-ndil

friend

-ndil (also -dil) ending occurring in many names, like Amandil, Eärendil; it implies devotion or disinterested love and may be translated "friend" (SA:(noun)dil); this ending is "describing the attitude of one to a person, thing, course or occupation to which one is devoted for its own sake" (Letters:386). Compare -ndur. It is unclear whether the names derived with the ending -ndil are necessarily masculine, though we have no certain example of a woman's name in -ndil; the name Vardilmë (q.v.) may suggest that the corresponding feminine ending is -(n)dilmë.

-ndur

friend

-ndur (also -dur), ending in some names, like Eärendur; as noted by Christopher Tolkien in the Silmarillion Appendix it has much the same meaning as -ndil "friend"; yet -ndur properly means "servant of" (SA:(noun)dil), "as one serves a legitimate master: cf. Q. arandil king's friend, royalist, beside arandur 'king's servant, minister'. But these often coincide: e.g. Sam's relation to Frodo can be viewed either as in status -ndur, in spirit -ndil." (Letters:286)

-ser

friend

-ser noun "friend" (SER)

heldo

friend

[heldo, also helmo, fem. heldë, noun "friend" (VT46:3)]

meldë

friend

#meldë noun "friend", feminine (meldenya "my friend" in the Elaine inscription [VT49:40], Tolkien referring to Elaine Griffiths). Compare meldo.

málo

noun. friend

friend, comrade

málo

friend

málo noun "friend" (MEL, VT49:22)

nildo

friend

nildo noun "friend" (apparently masc.; contrast nildë) (NIL/NDIL)

nildë

friend

nildë noun "friend" (fem.) (NIL/NDIL)

nilmo

friend

nilmo noun "friend" (apparently masc.) (NIL/NDIL)

sermo

friend

sermo noun "friend" (evidently masc., since sermë is stated to be fem.) (SER)

sermë

friend

sermë noun "friend" (fem.) (SER)

seron

friend

seron noun "friend" (SER)

sondo

friend

[sondo noun "friend" (VT46:15)]

meldo

friend, lover

meldo noun "friend, lover". _(VT45:34, quoting a deleted entry in the Etymologies, but cf. the pl. #_meldor in Eldameldor "Elf-lovers", WJ:412) **Meldonya *"my friend" (VT49:38, 40). It may be that meldo is the distinctly masculine form, corresponding to feminine #meldë** (q.v.)

meldo

noun. friend, lover

Cognates

• S. mellon “friend” ✧ WJ/412

Derivations

• √MEL “love, love, [ᴹ√] love (as friend)”

Element in

• Q. Eldameldor “Elf-friends, Elf-lovers” ✧ WJ/412
• Q. nai elen siluva parma-restalyanna meldonya “*may a star shine upon your book-fair, my friend” ✧ VT49/40

málo

noun. friend, comrade

Derivations

• √MEL “love, love, [ᴹ√] love (as friend)” ✧ PE18/096

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√MEL > mālo	[mę̄lō] > [mālō] > [mālo]	✧ PE18/096

Variations

• mālo ✧ PE18/096

Quende#

noun. Elf

Elf

quendë

elf

quendë noun "Elf", the little-used analogical sg. of Quendi, q.v. (KWEN(ED), WJ:361)

Urundil

copper-lover

Urundil masc. name, "copper-lover" (PM:365); this may suggest #urun as one word for "copper", unless this is the ending -ndil "friend, lover" suffixed to #uru- as a reduced form of urus, q.v.

urundil

masculine name. Copper-lover

An early sobriquet of the father of Nerdanel, more widely known than his given name Sarmo (PM/366). This name is a compound of the root √URUN “copper” and the suffix -(n)dil “-friend, -lover”. In later writings, Tolkien changed his given name from Sarmo to Mahtan, so perhaps this sobriquet no longer applied.

Nolondil

friend of lore/knowledge

Nolondil (ñ?)masc. name, perhaps "friend of lore/knowledge", the initial element nolo- reflecting the root ÑGOL having to do with knowledge (cf. nolo- in Nolofinwë) + -ndil "friend" (UT:210)

Vardilmë

varda-friend; one devoted to varda

Vardilmë, fem. name (UT:210), perhaps *"Varda-friend; one devoted to Varda" (if so this would be a contraction of *Vardandilmë, with -(n)dilmë as the feminine form of -ndil "friend")

ranyar

noun. wanderer

Derivations

• √RAN “wander, stray, meander, go on an uncertain course, go aside from a course (commanded or self-chosen); err”

mellon

noun. friend

mellon

noun. friend

_ n. _friend. Pedo mellon a minno! 'Say friend and enter'. 

mellon

noun. friend

Cognates

• Q. meldo “friend, lover” ✧ WJ/412

Derivations

• √MEL “love, love, [ᴹ√] love (as friend)” ✧ SA/mel

Element in

• S. ar e aníra ennas suilannad mhellyn în phain “and he desires to greet there all his friends” ✧ AotM/062; SD/129
• S. Elvellyn “Elf-friends, Elf-lovers” ✧ WJ/412
• S. mellyn enin Edhellion “*friends of the Elves” ✧ PE17/097
• S. pedo beth mellon “say the word mellon” ✧ VT44/26
• S. pedo mellon a minno “speak, friend, and enter; (alternately) say ‘friend’ and enter” ✧ LotR/0305; LotR/0305; PE17/041

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√mel- > mellon	[meldondo] > [melðondo] > [melðond] > [mellond] > [mellonn] > [mellon]	✧ SA/mel

Variations

• Mellon ✧ LotR/0308; LotRI/Mellon

elvellon

noun. elf-friend

-dil

suffix. friend, lover

Cognates

• Q. -(n)dil “-friend, -lover; devotion, disinterested love”

Derivations

• √N(D)IL “to love (as a friend or equal), be devoted to, to love (as a friend or equal), be devoted to; [ᴹ√] love, devotion; friend”

Element in

• S. Edennil “Friend of Men”
• S. Gaerdil “*Sea-lover” ✧ PE17/027
• S. Gelennil “Lover of Trees”

-nil

suffix. friend, lover

lachend

noun. Deep Elf (Sindarin name for the Ñoldor)

randír

noun. wanderer, pilgrim

mornedhel

noun. Dark-Elf

ped-

verb. to speak, to say

pedo

verb. speak! say!

galadhrim

noun. Elves of Lothlórien

edhel

noun. Elf

edhel

noun. Elf

_ n. _Elf, a general name for all the Elves (since the name Quendi had gone out of use in Sindarin). Probably related to or connected with Q. Elda. >> edhellen

edhel

Elf

pl1. edhil, pl2. edhellim {ð} _n. _Elf. A name used by the Sindar for themselves, characterizing other varieties by an adjective or prefix. >> Aredhel, Thinnedhel

edhel

Elf

{ð} _n. _Elf.

edhel

Elf

d _ n. _Elf. Q. elda.

ellon

noun. elf

laegel

noun. a Green Elf

calben

noun. Elf of the Great Journey (lit. "light person")

calben

noun. all Elves but the Avari

miniel

noun. an Elf, one of the Vanyar

glinnel

noun. Elf, one of the Teleri

iathrim

noun. Elves of Doriath

lachenn

noun. Deep Elf (Sindarin name for the Ñoldor)

laegrim

noun. the people of the Green Elves

elleth

noun. elf-maid

telerrim

noun. the Teleri, a tribe of Elves

edhelharn

noun. elf-stone

egladhrim

noun. "The Forsaken", Elves of the Falathrim

golodhrim

noun. Deep Elves, Gnomes

laegeldrim

noun. the people of the Green Elves

tawarwaith

noun. Silvan elves

ell

noun. elf

n. elf, esp. [?in ?the ?South]. Noldorin form.

Teler

noun. an Elf, one of the Teleri

eglath

noun. "The Forsaken", Elves of the Falathrim

pedo mellon a minno

speak, friend, and enter; (alternately) say ‘friend’ and enter

Element in

• S. Moria Gate Inscription

Elements

Word	Gloss
ped-	“to say, speak”
mellon	“friend”
a	“and; †by, near, beside”
minna-	“to go in, enter”

Variations

• Pedo mellon a minno ✧ PE17/040

golodh

noun. "Deep Elf" or "Gnome", one of the Wise Folk

ódhel

noun. Deep Elf or Gnome, one of the Wise Folk

gódhel

noun. "Deep Elf" or "Gnome", one of the Wise Folk

dúnedhel

noun. Elf of the West, Elf of Beleriand (including Noldor and Sindar)

ódhellim

noun. Deep Elves or Gnomes, the Wise Folk

gódhellim

noun. "Deep Elves" or "Gnomes", the Wise Folk

meldis

friend

(i veldis), no distinct pl. form except with article (i meldis), coll. pl. meldissath.

mellon

friend

1) (masc.) mellon (i vellon) (lover), pl. mellyn (i mellyn), coll. pl. mellonnath. Also meldir (i veldir), no distinct pl. form except with article (i meldir). Also seron (i heron, o seron), pl. seryn (i seryn), coll. pl. seronnath. 2) (fem.) meldis (i veldis), no distinct pl. form except with article (i meldis), coll. pl. meldissath.

mellon

friend

(i vellon) (lover), pl. mellyn (i mellyn), coll. pl. mellonnath. Also meldir (i veldir), no distinct pl. form except with article (i meldir). Also seron (i heron, o seron), pl. seryn (i seryn), coll. pl. seronnath.

randir

wanderer

randir (pilgrim), no distinct pl. form except with article: idh randir. ”” as name of the Moon, see MOON.

randir

wanderer

(pilgrim), no distinct pl. form except with article: idh randir. ”

ped

speak

ped- (i **bêd**, i phedir) (say), pa.t. pent (attested in mutated form -phent); the imperative pedo is also attested.: No word simply meaning “spear” is attested, but cf. the following:

ped

speak

(i bêd, i phedir) (say), pa.t. pent (attested in mutated form -phent); the imperative pedo is also attested.

edhel

elf

edhel (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.

cwenda

noun. elf

A doubtful word according to Tolkien's later conception; in the branch of Eldarin that Nandorin belongs to, primitive KW became P far back in Elvish linguistic history [WJ:375 cf. 407 note 5]. This was not a problem in Tolkien's earlier conception, in which the Danians came from the host of the Noldor, not the Teleri [see PM:76; the idea of the Nandor being of Noldorin origin also occurs in VT47:29]. In his later version of Nandorin, the word cwenda is probably best ignored; simply emending it to *penda would produce a clash with primitive pendâ "sloping" [cf. WJ:375].

In the Etymologies, Tolkien derived cwenda from kwenedê "elf" (stem KWEN(ED) of similar meaning, LR:366; as for the shift of original final -ê to Nandorin -â, compare hrassa "precipice" from khrassê). But later the primitive word that yielded Quenya Quende was reconstructed as kwende (WJ:360).

No certain example shows how original short final -e comes out in Nandorin, so we cannot say whether kwende is also capable of yielding cwenda, ignoring the question of kw failing to become p.

galadrim

noun. Elves of Lothlórien

Note: "The Galadrim were 'Tree-people' (though the formation is Sindarin, + S [rim] = Q rimbë, great number) = true Sindarin galadhrim."

Danas

noun. Green-elves, Nandor

In Etym derived from the stem DAN (LR:353), simply defined as an "element found in names of the Green-elves", and tentatively compared to NDAN "back" (since the Nandor "turned back" and did not complete the march to the Sea). Tolkien's later view on the derivation of the name of the Green-elves, as set down in WJ:412, is that the stem dan- and its strengthened form ndan- do indeed have a similar meaning: these forms have to do with "the reversal of an action, so as to undo or nullify its effect", and a primitive form ndandô, "one who goes back on his word or decision", is suggested. However, it seems unlikely that the Nandor would have called themselves by such a name, and indeed Tolkien in WJ:385 states that "this people still called themselves by the old clan-name Lindai [= Quenya Lindar], which had at that time taken the form Lindi in their tongue". It may be, then, that Tolkien had rejected the idea that the Nandor called themselves Danas. - As for the ending -as, it is probably to be compared to the Sindarin class plural ending -ath; indeed a Sindarin ("Noldorin") form Danath evidently closely corresponding to Danas is given in LR:353.

n(d)il

root. to love (as a friend or equal), be devoted to, to love (as a friend or equal), be devoted to; [ᴹ√] love, devotion; friend

This root for friendship and devotion first appeared as ᴹ√NIL or strengthened ᴹ√NDIL “friend” in The Etymologies of the 1930s with a number of Quenya derivatives of similar meaning, the most significant being the suffixes ᴹQ. -nil or -dil, which Tolkien said was the equivalent of Old English “-wine” (“-friend”). In The Etymologies, ᴹ√DIL was an unrelated root meaning “stop up, fill up hole” (Ety/DIL). The strengthened root ᴹ√NDIL was mentioned again with the gloss “love, devotion” in The Notion Club Papers of the 1940s (SD/241, 305).

The unstrengthened form √NIL appeared in a letter to David Masson from 1955, where Tolkien said “√NIL means to love as a friend or equal”, as opposed to √(N)DUR which meant “to show special interest in things such as trees, astronomy, gems, medicine, sea, etc.” (PE17/152). Tolkien went on to say that, properly speaking, -(n)dil could apply only to persons and -(n)dur should be used of things, with names like Meneldil and Anardil being “Mannish” misuses of the suffix.

The root appeared again as √(N)DIL “to love, be devoted to” in the draft of a letter to Mr. Rang from 1967, where Tolkien clarified that it described “the attitude of one to a person, thing, course or occupation to which one is devoted for its own sake” (Let/386). This seems to be the only place where Tolkien clearly indicates the unstrengthened form is √DIL. Tolkien again clarified the distinction with √(N)DUR in a footnote:

> This provides the key to a large number of other Elvish Q. names, such as Elendil “Elf-friend” (eled+ndil), Valandil, Mardil the Good Steward (devoted to the House, sc. of the Kings) Meneldil “astronomer” etc. Of similar significance in names is -(n)dur, though properly this means “to serve”, as one serves a legitimate master: cf. Q. arandil “king’s friend, royalist”, beside arandur “king’s servant, minister”. But these often coincide: e.g. Sam’s relation to Frodo can be viewed either as in status -ndur, in spirit -ndil. Compare among the variant names: Eärendur “(professional) mariner” (Let/386).

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin I would leave the unstrengthened form of this root as √NIL to retain the use of ᴹ√DIL “stop up, fill up hole” from the 1930s. I would also assume that √N(D)IL means “devotion” from a position of equality and friendship, as opposed to √(N)DUR which means devotion from a position of subservience. Hence Elendil = “Elf friend” [as equals] but Valandur = “Servant of the Vala” [from a lesser position].

Derivatives

• ✶-ndīl
  • Q. -(n)dil “-friend, -lover; devotion, disinterested love”
• ✶ndilā- “to love, be devoted to”
• ✶ndīli “a special concern with or love for”
  • Q. nílë “a special concern with or love for” ✧ PE21/86
• Q. -(n)dil “-friend, -lover; devotion, disinterested love” ✧ Let/386; PE17/152
• ᴺQ. nil- “to love, have special concern/care/interest for”
• Q. nilmë “love, concern for things other than self for their own sakes” ✧ NM/016
• S. -dil “friend, lover”

Element in

• ✶Eled-nil “lover of the Elves” ✧ NM/016; NM/020; PE17/152
• ✶Elendīl “Star-lover” ✧ NM/020
• Q. Eärendil “Lover of the Sea” ✧ Let/386; NM/016; NM/020
• Q. Ornendil “*Tree-friend” ✧ NM/016; NM/020
• Q. Valandil “Lover of the Valar” ✧ NM/016; NM/020
• ᴺS. dilith “friendship”

Variations

• (N)DIL ✧ Let/386
• ndil ✧ NM/016; NM/020
• NIL ✧ PE17/152; PE17/168

elf

noun. friend

Cognates

• ᴹQ. helmo “friend” ✧ EtyAC/ÑEL

Derivations

• ᴹ√ÑEL “friendship” ✧ EtyAC/ÑEL

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√ÑEL > elf	[ŋelmo] > [elmo] > [elm] > [elv]	✧ EtyAC/ÑEL

meldir

noun. friend

meldis

noun. friend

mellon

noun. friend

mellon

noun. friend

Cognates

• ᴹQ. málo “friend” ✧ Ety/MEL
• ᴹQ. meldo “(friend), lover” ✧ EtyAC/MEL

Derivations

• ᴹ√MEL “love (as friend)” ✧ Ety/MEL; EtyAC/MEL

Element in

• N. pedo mellon a minno “speak, friend, and enter” ✧ TI/182

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√MEL > meldon > mellon	[meldondo] > [melðondo] > [melðond] > [mellond] > [mellonn] > [mellon]	✧ EtyAC/MEL

Variations

• Mellon ✧ TI/181

thond

noun. friend

Cognates

• ᴹQ. sondo “friend” ✧ EtyAC/SON

Derivations

• ᴹ√SON “love, befriend, cherish” ✧ EtyAC/SON

Element in

• N. Elethon “Ælfwine” ✧ EtyAC/SON (Elethon)
• N. Manathon “Bliss-friend” ✧ EtyAC/SON (Manathon*)

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√SON > thond	[tʰondo] > [θondo] > [θond]	✧ EtyAC/SON

rhandir

noun. wanderer, pilgrim

pedo mellon a minno

speak, friend, and enter

Element in

• N. Moria Gate Inscription (draft)

edhel

noun. Elf

golodhrim

noun. Deep Elves, Gnomes

golodh

noun. "Deep Elf" or "Gnome", one of the Wise Folk