silef

noun/adjective. crystal (white), (white) crystal; [N.] silver, shining white

A word for “crystal (white)” (PE17/23) or “silver, shining white” (Ety/SIL) based on the root √SIL “shine (white or silver)”. It seemed to function as both a noun (1950s-60s) and an adjective (1930s), and was the basis for the adjective silivren appearing in the A Elbereth Gilthoniel prayer (PE17/23).

Conceptual Development: Earlier words for “crystal” appeared in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, such as G. glint (GL/39) and G. sincli (GL/67), both elements in G. Crosailin(t) or Crosincli “Crystal Globe”, a Gnomish name for the Moon.

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would use S. silef mainly as the noun “(white) crystal”, and would use silivren as the adjective form.

silef

noun. crystal

_n. _crystal (white). >> silivren

silef

sil

_ as the cognate of Quenya silma of this meaning, but silef is there asterisked, apparently to indicate that it only appears as part of the word Silevril ”Silmaril”. The word silef may also be used = Quenya silima (noun), the crystal substance of the Silmarils.

silef

shining white

is listed in LR:385 s.v. SIL as the cognate of Quenya silma of this meaning, but silef is there asterisked, apparently to indicate that it only appears as part of the word Silevril ”Silmaril”. The word silef may also be used = Quenya silima (noun), the crystal substance of the Silmarils.

silef

silima

(Quenya: the crystal substance of the Silmarils) silef (i hilef), pl. silif (i silif) if there is any pl. form. The derived adj. silivren ”glittering white” (q.v.) may perhaps also imply ”made of silima”.

silef

shining white

(or ”silver”, as adj.): The form silef is listed in LR:385 s.v. _

silef

silima

(i hilef), pl. silif (i silif) if there is any pl. form. The derived adj. silivren ”glittering white” (q.v.) may perhaps also imply ”made of silima”.

celeb

noun. silver

celeb

silver

_n. _silver. >> Celebdil, Celebrant, celebrin

celeb

noun. silver

The word celeb was the word for “silver” in Sindarin and its conceptual precursors throughout Tolkien’s life.

Conceptual Development: G. celeb “silver” appeared all the way back to the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, where it was related to the early root ᴱ√TELEPE of the same meaning (GL/25; QL/91). In Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s ᴱN. celeb was derived instead from ᴱ✶kelekwé with the sound change of primitive kw to p and later to b (PE13/140), though in that same document he considered (but rejected) ᴱ✶t’lépe > ᴱN. tlub “silver” (PE13/154). In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien introduced a new root ᴹ√KYELEP “silver” to be the basis of N. celeb, with the sound change whereby intial ky became k (c) (Ety/KYELEP). This sound change continued to be a feature of Sindarin of the 1950s and 60s, and Tolkien retained this derivation going forward.

celeb

silver

1) (noun) celeb (i geleb, o cheleb), pl. celib (i chelib) if there is a pl. form. 2) (adj., "of/like silver") celebren (lenited gelebren, pl. celebrin; also celebrin- as first element of compounds, as in Celebrindal). Also celefn (lenited gelefn, pl. celifn). As for ”silver” as adjective, see also SHINING WHITE. Adj.

ithildin

noun. a silver-colored substance, which mirrors only starlight and moonlight

mithril

noun. true-silver, a silver-like metal

glóren

shining with golden light

(glórin-) (golden), lenited ’lóren; pl. glórin.

ivor

crystal

analogical pl. ivyr;

ivrin

crystalline

no distinct pl. form.

síla

shine white

(i híla, i sílar) Adj.