Eldest son of Fëanor (S/60). His name is an adaption of elements from both his mother-name Q. Maitimo “Well-shaped One” and his nickname Q. Russandol “Copper-top”: S. maed “shapely” and S. ross “red-haired” (PM/366). As such, his name was more properly spelled Maedros (PM/352).
Conceptual Development: When he first appeared in the earliest Lost Tales, this character’s name was G. Maidros (LT2/241), a name that earlier in the tales was used for the grandfather of Fëanor (LT1/146). This form continued to be used in the Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (SM/88, LR/223), but in The Etymologies, Tolkien said it was an anglicanization of proper Noldorin Maidhros “Pale-glitter” (Ety/MAD), which also appeared in The Etymologies as N. Maedhros (Ety/RUS).
The form Maidhros continued to appear in Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s (WJ/115), but for the most part earlier Maidros was revised to Maedhros (MR/177), the form Christopher Tolkien adopted for the published version of The Silmarillion: see N. [[n|[ai] revised to [ae]]]. Tolkien constructed the derivation given above in The Shibboleth of Fëanor, where he actually used the form Maedros (PM/352, 366). Later still he considered revising the name to Maedron (PM/372, note #2), but this change was not carried out in the texts.
An adjective glossed “handy, skilful” in notes on Eldarin Hands, Fingers and Numerals from the late 1960s as the Sindarin equivalent of Q. maitë.
Conceptual Development: The Etymologies of the 1930s had N. moed derived from ᴹ✶maʒiti “handy, skilled” under the root ᴹ√MAƷ “hand” (Ety/MAƷ), showing the 1930s Noldorin sound change whereby ai (sometimes) became oe rather than the Sindarin sound change to ae. The Gnomish Lexicon has G. mabol “skilful”, an elaboration of G. mab “hands” (GL/55).