él

star

†él noun "star", pl. éli given (WJ:362, EL)

él

noun. star

An archaic or poetic word for star (WJ/362), somewhat common in compounds but in ordinary speech typically appearing as elen. It was derived directly from the primitive root √EL “behold”, the basis for other star words (PM/340; WJ/360).

Conceptual Development: This word first appeared as poetical ᴹQ. él “star” in The Etymologies of the 1930s, already with the derivation given above, though in this document the root ᴹ√EL meant “star” (Ety/EL), a common gloss for the root in later writings as well.

Cognates

• T. él “star” ✧ WJ/362

Derivations

• √EL “lo, behold; star, lo, behold; star, [ᴹ√] starry sky” ✧ PM/340
• ✶ēl “star” ✧ WJ/360
  • √EL “lo, behold; star, lo, behold; star, [ᴹ√] starry sky” ✧ WJ/360

Element in

• Q. Carnil “*Red Star”
• ᴺQ. ëarel “starfish, (lit.) sea-star”
• Q. Elatan “*Star Man”
• ᴺQ. élicombë “galaxy, collection of stars”
• Q. Elostirion “*Star Fort”
• Q. elvëa “starlike”
• Q. Elwë
• Q. Luinil “*Blue Star”
• Q. Undómiel “Evenstar”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√el- > el	[el]	✧ PM/340
✶ēl > él	[ēl]	✧ WJ/360

Variations

• el ✧ PM/340

elen

star

elen noun "star" (SA:êl, elen, EL, VT49:39); pl. eleni (occasionally in verse: eldi) (WJ:362, PE17:127); partitive pl. elelli for elenli (PE17:127), gen. pl. elenion in the phrase Elenion Ancalima "brightest of stars" (LotR2:IV ch. 9; see Letters:385 for translation); elen atta "two stars" (VT49:44), genitive elen atto "of two stars" (VT49:45), eleni neldë "three stars", archaic elenion neldë = "of stars three". Genitive "of 3 stars" = elenion neldë (for archaic elenion neldëo) (VT49:45). Allative elenna "starwards" used as name of Númenor _(Silm; see Elenna)_; ablative pl. elenillor "from stars" in Markirya. **Nai elen siluva ***"may a star shine", VT49:38.

elen

noun. star

The most common Quenya word for “star”, mentioned very frequently, derived from an extended form ✶elen of the root √EL “behold” (PE17/67; WJ/360, 362). Its usual plural form is eleni, but it has an archaic plural †eldi sometimes used in verse, the result of the Ancient Quenya sound whereby [[aq|[ln] became [ld]]] after the ancient plural underwent the Quenya syncope, ✶elenī > AQ. elni; its normal modern plural form eleni was actually a reformation from the singular (PE17/57, 151; WJ/362).

Conceptual Development: This word first appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s, though in the original entry for the root ᴹ√EL Tolkien said it was poetical and gave variants ellen and elena (Ety/EL).

Cognates

• S. êl “star” ✧ PE17/024; PE17/024; PE17/067; PE17/127; PE17/151; SA/êl; WJ/362
• T. él “star” ✧ WJ/367
• T. elen “star” ✧ WJ/362

Derivations

• ✶elen “star” ✧ PE17/067; PE17/151; WJ/360
  • √EL “lo, behold; star, lo, behold; star, [ᴹ√] starry sky” ✧ Let/281; PE17/067; VT42/11; WJ/360
• √EL “lo, behold; star, lo, behold; star, [ᴹ√] starry sky” ✧ PE17/151; PM/340; RGEO/65; SA/êl

Element in

• Q. aiya Eärendil elenion ancalima “hail Eärendil, brightest of stars” ✧ LotR/0720; LotR/0915; PE17/090; PE17/101
• Q. ancalima ep’ eleni “brighter than stars” ✧ PE17/056
• Q. ancalima imbi eleni “brightest among stars” ✧ PE17/091
• Q. arcalima ar eleni “A is brightest of all” ✧ PE17/056
• Q. arcalima ep’ eleni “far and away brighter than stars” ✧ PE17/056 (arcalima ep’ eleni)
• Q. elenion ancalima “brightest of stars” ✧ PE17/056; PE17/056; PE17/056; PE17/057; PE17/091
• Q. Elemmacil “*Star Sword”
• Q. Elemmírë “Elven-gem, Star-gem” ✧ PE19/096
• Q. elen atto “of 2 stars” ✧ VT49/45
• Q. Elendil “Elf-friend, Star-lover”
• Q. Elendur “*Star-servant”
• ᴺQ. elengolmë “astronomy”
• Q. elenillor pella talta-taltala “beyond the stars falling” ✧ MC/222
• Q. eleni neldë “*3 stars” ✧ VT49/45
• Q. elenion neldë “of 3 stars” ✧ VT49/45; VT49/45
• Q. Elenna “Starwards”
• Q. elen síla lúmenn’ omentielvo “a star shines on the hour of our meeting” ✧ Let/265; LotR/0081; PE17/012; WJ/367
• Q. Elentári “Queen of the Stars, Star-queen”
• Q. Elentir “*Star-gazer”
• Q. Elentirmo “Star-watcher” ✧ UT/213
• Q. Elenwë
• Q. elenya “adjective referring to the stars, *of the stars, stellar” ✧ WJ/362
• Q. Elerondo “Elrond, (lit.) Star-dome”
• Q. Elerossë “Star Foam”
• Q. Elerrína “Crowned with Stars”
• Q. Elessar “Elfstone”
• Q. Elestirnë “Star-brow”
• Q. nai elen atta siluvat aurenna veryanwesto “*may two stars shine upon the day of your wedding” ✧ VT49/44; VT49/44
• Q. nai elen siluva lyenna “*may a star shine upon you” ✧ VT49/39
• Q. nai elen siluva parma-restalyanna meldonya “*may a star shine upon your book-fair, my friend” ✧ VT49/39
• Q. yassen tintilar i eleni “wherein the stars tremble” ✧ LotR/0377; RGEO/58
• Q. yassen tintilar i eleni “in which twinkle the stars” ✧ RGEO/59

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶elen > elen	[elen]	✧ PE17/067
✶elni > eldi	[eleni] > [elni] > [eldi]	✧ PE17/151

Variations

• Elen ✧ LotR/0081; WJ/367

ílë

star

ílë noun "star" (LT1:269; rather elen, él in LotR-style Quenya.)

geil

silver spark

pl1. gîl, pl2. giliath _ n. _silver spark. >> gail

gil

noun. star, bright spark

In The Etymologies (Ety/358, corrected by VT/45:15), this word was given as geil , plural gîl. However, later in LotR/E and RGEO/73, Tolkien seems to consider gil as a singular (with no hints in the sources of what the plural would be, besides the collective plural giliath )

gil

noun. star; (bright) spark, silver glint, twinkle of light

The usual word for “star” in Sindarin which replaced archaic/poetic êl; it originally meant “(bright) spark” (RGEO/65; VT42/11). It was derived from the root √(Ñ)GIL meaning “shine (white)” (PE17/152) or “silver glint” (MR/388; PE17/22).

Conceptual Development: This word first appeared as G. gail “a star” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/42), derived from the early root ᴱ√Gil- (GL/38). In the Early Noldorin Grammar Tolkien said ᴱN. gail meant “sign, token, heavenly body” (PE13/123); earlier in this document he gave it the gloss {“life” >>} “sign” (PE13/120 and note #6). In Early Noldorin Word-lists written somewhat later, gail again simply meant “star” (PE13/143), and it was used this way in the Nebrachar poem from around 1930 (MC/217).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien gave it as N. geil “star” from primitive ᴹ✶gilya under the root ᴹ√GIL “shine (white or pale)” (Ety/GIL; EtyAC/GIL). Christopher Tolkien incorrectly marked geil as a plural form in The Etymologies as published in The Lost Road (LR/358), but Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynne corrected this in their Addenda and Corrigenda to the Etymologies (VT45/15). Remnants of this 1930s derivation can be seen in the forms geil/gail in notes from the 1950s, derived from ancient ✶gilyā “silver spark” (PE17/30, 152). Mostly, however, Tolkien represented this word as gil in later writings, including in The Lord of the Rings Appendix E (LotR/1113).

Possible Etymology: The etymology of gil is complicated by Tolkien’s vacillation with the singular form gail (†geil) < ✶gilyā, where the diphthong ai is the result of a-affection of the base vowel from i to e, which after i-intrusion produced ei and this diphthong became ai as usual in final syllables and monosyllables: gilyā [ >✱geli(a)] > geil > gail. Signs of this etymology can be seen in the class plural giliath as in S. Dagor-nuin-Giliath “Battle-under-Stars” (S/106).

With this alternate derivation, the plural form would still be gîl, since the ancient plural -ī prevented a-affection, and the prefixal form likewise would have been gil- (PE17/152). However, this derivation conflicts with Tolkien’s usual presentation of the singular form as gil. In some places Tolkien gave a primitive form like ✶(ñ)gillē (PE17/23) or a Sindarin form gill (PE17/50), but I think it is best to assume primitive ✱gili- to explain singular gil and class-plural giliath.

Cognates

• Q. nillë “silver glint; Valinorian imagines [images of real stars]” ✧ MR/470; PE17/022; MR/388; MR/471

Derivations

• √(Ñ)GIL “shine (white); silver glint; white or silver light” ✧ MR/388; PE17/022; PE17/152
• ✶gilyā “silver spark” ✧ PE17/152
  • √(Ñ)GIL “shine (white); silver glint; white or silver light” ✧ PE17/152

Element in

• S. Borgil “Red-star” ✧ Let/427
• S. Dagor-nuin-Giliath “Battle-under-Stars” ✧ S/106; SA/gil
• S. Gilbarad
• S. Gildor
• S. Gil-Estel “Star of (High) Hope” ✧ SA/gil
• S. Gil-Amdir
• S. Gil-Orrain “Star of High Hope”
• S. Gil-galad “Starlight, (lit.) Star of Radiance” ✧ PE17/023; PE17/050; RGEO/65; SA/gil
• S. Gilmith “*Grey Star”
• S. Gilraen “*Netted Stars” ✧ PE22/159; VT42/11
• S. Gilrain “*Wandering Star”
• S. Gilthoniel “Star-kindler” ✧ PE17/022; RGEO/65
• S. Gilammoth
• S. Orgilion “*Star-day, Saturday”
• S. Osgiliath “Citadel of the Stars” ✧ PE17/023; PE17/030; RC/232; RGEO/65; SA/gil
• S. Thorongil “Eagle of the Star”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶gilyā > geil > gail	[giljā] > [gilja] > [gelja] > [gelia] > [geli] > [geil] > [gail]	✧ PE17/152
√GIL > gîl	[gilji] > [gilī] > [gil] > [gīl]	✧ PE17/152

Variations

• gil- ✧ PE17/023; PE22/159
• geil ✧ PE17/030 (geil)
• gail ✧ PE17/030; PE17/152
• Gill ✧ PE17/050

gail

silver spark

pl1. gîl, pl2. giliath _ n. _silver spark. >> gail, geil

gail

noun. silver spark, silver spark, [ᴱN.] star; sign, token, heavenly body

gil-

noun. star

gill

noun. star

el

star

n. star.

giliath

noun. all the host of stars

elen

star

pl1. elin, pl2. elenath _n._star. Its collective plural (pl2.) designates 'the (host of all the) stars, (all) the (visible) stars of the firmament'. Q. elen, pl1. eldi, eleni. o menel aglar elenath ! lit. 'from Firmament glory of the stars !'. >> êl

elen

noun. star

êl

noun. star (little used except in verses)

êl

star

pl1. elin, pl2. elenath** ** n. star. Q. elen, pl1. eldi, eleni, pl2. elelli. >> elen

êl

noun. star

A Sindarin word for “star” that is largely archaic and poetic, and is mainly used as element in names like Elrond (Let/281; WJ/363; Ety/EL); the more usual word for “star” in ordinary speech was gil (RGEO/65). However, the collective form elenath is still used in common speech to refer to the entire host of stars (WJ/363). The plural of êl is elin, as this word was derived from ancient ✶elen, and the final n that was lost in the singular was preserved in the plural. In some cases Tolkien posited a restored analogical singular elen from the plural form (PE17/24, 67, 139), but this isn’t in keeping with the notion that the word was archaic, so I would ignore this for purposes of Neo-Sindarin.

Conceptual Development: This word and its root first appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s, where N. el “star” was derived from the root ᴹ√EL of similar meaning, but was “only [used] in names” (Ety/EL). It seems Tolkien introduced the root to give a new etymology for names like N. Elrond and N. Elwing, which initially appeared under the root ᴹ√ƷEL “sky” (Ety/ƷEL).

Cognates

• Q. elen “star” ✧ PE17/024; PE17/024; PE17/067; PE17/127; PE17/151; SA/êl; WJ/362

Derivations

• √EL “lo, behold; star, lo, behold; star, [ᴹ√] starry sky” ✧ Let/281; RGEO/65; SA/êl
• ✶elen “star” ✧ PE17/067; PE17/139; PE22/150; WJ/360
  • √EL “lo, behold; star, lo, behold; star, [ᴹ√] starry sky” ✧ Let/281; PE17/067; VT42/11; WJ/360

Element in

• S. Anglachel “*Iron-of-the-flaming-star”
• S. Anguirel “*Iron-of-the-fiery-star”
• S. Eladar “Starfather”
• S. elanor “pimpernel, small golden star-shaped flower, (lit.) sun-star” ✧ PE17/055
• S. Elbereth “Queen of Stars, (lit.) Star-queen” ✧ PE17/022; RGEO/65
• S. Elrond “Star-dome”
• S. Elros “Star-foam”
• S. Elu ✧ PM/369
• ᴺS. elui “starry”
• S. Elwing “Star-spray” ✧ PM/369
• S. Nan Elmoth “*Valley of Starry Dusk”
• S. Narn en·Êl “*Tale of the Star” ✧ MR/373
• S. Narn e·Dant Gondolin ar Orthad en·Êl “*Tale of the Fall of Gondolin and the Raising of the Star” ✧ MR/373
• S. o menel aglar elenath “from heaven on high the glory of the starry host” ✧ LotR/0238; PE17/024; RGEO/63; RGEO/64

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√EL > êl	[elen] > [ele] > [el] > [ēl]	✧ Let/281
✶elen > êl	[elen] > [ele] > [el] > [ēl]	✧ PE17/067
✶ELEN > êl	[elen] > [ele] > [el] > [ēl]	✧ PE17/139
✶elenī > elin	[elenī] > [eleni] > [elini] > [elin]	✧ PE22/150
√EL > êl	[elen] > [ele] > [el] > [ēl]	✧ RGEO/65
√ele > êl	[elen] > [ele] > [el] > [ēl]	✧ SA/êl
✶elen > êl	[elen] > [ele] > [el] > [ēl]	✧ WJ/360

Variations

• Êl ✧ MR/373
• el- ✧ PE17/022
• elen ✧ PE17/024; PE17/067; PE17/139
• el(en) ✧ PE17/025
• el ✧ PE17/055; PM/369

gîl

star

gîl (i ngîl = i ñîl, o n**gîl, construct gil) (bright spark, silver glint), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gîl = i ñgîl), coll. pl. giliath** (RGEO, MR:388). Poetic †êl (elen-, pl. elin, coll. pl. elenath) (RGEO, Letters:281, WJ:363).

gîl

star

(i ngîl = i ñîl, o n’gîl, construct gil) (bright spark, silver glint), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gîl = i ñgîl), coll. pl. giliath **(RGEO, MR:388). Poetic †êl (elen-, pl. **elin, coll. pl. elenath) (RGEO, Letters:281, WJ:363).

gildin

silver spark

gildin (i ngildin = i ñildin, o n**gildin = o ñgildin), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gildin** = i ñgildin). ”

gilion

of stars

(lenited ngilion; pl. gilioen). Archaic ✱giliaun.

él

noun. star

Cognates

• Q. él “star” ✧ WJ/362
• Q. elen “star” ✧ WJ/367

Derivations

• ✶ēl “star” ✧ WJ/360
  • √EL “lo, behold; star, lo, behold; star, [ᴹ√] starry sky” ✧ WJ/360

Element in

• T. él síla lúmena vomentienguo “A star shines upon the hour of the meeting of our ways” ✧ WJ/407

Variations

• ēl ✧ WJ/362; WJ/407

elen

noun. star

Cognates

• Q. elen “star” ✧ WJ/362

Derivations

• ✶elen “star” ✧ WJ/360
  • √EL “lo, behold; star, lo, behold; star, [ᴹ√] starry sky” ✧ Let/281; PE17/067; VT42/11; WJ/360

gilyā

noun. silver spark

Derivations

• √(Ñ)GIL “shine (white); silver glint; white or silver light” ✧ PE17/152

Derivatives

• S. gil “star; (bright) spark, silver glint, twinkle of light” ✧ PE17/152

ēl

noun. star

Derivations

• √EL “lo, behold; star, lo, behold; star, [ᴹ√] starry sky” ✧ WJ/360

Derivatives

• Q. él “star” ✧ WJ/360
• T. él “star” ✧ WJ/360

Element in

• ✶eledā “star-folk, of the stars” ✧ WJ/360
• ✶elen-barathī “star-queen” ✧ PE17/066

Variations

• el ✧ PE17/066

elen

noun. star

Derivations

• √EL “lo, behold; star, lo, behold; star, [ᴹ√] starry sky” ✧ Let/281; PE17/067; VT42/11; WJ/360

Derivatives

• ✶elenā “connected with or concerning the stars” ✧ PE17/139
  • Q. Elda “Elf, (lit.) one of the Star-folk” ✧ PE17/139; PE17/152
  • S. Ell “Elf” ✧ PE17/141
    • S. Elleth “Elf-maid” ✧ PE17/141
    • S. Ellon “Elf-man” ✧ PE17/141
  • Q. elenya “adjective referring to the stars, *of the stars, stellar” ✧ WJ/360
  • S. Eledh “Elf” ✧ PE17/139; WJ/360
• Q. elen “star” ✧ PE17/067; PE17/151; WJ/360
• S. êl “star” ✧ PE17/067; PE17/139; PE22/150; WJ/360
• T. elen “star” ✧ WJ/360

Element in

• ✶elenā “connected with or concerning the stars” ✧ WJ/360
• ✶elen-barathī “star-queen” ✧ MR/387
• Q. Elentári “Queen of the Stars, Star-queen” ✧ PE17/022
• S. Elbereth “Queen of Stars, (lit.) Star-queen” ✧ PE17/022; PE17/023

Variations

• ĕlĕn ✧ Let/281
• ELEN ✧ PE17/022; PE17/139; PE17/152
• el-en ✧ PE17/023
• elen- ✧ VT42/11

geil

noun. star, bright spark

geil

noun. star

Derivations

• ᴹ✶gilya “star” ✧ Ety/GIL
  • ᴹ√GIL “shine (white or pale)” ✧ Ety/GIL

Element in

• N. Dagor nuin Giliath “Battle-under-Stars”
• N. Dagor-os-Giliath “Battle under Stars”
• N. Edegil “Seven Stars” ✧ Ety/OT
• N. Gilbrennil “Varda” ✧ Ety/GIL
• N. Gildor
• N. Gil-galad “Starlight” ✧ Ety/GIL
• N. gilhof “dew, *(lit.) star-juice”
• N. gilith “starlight, *region of the stars” ✧ Ety/GIL
• N. Gilthoniel “Star-maker, Lady of the Stars” ✧ Ety/GIL
• N. Argilion “*Star-day”
• N. Osgiliath “Fortress of the Stars”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶gilya > gíl	[gilji] > [gilī] > [gil] > [gīl]	✧ Ety/GIL
ᴹ✶gilya > geil	[gilja] > [gelja] > [gelia] > [geli] > [geil]	✧ Ety/GIL

Variations

• gîl ✧ EtyAC/GIL

el

noun. star

Cognates

• ᴹQ. él “star” ✧ Ety/EL
• ᴹQ. elen “star” ✧ Ety/EL; Ety/EL

Derivations

• ᴹ√EL “star, starry sky” ✧ Ety/EL; Ety/EL

Element in

• N. elanor “sun-star”
• N. Elbereth “Queen of Stars, (lit.) Star Queen” ✧ Ety/EL
• N. Elrond “Starry-dome, Sky” ✧ Ety/EL
• N. Elros “Star-foam”
• N. Eldûn “*West-star”
• N. Elrûn “*East-star”
• N. Elwing “Star-spray” ✧ Ety/EL; Ety/EL

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√EL > el	[elen] > [ele] > [el]	✧ Ety/EL

gildin

noun. silver spark

A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “silver spark”, a combination of the root ᴹ√GIL and ᴹ√TIN (Ety/TIN). Presumably this refers to stars, since both roots also have derivatives referring to stars.

giliath

noun. all the host of stars