Gilraen

noun. Gilraen

prop. n. >> raen

gilraen

feminine name. *Netted Stars

Aragorn’s mother (LotR/1113). Her name is a combination of gil “star” and raen “netted, enlaced”, meaning “one adorned with a tressure set with small gems in its network” (VT42/11), more more loosely “✱Netted Star”.

Conceptual Development: In drafts of the Lord of the Rings appendices, her name was Gilrain (PM/196). In notes from the 1950s, he indicated the second element of her name was raen “smiling, gracious, sweet-faced” (PE17/182).

Changes

• Gilrain → Gilraen ✧ PMI/Gilrain

Elements

Word	Gloss
gil	“star; (bright) spark, silver glint, twinkle of light”
raen	“netted, enlaced”

Variations

• Gilrain ✧ PMI/Gilrain (Gilrain)

gilrain

place name. *Wandering Star

A river in Gondor (LotR/875), a combination of gil “star” and rain “erratic wandering” (UT/242, VT42/12-3). Note that the river name Gilraen in The Silmarillion appendix is a typo (SA/ran), since that form is the name of Aragorn’s mother.

Conceptual Development: In Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, this river was first named N. Lameduin.

Elements

Word	Gloss
gil	“star; (bright) spark, silver glint, twinkle of light”
rain	“erratic wandering”

Variations

• Gilraen ✧ SA/ran

Gilraen

Gilraen

The name Gilraen is said to mean "(Lady) netted with Stars",[source?] as she wore a ceremonial headgarb with many jewels.