níniel

feminine name. Tear-maiden

The name Túrin gave to his sister Nienor when she had lost her memory and he didn’t recognize her, translated “Tear-maiden” (S/219), a combination of nîn “tear” and the feminine suffix -iel.

Conceptual Development: She was called G. Níniel “Child of Tears” in the earliest Lost Tales (LT2/112), and in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, the name N. Níniel was translated “Tearful” or “Tear-maiden” (SM/129, 306; LR/140).

Element in

• S. ar Nienor sel Morwen Níniel “*and Nienor daughter of Morwen, Níniel” ✧ VT50/18

Elements

Word	Gloss
nîn	“tear, tear; [ᴱN.] weeping”
-iel	“daughter; feminine suffix”

níniel

noun. tearful

nîn (“tear”) + iell (“daughter” [Etym.] SEL-Dtraditional ending for women’s names)

ar nienor sel morwen níniel

*and Nienor daughter of Morwen, Níniel

Element in

• S. Túrin Wrapper

níniel

tearful

(pl. nínil)

nínui

tearful

(watery); no distinct pl. form

nîd

tearful

1) nîd (damp, wet); no distinct pl. form, 2) níniel (pl. nínil), 3) nínui (watery); no distinct pl. form

nîd

tearful

(damp, wet); no distinct pl. form