orfalch echor

place name. *High Cleft of the Outer Circle

A ravine in the Echoriath leading to Gondolin (S/239). This name seems to be a combination of [N.] or “above”, falch “cleft” and echor “outer circle”, perhaps meaning “✱High Cleft of the Outer Circle”.

Conceptual Development: In the earliest Lost Tales, a similar ravine was named G. Glorfalc “Golden Cleft” (LT2/150), whose the final element G. falc “cleft” resembles the element in the later name, possibly of the same meaning.

Elements

Word	Gloss
or	“above, above; [G.] onto, on top, on”
falch	“*cleft, ravine, [ᴱN.] cleft, ravine”
echor	“outer circle; encircling”

Orfalch Echor

noun. encircling, up-going valley

or (prefix “above, over”) + falch (“deep cleft, ravine”), echor (“encircling”)