stel

root. remain firm

A root from etymological notes for the name S. Ecthelion, where it also served as the basis for words like Q. estel/S. estel “hope” and S. thel- “intend, mean, purpose, resolve, will” (WJ/318-319), possibly also connected to ᴹQ. tel- “intend” from the 1940s with meaning similar to later S. thel- (PE22/99). The root √STEL may have replaced unglossed ᴹ√STELEG from The Etymologies of the 1930s which likewise served as the basis for the name N. Ecthelion, but had derivatives like N. thela “point (of spear)” (Ety/STELEG). All of these were rather torturous attempts by Tolkien to preserve the early Gnomish name G. Ecthelion “Lord of the Fountain” (GL/31), which no longer fit Noldorin or Sindarin phonology, since G. ecthel “fountain” >> N./S. eithel.

elen

noun. star

ēl

noun. star

elenya

stellar

elenya adj. *"stellar" (only defined as an adjective referring to stars by Tolkien) (WJ:362). Cf. Elenya, name of the first day of the Eldarin six-day week, dedicated to the stars (Appendix D).

elenya

adjective. adjective referring to the stars, *of the stars, stellar

An “adjective referring to the stars” mentioned in the Quendi and Eldar essay of 1959-60, hence “✱of the stars” or “✱stellar” (WJ/362), replacing the more ancient adjective form ✶elenā which after various sound changes became confused with Q. Elda “Elf” (WJ/360, 362). As a proper name, Q. Elenya happens to be the Elvish name for “Saturday”, more literally “✱Star-day” (LotR/1110).

elen

noun. star

The most common Quenya word for “star”, mentioned very frequently, derived from an extended form ✶elen of the root √EL “behold” (PE17/67; WJ/360, 362). Its usual plural form is eleni, but it has an archaic plural †eldi sometimes used in verse, the result of the Ancient Quenya sound whereby [[aq|[ln] became [ld]]] after the ancient plural underwent the Quenya syncope, ✶elenī > AQ. elni; its normal modern plural form eleni was actually a reformation from the singular (PE17/57, 151; WJ/362).

Conceptual Development: This word first appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s, though in the original entry for the root ᴹ√EL Tolkien said it was poetical and gave variants ellen and elena (Ety/EL).

Elenarda

star-kingdom

Elenarda place-name "Star-kingdom", upper sky (3AR). Deleted material in the Etymologies defined elenarda as "star-realm", "upper air or sky" (VT45:16). Compare elen, (h)arda.

elen

star

elen noun "star" (SA:êl, elen, EL, VT49:39); pl. eleni (occasionally in verse: eldi) (WJ:362, PE17:127); partitive pl. elelli for elenli (PE17:127), gen. pl. elenion in the phrase Elenion Ancalima "brightest of stars" (LotR2:IV ch. 9; see Letters:385 for translation); elen atta "two stars" (VT49:44), genitive elen atto "of two stars" (VT49:45), eleni neldë "three stars", archaic elenion neldë = "of stars three". Genitive "of 3 stars" = elenion neldë (for archaic elenion neldëo) (VT49:45). Allative elenna "starwards" used as name of Númenor _(Silm; see Elenna)_; ablative pl. elenillor "from stars" in Markirya. **Nai elen siluva ***"may a star shine", VT49:38.

tarma

pillar

tarma noun "pillar" (SA:tar); Tarmasundar (þ) "the Roots of the Pillar", the slopes of Mt. Meneltarma in Númenor (UT:166)

tarma

noun. pillar

tulwë

pillar, standard, pole

tulwë noun "pillar, standard, pole" (LT1:270)

él

star

†él noun "star", pl. éli given (WJ:362, EL)

él

noun. star

An archaic or poetic word for star (WJ/362), somewhat common in compounds but in ordinary speech typically appearing as elen. It was derived directly from the primitive root √EL “behold”, the basis for other star words (PM/340; WJ/360).

Conceptual Development: This word first appeared as poetical ᴹQ. él “star” in The Etymologies of the 1930s, already with the derivation given above, though in this document the root ᴹ√EL meant “star” (Ety/EL), a common gloss for the root in later writings as well.

ílë

star

ílë noun "star" (LT1:269; rather elen, él in LotR-style Quenya.)

gonnoth

noun. pillar, stele, memorial

el

star

n. star.

elen

star

pl1. elin, pl2. elenath _n._star. Its collective plural (pl2.) designates 'the (host of all the) stars, (all) the (visible) stars of the firmament'. Q. elen, pl1. eldi, eleni. o menel aglar elenath ! lit. 'from Firmament glory of the stars !'. >> êl

elen

noun. star

gil

noun. star, bright spark

In The Etymologies (Ety/358, corrected by VT/45:15), this word was given as geil , plural gîl. However, later in LotR/E and RGEO/73, Tolkien seems to consider gil as a singular (with no hints in the sources of what the plural would be, besides the collective plural giliath )

gil-

noun. star

giliath

noun. all the host of stars

gill

noun. star

êl

noun. star (little used except in verses)

êl

star

pl1. elin, pl2. elenath** ** n. star. Q. elen, pl1. eldi, eleni, pl2. elelli. >> elen

êl

noun. star

A Sindarin word for “star” that is largely archaic and poetic, and is mainly used as element in names like Elrond (Let/281; WJ/363; Ety/EL); the more usual word for “star” in ordinary speech was gil (RGEO/65). However, the collective form elenath is still used in common speech to refer to the entire host of stars (WJ/363). The plural of êl is elin, as this word was derived from ancient ✶elen, and the final n that was lost in the singular was preserved in the plural. In some cases Tolkien posited a restored analogical singular elen from the plural form (PE17/24, 67, 139), but this isn’t in keeping with the notion that the word was archaic, so I would ignore this for purposes of Neo-Sindarin.

Conceptual Development: This word and its root first appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s, where N. el “star” was derived from the root ᴹ√EL of similar meaning, but was “only [used] in names” (Ety/EL). It seems Tolkien introduced the root to give a new etymology for names like N. Elrond and N. Elwing, which initially appeared under the root ᴹ√ƷEL “sky” (Ety/ƷEL).

gilion

of stars

(lenited ngilion; pl. gilioen). Archaic ✱giliaun.

gîl

star

gîl (i ngîl = i ñîl, o n**gîl, construct gil) (bright spark, silver glint), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gîl = i ñgîl), coll. pl. giliath** (RGEO, MR:388). Poetic †êl (elen-, pl. elin, coll. pl. elenath) (RGEO, Letters:281, WJ:363).

gîl

star

(i ngîl = i ñîl, o n’gîl, construct gil) (bright spark, silver glint), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gîl = i ñgîl), coll. pl. giliath **(RGEO, MR:388). Poetic †êl (elen-, pl. **elin, coll. pl. elenath) (RGEO, Letters:281, WJ:363).

thafn

pillar

(wooden pillar) thafn (post), pl. ?thefn, coll. pl. thavnath

thafn

pillar

(post), pl. ?thefn, coll. pl. thavnath

el

noun. star

geil

noun. star, bright spark

geil

noun. star

giliath

noun. all the host of stars

elen

noun. star

él

noun. star