Sindarin 

Edhelrim

noun. elves

edhel, eledh (“elf”) + rim (collective plural ending)

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

edhel

noun. Elf

Cognates

  • Q. Elda “Elf, (lit.) one of the Star-folk” ✧ LRI/Edhil; PE17/045; PE17/151; PE17/152; SA/êl; SA/êl; RC/780
  • Q. Eldo “one of the Marchers” ✧ WJ/363

Derivations

  • edelā “the fair” ✧ PE17/139; PE17/151
    • DEL “*fair” ✧ PE17/151
  • edelō “one who goes, traveller, migrant, marcher” ✧ PE17/141; PE17/152; WJ/360
    • DEL “walk, go, proceed, travel” ✧ WJ/360; WJ/363

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
edelā > eðel[edelā] > [edela] > [eðela] > [eðel]✧ PE17/139
edelō > eðel[edelō] > [edelo] > [eðelo] > [eðel]✧ PE17/141
edelā > edhel[edelā] > [edela] > [eðela] > [eðel]✧ PE17/151
edelā > eðel[edelā] > [edela] > [eðela] > [eðel]✧ PE17/152
edelō > Edhel[edelō] > [edelo] > [eðelo] > [eðel]✧ WJ/360
edelō > Edhil[edelī] > [edeli] > [eðeli] > [eðili] > [eðil]✧ WJ/360

Variations

  • edhel ✧ PE17/045; PE17/151; RC/780; SA/edhel; UT/255; UTI/Edhelrim
  • eðel ✧ PE17/139; PE17/141; PE17/152
  • Eðel ✧ PM/346
Sindarin [LRI/Edhil; PE17/045; PE17/097; PE17/139; PE17/141; PE17/151; PE17/152; PM/346; RC/780; RGEO/62; SA/edhel; SA/êl; SI/Sindar; UT/255; UT/318; UTI/Edhelrim; WJ/364; WJ/377; WJ/378; WJI/Edhel] Group: Eldamo. Published by

eledh

noun. Elf

Cognates

  • Q. Elda “Elf, (lit.) one of the Star-folk” ✧ Let/281; SA/êl; PE17/141
  • Q. elenya “adjective referring to the stars, *of the stars, stellar” ✧ WJ/362

Derivations

  • eledā “star-folk, of the stars” ✧ Let/281; PE17/140; PE17/141; PE17/142
    • EL “lo, behold; star, lo, behold; star, [ᴹ√] starry sky” ✧ Let/281
  • elenā “connected with or concerning the stars” ✧ PE17/139; WJ/360
    • elen “star” ✧ PE17/139
    • EL “lo, behold; star, lo, behold; star, [ᴹ√] starry sky” ✧ Let/281; PE17/067; VT42/11; WJ/360

Element in

  • S. Edelbar “*Elf-home” ✧ PE17/142
  • S. Eledhwen “Elfsheen, Elven-fair” ✧ Let/281; SA/êl; UTI/Haudh-en-Elleth
  • S. Elennor “*Elf-land” ✧ PE17/142
  • S. Eledhes “*Elf-maid” ✧ PE17/141; PE17/142
  • S. Eledhon “*Elf-man” ✧ PE17/141; PE17/142

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
eledā/elenā > eledh[eledā] > [eleda] > [eleða] > [eleð]✧ Let/281
eledā/elenā > elidh[eledī] > [eledi] > [eleði] > [eliði] > [elið]✧ Let/281
elenyā > elein[elenjā] > [elenja] > [elenia] > [eleni] > [elein] > [elain]✧ PE17/139
eledā > eleð[eledā] > [eleda] > [eleða] > [eleð]✧ PE17/140
eledā > eleð[eledā] > [eleda] > [eleða] > [eleð]✧ PE17/141
eledā > eledh[eledā] > [eleda] > [eleða] > [eleð]✧ PE17/142
elenā > Elen[elenā] > [elena] > [elen]✧ WJ/360
elenā > Elin[elenī] > [eleni] > [elini] > [elin]✧ WJ/360

Variations

  • eledh ✧ Let/281 (eledh); PE17/142; PE17/142; UTI/Edhelrim
  • elein ✧ PE17/139 (elein)
  • eleð ✧ PE17/140; PE17/141; PE17/142
  • Elen ✧ WJ/363; WJ/377 (Elen); WJI/Elen
Sindarin [Let/281; PE17/139; PE17/140; PE17/141; PE17/142; SA/êl; UTI/Edhelrim; UTI/Haudh-en-Elleth; WJ/363; WJ/377; WJI/Elen] Group: Eldamo. Published by

penedh

noun. Elf

Derivations

  • kwende “speaker, elf” ✧ PE17/140; PE17/141
    • KWENED “spoken, articulate, spoken, articulate; [ᴹ√] Elf” ✧ PE17/137
    • KWEN “speak with rational words” ✧ PE19/093
      • KWE “vocal speech” ✧ WJ/392
    • KWEN “speak with rational words” ✧ PE17/140; WJ/360
    • KWE “vocal speech” ✧ WJ/392

Element in

  • S. Morbenedh “*Dark-elf” ✧ PE17/140; PE17/141

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
kwenedē > peneð[kwenedē] > [penedē] > [penede] > [peneðe] > [peneð]✧ PE17/140
kwenedē > Penn[kwendē] > [pendē] > [pende] > [pend] > [penn]✧ PE17/141

Variations

  • peneð ✧ PE17/140; PE17/141
  • Penn ✧ PE17/141
Sindarin [PE17/140; PE17/141] Group: Eldamo. Published by

elen

noun. Elf

ell

noun. Elf

Cognates

  • Q. Elda “Elf, (lit.) one of the Star-folk” ✧ Let/281; WJ/362

Derivations

  • eledā “star-folk, of the stars” ✧ PE17/141; WJ/360
    • EL “lo, behold; star, lo, behold; star, [ᴹ√] starry sky” ✧ Let/281
  • Q. Elda “Elf, (lit.) one of the Star-folk” ✧ PE17/141
    • eledā “star-folk, of the stars” ✧ Let/281; PE17/141; SA/êl; WJ/360; WJ/364; WJ/364
    • EL “lo, behold; star, lo, behold; star, [ᴹ√] starry sky” ✧ Let/281
    • elenā “connected with or concerning the stars” ✧ PE17/139; PE17/152
    • elen “star” ✧ PE17/139
      • EL “lo, behold; star, lo, behold; star, [ᴹ√] starry sky” ✧ Let/281; PE17/067; VT42/11; WJ/360
    • edelā “the fair” ✧ PE17/139; PE17/151
    • DEL “*fair” ✧ PE17/151
    • edelō “one who goes, traveller, migrant, marcher” ✧ PE17/152
    • DEL “walk, go, proceed, travel” ✧ WJ/360; WJ/363

Derivatives

  • S. Elleth “Elf-maid” ✧ PE17/141
  • S. Ellon “Elf-man” ✧ PE17/141

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
eldā > ell[eldā] > [elda] > [elða] > [elð] > [ell]✧ PE17/141
Q. elda > eld > ell[elda] > [elða] > [elð] > [ell]✧ PE17/141
eldā > Ell-[eldā] > [elda] > [elða] > [elð] > [ell]✧ WJ/360

Variations

  • ell ✧ Let/281; PE17/141; PE17/141 (ell); PE17/141; PE17/152 (ell)
  • elt ✧ PE17/141
  • Ell- ✧ WJ/363
  • ell- ✧ WJ/364
Sindarin [Let/281; PE17/141; PE17/142; PE17/152; VT50/15; VT50/19; VT50/23; WJ/363; WJ/364; WJ/377; WJ/412] Group: Eldamo. Published by

edhel

elf

(pl. edhil). Coll. pl. Edhelrim (or Edhellim) (UT:318). Also †eledh, pl. elidh, coll. pl. eledhrim (Letters:281), also elen, pl. elin, also with coll. pl. eledhrim (elen + rim with the regular change nr > dhr). (WJ:363, 377-78; the shorter coll. pl. Eldrim > *Elrim*** may also occur). But since elin** also means "stars", other terms for "Elf" may be preferred.

edhelharn

elf-stone

(pl. edhelhern) (SD:128-31).

peredhel

half-elf

(pl. peredhil) (PM:256, 348).

dúnedhel

elf of beleriand

(i Núnedhel), pl. *Dúnedhil*** (i Ndúnedhil*). (WJ:378, 386)*

mornedhel

dark elf

(i Vornedhel), pl. Mornedhil (i Mornedhil). Conceivably the entire word could be umlauted in the pl.: ?Mernedhil. **(WJ:409) Another term for ”Dark Elf” is Dúredhel (i Dhúredhel), pl. Dúredhil (i Núredhil**).

elvellon

elf-friend

(pl. elvellyn, coll. pl. elvellonnath (WJ:412);

laegel

green-elf

pl. laegil; coll. pl. laegrim or laegeldrim (WJ:385). These forms from a late source would seem to supersede the ”N” forms listed in LR:368 s.v. LÁYAK: *Lhoebenidh* or *Lhoebelidh*. The Green-elves of Beleriand were also called Lindel (pl. Lindil), also Lindedhel (pl. Lindedhil)  *(WJ:385)*.

ellon

elf-man

(pl. ellyn)

send

grey-elf

(i hend, o send, construct sen) (probably a term only used by the Noldor, borrowed from Quenya Sinda), pl. sind (i sind), coll. pl. Sendrim (the only attested form).

elleth

elf-woman

(pl. ellith) (WJ:363-64, 377)

avar

non-eldarin elf

pl. Evair, also called

gwanwel

elf of aman

(”departed” Elf), pl. gwenwil (in gwenwil), coll. pl. gwanwellath. (WJ:378) Also gwanwen; see

miniel

first elf

(i Viniel), pl. Mínil (i Mínil), coll. pl. Miniellath. (WJ:383)

lefn

elf left behind

pl. lifn.

calben

elf of the great journey

(i galben, o chalben), pl. celbin (i chelbin).

Telerin 

ella

noun/adjective. Elf

Cognates

  • Q. Elda “Elf, (lit.) one of the Star-folk” ✧ WJ/362; WJI/Eldar

Derivations

  • eledā “star-folk, of the stars” ✧ WJ/360
    • EL “lo, behold; star, lo, behold; star, [ᴹ√] starry sky” ✧ Let/281

Element in

Telerin [WJ/362; WJ/364; WJ/375; WJI/Eldar] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ello

noun. Elf

Cognates

  • Q. Elda “Elf, (lit.) one of the Star-folk” ✧ WJ/375; WJ/373
  • Q. Eldo “one of the Marchers” ✧ WJI/Eldar

Derivations

  • edelō “one who goes, traveller, migrant, marcher” ✧ WJ/362; WJ/360
    • DEL “walk, go, proceed, travel” ✧ WJ/360; WJ/363

Element in

  • T. Audel “Elf who left for Aman” ✧ WJ/364
Telerin [WJ/362; WJ/364; WJ/373; WJ/375; WJ/376; WJI/Eldar] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Noldorin 

penedh

noun. Elf

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. Qende “Elf” ✧ Ety/KWEN(ED)
  • ᴹQ. Qendelie “Elf-race” ✧ Ety/KWEN(ED)

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶kwenedē “Elf” ✧ Ety/KWEN(ED)
    • ᴹ√KWEN(ED) “Elf” ✧ Ety/KWEN(ED)

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶kwenedē > penedh[kwenedē] > [penedē] > [penede] > [peneðe] > [peneð]✧ Ety/KWEN(ED)
ᴹ✶kwenedē > penidh[kwenedī] > [penedī] > [penedi] > [peneði] > [peniði] > [penið]✧ Ety/KWEN(ED)

Variations

  • peneð ✧ EtyAC/SET (peneð)
Noldorin [Ety/KWEN(ED); EtyAC/SET] Group: Eldamo. Published by

penn

noun. Elf

Cognates

Derivations

Element in

  • N. Morbenn “Dark Elf” ✧ EtyAC/MOR (Morbenn)

Variations

  • penn ✧ PE22/067
Noldorin [EtyAC/MOR; PE22/067] Group: Eldamo. Published by

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!

Qenya 

qende

noun. Elf

Cognates

  • N. penedh “Elf” ✧ Ety/KWEN(ED)
  • Dan. cwenda “Elf” ✧ Ety/KWEN(ED)
  • N. penn “Elf”

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶kwenedē “Elf” ✧ Ety/KWEN(ED); PE21/69
    • ᴹ√KWEN(ED) “Elf” ✧ Ety/KWEN(ED)

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶kwenedē > qende[kwenedē] > [kwendē] > [kwende]✧ Ety/KWEN(ED)
ᴹ✶kwĕndĕ > qende[kwende]✧ PE21/69

Variations

  • qende ✧ Ety/KWEN(ED); PE21/69
Qenya [Ety/KWEN(ED); LR/119; LR/168; LR/212; LRI/Qendi; MRI/Quendi; PE18/023; PE21/69; SM/085; SM/086; SMI/Quendi; TII/Qendi] Group: Eldamo. Published by

elda

noun. Elf

Changes

  • EldaElda “‘departed’ Elf” ✧ Ety/ELED

Cognates

  • N. Eledh “Star-folk, Elf” ✧ Ety/ELED; Ety/ELED
  • Ilk. Eld “Star-folk, Elf” ✧ Ety/ELED
  • Dan. Edel “Elf” ✧ Ety/ELED; Ety/ELED
  • Ilk. Egla “Star-folk, Elf” ✧ Ety/ELED
  • Ad. Nimir “Elf, (lit.) Shining One” ✧ SDI2/Nimrî

Derivations

  • ᴹ√LED “go, fare, travel” ✧ Ety/ELED
  • ᴹ√ELED “Star-Folk, Elves” ✧ Ety/ELED
  • ᴹ✶edēlā “firstborn, eldest” ✧ EtyAC/EDE
    • ᴹ√EDE(L) “precede, come forward, hence” ✧ EtyAC/EDE
  • ᴹ✶eledā “Star-folk, Elf” ✧ SD/401; SDI2/Eledâi
    • ᴹ√ELED “Star-Folk, Elves”

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√ELED > Elda[eleda] > [elda]✧ Ety/ELED
ᴹ√ÉLED > Elda[eleda] > [elda]✧ Ety/ELED
ᴹ✶edela > eleda[edela] > [eleda]✧ EtyAC/EDE

Variations

  • eleda ✧ EtyAC/EDE (eleda)
Qenya [Ety/ELED; EtyAC/EDE; LR/072; LR/169; LR/181; LR/197; LR/212; LR/218; LRI/Eldar; PE18/024; PE21/57; PE22/124; PE22/125; SD/401; SDI2/Eldar; SDI2/Eledâi; SDI2/Nimrî; SMI/Eldar; VT27/07] Group: Eldamo. Published by

qen

noun. Elf

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶kwenedē “Elf” ✧ PE21/25; PE21/25
    • ᴹ√KWEN(ED) “Elf” ✧ Ety/KWEN(ED)

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶qend(ǝ)mēn > qenwen[kwendemēn] > [kwendmēn] > [kwenmēn] > [kwenwēn] > [kwenwen]✧ PE21/25

Variations

  • qen ✧ PE21/19; PE21/25
Qenya [PE21/19; PE21/25] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Doriathrin

cwend

noun. Elf

A Doriathrin noun meaning “Elf” derived from primitive ᴹ✶kwenedē (EtyAC/KWEN(ED)), an example of the Ilkorin syncope.

Conceptual Development: This word is nearly identical to earlier Gnomish Cwenn “Elf” before Tolkien revised the phonological history of the Noldorin language so that [[on|[kw] became [p]]].

Cognates

  • Dan. cwenda “Elf” ✧ Ety/KWEN(ED)

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶kwenedē “Elf” ✧ Ety/KWEN(ED)
    • ᴹ√KWEN(ED) “Elf” ✧ Ety/KWEN(ED)

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶kwenedē > cwend[kwenedē] > [kwenede] > [kwende] > [kwend]✧ Ety/KWEN(ED)
Doriathrin [EtyAC/KWEN(ED)] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Ossriandric

edel

noun. Elf

A noun for “Elf” derived from primitive ᴹ✶edel-, an inversion of the primitive root ᴹ√ELED (Ety/ELED). Unlike most similar Danian nouns, it did not undergo the Danian syncope and retained its second vowel. One possible explanation is that the primitive form of this noun ended in a short vowel, ✱✶edelă, and this short final vowel vanished before the period of the syncope, preventing it from occurring in this word. Helge Fauskanger originally suggested a theory much like this one (AL-Nandorin/edel).

Conceptual Development: In an earlier version of this entry, the Danian word for Elf was given as Elda (Ety/ELED).

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. Elda “Elf” ✧ Ety/ELED; Ety/ELED

Derivations

  • ᴹ√ELED “Star-Folk, Elves” ✧ Ety/ELED
  • ᴹ✶edel- “Star-folk, Elf” ✧ Ety/ELED
    • ᴹ√ELED “Star-Folk, Elves” ✧ Ety/ELED

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√ÉLED > Elda[eledā] > [eldā] > [elda]✧ Ety/ELED
ᴹ✶edel- > Edel[edela] > [edel]✧ Ety/ELED

Variations

  • Elda ✧ Ety/ELED (Elda)
Ossriandric [Ety/ELED] Group: Eldamo. Published by

cwenda

noun. Elf

A noun for “Elf” developed from primitive ᴹ✶kwenedē (Ety/KWEN(ED)). It is an example of the Danian syncope, with second unstressed [e] vanishing after the identical vowel. It is also one of the Danian words for which a long final vowel developed into short final [a].

Cognates

  • Ilk. cwend “Elf” ✧ Ety/KWEN(ED)
  • ᴹQ. Qende “Elf” ✧ Ety/KWEN(ED)

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶kwenedē “Elf” ✧ Ety/KWEN(ED)
    • ᴹ√KWEN(ED) “Elf” ✧ Ety/KWEN(ED)

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶kwenedē > cwenda[kwenedē] > [kwendē] > [kwenda]✧ Ety/KWEN(ED)
Ossriandric [Ety/KWEN(ED)] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Middle Primitive Elvish

kwenedē

noun. Elf

Derivations

  • ᴹ√KWEN(ED) “Elf” ✧ Ety/KWEN(ED)

Derivatives

  • Ilk. cwend “Elf” ✧ Ety/KWEN(ED)
  • Dan. cwenda “Elf” ✧ Ety/KWEN(ED)
  • ᴹQ. Qende “Elf” ✧ Ety/KWEN(ED); PE21/69
  • ᴹQ. Qen “Elf” ✧ PE21/25; PE21/25
  • N. penedh “Elf” ✧ Ety/KWEN(ED)

Element in

  • ᴹ✶morikwende “Dark-elf” ✧ PE19/057; PE19/059

Variations

  • kwènedḗ ✧ PE19/057; PE19/059
  • kwendḗ ✧ PE19/059
  • kwĕndĕ ✧ PE21/69
Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/KWEN(ED); PE19/057; PE19/059; PE21/25; PE21/69] Group: Eldamo. Published by

kwen(ed)

root. Elf

Derivatives

  • ᴹ✶kwenedē “Elf” ✧ Ety/KWEN(ED)
    • Ilk. cwend “Elf” ✧ Ety/KWEN(ED)
    • Dan. cwenda “Elf” ✧ Ety/KWEN(ED)
    • ᴹQ. Qende “Elf” ✧ Ety/KWEN(ED); PE21/69
    • ᴹQ. Qen “Elf” ✧ PE21/25; PE21/25
    • N. penedh “Elf” ✧ Ety/KWEN(ED)
  • N. penn “Elf”

Variations

  • KWENED ✧ PE18/034; PE18/061
Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/KWEN(ED); PE18/034; PE18/061] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Gnomish

cwenn

noun. Elf

Changes

  • CwendCwenn ✧ GL/28

Cognates

  • Eq. Qen “Elf” ✧ GL/32; PE13/099; PE14/009

Element in

Variations

  • Cwend ✧ GL/28 (Cwend)
Gnomish [GL/28; GL/32; PE13/099; PE14/009] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Noldorin

idhel

noun. elf

uidhol

noun. elf

egol

noun. elf

gwenn

noun. Elf

Cognates

  • Eq. Qen “Elf” ✧ PE13/146
  • Et. Bende ✧ PE13/146

Derivations

Element in

Early Noldorin [PE13/146] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ileth

noun. elf

uigol

noun. elf

Early Quenya

qende

noun. Elf

qen

noun. Elf

Cognates

  • G. Cwenn “Elf” ✧ GL/32; PE13/099; PE14/009
  • En. Gwenn “Elf” ✧ PE13/146

Derivations

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ✶Gwendi- > Qen[gʷend] > [gʷen] > [kʷen]✧ PE13/146

Variations

  • qende ✧ PE14/009
Early Quenya [GL/32; LRI/Qendi; LT1/235; LT1I/Qendi; PE13/099; PE13/146; PE14/009; QL/092; SM/013; SM/168] Group: Eldamo. Published by