An earlier form of the Quenya adjective for “grey”, first appearing in The Etymologies (Ety/THIN). It appears in some later writings as well (WJ/384; PE17/141), and possibly remains a valid variant of the better-known sinda. In Notes on Names (NN) from 1957, Tolkien said sinde was the proper adjectival form, since Sinda referred only to Grey Elves (PE17/141), but this isn’t reflected elsewhere in his writings where sinda was used as an ordinary adjective meaning “grey”.
Quenya
sindë
grey, pale or silvery grey
sindë
adjective. grey, pale or silvery grey, grey, pale or silvery grey, [ᴹQ.] pale
Cognates
- S. thind “grey, grey, [N.] pale” ✧ PE17/141; PE17/141; PE17/141
Derivations
Element in
- Q. Sindicollo “Grey-cloak”
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶thindi- > sinde [tʰindi] > [θinde] > [θinde] > [sinde] ✧ PE17/141 ✶thĭndĭ > sinde [tʰindi] > [θinidā] > [θinde] ✧ PE17/141 ✶thinide > sindë [tʰinide] > [tʰinde] > [θinde] > [sinde] ✧ PE17/141 Variations
- sinde ✧ PE17/141; PE17/141; WJ/384
sindel
noun. Grey-elf
Elements
Word Gloss sinda “grey” Elda “Elf, (lit.) one of the Star-folk”
sinda
grey
sinda (þ) adj. "grey" (PE17:72); nominal pl. Sindar used = "Grey-elves", lit. *"Grey ones"; see WJ:375. Gen. pl. Sindaron in WJ:369. With general meaning "grey" also in Sindacollo > Singollo "Grey-cloak, Thingol" (SA:thin(d), PE17:72; see also sindë, Sindicollo);†sindanórië "grey land", ablative sindanóriello "from/out of a grey country" (Nam); the reference is to a "mythical region of shadows lying at outer feet of the Mountains of Valinor" (PE17:72). However, other sources give sindë (q.v.) as the Quenya word for "grey"; perhaps sinda came to mean primarily "Grey-elf" as a noun. Derived adjective Sindarin "Grey-elven", normally used as a noun to refer to the Grey-elven language. (Appendix F)
sinda
adjective. grey
The best known Quenya word for “grey” and an element in a number of names. It is also used as a noun Sinda “Grey Elf”. Tolkien sometimes used a variant form sindë for “grey” (WJ/384; PE17/141; Ety/THIN); see that entry for details.
Cognates
- S. thind “grey, grey, [N.] pale” ✧ PE17/072; SA/thin(d)
Derivations
Element in
- Q. Eldar Sindar “Grey Elves” ✧ PE21/77
- Q. Eldar sindaron “Grey Elves’” ✧ PE21/77
- Q. Sinda “Grey-elf” ✧ SA/thin(d)
- Q. Sindacollo “Grey-cloak, Greymantle” ✧ PE17/072; SA/thin(d)
- Q. Sinda Eldō “a Grey Elf’s” ✧ PE21/77
- Q. Sindanórië “Grey Country, Land of Greyness” ✧ PE17/072
- Q. Sindar Eldar “Grey Elves” ✧ PE21/77
- Q. Sindar Eldaron “Grey Elves’” ✧ PE21/77
- Q. Sindar i Eldar Malariando “Grey are the Elves of Beleriand” ✧ PE21/77
- Q. Sindel “Grey-elf”
- Q. sindië “greyness” ✧ PE17/072
- Q. Singollo “Grey-cloak, Greymantle” ✧ SA/thin(d)
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √ΘIN > sinda [tʰinda] > [θinda] > [sinda] ✧ PE17/072 ✶þindā > sinda [tʰindā] > [θindā] > [θinda] > [sinda] ✧ PE17/072 Variations
- Sinda ✧ PE21/77
sinda
proper name. Grey-elf
Quenya name for the Grey Elves (PM/223), usually appearing in its plural form Sindar (LotR/1137). It is simply sinda “grey” used as a name (SA/thin(d)).
Cognates
Derivations
Element in
- Q. Elwë, aran Sindaron “Elwe, King of the Sindar” ✧ WJ/369
- Q. Sindarin “Grey-elven” ✧ SMI/Sindar
Elements
Word Gloss sinda “grey” Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶thindā > thinda > sinda [tʰindā] > [θindā] > [θinda] > [sinda] ✧ PE17/141 ✶thinida > sinda [tʰinida] > [tʰindā] > [θindā] > [θinda] > [sinda] ✧ PE17/141 √THIN > Sindar [tʰinda] > [θinda] > [sinda] ✧ WJ/384 Variations
- sindē ✧ PE17/140
- sinda ✧ PE17/141; PE17/141
thindë
thindë
†thindë (þindë) older form of sindë, q.v., preserved in Vanyarin (WJ:384, there spelt with the special letter þ, not the digraph th)
Sindicollo
grey-cloak
Sindicollo (þ) noun "Grey-cloak", title of Elwë (Elu). Sindarin Thingol. (WJ:410, MR:217).(Sindi- in this name is a compound form of sindë, q.v.) Original form Thindicollo (WJ:333). The Silmarillion appendix (SA:thin(d) ) gives Sindacollo.
sir-
flow
sir- (1) vb. "flow" (SIR)
sir-
verb. flow
mísë
grey
mísë (þ, cf. Sindarin mith-) adj. "grey" (used as noun of grey clothes in the phrase mi mísë of someone clad "in grey"). The underlying stem refers a paler or whiter "grey" than sinda, making mísë "a luminous grey" (PE17:71-72)
sirya
verb. flow
hiswa
grey
hiswa (þ) adj. "grey" (KHIS/KHITH, Narqelion)
mista
grey
mista adj. "grey"; see lassemista
mista
adjective. grey
Cognates
- S. mith “grey, light grey, pale grey”
Derivations
- √MITH “grey”
Element in
- Q. Lassemista “Leaf-Grey” ✧ PE17/083
lutta-
flow, float
lutta- vb. "flow, float" (LT1:249)
lutu-
flow, float
lutu- vb. "flow, float" (LT1:249)
sindë (þ) adj. "grey, pale or silvery grey" (the Vanyarin dialect preserves the older form þindë) (WJ:384, THIN; in SA:thin(d) the form given is sinda, cf. also sindanóriello "from a grey country" in Namárië. Sindë and sinda_ are apparently variants of the same word.) _Stem sindi-, given the primitive form ¤thindi; cf. Sindicollo (q.v.)