ingwi

collective name. People of Ingwë, Chieftains

A name for the People of Ingwë, the first tribe of Elves, more commonly known as the Vanyar (PM/332, PE17/154-5). It is simply the plural form of the name for their leader: Ingwë.

Alternate Forms: In a few places in Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s, this name appeared instead as Ingar (MR/230, 265). It also appeared in an alternate plural form Ingwer and genitive plural Ingweron (PM/340). This last example seems to be an irregular plural, since the plural of nouns ending in -e are usually formed by changing this vowel to an -i (WJ/361). See the entry for the Quenya plural nouns for further discussion.

Conceptual Development: This name first appeared as ᴱQ. Inwir (LT1/50) derived from the older name of their leader: ᴱQ. Inwe. At this stage the name referred only the royal house of the first tribe (QL/42). In Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, the form changed to ᴹQ. Ingwi, but still referred only to the royal house (LR/171). In Tolkien’s writing from the 1950s and later, the term expanded to include all Elves of the first tribe (MR/230; PM/332, 340).

Element in

• Q. Ingoldo “The Noldo” ✧ MR/230
• Q. Ingwë Ingweron “Chief of the Chieftains” ✧ PM/340

Elements

Word	Gloss
Ingwë	“Chief”

Variations

• Ingar ✧ MR/230; MR/265; MRI/Ingar