gwaith (i **waith) (manhood, manpower, troop of able-bodied men, host, regiment, region; wilderness), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwaith**).
Sindarin
gwaith
noun. people; region, people, [ᴱN.] men, folk; [N.] manhood; man-power, troop of able bodied men, host, regiment; [S.] region
Cognates
- Q. vehtë “[a span of] life; habitat, haunt” ✧ PE17/190
Derivations
Element in
- S. Danwaith
- S. Drúwaith “the wilderness of the Drû-folk”
- S. Eluwaith
- S. Enedwaith “Middle-region, Middle-folk” ✧ Let/224; SA/gwaith
- S. Forodwaith “North-region, Northmen” ✧ Let/224
- S. Gaurwaith “Wolf-men”
- S. Gwaith-i-Mírdain “People of the Jewel Smiths” ✧ SA/gwaith
- S. Haradwaith “South-folk, the Harad”
- S. Tawarwaith “Forest People”
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶weg-tē > gwaith [wegtē] > [wektē] > [wekte] > [wektʰe] > [wexθe] > [gwexθe] > [gweiθe] > [gweiθ] > [gwaiθ] ✧ PE17/189
gwaith
noun. manhood
gwaith
noun. man power, troop of able-bodied men, host, regiment, people
gwaith
noun. region, wilderness
gwaith
noun. a 'people' associated by place and occupation
gwath
noun. shade, shadow, dim light
gwath
noun. stain
gwaith
people
gwaith
manhood
gwaith (i **waith) (manpower, troop of able-bodied men, host, regiment, people, region; wilderness), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwaith**)
gwaith
regiment
gwaith (i **waith) (manhood, manpower, troop of able-bodied men, host, people, region; wilderness), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwaith**)
gwaith
able-bodied men, troop of
gwaith (i **waith) (manhood, manpower, host, regiment, people, region; wilderness), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwaith**)
gwaith
troop of able-bodied men
gwaith (i **waith) (manhood, manpower, host, regiment, people, region; wilderness), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwaith**).
gwaith
troop of able-bodied men
gwaith (i **waith) (manhood, manpower, host, regiment, people, region; wilderness), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwaith**)
gwaith
manpower
gwaith (i **waith) (manhood, troop of able-bodied men, host, regiment, people, region; wilderness), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwaith**)
gwaith
manpower
gwaith (i **waith) (manhood, troop of able-bodied men, host, regiment, people, region; wilderness), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwaith**)
gwaith
region
(i ’waith) (manhood, manpower, troop of able-bodied men, host, regiment, people, wilderness), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwaith).
gwaith
host
(i ’waith) (manhood, manpower, troop of able-bodied men, regiment, people, region; wilderness), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwaith). –
gwaith
troop of able-bodied men
(i ’waith) (manhood, manpower, host, regiment, people, region; wilderness), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwaith)
gwaith
people
(i ’waith) (manhood, manpower, troop of able-bodied men, host, regiment, region; wilderness), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwaith).
gwaith
wilderness
(i ’waith) (also meaning manhood, manpower, troop of able-bodied men, host, regiment, people, region), no distinct pl. form except when marked as pl. by article (in gwaith).
gwaith
manhood
(i ’waith) (manpower, troop of able-bodied men, host, regiment, people, region; wilderness), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwaith)
gwaith
regiment
(i ’waith) (manhood, manpower, troop of able-bodied men, host, people, region; wilderness), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwaith)
gwaith
troop of able-bodied men
(i ’waith) (manhood, manpower, host, regiment, people, region; wilderness), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwaith).
gwaith
manpower
(i ’waith) (manhood, troop of able-bodied men, host, regiment, people, region; wilderness), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwaith)
gwaith
able-bodied men, troop of
(i ’waith) (manhood, manpower, host, regiment, people, region; wilderness), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwaith)
gwatha
stain
(verb) gwatha- (i **watha, in gwathar**) (soil)
gwatha
stain
(i ’watha, in gwathar) (soil)
gwâth
shade
(noun) 1) gwâth (i **wâth; construct gwath) (shadow, dim light), pl. gwaith (in gwaith) (UT:261), 2) dae (i dhae) (shadow), no distinct pl. form except with article (i nae), 3) lûm (pl. luim**).
gwâth
shadow
(i ’wâth; construct gwath) (shade, dim light), pl. gwaith (in gwaith) (UT:261)
gwâth
shade
(i ’wâth; construct gwath) (shadow, dim light), pl. gwaith (in gwaith) (UT:261)
gwâth
dim light
(i ’wâth; construct gwath) (shadow, shade), pl. gwaith (in gwaith) (UT:261);
gwathra
dim
(verb) gwathra- (i **wathra, in gwathrar**) (overshadow, veil, obscure)
gwathra
dim
(i ’wathra, in gwathrar) (overshadow, veil, obscure)
gwathren
dim
(adj.) gwathren (shadowy), lenited wathren; pl. gwethrin. (A lenited pl. is attested in the name Ered Wethrin, Shadowy Mountains.);
denwaith
people of denwe
(WJ:385);
gwathren
dim
(shadowy), lenited ’wathren; pl. gwethrin. (A lenited pl. is attested in the name Ered Wethrin, Shadowy Mountains.);
ardh
region
1) ardh (realm), pl. erdh, also in augmented form ardhon (great region, great province, world), pl. erdhyn, coll. pl. ardhonnath. 2) dôr (i nôr, construct dor) (dwelling place, land), pl. dŷr (i ndŷr) (WJ:413), 3) gardh (i **ardh) (bounded or defined place), pl. gerdh (i ngerdh = i ñerdh), 4) gwaith (i **waith) (manhood, manpower, troop of able-bodied men, host, regiment, people, wilderness), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwaith).
gwass
stain
(noun) 1) gwass (i **wass, construct gwas), pl. gwais (in gwais), also gwath (i **wath), pl. gwaith (in gwaith), 2) (noun) maw (i vaw) (soil), pl. moe (i moe). Note: a homophone is an archaic word for ”hand”. 3) mael (i vael), no distinct pl. form except with article (i mael). Also as adj.
hoth
host
(noun) 1) hoth (i choth, o choth) (crowd, horde), pl. hyth (i chyth). 2) rim (great number, crowd), no distinct pl. form except with article (idh rim), coll. pl. rimmath. Note: a homophone means ”cold pool or lake”. 3) gwaith (i **waith) (manhood, manpower, troop of able-bodied men, regiment, people, region; wilderness), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwaith). WOLF-HOST, see under WEREWOLF (concerning gaurhoth**).
morchant
shadow
1) morchant (i vorchant), pl. morchaint (i morchaint). The literal meaning is ”dark shape”, referring to shadows with a recognizable form. 2) dae (i dhae) (shade), no distinct pl. form except with article (i nae). 3) daew (i dhaew), no distinct pl. form except with article (i ndaew) (VT45:8). 4) gwâth (i **wâth; construct gwath) (shade, dim light), pl. gwaith (in gwaith) (UT:261) 5) muil (i vuil) (twilight, dreariness, vagueness), no distinct pl. except with article (i muil**),
rhovannor
wilderness
1) rhovannor (?i throvannor or ?i rovannor the lenition product of rh is uncertain), pl. rhovennyr (?idh rovennyr) (VT46:10); 2) Eriador (a region in Middle-earth), pl. eriadyr if there is a pl.; 3) gwaith (i **waith) (also meaning manhood, manpower, troop of able-bodied men, host, regiment, people, region), no distinct pl. form except when marked as pl. by article (in gwaith). 4) loss (construct los; pl. lyss). (Note: homophones mean ”flower” [more commonly loth**] and ”fallen snow”.)
send
sinda
#send (i hend, o send, construct sen) _(probably a term only used by the Noldor, borrowed from Quenya Sinda)_, pl. sind (i sind), coll. pl. Sendrim (the only attested form) = Quenya Sindar. As coll. pl. also Thindrim (VT41:9). The Sindar could also be called Eluwaith (e.g. _Elu-_people, the subjects of Elu Thingol: Elu + gwaith); this word was maybe only used in the First Age when Thingol was alive. The Sindar called themselves ELVES; see under FORSAKEN.
gwass
stain
(i ’wass, construct gwas), pl. gwais (in gwais), also gwath (i ’wath), pl. gwaith (in gwaith)
send
sinda
(i hend, o send, construct sen) (probably a term only used by the Noldor, borrowed from Quenya Sinda), pl. sind (i sind), coll. pl. Sendrim (the only attested form) = Quenya Sindar. As coll. pl. also Thindrim (VT41:9). The Sindar could also be called Eluwaith (e.g. Elu-people, the subjects of Elu Thingol: Elu + gwaith); this word was maybe only used in the First Age when Thingol was alive. The Sindar called themselves
dîr
man
1) (adult male of any speaking race) dîr (dír-, also agentive ending -dir or -nir; with article, i nîr, hard mutation as in o ndîr), no distinct pl. form except with article (i ndîr); coll. pl. díriath. Also benn (i venn, construct ben), pl. binn (i minn). The latter is in archaic language used = "husband" (the etymological meaning). The ending -we in names may also express ”being, man, person”. 2) (mortal human as opposed to Elf) Adan (pl. Edain; the coll. pl. Adanath is attested). The word Adan came to be used primarily of a member of the Three Houses of the Edain, not of the mortal race of Men in general.
gwî
web
1) gwî (i **wî) (net), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwî), 2) nath (pl. naith**).
herth
troop
1) _(troop under a hîr = ”lord”)_ herth (i cherth, o cherth) (household), pl. hirth (i chirth). 2)
ilphen
noun. everyone
il- (every/all) + pen (someone/somebody).
Dúnadan
noun. Man of the west, Númenórean
adan
noun. man, one of the Second People (elvish name for men)
adanadar
noun. man, one of the Fathers of Men
adanath
noun. men
ardhon
noun. great region, province
ardhon
noun. world
dae
noun. shadow
dae
noun. shadow, shadow (cast by an object or form), [N.] shade
Element in
- S. Daeron ✧ SA/dae
- S. Dor Daedeloth “Land of Great Dread; Land of Shadow of Horror” ✧ SA/dae
drúadan
noun. wild man, one of the Woses
drû
noun. wild man, Wose, Púkel-Man
In PE/11:31, an older Gnomish word drû, drui meant "wood, forest", and in PE/13:142, the early Noldorin word drú was assigned the meaning "dark". Drû pl. Drúin later came to be used for the name of the Woses, with other derivatives (Drúadan, etc.). "Wose" is actually the modernization of an Anglo-Saxon word wasa only found in the compound wudu-wasa "wild man of the woods", cf. UT/385 sq. In the drafts of the "Ride of the Rohirrim" in WR/343-346, the Woses first appeared as "the dark men of Eilenach". Though internally said to derive from drughu in their own tongue, Tolkien's choice for the Sindarin name of the Woses was apparently influenced by earlier meanings assigned to this word
dîr
noun. man, man, [N.] adult male; agental suffix
A word for “man” as a male person, attested only as an element in compounds or as (archaic?) ndir (PE17/60). This word likely refers to male individuals of all races including Elves, Men, Dwarves and so forth, much like its Quenya cognate Q. nér. This word must have been derived from the primitive subjective form ✶ndēr of the root √N(D)ER “male person”, where the ancient long ē became ī, and the initial cluster nd- became d-, though the ancient cluster would still be reflected in mutated forms, such as in i nîr “the man” rather than ✱✱i dhîr.
Conceptual Development: Perhaps the earliest precursor to this word is (archaic) G. †drio “hero, warrior” with variants driw, driodweg and driothweg, a cognate of ᴱQ. nēr (GL/22). This Gnomish word was derived from primitive ᴱ✶n’reu̯, where the initial nr- became dr-. At this early stage, the root was unstrengthened ᴱ√NERE (QL/65), as reflected in (archaic) ᴱN. nîr “hero, prince, warrior-elf” in the Early Noldorin Dictionary of the 1920s (PE13/164).
In The Etymologies of the 1930s the root became ᴹ√DER “adult male, man” of any speaking race and the derived form was N. dîr (Ety/DER). However, in this document Tolkien said:
> EN †dîr surviving chiefly in proper names (as Diriel older Dirghel [GYEL], Haldir, Brandir) and as agental ending (as ceredir “doer, maker”) ... In ordinary use EN has benn [for “man”] (properly = “husband”).
Thus in the scenario described in The Etymologies, dîr “man” was archaic and used only as an element in names or as a suffix. In ordinary speech it was replaced by N. benn, which used to mean “husband” but now meant “man”, while the word for “husband” became N. hervenn (Ety/BES). It is unlikely Tolkien imagined this exact scenario in later Sindarin, however, since the 1930s root for benn was ᴹ√BES “wed”, but by the 1960s the root for husband/wife/marry words had become √BER.
Neo-Sindarin: Since the status of N. benn is questionable given ᴹ√BES >> √BER, many Neo-Sindarin writers prefer to use S. ✱dîr as the Sindarin word for man. I am of the opinion that both dîr and benn are acceptable for “man, male person”. This is because I prefer to retain ᴹ√BES as the root for “marry, wed”, since it is the best basis for attested husband/wife words in (Neo) Sindarin.
Derivations
Element in
- S. Borondir “?Steadfast-man”
- S. Brandir “*Noble Man”
- S. condir “mayor, *(lit.) chief-man”
- S. curunír “wizard, wizard, [N.] man of craft”
- S. dagnir “slayer, bane”
- S. Dírhael “*Wise Man”
- S. dírnaith “wedge-shaped battle-formation, (lit.) man-spearhead”
- S. Emeldir “Manhearted, *Manly-mother”
- S. Haldir
- S. Handir
- S. Hathaldir
- S. Hatholdir “*Axe-man”
- S. herdir “master”
- S. Lindir
- S. Othrondir “?Stronghold Man”
- S. randir “wanderer, wandering man, pilgrim” ✧ PE17/060
- S. Thorondir “*Eagle-man”
Variations
- ndir ✧ PE17/060
fain
dim
adj. dim, dimmed (applied to dimmed or fading lights or to things seen in them); filmy, fine-woven, etc. (applied to things that only partially screened light, such as a canopy of young still half-transparent leaves, or textures that veiled but only half-concealed a form).
gardh
noun. bounded or defined region
gardh
noun. world
gardh
noun. region
Cognates
- Q. arda “region, realm, particular land or region, region, realm, particular land or region; [ᴱQ.] place, spot” ✧ WJ/402
Derivations
Element in
- S. Ard-galen “Green Region”
- S. Ardhon “The World”
- S. Calenardhon “Green Province”
- S. gardhon “province”
- S. Garthúrian “Hidden Realm”
- S. Lisgardh “Land of Reeds” ✧ UT/034
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶gardā > gardh [gardā] > [garda] > [garða] > [garð] ✧ WJ/402
guruthos
noun. the shadow of death, death-horror
hoth
noun. host, crowd, horde (nearly always in a bad sense)
lum
noun. shade
morchant
noun. shadow (of objects, cast by light), dark shape
region
noun. holly-tree area
[HKF] reg (Dor. regorn “holly tree”) + ion (Dor. gen. pl. suffix) = Dor. Regornion [Etym. ERÉK-]
rhovan
noun. wilderness
adan
man
(pl. Edain; the coll. pl. Adanath is attested). The word Adan came to be used primarily of a member of the Three Houses of the Edain, not of the mortal race of Men in general.
aran
king of a region
(pl. erain)
ardh
region
(realm), pl. erdh, also in augmented form ardhon (great region, great province, world), pl. erdhyn, coll. pl. ardhonnath.
auth
dim shape
(spectral or vague apparition), pl. oeth, coll. pl. othath. Note: a homophone means "war, battle".
bôr
trusty man
(boron-) (i vôr, construct bor) (steadfast man, faithful vassal), pl. *b**ŷr* for older beryn, i meryn (archaic böryn, i möryn). In ”Noldorin”, the older pl. forms were berein, beren.
curunír
man of craft
(i gurunír, o churunír) (wizard), no distinct pl. form except with article (i churunír), coll. pl. ?curuníriath.
dae
shadow
(i dhae) (shade), no distinct pl. form except with article (i nae).
dae
shade
(i dhae) (shadow), no distinct pl. form except with article (i nae)
daew
shadow
(i dhaew), no distinct pl. form except with article (i ndaew) (VT45:8).
dîr
man
(dír-, also agentive ending -dir or -nir; with article, i nîr, hard mutation as in o ndîr), no distinct pl. form except with article (i ndîr); coll. pl. díriath. Also benn (i venn, construct ben), pl. binn (i minn). The latter is in archaic language used = "husband" (the etymological meaning). The ending -we in names may also express ”being, man, person”.
dôr
region
(i nôr, construct dor) (dwelling place, land), pl. dŷr (i ndŷr) (WJ:413)
dúath
dark shadow
(i dhúath) (nightshade), pl. dúaith (i núaith). Compare the Ephel Dúath or ”Mountains of Shadow” forming th outer fence of Mordor, perhaps suggesting that Dúath is also the word used of Sauron as ”the Shadow”.
dúnadan
man of the west
(i Núnadan), pl. Dúnedain (i Ndúnedain) (WJ:378, 386).
eriador
wilderness
(a region in Middle-earth), pl. eriadyr if there is a pl.
firion
mortal man
(pl. firyn).
fuin
nightshade
(gloom, darkness, night, dead of night); no distinct pl. form.
galadhrim
people of the trees
(Elves of Lórien)
gardh
region
(i ’ardh) (bounded or defined place), pl. gerdh (i ngerdh = i ñerdh)
gaurhoth
werewolf
).
gilwen
region of stars
(Quenya Ilmen), also Gilith. In the Etymologies, this word is derived from a root GIL (LR:358) and would then have the form ’Ilwen (’Ilwith) when lenited. But in a later source, Tolkien cited the relevant root as ÑGIL (MR:388), and the lenited form would then be Ngilwen (Ngilwith).
gwaen
stained
(lenited ’waen; no distinct pl. form)
gwanur
kinsman, kinswoman
(i ’wanur) (brother), pl. gwenyr (in gwenyr). Note: a homophone of the sg. means ”pair of twins”.
gwanur
kinswoman
(i ’wanur) (brother), pl. gwenyr (in gwenyr). Note: a homophone of the sg. means ”pair of twins”.
gwathuirim
people of dunland
(”shadowy people”) (PM:330);
gwî
web
(i ’wî) (net), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwî)
haradrim
people of the south
(southerners, southrons);
herth
troop
(i cherth, o cherth) (household), pl. hirth (i chirth).
hoth
host
(i choth, o choth) (crowd, horde), pl. hyth (i chyth).
iathrim
people of doriath
(”Fence-people”) (WJ:378);
lhing
spider’s web, cobweb
(?i thling or ?i ling – the lenition product of lh is uncertain) (also used = ”spider”); no distinct pl. form except possibly with article (?i ling). – Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thling.
loss
wilderness
(construct los; pl. lyss). (Note: homophones mean ”flower” [more commonly loth] and ”fallen snow”.)
lûm
shade
(pl. luim).
mael
stain
(i vael), no distinct pl. form except with article (i mael). Also as adj.
mael
stained
(lenited vael; no distinct pl. form). Note: a homophone means ”lust”. Another adj.
maw
stain
(i vaw) (soil), pl. moe (i moe). Note: a homophone is an archaic word for ”hand”.
milt
noun. semen
Cognates
- ᴺQ. miltë “semen”
morchant
shadow
(i vorchant), pl. morchaint (i morchaint). The literal meaning is ”dark shape”, referring to shadows with a recognizable form.
muil
shadow
(i vuil) (twilight, dreariness, vagueness), no distinct pl. except with article (i muil)
nath
web
(pl. naith).
rhavan
wild man
(?i thravan or ?i ravan – the lenition product of rh is uncertain), pl. rhevain (?idh revain) (WJ:219). – The following terms apparently apply to ”men” of any speaking race:
rhovannor
wilderness
(?i throvannor or ?i rovannor – the lenition product of rh is uncertain), pl. rhovennyr (?idh rovennyr) (VT46:10)
rim
host
(great number, crowd), no distinct pl. form except with article (idh rim), coll. pl. rimmath. Note: a homophone means ”cold pool or lake”.
rohirrim
people of rohan
(Gondorian pronunciation of Rochirrim; see
thalion
dauntless man
(hero), pl. thelyn. Also used as an adj. ”dauntless, steadfast, strong”.
_n. _a 'people' associated by place and occupation. >> lî, rim, -waith