elw

adjective. (pale) blue

Cognates

• ᴹQ. helwa “(pale) blue” ✧ Ety/ƷEL

Derivations

• On. elwa “(pale) blue” ✧ Ety/ƷEL
  • ᴹ√ƷEL “sky” ✧ Ety/ƷEL

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
On. elwa > elw	[elwa] > [elw] > [elu]	✧ Ety/ƷEL

elw

adjective. (pale) blue

gael

adjective. pale, glimmering

lhûn

adjective. blue

Cognates

• ᴹQ. lúne “blue, blue, [ᴱQ.] deep blue” ✧ Ety/LUG²

Derivations

• ᴹ✶lugni “blue” ✧ Ety/LUG²
  • ᴹ√LUG “*blue” ✧ Ety/LUG²

Element in

• N. Eredluin “Blue Mountains” ✧ Ety/LUG²
• N. Lhûn “Blue River”
• N. Lhúnorodrim “Blue Mountains” ✧ Ety/LUG²
• N. Luindirien “Blue Towers” ✧ Ety/LUG²
• N. Tor-dilluin

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶lugni > lhûn	[lugni] > [lugne] > [luŋne] > [lūne] > [lūn] > [l̥ūn]	✧ Ety/LUG²
ᴹ✶lugni > luin	[lugnī] > [lugni] > [luŋni] > [lūni] > [luin] > [l̥uin]	✧ Ety/LUG²

nim-

adjective. pale, white

nimp

adjective. pale, white

nimp

adjective. pale

Cognates

• ᴹQ. ninqe “white” ✧ Ety/NIK-W

Derivations

• ᴹ√NIK(W) “*snow; white” ✧ Ety/NIK-W

Element in

• N. Ered Nimras “White Mountains”
• N. Ered Nimrath “White Mountains”
• N. Ephel Nimrais
• N. Nimbrethil
• N. Nimloth “Pale Blossom”
• N. nimmid(a)- “to whiten” ✧ Ety/NIK-W
• N. Nimdil “White Horn”
• N. nínim “snowdrop”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√NIK-W > nimp	[niŋkwi] > [niŋkwe] > [nimpe] > [nimpʰe] > [nimɸe] > [nimfe] > [nimf] > [nimp] > [nimp]	✧ Ety/NIK-W

glinn

noun. (pale) blue

Cognates

• ᴹQ. ilin “pale blue” ✧ Ety/GLINDI

Derivations

• ᴹ√GLINDI “pale blue” ✧ Ety/GLINDI

Element in

• N. Eredlindon “Mountains of Lindon, (earlier) Blue Mountains” ✧ Ety/GLINDI (Ered-lindon); LR/405

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√GLINDI > glind > glinn	[glindi] > [glinde] > [glind] > [glinn]	✧ Ety/GLINDI

Variations

• glinn ✧ Ety/GLINDI (glinn)
• lind ✧ LR/405

meidh

adjective. pale, fallow, fawn

lhûn

adjective. (unknown meaning)

This word, which also appears on the map of Middle-earth in LotR, is glossed as "blue" in The Etymologies, but Tolkien later rejected this meaning (as luin was already used in that sense). He then proposed several explanations for it, including the possible adaptation of a Dwarvish name into Sindarin, but he apparently never reached a definitive solution.

maidh

adjective. pale, fallow, fawn