The land ruled by Boromir of the First Age (S/148). The meaning of this name is unclear, but it might be a combination of lad “plain” and ross “spray, rain” (as suggested by David Salo, GS/382).
Sindarin
lad
noun. plain, valley, plain, valley; [G.] a level, a flat; fair dealing
lad
noun. plain, valley
ladros
place name. Ladros
land
adjective. wide, broad
laden
adjective. flat, wide, flat, wide, *level; [N.] open, cleared; [G.] fair, equitable; [ᴱN.] smooth
laden
adjective. open, cleared
Galadriel
noun. lady, crowned with a radiant garland
galad (“light, radiance”) + rî (“crown”) + iell (“daughter” [Etym. SEL-D] traditional ending for women’s names) Sindarin equivalent of Tel. Alatâriel(lë))
Galadriel
noun. 'lady with the gleaming crown'
1b prop. n. 'lady with the gleaming crown', sc. golden head of hair. This form was a suggestion made by Tolkien in the course of his thought, see PE17:59-60. Q. Naldariel(le).
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.
lad
noun. nothing, zero
land
wide
(plain), pl. laind. Also used as noun ”open space, level”.
laden
open
(adj.) laden (plain, flat, wide, cleared), pl. ledin (for ”N” lhaden pl. lhedin, LR:368 s.v. LAT)
laden
wide
1) laden (plain, flat, open, cleared), pl. ledin (for ”N” lhaden pl. lhedin, LR:368 s.v. LAT), 2) land (plain), pl. laind. Also used as noun ”open space, level”. 3) pann (i bann, o phann, construct pan), pl. pain (i phain). Since the pl. form clashes with *pain ”all” (mutated phain, SD:129), other terms may be preferred for clarity. 4) ûr (pl. uir). Notice the homophone ûr ”fire, heat”.
laden
flat
1) laden (plain, wide, open, cleared), pl. ledin (for ”N” lhaden pl. lhedin, LR:368 s.v. LAT), 2) *talu (lenited dalu, analogical pl. tely). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” dalw (LR:353 s.v. DAL; notice how dalath from the same root was changed to talath in Sindarin).
laden
plain
(adjective) laden (flat, wide, open, cleared), pl. ledin (suggested Sindarin forms for ”Noldorin” lhaden pl. lhedin, LR:368 s.v. LAT)
laden
cleared
laden (plain, flat, wide, open), pl. ledin (for ”Noldorin” lhaden pl. lhedin, LR:368 s.v. LAT)
lad-
verb. to stretch, extend (in length)
laden
open
(plain, flat, wide, cleared), pl. ledin (for ”N” lhaden pl. lhedin, LR:368 s.v. LAT)
laden
wide
(plain, flat, open, cleared), pl. ledin (for ”N” lhaden pl. lhedin, LR:368 s.v. LAT)
laden
flat
(plain, wide, open, cleared), pl. ledin (for ”N” lhaden pl. lhedin, LR:368 s.v. LAT)
laden
plain
(flat, wide, open, cleared), pl. ledin (suggested Sindarin forms for ”Noldorin” lhaden pl. lhedin, LR:368 s.v. LAT)
laden
cleared
(plain, flat, wide, open), pl. ledin (for ”Noldorin” lhaden pl. lhedin, LR:368 s.v. LAT)
ladog
noun. tin (metal)
lâd
plain
(valley, lowland), construct lad, pl. laid
alnad
pronoun. nothing
haudh-en-arwen
place name. Ladybarrow
Hírilorn
noun. lady-tree
híril (“lady”) + orn (“tree”)
heruin
noun. lady
heryn
noun. lady
nimrodel
feminine name. Lady of the White Cave
An Elf-maiden, the beloved of Amroth, as well as the name of the stream by which she dwelled (LotR/339). According to Tolkien, this name was of Silvan (Nandorin) origin adapted to Sindarin (LotR/1127). It is translated “Lady of the White Cave” (RC/302) and is a combination of nim “white”, the suffixal form -rod of grod “cave” and the feminine suffix -iel (SA/groth, PE17/49).
Conceptual Development: In Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, this river was first named N. Linglor and the maiden N. Linglorel (TI/222-3), both revised to N. Nimladel >> Nimlorel >> Nimlothel (TI/223, 238-9 note #17, the last of these used only for the maiden). Later still both were changed to their final form Nimrodel (TI/223, 239). In later notes from the 1950s, Tolkien considered interpreting the final element as either “lofty star” or “high lady” (S. rodel) from raud “lofty, noble” (PE17/49).
rodel
lady
1a _n._lady, high lady. >> Nimrodel
Galadriel
Galadriel
Galadriel is a Sindarin name translated by Tolkien as "glittering garland", "Maiden crowned with gleaming hair", and "maiden crowned with a radiant garland". It has been suggested that Galadriel consists of galad ("light, radiance") + rî ("crown") + iell ("daughter"). Tolkien notes that the element galad had no relation to Sindarin galadh ("tree", or Silvan galad "tree"), but that such a connexion often was made and her name then became Galadhriel.
heruin
noun. lady
heryn
noun. lady
híril
noun. lady, lady; [G.] princess, †queen
rodel
noun. lady, high lady
heryn
noun. lady
roch heryn
Lady(’s) horse
rían
noun. queen, queen, *(lit.) crowned-lady
rîn
noun/adjective. crowned lady, queen
nogen
noun. boy, lad, urchin; *(orig.) short (of persons)
bassoneth
lady
(bread-giver) (i massoneth, o mbassoneth), pl. bassonith (i mbassonith). Archaic ✱bassauneth.
brennil
lady
(i vrennil), pl. same as sg. except with article: i mrennil. Coll. pl. brenillath.
dî
lady
(i nî, o ndi) (bride), no distinct pl. form except with article (i ndî).
heryn
lady
1) heryn (i cheryn, o cheryn), no distinct pl. form, not even with article (i cheryn), 2) hiril (i chiril, o chiril), no distinct pl. form even with article (i chiril), coll. pl. hirillath. 3) brennil (i vrennil), pl. same as sg. except with article: i mrennil. Coll. pl. brenillath. 4) bassoneth (bread-giver) (i massoneth, o mbassoneth), pl. bassonith (i mbassonith). Archaic *bassauneth. 5) dî (i nî, o ndi) (bride), no distinct pl. form except with article (i ndî).
heryn
lady
(i cheryn, o cheryn), no distinct pl. form, not even with article (i cheryn)
hiril
lady
(i chiril, o chiril), no distinct pl. form even with article (i chiril), coll. pl. hirillath.
dî
noun. woman, lady, bride
ríen
crowned lady
(queen), pl. ?rîn (idh rîn)
dî
bride
1) dî (i nî, o ndi) (lady), no distinct pl. form except with article (i ndî), 2) díneth (i níneth, o ndineth), pl. dínith (i ndínith)
dî
bride
(i nî, o ndi) (lady), no distinct pl. form except with article (i ndî)
riel
princess
#riel (garlanded maiden), pl. ?rîl (idh rîl), coll. pl. riellath. Isolated from the name Galadriel.
riel
princess
(garlanded maiden), pl. ?rîl (idh rîl), coll. pl. riellath. Isolated from the name Galadriel.
ríen
queen
(crowned lady), pl. ?rîn (idh rîn). The adjective rîn ”crowned” may also be used as a noun ”crowned woman” = ”queen”, but with no distinct pl. form except when article precedes (idh rîn again); coll. pl. ríniath. Note: a homophone means ”remembrance”.
rîs
queen
1) rîs, no distinct pl. except with article preceding (idh rîs); coll. pl. ?rissath; 2) rían (”crown-gift”), pl. ríain (idh ríain); 3) bereth (i vereth) (spouse), pl. berith (i mberith), 4) ríen (crowned lady), pl. ?rîn (idh rîn). The adjective rîn ”crowned” may also be used as a noun ”crowned woman” = ”queen”, but with no distinct pl. form except when article precedes (idh rîn again); coll. pl. ríniath. Note: a homophone means ”remembrance”.
adaneth
noun. (mortal) woman
arwen
noun. noble woman
bas(t)
noun. bread
This was the word for “bread” in Sindarin and its conceptual precursors for much of Tolkien’s life, derived from the equally long-lived root √MBAS “bake”. The word dates all the way back to the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s where G. bast “bread” was derived from the early root ᴱ√M(B)ASA “cook, bake” (GL/22). ᴱN. bast “bread” reappeared in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s (PE13/138) and appeared again as N. bast “bread” in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√MBAS “knead” (Ety/MBAS).
It appeared without a final t in the Sindarin version of the Lord’s Prayer from the 1950s: anno ammen sír i mbas ilaurui vín “give us this day our daily bread” (VT44/21). However the t was restored in the phrase penim vast “we have no bread” from around 1959 (PE17/144). The late vacillations on the presence and absence of t are likely connected to Tolkien challenges with the derivation of lembas; see that entry for discussion. Likewise, the mutated forms mbas vs. vast indicate some late uncertainty on whether the primitive form began with mb- or b-.
Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would assume the normal form was bast “bread” from ancient mbasta, so that lenited forms show mb-.
bass
noun. bread
In the Etymologies, the word for "bread" is given as bast , Quenya masta, but it seems that Tolkien later changed his mind and updated the word to bass, as shown in Quenya massánie, Sindarin besain, besoneth "bread-giver", and in the mutated form (i)mbas (apparently prefixed with the article). These latter Sindarin forms are however dubious, as we would rather have expected bessain (as a regular cognate of Quenya massánie) and bassoneth (without i-affection), and possibly a different mutation pattern after the article
bassoneth
noun. bread-giver
See bass for a discussion regarding this word
bereth
noun. queen, spouse
besain
noun. bread-giver
See bass for a discussion regarding this word
besoneth
noun. bread-giver
See bass for a discussion regarding this word
bess
noun. (young) woman
bess
noun. wife
bessain
noun. bread-giver
See bass for a discussion regarding this word
brethil
noun. silver birch
_n. Bot. _silver birch, an emblem of Elbereth. Because of its association with Elbereth, Elves associated this tree with stars, and the word was often interpreted as 'daughter of the Queen', 'princess'. >> fimbrethil, nimbrethil
brethil
noun. silver birch, silver-birch; [N.] beech
A word for a “silver-birch”, an element in the names Nimbrethil and Fimbrethil (SA/brethil). According to Tolkien it was associated with bereth “queen”:
> ... since this tree was an emblem of Elbereth, was associated by Elves with the stars, and the word by them often interpreted as “daughter of the Queen, princess”. Fuller forms nimbrethil “white princess” and fimbrethil “slender princess” were also used (PE17/23).
Tolkien went on to add that “the ordinary non-mythological word for birch was ... S chwind, whinn”, so it seems brethil was only for the specific species of birch associated with Elbereth, and the ordinary word for “birch” was hwinn. In this note, Tolkien also derived brethil from √BARATH, but he may have changed his mind later; see the entry to bereth “queen” for discussion.
Conceptual Development: In The Etymologies of the 1930s, N. brethil was “beech (tree)” and it was derived from the root ᴹ√BERETH of the same meaning (Ety/BERETH, NEL). In later writings, “beech” was S. neldor; see that entry for discussion.
edra-
verb. to open
edra-
verb. open
_ v. _open (out). >> edro
edro
verb. open!
iand
adjective. wide
lembas
noun. journey bread made by the Elves
rîn
noun/adjective. crowned
rîs
noun. queen
talu
adjective. flat
adaneth
mortal woman
(pl. edenith), also firieth (pl. firith).
bass
bread
bass (i mass, o mbass, construct bas), pl. bais (i mbais). The sg. form with article "imbas" in VT44:23 may be seen as archaic Sindarin, for later *i mas(s) as suggested here. In ”Noldorin”, the word for "bread" was bast (LR:372 s.v. MBAS), but otherwise it would have the same mutations.
bass
bread
(i mass, o mbass, construct bas), pl. bais (i mbais). The sg. form with article "imbas" in VT44:23 may be seen as archaic Sindarin, for later ✱i mas(s) as suggested here. – In ”Noldorin”, the word for "bread" was bast (LR:372 s.v. MBAS), but otherwise it would have the same mutations.
bereth
queen
(i vereth) (spouse), pl. berith (i mberith)
bess
woman
bess (i vess, construct bes) (wife), pl. biss (i miss). The word etymologically means ”wife”, but the meaning was generalized.
bess
woman
(i vess, construct bes) (wife), pl. biss (i miss). The word etymologically means ”wife”, but the meaning was generalized.
dess
young woman
(i ness, o ndess, constuct des), pl. diss (i ndiss).
díneth
bride
(i níneth, o ndineth), pl. dínith (i ndínith)
edra
open
(verb) 1) *edra- (i edra, in edrar), only attested in imperative form edro. 2) panna- (i banna, i phannar) (enlarge). Note: a homophone means ”fill”.
edra
open
(i edra, in edrar), only attested in imperative form edro.
gwanur
kinsman
(i ’wanur) (brother), pl. gwenyr (in gwenyr). Note: a homophone of the sg. means ”pair of twins”.
lembas
way-bread, journey-bread
pl. lembais.
palan
over a wide area
(far off)
pann
wide
(i bann, o phann, construct pan), pl. pain (i phain). Since the pl. form clashes with ✱pain ”all” (mutated phain, SD:129), other terms may be preferred for clarity.
panna
open
(i banna, i phannar) (enlarge). Note: a homophone means ”fill”.
rían
queen
(”crown-gift”), pl. ríain (idh ríain)
rîn
crowned
rîn (no distinct pl. form). Also used as noun CROWNED WOMAN (= queen): rîn, construct rin, no distinct pl. form except with article (idh rîn). Note: a homphone means ”remembrance”.
rîn
adjective. crowned
rîn
crowned
(no distinct pl. form). Also used as noun
rîn
crowned woman
construct rin, no distinct pl. form except with article (idh rîn). Note: a homphone means ”remembrance”.
rîs
noun. queen
rîs
queen
no distinct pl. except with article preceding (idh rîs); coll. pl. ?rissath
talath
flat surface
(i dalath, o thalath) (plane, flatlands, plain, [wide] valley), pl. telaith (i thelaith). Tolkien changed this word from ”Noldorin” dalath, LR:353 s.v. DAL. Compare the Talath Dirnen or ”Guarded Plain” mentioned in the Silmarillion.
talath
plain
(noun) 1) talath (i dalath, o thalath) (flat surface, plane, flatlands, [wide] valley), pl. telaith (i thelaith). Tolkien changed this word from ”Noldorin” dalath_, LR:353 s.v.
talath
plain
(i dalath, o thalath) (flat surface, plane, flatlands, [wide] valley), pl. telaith (i thelaith). *Tolkien changed this word from ”Noldorin” dalath, LR:353 s.v. DAL. Compare the Talath Dirnen or ”Guarded Plain” mentioned in the *Silmarillion.
talu
adjective. flat
talu
flat
(lenited dalu, analogical pl. tely). Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” dalw (LR:353 s.v. DAL; notice how dalath from the same root was changed to talath in Sindarin).
thint
noun. tin (metal)
uinen
uinen
in Sindarin as well
unt
noun. nothing
ûr
wide
(pl. uir). Notice the homophone ûr ”fire, heat”.
An element meaning “plain” in many Sindarin names, such as S. Dagorlad “Battle-plain” (S/292) and S. Lithlad “Plain of Ashes” (LotR/636; RC/457). Christopher Tolkien translated it as “plain, valley” in The Silmarillion appendix, but it only seems to have had the sense “valley” in the word S. imlad as in S. Imladris “Rivendell”, so I think “plain” is the better translation.
Conceptual Development: This word was connected to flat things very early in Tolkien’s notions of the Elvish languages. It first appeared as G. lad “a level, a flat; fair dealing” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/52), probably a derivative of the early root ᴱ√LATA (QL/51). The element -lad also appeared in many Noldorin names from the 1930s and 40s, though in this period it likely had the form N. lhad, as in N. lhaden “open, cleared” (Ety/LAT). It seems to appear in the earliest name for the “Gladden Fields” from Lord of the Rings drafts form the 1940s: N. Palath-ledin (TI/114). Here it has an unusual plural form ledin using the plural suffix -in, but whether that would have remained true in Sindarin is unclear.