Osgiliath
Osgiliath
osgiliath
place name. Citadel of the Stars
The old capital of Gondor, translated “Citadel of the Stars” (LotR/244) or “Fortress of the Stars” (RGEO/65, Let/426). This name is a combination of ost “fortress, city” and the class-plural of gil “star” (RC/232; SA/os(t), gil).
Conceptual Development: When this name first appeared in Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, it was already N. Osgiliath “Fortress of the Stars” (TI/119).
Elements
Word Gloss ost “fort, fortress, stronghold, citadel; fortified town; enclosure, fort, fortress, stronghold, citadel; (fortified) town, [N.] city; [orig.] [S.] enclosure, [G.] yard” gil “star; (bright) spark, silver glint, twinkle of light” Variations
- ost-giliath ✧ Let/426
- os(t)giliath ✧ NM/228
- Os(t)giliath ✧ PE17/023; PE17/030; RGEO/65; SA/os(t)
Osgiliath
noun. city, fortress of stars
ost (“fortress”) + gîl (“star, bright spark”) + ath (collective plural suffix)
garth
stronghold
1) garth (i **arth) (stronghold), pl. gerth (i ngerth = i ñerth), 2) ost (fortress, city), pl. yst (WJ:414). The word may appear as os- or oth- before certain consonants in compounds, e.g. Osgiliath ”Citadel (Fortress) of the Stars” (LotR), ostirion (fortress with a watchtower), Othram** ”fortress-wall” (WR:288).
garth
fort, fortress
1) garth (i **arth) (stronghold), pl. gerth (i ngerth = i ñerth), 2) ost (city, stronghold), pl. yst (WJ:414). The word may appear as os- or oth- before certain consonants in compounds, e.g. Osgiliath ”Citadel (Fortress) of the Stars” (LotR), ostirion (q.v.), Othram ”fortress-wall” (WR:288). 3) barad (fortress, tower) (i varad), pl. beraid (i meraid). Note: barad** is also an adjective "doomed", but this is derived from a stem in mb- and would have different mutations.
ost
stronghold
(fortress, city), pl. yst (WJ:414). The word may appear as os- or oth- before certain consonants in compounds, e.g. Osgiliath ”Citadel (Fortress) of the Stars” (LotR), ostirion (fortress with a watchtower), Othram ”fortress-wall” (WR:288).
ost
fort, fortress
(city, stronghold), pl. yst (WJ:414). The word may appear as os- or oth- before certain consonants in compounds, e.g. Osgiliath ”Citadel (Fortress) of the Stars” (LotR), ostirion (q.v.), Othram ”fortress-wall” (WR:288).
barad
fort, fortress
(fortress, tower) (i varad), pl. beraid (i meraid). Note: barad is also an adjective "doomed", but this is derived from a stem in mb- and would have different mutations.
garth
stronghold
(i ’arth) (stronghold), pl. gerth (i ngerth = i ñerth)
garth
fort, fortress
(i ’arth) (stronghold), pl. gerth (i ngerth = i ñerth)
ostirion
fortress with a watchtower
(pl. ostiryn).
othronn
underground stronghold or city
(pl. ethrynn for archaic öthrynn) (fortress in a cave or caves). Cited in archaic form othrond in the sources (WJ:414, VT46:12)
topon. -. >> Ostgiliath