elda 1. originally adj. "of the stars", but wholly replaced (WJ:362) by: 2. noun (Elda) = one of the people of the Stars, (high-)elf, an Elf (SA:êl, elen, Letters:281, ELED, ÉLED; notice that Tolkien abandoned a former etymology with "depart"), chiefly in the pl. Eldar (WJ:362, cf. GAT(H), TELES).The primitive form Tolkien variously cited as ¤eledā / elenā(Letters:281, PE17:152) and ¤eldā(WJ:360). Partitive pl. Eldali (VT49:8), gen. pl. Eldaron (WJ:368, PM:395, 402);dative pl.eldain "for elves", for Eldar (FS); possessive sg. Eldava "Elf's" (WJ:407); possessive pl. Eldaiva (WJ:368), Eldaivë governing a plural word (WJ:369). The word Eldar properly refers to the non-Avari Elves only, but since Eldar rarely had any contact with the Avari, it could be used for "elves" in general (in LT1:251, Elda is simply glossed "Elf"). See also Eldo. The plural form Eldar should not require any article when the reference is to the entire people; i Eldar refers to a limited group, "(all) the Elves previously named"; nevertheless, Tolkien in some sources does use the article even where the reference seems to be generic (i Eldar or i-Eldar, VT49:8).
Quenya
elda
noun. Elf, (lit.) one of the Star-folk
Cognates
Derivations
- ✶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
- ✶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
Element in
- Q. Amaneldi “*Elves of Aman”
- Q. ar súlë Manwëo etsurinyë ar Eldaron indor turyaner “*and the spirit of Manwe went out and the hearts of the Eldar were comforted / or obeyed” ✧ NM/239
- Q. Eldacar “Elfhelm”
- ᴺQ. eldafindë “maidenhair fern, (lit.) elf tress”
- Q. Elda-lambë “Language of the Eldar” ✧ WJ/369
- Q. Eldalië “People of the Elves, Elven-folk, People of the Eldar, Elven-folk, [ᴹQ.] Elf-folk” ✧ WJ/374
- Q. Eldalondë “Haven of the Eldar”
- Q. Eldalótë “Elven-flower” ✧ PM/346
- Q. Eldamar “Elvenhome”
- Q. Eldameldor “Elf-friends, Elf-lovers”
- Q. Eldandil “Elf-friend”
- Q. Eldanna “*Elf-wards” ✧ UTI/Eldanna
- Q. Eldanor “Elvenland”
- Q. Eldanyárë “History of the Elves”
- Q. eldar ataformaiti “the Elves were ambidexters” ✧ VT49/08
- Q. Eldarin “of the Eldar; Elvish (language)”
- Q. Eldarion “*Son of the Eldar”
- Q. Eldar oronter “the Elves arose” ✧ PE21/77
- Q. Eldar Sindar “Grey Elves” ✧ PE21/77
- Q. Eldar sindaron “Grey Elves’” ✧ PE21/77
- Q. Eldavehtë “a habitation, haunt or place occupied by Eldar” ✧ PE17/189
- Q. Elendil “Elf-friend, Star-lover”
- Q. Hecel “Elf who stayed in Beleriand”
- Q. i arani Eldaive “The kings of the Eldar” ✧ WJ/369
- Q. i arani Eldaron “The kings of the Eldar” ✧ WJ/369
- Q. lambe Eldaiva “the language of the Eldar” ✧ WJ/369
- Q. lambe Eldaron “the language of the Eldar” ✧ WJ/368
- Q. mana i coimas Eldaron? “What is the ‘coimas’ of the Eldar?” ✧ PM/395
- Q. mana i·coimas in·Eldaron? “What is the ‘coimas’ of the Eldar?” ✧ PM/403
- Q. Oärel “Elf who left Middle-earth for Aman”
- Q. Pereldar “Half-elven”
- Q. Sinda Eldō “a Grey Elf’s” ✧ PE21/77
- Q. Sindar Eldar “Grey Elves” ✧ PE21/77
- Q. Sindar Eldaron “Grey Elves’” ✧ PE21/77
- Q. Sindar i Eldar Malariando “Grey are the Elves of Beleriand” ✧ PE21/77
- Q. Sindel “Grey-elf”
- Q. Tareldar “High-elves” ✧ SI/Eldar
- Q. tas cennen nótimë eldali “I saw a few elves there” ✧ PE22/155
- Q. vanimelda “beautiful and beloved, elven-fair” ✧ PE17/056; PE17/057
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶eledā/elenā > Elda [eledā] > [eldā] > [elda] ✧ Let/281 ✶elenā > Elda [elenā] > [elnā] > [eldā] > [elda] ✧ PE17/139 ✶edelā > Elda [edelā] > [edlā] > [eldā] > [elda] ✧ PE17/139 ✶eledā > elda [eledā] > [eldā] > [elda] ✧ PE17/141 ✶edelā > elda [edelā] > [edlā] > [eldā] > [elda] ✧ PE17/151 ✶elenā > elda [elenā] > [elnā] > [eldā] > [elda] ✧ PE17/152 ✶edelā > eledā > elda [edelā] > [eledā] > [eldā] > [elda] ✧ PE17/152 ✶elda > Elda [elda] ✧ SA/êl ✶eldā > Elda [eldā] > [elda] ✧ WJ/360 Variations
- elda ✧ PE17/045; PE17/056; PE17/057; PE17/141; PE17/141; PE17/151; PE17/152; PE17/152
elda
of the stars
in
the coimas [lembas] of the eldar
in article, apparently a variant of the definite article i, observed in the phrase i-coimas in-Eldaron "the coimas [lembas] of the Eldar" in PM:403. It looks like the Sindarin plural article, but in Quenya i normally covers both sg. and pl. "the", and the word Eldar does not need any article at all. The alternative reading i-coimas Eldaron (PM:395) is probably to be preferred.
-li
the elves
-li partitive pl. ending (simply called a plural suffix in the Etymologies, stem LI). The ending is used to indicate a plural that is neither generic (e.g. Eldar "the Elves" as a race) nor definite (preceded by article); hence Eldali is used for "some Elves" (a particular group of Elves, when they are first mentioned in a narrative, VT49:8). Sometimes Tolkien also lets -li imply a great number; in PE17:129, the form falmalinnar from _Namárië _is broken down as falma-li-nnar "foam wave-many-towards-pl. ending", and falmali by itself Tolkien translated "many waves" (PE17:73). A distinct accusative in -lī seems to occur in the phrase an i falmalī (PE17:127, apparently meaning the same as i falmalinnar, but replacing the allative ending with a preposition). Genitive -lion in vanimálion, malinornélion (q.v. for reference), allative -linna and -linnar in falmalinnar, q.v. The endings for other cases are only known from the Plotz letter: possessive -líva, dative -lin, locative -lissë or -lissen, ablative -lillo or -lillon, instrumental -línen, "short locative" -lis. When the noun ends in a consonant, r and n is assimilated before l, e.g. Casalli as the partitive pl. of Casar "Dwarf" (WJ:402), or elelli as the partitive pl. of elen "star" (PE17:127). It is unclear whether the same happens in monosyllabic words, or whether a connecting vowel would be slipped in before -li (e.g. ?queneli or ?quelli as the partitive pl. of quén, quen- "person").
elena
of the stars
elena adj. "of the stars" (SA:êl, elen); also elenya
The most common Quenya word for “Elf”. Its literal meaning is “one of the Star-folk” (WJ/374), a name given to them by Oromë (S/49) and derived from the same primitive root √EL as Q. elen “star”. Strictly speaking, this term excludes the Avari who chose not to journey to Valinor, so that the proper term for all of Elvenkind is Q. Quendë “one of the Elven race”. The Elves of the West rarely encountered the Avari, however, so that term Elda was ordinarily broad enough to describe all Elves.
Conceptual Development: This word dates back to the earliest stages of Tolkien’s languages. At its first appearance, ᴱQ. Elda was glossed “a beach-fay” (QL/35), but was soon extended to describe all Elves (LT1/113). In Tolkien’s earliest writings the word was not given a clear etymology. In the Lhammas “Account of Tongues” from the 1930s (LR/168-180), Tolkien gave ᴹQ. Elda the sense of “one who departed” (LR/169), as opposed to the ᴹQ. Lembi “Lingerers” who remained behind (precursors of the Avari). With this sense, Elda was derived from ᴹ√LED “go, fare, travel” (Ety/LED).
Tolkien soon revised the etymology of Elda so that it was derived instead from ᴹ√ELED “star-folk” (Ety/ELED). In some later writings, he considered both etymologies of this word to be valid, so that Elda was blending of both “star-folk” (from √EL) and Q. Eldo “marcher” (from √LED or √DEL), as discussed in the Quendi and Eldar essay from 1959-60 and elsewhere (WJ/362-3, PE17/139). However, the sense “star-folk” is probably better known.
In some notes from 1957, Tolkien considered deriving this word from a variant root √DEL “fair” so that its meaning would be “the fair” (PE17/151), but this seems to have been a transient idea.