hair

noun/adjective. left (hand)

hair

left

(adj.) hair (lenited chair; no distinct pl. form); also used as noun

hair

left

HAND (*hair, o chair, i chair, no distinct pl. form even with article; cited in archaic form heir, LR:365 s.v. KHYAR). Adj. LEFT also crom (lenited grom, pl. crym), with corresponding noun

hair

left

(lenited chair; no distinct pl. form); also used as noun

hair

left hand

o chair, i chair, no distinct pl. form even with article; cited in archaic form heir, LR:365 s.v. KHYAR). Adj.

hair

adjective. left (hand)

find

noun. tress; single hair, tress, [ON.] lock of hair; [ᴱN.] hair (in general); [S.] single hair

This word had a quite lengthy history as an element in the name S. Glorfindel “Golden Hair”. It appeared in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s as G. finn “a lock of hair” (GL/35), simply as ᴱN. find or finn “hair” in Early Noldorin Word-lists (PE13/143), and as Old Noldorin sphinde “lock of hair” from The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√SPIN (Ety/SPIN). In notes from the mid-1960s Tolkien said that find, finn meant a “single hair (of man or elf)” vs. S. †findel for a head of hair (PE17/17), but in The Shibboleth of Fëanor from 1968 Tolkien said it meant “tress” and was derived from primitive ✶phindē (PM/362 note #37).

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I’d use fîn for a single hair, find for hair in general or for a tress or lock of hair, and finnel for an entire head of hair.

finellach

masculine name. ?Flame of Hair and Eye

Another title or name for Gil-galad, (PM/351), perhaps a combination of fîn “hair” and lach “flame”. David Salo suggested the middle element is hen “eye”, so that the name means something like “Flame of Hair and Eye” (GS/349).

Conceptual Development: This name was first written Finlachen, changed to Finhenlach and finally Finellach; these preliminary forms support Salo’s theory that the middle element is hen (PM/351).

fingon

masculine name. Hair Shout

Eldest son of Fingolfin and second high king of the Noldor in Beleriand until his father’s death (S/60). His name is an adaptation of his Quenya name Findecáno which roughly means “Hair Shout” (PM/345), a combination of fîn “hair” and the suffix -gon seen in the several names (SA/fin, káno).

Conceptual Development: The name of this character was Fin(n)weg in the earliest Silmarillion drafts (SM/14), though the name Fingon appeared in later revisions of the Lays of Beleriand from the 1920s (LB/80). In Silmarillion drafts from the early 1930s, the name Finweg was consistently revised to Fingon (SM/89), and remained thus thereafter.

In The Etymologies from the 1930s, N. Fingon was given as a derivative of ᴹ✶Phindekāno containing ON. phinde “skill” and the suffixal form -gon of caun “valour” (Ety/PHIN, KAN). Later Tolkien briefly considered revising this name to S. Fingorn “Revered Finwe” using the same final element as Aragorn, but quickly rejected this idea (PE17/113). He then considered various etymologies for Fingon using the roots √KUN(DU), √KON and √KAN, the last of which is given above.

finnel

noun/adjective. head of hair, fax, mass of long hair; having fine or beautiful hair, head of hair, fax, mass of long hair; having fine or beautiful hair; [N.] (braided) hair; [G.] tress

This word had a quite lengthy history as an element in the name S. Glorfindel “Golden Hair”. It appeared in the Name-list to the Fall of Gondolin as G. findel “tress” (PE15/24) and in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon with the gloss “a lock of hair”, but in that document it was deleted and replaced by G. finn “a lock of hair” and G. fingl or finnil “tress” (GL/35). It appeared as N. finnel “(braided) hair” in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√SPIN (Ety/SPIN).

In Notes on Names (NN) from 1957 findel was an adjective meaning “having beautiful hair” or “having fine hair” (PE17/119, 151). In a torn half sheet from the late 1950s or early 1960s it was OS. findel, S. finnel “mass of long hair”, and in a document from around 1965 it was (archaic) findel “head of hair, fax” from primitive ✶spindilā (PE17/17). In this last document Tolkien said it was “preserved mainly in such old names as Glorfindel”, so Tolkien may have intended that it was no longer in active use in modern Sindarin.

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I’d use fîn for a single hair, find for a tress or lock of hair or hair in general, with finnel used for an entire head of hair, assuming finnel survived into modern Sindarin with the usual sound change of medial nd to nn. I would assume it can also be used adjectivally in reference to having beautiful hair.

fîn

noun. (single) hair, filament

A noun for a single hair appearing in The Shibboleth of Fëanor from 1968 derived from primitive ✶phini- (PM/362 note #37). The form fin- also appeared in a torn-half sheet as a derivative of √SPIN- “a single hair, filament” (PE17/17).

Conceptual Development: Earlier words for a single hair include G. fith, pl. fidhin from the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/35) and ᴱN. fîr from Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s (PE13/143).

glorfindel

masculine name. Golden-hair

A Noldorin hero of the First and Third Age (S/194, LotR/209), possibly the same individual (PM/377-384). His name is translated “Golden-hair”, a combination of glaur “gold” and †findel “head of hair” (PE17/17, 34), ultimately derived from his Quenya name Laurefindele (PE17/119). The ancient nature of this name is indicated by the fact that the medial nd had not yet become nn as was usual in Sindarin (LotR/1115).

Conceptual Development: The name G. Glorfindel appeared in the earliest Lost Tales, translated “Goldtress” (LT2/216). Several variant forms appeared in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon: Glorfinnl amd Glorfingl, translated “Goldlocks” (GL/40). The name remained N. Glorfindel in Silmarillion drafts (SM/37, LR/142) as well as The Etymologies from the 1930s, with essentially the same derivation as the one given above (Ety/LÁWAR, SPIN). In some Notes on Names (NN) from the 1957, Tolkien experimented with inverting the name to Finglor (PE17/119).

Findelor

noun. 'hair-golden'

prop. n. 'hair-golden'. Q. Findelaure. >> findel, Finglor

Finglor

noun. 'hair-golden'

prop. n. 'hair-golden'. Q. Findelaure. >> findel, Findelor

Ulfast

noun. hideous hair

ul (stem “hideous, horrible”) + #fast (“shaggy hair”)

find

noun. single hair

n. single hair (of man or elf). >> finn

finde

noun. fine hair

n. #fine hair. >> deil

findel

adjective. having beautiful hair

adj. having beautiful hair. >> Glorfindel

finn

noun. single hair

n. single hair (of man or elf). >> find

finnel

noun. mass of long hair

n. mass of long hair. >> find, finn

glorfindel

noun. golden hair

glaur (“golden light”) + fîndel (“(braided) hair”) Perhaps AS, that would explain -nd- not changed to -nn-; the name stated by Tolkien to have “escaped reconsideration…and now difficult to fit into S”.

fing

noun. lock of hair

A noun appearing in 1967 notes on the Nomenclature of the Lord of the Rings as an element in Finglas “Leaflock” (RC/760). The form fineg appeared unglossed in notes from around 1965 as a derivative of ✶phinik (PE17/17). The word fing is more obscure than S. find of similar meaning.

Conceptual Development: The word G. fingl or finnil “a tress” appeared in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/35). In that period, the gl was probably the result of the sound change whereby ðl became gl, since this early form was likely derived from the root ᴱ√FIŘI [FIÐI] (QL/38). When it first appeared, the name N. Finglas (= find + las?) may also have had a similar sound change, but since Tolkien abandoned that phonetic rule in Sindarin of the 1950s and 60s (compare S. edlenn vs. N. eglenn “exiled”), Tolkien needed to come up with a new etymology.

Finglas

noun. hair-leaf

fînd (“tress”) + lass (“leaf”) #The medial g is not clear, might be left from Gnomish lexicon, where fingl meant “tress”, or fing is a variant of find.

cathrae

noun. tressure, net for combining the hair

findel

noun/adjective. head of hair, fax, mass of long hair; having fine or beautiful hair

fineg

noun. *lock of hair

fing

noun. lock of hair

finn

noun. tress; single hair, tress; single hair; [ᴱN.] hair; [G.] lock of hair

laws

noun. hair ringlet

bain

fair

_ adj. _fair, good, blessed, wholesome, favourable, without evil/bad element, not dangerous, evil or hostile. bân or bain << bân pl. bain. >> bân

bân

adjective. fair

_ adj. _fair, good, wholesome, favourable, not dangerous, evil or hostile. bân or bain << bân pl. bain. >> bain

gwain

adjective. fair

adj. fair. . This gloss was rejected.

gwana

noun/adjective. fair

gwân

adjective. fair

_ adj. _fair, pale.

lind

adjective. fair

fîn

hair

1. (a single hair) fîn (construct fin), no distinct pl. form. (PM:362), 2) (lock of hair, tress) find (construct fin), no distinct pl. form, coll. pl. finnath.

find

hair

(construct fin), no distinct pl. form, coll. pl. finnath.

fîn

hair

(construct fin), no distinct pl. form. (PM:362)

fidhras

noun. collective hair, *all hair on the body

fidhren

adjective. having hair, -haired

fast

shaggy hair

(pl. faist if there is a pl.).

fast

shaggy hair

fast (pl. faist if there is a pl.).

fast

shaggy hair

fast (pl. faist if there is a pl.)

find

lock of hair

find (tress). Construct fin; no distinct pl. form; coll pl. finnath

find

lock of hair

(tress). Construct fin; no distinct pl. form; coll pl. finnath

fing

lock of hair

fing (no distinct pl. form)

finnel

braided tress of hair

finnel (pl. finnil). Archaic †findel (pl. findil).

finnel

braided tress of hair

finnel (pl. finnil). Archaic †findel (pl. †findil).

finnel

braided tress of hair

(pl. finnil). Archaic †findel (pl. findil).

gwain

adjective. blonde

An adjective meaning “blond” appearing in notes written on or shortly before 1960, cognate to Q. vanya “fair-haired” from the root √WAN, distinct from √BAN “beauty” (PE17/150). A similar form S. gwân “pale, fair” appeared in notes from the same period, but the page where it appeared was marked through (PE17/165). It was part of a paradigm in which the name of the first tribe the Vanyar originally referred to the color of their hair; see bain “beautiful” for further discussion.

Fingon

noun. Fingon

hair shout (if interpretable at all); find (“hair, a tress”) + caun (“outcry, clamour”) S name of Findekáno.

galadriel

feminine name. Glittering-garland

A Noldorin lady and only daughter of Finarfin, Galadriel was the ruler of Lórien at the end of the Third Age (LotR/353). Her name is a compound of galad “radiance, glittering reflection” and -riel “crowned maiden”. Its full meaning is “maiden crowned with a garland of bright radiance” (PM/347), but for the sake of brevity this entry uses the less literal translation “Glittering-garland” (Let/423).

Etymology: The history of Galadriel’s name is quite complex. Her birth names were Q. Nerwen and Q. Artanis, but her mother Eärwen was Telerin. Later in life Galadriel adopted the Telerin name T. Alatáriel, which in Quenya was Q. Altáriel (PM/346). This new name may have been due to the Telerin influence of her mother, or it may have been given to Galadriel by her husband, who may or may not have been a Telerin elf (see Celeborn for discussion). She was given this name because of her long golden hair (Let/428). Like her older brothers, Galadriel journeyed to Beleriand to aid in the war against Morgoth, where her name Altáriel was adapted into Sindarin as Galadriel (PM/347, PE17/60).

Many years later, when Galadriel became ruler of Lórien, her Silvan-elf subjects associated her name with Nan. galad “tree”. Sometimes her Sindarin name was altered to Galadhriel (S. galadh “tree”) to reflect this association (UT/267), but properly speaking her name had nothing to do with trees.

Conceptual Development: See the entry for the primitive form of her name, ✶Ñ(g)alatā-rigelle, for a discussion of the conceptual developments in this name’s etymology, and N. Galadhrien for a discussion of earlier forms of this name.

bain

fair

bain (beautiful). Lenited vain. No distinct pl. form.

bain

fair

(beautiful). Lenited vain. No distinct pl. form.

Fingon

Fingon

Fingon is the Sindarized version of his Quenya father-name, Findekáno. The latter consists of findë ("hair") + káno ("commander").

crûm

left hand

(i grûm, o chrûm, construct crum), pl. cruim (i chruim), coll. pl. crummath. Also ✱hair (i chair), no distinct pl. form (not even with article). Note: hair is also used = ”left” as adjective. Cited in archaic form heir (LR:365 s.v. KHYAR).

find

tress

find (lock of hair). Construct fin; no distinct pl. form; coll pl. finnath.

find

tress

(lock of hair). Construct fin; no distinct pl. form; coll pl. finnath.

cathrae

tressure

cathrae (i gathrae, o chathrae) (hairnet). No distinct pl. form except with article (i chathrae). (VT42:12))

cathrae

tressure

(i gathrae, o chathrae) (hairnet). No distinct pl. form except with article (i chathrae). (VT42:12))

cam

noun. hand

camm

noun. hand

dúath

adjective. dark

_ adj. _dark, black shadow.

dûr

adjective. dark, sombre

dûr

dark

_ adj. _dark, gloomy, 'hellish'.

fael

adjective. fair minded, just, generous

find

noun. a tress

finn-

noun. a tress

fîn

noun. a tress

gwain

adjective. blonde

_ adj. _blonde.

harvo

noun. left hand

harvo

noun. left side

mab-

noun. a hand-full, complete hand (with all five fingers)

maw

noun. hand

maw

noun. hand

The Sindarin equivalent of Q. má, likewise derived from the root √MAH or √MAƷ “hand; handle, wield” (PE17/162; VT47/6). However, in Sindarin this word was archaic, used only in poetry, having been replaced in ordinary speech by other words like S. mâb and (less often) cam. Other remnants of this word can be seen in compounds like molif “wrist, (orig.) hand link” and directional words like forvo and harvo for left and right hand side.

Conceptual Development: In the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, G. mô from the early root ᴱ√MAHA was the normal word for “hand”, replacing mab “hand” (< ᴱ√MAHA) which in this document Tolkien decided was instead an irregular dual form of mô (GL/55). It had also had an irregular plural mabin based on this dual, replacing an older plural †maith. In the Gnomish Grammar, its archaic form was †mâ, with the usual Gnomish sound change of ā to ō (GG/14), as opposed to later Sindarin/Noldorin ā to au, spelt -aw when final. Tolkien seems to have abandoned mô as a non-archaic word for “hand” early on, preferring ᴱN. mab “hand” by the 1920s and introducing N. cam “hand” in the 1930s.

mor

black

_adj. _black.

mor-

black

_ pref. _black. >> Moria, morn-

morn

adjective. black, dark

morn

adjective. black

adj. black. >> mor, Morgai

morn-

black

_pref. _black. >> Moria, mor-

mâb

noun. a hand-full, complete hand (with all five fingers)

mâb

noun. hand, hand, [N.] grasp

The typical Sindarin word for “hand” (VT47/7, 20), usable in almost any context. It is most notable as an element in the name Mablung “Heavy Hand” (VT47/8). See below for a discussion of its etymology.

Conceptual Development: This word dates all the way back to the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, where G. mab “hand” appeared as a derivative of the early root ᴱ√MAPA “seize” (GL/55). Tolkien then revised the gloss to “hands”, saying instead it was an irregular dual of G. mô “hand”. The word reverted to singular ᴱN. mab “hand” in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s (PE13/149). These early versions of the word were already an element of Mablung “Heavy Hand(ed)” (LT2/38; LB/311), but also of Ermabwed “One-handed” (LT2/34; LB/119).

In the 1930s it seems Tolkien decided Ilk. mâb “hand” was primarily an Ilkorin word, and the usual word for “hand” in Noldorin was N. cam. Compare Ilkorin Ermabuin “One-handed” and Mablosgen “Empty-handed” with Noldorin Erchamion and Camlost of the same meaning. In The Etymologies of the 1930s, Tolkien had N. mab “grasp” under the root ᴹ√MAPA “seize”, but the version of the entry with that word was overwritten (EtyAC/MAP), leaving only the Ilkorin form mâb. In this period, Mablung may also have been an Ilkorin name.

After Tolkien abandoned Ilkorin in the 1950s, he kept S. Erchamion and Camlost based on cam, but also kept Mablung “Heavy Hand” which must have become Sindarin. In his later writings Tolkien again revisited the etymology of S. mâb “hand”. In a note from Jan-Feb 1968, he wrote:

> It [Q. má = “hand”] did not survive in Telerin and Sindarin as an independent word, but was replaced by the similar-sounding but unconnected C.E. makwā, Q. maqua, T. mapa, S. mab, of uncertain origin, but probably originally an adjectival formation from MAK “strike” ... (VT47/19).

This sentence was struck through, however. In drafts of notes on Elvish Hands, Fingers and Numerals written in or after 1968, Tolkien again derived mâb from √MAP (VT47/20 note #13), but in the final version of these notes he made the remarkable decision to discard this root despite it being a stable part of Elvish for nearly 50 years, declaring it was used only in Telerin and not Quenya or Sindarin (VT47/7). He coined a new etymology for S. mâb “hand” based on ✶makwā “handful” = ✶mā + ✶kwā (VT47/6-7), a variation on the above etymology from √MAK.

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I prefer to ignore Tolkien’s 1968 removal of √MAP “seize”, and so would continue to derive S. mâb “hand” from that root. However, its ancient meaning may have been “✱grasp”, and its eventual use as “hand” might have been influenced by ancient ✶makwā “handful”.

Fingon

Fingon (name)

Fingon's father-name was Findekáno (Q: "Skilled Hero", pron. N , V ). Fingon is the Sindarin version of his father-name.

cam

hand

1. cam (i gam, o cham), pl. caim (i chaim), coll. pl. cammath; 2) mâb (i vâb; construct mab), pl. maib (i maib). 3) Archaic †maw (i vaw), pl. moe (i moe). A homophone means ”soil, stain”. (VT47:6) 4) (fist) dond (i dhond; construct don), pl. dynd (i nynd), coll. pl. donnath (VT47:23).

cam

hand

(i gam, o cham), pl. caim (i chaim), coll. pl. cammath

camlann

of the hand

(i gamlann, o chamlann), pl. cemlain (i chemlain).

crann

ruddy

(of face) crann (lenited grann, pl. crain).

crann

ruddy

1. (of face) crann (lenited grann, pl. crain), 2) gruin (lenited ruin, no distinct pl. form), 3) gaer (copper-coloured, red, reddish); lenited aear; no distinct pl. form. (This is a suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” goer.) Note: homophones mean "dreadful, awful, fearful; holy" and also "sea".

crom

left

(lenited grom, pl. crym), with corresponding noun

crumguru

having a cunning left hand

lenited grumguru, pl. crumgyry (or crymgyry if the entire word is umlauted, but this may be unlikely) (VT45:24)

doll

dark

doll (dusky, misty, obscure), lenited noll, pl. dyll. Note: In ”Noldorin”, this word appeared as dolt as well as doll, but the latter seems the best form in S.

doll

dark

(dusky, misty, obscure), lenited noll, pl. dyll. Note: In ”Noldorin”, this word appeared as dolt as well as doll, but the latter seems the best form in S.

dond

hand

(i dhond; construct don), pl. dynd (i nynd), coll. pl. donnath (VT47:23).

dúath

dark shadow

(i dhúath) (nightshade), pl. dúaith (i núaith);

dûr

dark

dûr (sombre), lenited dhûr, pl. duir

dûr

dark

(sombre), lenited dhûr, pl. duir

forgam

right-handed

(pl. fergaim, for archaic förgeim)

fuir

right hand

pl. fŷr. Also used as adj. "right, north" (VT42:20). In ”Noldorin” the word appeared as (”foeir” =) föir, feir (LR:382 s.v. PHOR).

gaer

ruddy

(copper-coloured, red, reddish); lenited ’aear; no distinct pl. form. (This is a suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” goer.) Note: homophones mean "dreadful, awful, fearful; holy" and also "sea".

galvorn

black metal

(i ’alvorn), pl. gelvyrn (i ngelvyrn = i ñelvyrn) if there is a pl. (WJ:322). 2) donn (swart, swarty, shady, shadowy) (lenited dhonn, pl. dynn). (VT45:11). Also dunn- in compounds.

graurim

dark people

(VT45:16);

graw

dark

graw (swart), lenited raw, pl. groe. (VT45:16)

graw

dark

(swart), lenited ’raw, pl. groe. (VT45:16)

gruin

ruddy

(lenited ’ruin, no distinct pl. form)

guldur

dark sorcery

(i nguldur = i ñuldur), pl. gyldyr (in gyldyr = i ñgyldyr)

hâr

left

(noun, the direction) hâr (i châr) (south).

hâr

left

(i châr) (south).

lhê

fine thread

*lhê (?i thlê or ?i lê the lenition product of lh is uncertain) (spider filament), pl. lhî (?i lî). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thlê.

lhê

fine thread

*lhê (?i thlê or ?i lê the lenition product of lh is uncertain) (spider filament), pl. lhî (?i lî). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” thlê. -THREAD, see MIST.

maw

hand

(i vaw), pl. moe (i moe). A homophone means ”soil, stain”. (VT47:6) 

morn

dark

morn (black), pl. myrn, lenited vorn. Note: the latter word is also used as a noun ”darkness, night”. (Letters:386)

morn

dark

(black), pl. myrn, lenited vorn. Note: the latter word is also used as a noun ”darkness, night”. (Letters:386)

mâb

hand

(i vâb; construct mab), pl. maib (i maib).

môr

dark

môr (black), lenited vôr, pl. mŷr (Letters:382), also

môr

dark

(black), lenited vôr, pl. m**ŷr* (Letters:382)*, also

môr

black

1. môr (dark), lenited vôr, pl. mŷr (Letters:382), also morn (dark), pl. myrn, lenited #vorn. Note: the word is also used as a noun ”darkness, night”. (Letters:386) The lenited form #vorn appears, compounded, in the name of the

môr

black

(dark), lenited vôr, pl. m**ŷr (Letters:382), also morn (dark), pl. **myrn, lenited #vorn. Note: the word is also used as a noun ”darkness, night”. (Letters:386) The lenited form #vorn appears, compounded, in the name of the