlier word.

Quenya [LotR/0967; MR/337; MRI/Ambar; MRI/Imbar; MS/01; NM/226; NM/228; PE17/064; PE17/066; PE17/074; PE17/078; PE17/090; PE17/103; PE17/104; PE17/105; PE17/124; PE17/163; PE22/147; VT44/36; WJ/402; WJI/Ambar; WJI/Imbar] Group: Eldamo. Published by

cemen

noun. the earth; earth, the earth; earth, [ᴹQ.] soil

Tolkien often used this Quenya word for “the Earth”, but in notes on Words, Phrases and Passages from the Lord of the Rings from the late 1950s or early 1960s, he clarified that “kemen ‘the Earth’ [was] an apparent flat floor under menel [the Heavens]” (PE17/24). In The Etymologies of the 1930s, ᴹQ. kemen was glossed “soil, earth” (Ety/KEM), and ᴱQ. kemen had these same glosses in Early Qenya words lists from the 1910s and 20s (PE16/139; PME/46; QL/46). Thus it seems this term can be used of both “earth” in the ordinary sense of “soil” as well as “the earth”, but in the latter usage it referred more specifically to the habitable surface of the world rather than the entire planet, serving as its “floor” as opposed to the “roof” which was menel. More common terms for the entire world were Ambar and Arda.

Conceptual Development: As indicated above, Tolkien introduced this term in the 1910s, already as a derivative for the root ᴱ√KEME, and it retained this form and meaning thereafter.

Quenya [MR/387; MR/471; PE17/024; SA/kemen; SDI2/Kemen; VT43/17; VT44/34; VT47/11] Group: Eldamo. Published by

már

noun. home, dwelling, habitation, home, dwelling, habitation; [ᴹQ.] house; earth

This is the basic Quenya word for a “home” or “dwelling”, derived from the root √MBAR “settle, dwell”.

Conceptual Development: This word dates back all the way to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, where (archaic) ᴱQ. †mar (mas-) was glossed “dwelling of men, -land, the Earth” (QL/60). It appeared under the early root ᴱ√MBARA “dwell, live”, but that root was mingled with many others, and its stem form mas- indicates some unusual developments. The contemporaneous Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa instead has mař “dwelling, -land, †Earth” (PME/60), consistent with an earlier deleted form of the root, ᴱ√MAŘA [MAÐA] (QL/60).

In the Name-list to The Fall of Gondolin from the 1910s Tolkien had mar as a cognate to G. bar “dwelling” (PE15/21). In the Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s it was glossed “house” in the phrase ᴱQ. i·mar tye “that house (of yours)” (PE14/55). In the English-Qenya Dictionary of the 1920s mar was glossed “home”, where its plural form mari indicated a stem form of mar- (PE15/74).

In the Declension of Nouns of the 1930s, ᴹQ. mar “house” had a stem form of mard- (PE21/27), and on the title page of The Etymologies from 1937, Tolkien had mar(d)- “home, dwelling” from the root ᴹ√MBAR (EtyAC/MBAR). It appeared in the form Mardello “from Earth” in Fíriel’s Song from the mid-1930s, along with an uninflected form i-mar “the earth” (LR/72), but as mar- in the (1930s) genitive form hon-maren “heart of the house” (LR/63).

In Outline of Phonetic Development (OP1) from this 1930s, it appeared as már “habitation”, the first time that it had a long á (PE19/36). In Quenya Verbal System from 1948, már “house” appeared with long á in a couple phrases like már karnelya e·tulle “having built a house he came” (PE22/108). The word már “habitation” reappeared in the Outline of Phonology (OP2) of the 1950s (PE19/76).

Tolkien discussed the word már at length in notes from the 1960s on the root √MBAR, first writing:

> The usual word in Eldarin for a “home”, as the established residence of a family consisting of one or more associated buildings, was ✱mbā̆r (stem mbăr-), and ✱mbardā̆ (an adjectival formation). In Q mar (stem mard-), a blending of the two, was used like “residence” usually with a defining genitive, for the “great house” of a family. In place-names -mar (stem mār-) was used for a region settled by a community or group, as Eldamar “Elvenhome” the coastal region of Aman, settled by the Elves (PE17/164).

And then in a later version of the same notes:

> The simplest form of this base ✱mbără became a much used word or element in primitive Eldarin: which may be rendered “dwelling”. This application was probably a development during the period of the Great Journey to the Western Shores, during which many halls of varying duration were made by the Eldar at the choice of their leaders, as a whole, or for separate groups. This element survived in various forms in Quenya and Sindarin with sense­ changes due to the divergent history of the Eldar that passed over Sea and of those remaining in Beleriand. The principal forms were the primitive simple form PE ✱mbăr(a) > uninflected mbār, inflected mbar-; and the derivative form ✱mbardā ...

The former survived in Quenya in the archaic word már, which was used with a defining genitive or more often in genitival compound: as Ingwemar, Valimar, Eldamar ... This signified, when added to a personal name the “residence” of a family of which the head was the named person; it included not only the permanent buildings, developed by the Eldar in Aman, but also the surrounding attached land ... After the name of a people or “kindred” it referred to the whole area occupied or owned by them, in which their dwellings or “houses” were distributed (PE17/106).

These revised notes indicate that marda was a distinct word:

> The derivative form ✱mbardā became in Quenya marda “a dwelling”. This normally referred to the actual dwelling place, but was not limited to buildings, and could equally well be applied to dwellings of natural origin (such as caves or groves). It was nonetheless the nearest equivalent to “house” in most of its senses ... Not to the use of “house” as the name of a (small) separate building with a function such as bake-house, wood-house; nor to the use of “house” as a family especially of power or authority. The former in Quenya was usually koa. The latter was represented by words for “kindred” [nóre] (PE17/107).

Thus it seems in these notes, már = “residence”, marda = “dwelling” but coa = “house” as in a type of building.

In terms of its use in other words and phrases, mar or már is most notably an element in Eldamar “Elvenhome” (S/59), Val(i)mar “Dwelling of the Valar” (RGEO/62), and Mar Vanwa Tyaliéva “[ᴱQ.] Cottage of the Lost Play; House of Departed Mirth” (LT1/28; PE21/80). As for mard-, its most notable use was in oromardi “lofty halls” from the Namárië poem (LotR/377).

Although always meaning “home” or “dwelling” and always derived from √MBAR “dwell”, the various changes in the stem form between mar, mard- and már make the conceptual development difficult to trace. The rough timeline seems to be:

  • In the 1910s the stem was mař- >> mas-, becoming mar- in the 1920s.

  • In the 1930s the stem was mostly mard-, but in OP1 már (mar-) with long á was introduced and became more prevalent in the 1940s and 50s.

  • In the 1960s Tolkien decided that már (mar-) < ✱mbără and marda (mard-) < ✱mbardā were distinct words of similar meaning.

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya I would use már mainly in the sense “home, a place dwelled in”, as opposed to marda for “a dwelling” whether inhabited or not. In place names -mar can refer to the dwelling place of an entire people, or of an individual family. The word már might be used as “house” in the sense of the dwelling place of a family, but when referring specifically to the building, the word coa is more appropriate.

Quenya [PE17/106; PE17/164; PE19/076; SA/bar; VT47/06] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Cemendur

earth-servant

Cemendur masc. name *"Earth-servant" (i.e. farmer?) (Appendix A, UT:210)

Kementári

earth-queen

Kementári noun "Earth-queen", title of Yavanna (SA:tar). The Kemen- of this name was at one stage intended as the genitive of kén, kem- "earth", so that Kementári meant "Earth's Queen", but Tolkien later changed the Quenya genitive ending from -(e)n to -o. Apparently so as to maintain the name Kementári, he turned kemen into the nominative form; see cemen.

cemi

earth, soil, land

cemi noun "earth, soil, land"; Cémi ("k")"Mother Earth" (LT1:257; the "Qenya" word cemi would correspond to cemen in LotR-style Quenya)

cemna

of earth, earthen

cemna ("k")adj. "of earth, earthen" (In Etym as printed in LR:363 s.v. KEM, this word is cited as cemina, but according to VT45:19 Tolkien's manuscript actually reads cemna.)

cén

soil, earth

cén (cem-) ("k")noun "soil, earth"; see cemen (KEM)

martan

earth-smith

Martan (2), also Martano, noun "Earth-smith", "Earthbuilder", a surname of Aule (TAN, GAWA/GOWO the form _Martan_ō given under MBAR must be understood as a primitive form). LT1:266 refers to a "very late note" where a variant Quenya form "Martamo" is derived from ¤mbartanō**"world-artificer"; the stated primitive form (as well as the Sindarin cognate Barthan) would suggest that the Quenya form should be Martano; on the other hand, tamo (q.v.) does occur as a variant of tano** "smith".

cemenquasië

noun. earthquake

A neologism for created by Paul Strack in 2018 specifically for Eldamo, a compound of cemen “earth” and quasië “shaking”. I prefer this over Helge Fauskanger’s neologism cempalië which he coined for the NQNT (NQNT), because Fauskanger’s used the 1920s verb ᴱQ. pal- for “to shake”, but I find this verb problematic because in later writings the meaning of the root √PAL changed to “wide (open)” (Ety/PAL; PE17/65; VT47/8). I think the 1910s verb ᴱQ. qasa- is a better choice for “shake”, as it does not conflict with later words.

Quenya Group: Eldamo - neologism/reconstructions. Published by

Mardorunando

redeemer of the world

Mardorunando noun "Redeemer of the world" (VT44:17). Unless the initial element mardo- is a distinct and otherwise unattested word for "world", it may be the genitive form of mar (mard-) "earth", q.v.

ambar

a-mbar

ambar (1) ("a-mbar") noun "oikumenē [Greek: the earth as the human habitation], Earth, world" (MBAR), stem ambar- (PE17:66), related to and associated with mar "home, dwelling" (VT45:33); in VT46:13 the latter glosses are possibly also ascribed to the word ambar itself (the wording is not clear). The form ambaren also listed in the Etymologies was presumably intended as the genitive singular at the time of writing (in LotR-style Quenya it would rather be the dative singular); in the printed version in LR, the misreading "ambaron" appears (see VT45:33). Ambar-metta noun "the end of the world" (EO); spelt ambarmetta in VT44:36. The element #umbar in Tarumbar "King of the World" (q.v.) would seem to be a variant of ambar, just like ambar #2 "doom" also alternates with umbar (see below).

arda

realm

arda noun "realm" (GAR under 3AR). It is said that arda, when used as a common noun, "meant any more or less bounded or defined place, a region" (WJ:402), or "a particular land or region" (WJ:413). Capitalized Arda "the Realm", name of the Earth as the kingdom of Manwë (Silm), "the name given to our world or earth...within the immensity of Eä"(Letters:283, there again rendered "realm"), "our planet" (MR:39), once translated "Earth" (SD:246). In a wider sense, Arda can refer to the entire Solar System (MR:337). Also name of tengwa #26 (Appendix E). Masc. name Ardamírë "Jewel of the World" (PM:348), shorter form Ardamir (UT:210); Ardaranyë "the Kingdom of Arda" (PE17:105)

cemen

kemen

cemen (cén) (spelt "kemen" in some sources, "cemen" in others)noun "earth" (VT44:34), Cemenyë ("k") "and Earth" (VT47:11). Cemen refers to the earth as a flat floor beneath menel, the heavens (SA:kemen); "soil, earth"_ (KEM,__LT1:257). At one stage, Tolkien intended cemen to be the genitive of cén; later cemen became the nominative, and the status of cén is uncertain. See Kementári. Locative cemessë, cemenzë (really spelt with c rather than k in one version, but also kemenze) in the Quenya Lord's Prayer; later changed to kemendë, cemendë (VT43:17)_

cemnassë

noun. earthenware, pottery

Quenya Group: Eldamo - neologism/reconstructions. Published by

cempalië

noun. earthquake

Quenya Group: Eldamo - neologism/reconstructions. Published by

pampinë

noun. tremor, earthquake

artaurë

realm

artaurë noun "realm" (PE17:28). Cf. turmen.

farnë

dwelling

#farnë (2) noun "dwelling", in orofarnë (as translated in Letters:224, but in other notes of Tolkiens the word was interpreted "any growing thing or plant", PE17:83)

harda

realm, region

harda noun "realm, region" _(VT45:12, 16, 17; the word also occurs, unglossed, in the entry EN in the Etymologies)_. Changed to arda later?

indo

house

indo (2) noun "house" (LT2:343), probably obsoleted by #1 above (in Tolkiens later Quenya, the word for "house" appears as coa).

irmin

the world, all the regions inhabited by men

irmin noun "the world, all the regions inhabited by Men" (LT2:343; hardly a valid word in Tolkien's later Quenya)

marda

dwelling

marda noun "dwelling" (PE17:107)

már

home, house, dwelling

már (mar-) (2) noun "home, house, dwelling" (also "house" in the sense of family as in Mardil, q.v.). See mar above for references. In Mar-nu-Falmar, Mardil, and as final element in Eldamar, Fanyamar, Valimar, Vinyamar..

mélamar

home

mélamar noun "home", Exilic Quenya word of emotional sense: place of ones birth or the familiar places from which one has been separated (PE17:109). Mélamarimma noun "Our Home", an expression used by Exilic Noldor for Aman.

os

house, cottage

os (ost-) noun "house, cottage" (LT2:336; hardly valid in LotR-style Quenya writers may use coa or már)

turmen

realm

turmen noun "realm" (PE17:28). Turmen Follondiéva "Realm of the North-harbourage", old name for Arnor, TurmenHallondiéva "Realm of the South-harbourage", old name for Gondor (PE17:28)

turmen

noun. realm

Primitive elvish

keme

noun. earth

Primitive elvish [PE21/80] Group: Eldamo. Published by

kemen

noun. earth

Primitive elvish [PE21/71] Group: Eldamo. Published by

artaurē

noun. Realm

Primitive elvish [PE17/028] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Telerin 

cava

noun. house


Beware, older languages below! The languages below were invented during Tolkien's earlier period and should be used with caution. Remember to never, ever mix words from different languages!

Early Noldorin

barth

noun. world, earth

An Early Noldorin word from the 1920s glossed “world” in the Early Noldorin Grammar (PE13/120) and “earth” Early Noldorin Wordlists of the 1920s (PE13/138). Its mutations in the Early Noldorin Grammar make it clear anciently began with mb-, so it was probably derived from the early root ᴱ√MBARA “dwell, live” (QL/63).

Early Noldorin [PE13/120; PE13/138] Group: Eldamo. Published by

blador

noun. world

A word glossed “world” in Early Noldorin Wordlists of the 1920s, probably a variant of G. Bladorwen “Wide Earth, Mother Earth” as suggested by Gilson, Welden, Hostetter and Wynne (PE13/139).

Early Noldorin [PE13/139] Group: Eldamo. Published by

bâr

noun. house

Early Noldorin [PE13/120; PE13/122; PE13/128; PE13/138; PE13/156] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Doriathrin

garth

noun. realm

A Doriathrin noun meaning “realm” derived from the root ᴹ√ƷAR or possibly ᴹ√GAR (Ety/ƷAR), perhaps from a primitive form ✱✶ɣarda or ✱✶garda given its cognates ᴹQ. arda and N. ardh. Likely the [[ilk|[d] became [ð] after [r]]] and then the [[ilk|final [ð] became [θ]]], a derivation that is supported by the (rejected) earlier entry Dor. garth (dh) in The Etymologies (EtyAC/ƷARA). These probable developments were noted by Helge Fauskanger (AL-Doriathrin/garth).

Doriathrin [Ety/ƷAR; EtyAC/GAR; EtyAC/ƷARA] Group: Eldamo. Published by

bar Reconstructed

noun. home

A noun meaning something like “home” attested only in compounds like Eglamar “Elvenhome”.

Qenya 

hún

noun. earth, earth, *ground

A word in the Declension of Nouns from the early 1930s with stem form hun- and gloss “earth” (QL/39). It might be a later iteration of ᴱQ. han “ground, earth” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/39), and if so then hún might also be used as “✱ground”. I think it is useful to assume so for purposes of Neo-Quenya, as the other attested word for “ground”, Q. talan, is probably used more often for “floor”, including floors above the ground level.

Qenya [PE21/19; PE21/24; PE21/25] Group: Eldamo. Published by

kemna

adjective. of earth, earthen

An adjective in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “of earth, earthen” derived from the root ᴹ√KEM “soil, earth” (Ety/KEM; EtyAC/KEM). In The Etymologies as published in The Lost Road, Christopher Tolkien gave the form as kemina (LR/363), but in “Addenda and Corrigenda to the Etymologies” Hostetter and Wynne clarified that the actual form was kemna (VT45/19).

Qenya [Ety/KEM; EtyAC/KEM] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ambar

noun. Earth, World

Qenya [Ety/MBAR; EtyAC/MBAR; EtyAC/SIL; LRI/Ambar; SD/056; SM/235; SM/236; SM/241; SMI/Ambar] Group: Eldamo. Published by

kemen

noun. soil, earth; Great Lands

Qenya [Ety/KEM; RC/671; SD/402] Group: Eldamo. Published by

mar

noun. home, dwelling, house, habitation; earth

Qenya [Ety/ÉNED; Ety/GAWA; Ety/MBAR; Ety/TAN; EtyAC/MBAR; EtyAC/SIL; LR/063; LR/072; PE19/036; PE21/19; PE21/27; PE21/69; PE22/108] Group: Eldamo. Published by

martan(o)

masculine name. Earth-smith, Earthbuilder

Qenya [Ety/GAWA; Ety/MBAR; Ety/TAN] Group: Eldamo. Published by

arda

place name. Earth, world

Qenya [LRI/Arda; SD/246; SD/310; SD/401; SDI2/Arda; SMI/Arda] Group: Eldamo. Published by

kén

noun. soil, earth

harda

noun. realm

marta

adverb. home

Qenya [PE21/25; PE21/27] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Gnomish

-gen

suffix. *earth

An unglossed suffix in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, final element of G. grosgen “soil”, and cognate to ᴱQ. kēmi “earth, soil, land” (GL/42), and so probably derived from the root ᴱ√KEME “soil” (QL/46).

Gnomish [GL/42; LT1A/Kémi] Group: Eldamo. Published by

mar

noun. Earth, ground, soil

A word in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “Earth, ground, soil”, apparently derived from the root ᴱ√mar- (GL/56). Tolkien also had G. Môr “the Earth”, so perhaps mar mainly meant “earth” in the more ordinary senses. For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I’d use later S. ceven for “earth”.

Gnomish [GL/18; GL/56] Group: Eldamo. Published by

groth

noun. earth, soil

A noun in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “earth, soil” (GL/42). Its derivation is unclear, but it might be from a strengthened form of the root ᴱ√ROTO “hollow”.

maragwast

noun. earth quake

A word in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “earth quake”, a combination G. mar “earth” and the lenited form of G. cwast “shaking” (GL/56).

idhrin

collective name. men, earth dwellers

Gnomish [GL/50; LT2A/Idril] Group: Eldamo. Published by

môr

place name. The Earth

Gnomish [GL/56; GL/58] Group: Eldamo. Published by

grosgen

noun. soil

A noun in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s glossed “soil”, a combination of G. groth “earth, soil” and suffixal G. -gen from the root ᴱ√KEME (GL/42). This root was glossed “soil” in the contemporaneous Qenya Lexicon (QL/46), so the actual meaning of this word seems to be something like “earthy soil”.

Gnomish [GL/26; GL/42; LT1A/Kémi] Group: Eldamo. Published by

-vran

suffix. dwelling

A suffixal form of G. brann (GL/24); see S. barthan for discussion.

-vron

suffix. dwelling

bardha

noun. realm

baur

noun. house

gwast

noun. dwelling

A noun for “dwelling” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s derived from the early root ᴱ√[[ep|ŋwa[ð]-]] (GL/47).

idhru

place name. the world

Gnomish [GL/50; LT2A/Idril] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Middle Primitive Elvish

kēm

noun. *earth

Middle Primitive Elvish [EtyAC/KEM] Group: Eldamo. Published by

kem

root. soil, earth

This root was established as the basis for “earth” words early in Tolkien’s writing. It first appeared as ᴱ√KEME “soil” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, its most notable Qenya derivative being ᴱQ. kemen “soil, earth” (QL/46). The root ᴹ√KEM “soil, earth” reappeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s along with ᴹQ. kén (kem-) or kemen “earth”, as well as various other Quenya and Noldorin derivatives (Ety/KEM). Tolkien’s continued use of Q. cemen and S. ceven for “earth” or “the Earth” in later writings indicates the continued validity of this root.

Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/KEM] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Quenya

han

noun. ground, earth

A noun in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with stem form hamb- and gloss “the ground”, derived from the root ᴱ√HAMA (QL/39). The contemporaneous Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa had only its stem form hamb- with the glosses “ground, earth” (PME/39).

Early Quenya [PME/039; QL/039] Group: Eldamo. Published by

indi

collective name. Men, Earth Dwellers

A collective term for men appearing in the Qenya Lexicon from the 1910s meaning “Earth Dwellers” (QL/43), a derivative of the root ᴱ√IÐI (written IŘI in QL). It was also given as ᴱQ. ildi from the (rejected) root ᴱ√ḶÐḶ (QL/42), but this form was rejected.

Early Quenya [GL/50; LT2A/Idril; QL/042; QL/043] Group: Eldamo. Published by

kemi

noun. earth, soil, land

An Early Qenya word derived from the root ᴱ√KEME and translated “earth, soil, land” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/46) and as “earth, soil” in Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa from this same period (PME/46). While this form and derivation are compatible with Tolkien later notions of the Elvish languages, I think it is better to use the later terms cemen for “earth, soil” and nór for “land”.

Early Quenya [GL/42; LT1A/Kémi; PME/046; QL/046] Group: Eldamo. Published by

kémi

feminine name. Earth-lady, Mother Earth

A very early name of Yavanna, glossed “Earth-lady” (LT1/79) and “Mother Earth” (GL/18). It is derived from the root ᴱ√KEME “soil” (QL/46).

Early Quenya [GL/18; GL/26; LT1/079; LT1A/Kémi; LT1I/Kémi; PE14/014] Group: Eldamo. Published by

sar

noun. earth, soil

A word for “earth, soil” in Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s, but it was marked with an “X” and ᴱQ. kemen (of similar meaning) was written next to it as an alternative (PE16/139).

Early Quenya [PE16/139] Group: Eldamo. Published by

alandri

collective name. Earth [Fay]

Name for a type of Earth Fay in Tolkien’s “Creatures of the Earth” from the 1910s (PE14/10). Its etymology is unclear.

Early Quenya [PE14/010] Group: Eldamo. Published by

pelloini

collective name. Earth [Fay]

Name for a type of Earth Fay in Tolkien’s “Creatures of the Earth” from the 1910s (PE14/10). Its etymology is unclear.

Early Quenya [PE14/010] Group: Eldamo. Published by

kemen

noun. soil, earth

Early Quenya [LT1A/Kémi; PE16/139; PME/046; QL/046] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ken

noun. *earth, soil

keres

noun. earthenware

Early Quenya [QL/046] Group: Eldamo. Published by

kere

noun. earthenware; earthen jar

Early Quenya [QL/046] Group: Eldamo. Published by

pampine

noun. tremor, earthquake

Early Quenya [PME/072; QL/072] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ildi

collective name. men

Early Quenya [QL/042] Group: Eldamo. Published by

indo

noun. house

A word for “house” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√IŘI [IÐI] “dwell” (QL/43). It also appeared in the contemporaneous Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME/43).

Early Quenya [LT2A/Idril; PE16/132; PME/043; QL/042; QL/043] Group: Eldamo. Published by

marda

noun. world

Early Quenya [GL/18; LT1A/Eldamar; PE12/024; PE15/79] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Primitive Elvish

keme

root. soil

Early Primitive Elvish [LT1A/Kémi; QL/046] Group: Eldamo. Published by

sōđā

noun. house

Early Primitive Elvish [PE12/021; QL/081] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Old Noldorin 

mbar

noun. home

Old Noldorin [EtyAC/MBAR; PE21/58] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Primitive adûnaic

thāni

noun. realm

The primitive form of thâni “land”, written in allcaps as THĀNI (SD/420). Usually Tolkien used capitalization for primitive roots, but in this case it is more like to be a form derived from an unattested Primitive Adûnaic root ✱√THAN.

Primitive adûnaic [SD/420] Group: Eldamo. Published by