Sindarin
ar-
prefix. king
ar-
prefix. high, noble, royal
Ara-
prefix. king
Ara-
prefix. high, noble, royal
taer
lofty
adj. lofty. Q. tāra.
taer
adjective. lofty, lofty, *high
taur
noun. great wood, forest
tar-
verb. to stand
tara
tough
(also tar- as first element of compounds) (stiff), lenited dara. The historically correct pl. would be teiri; if analogy prevailed, it might be altered to terai.
taur
king
(i daur, o thaur) (said in LR:389 s.v. TĀ to refer to ”legitimate kings of the whole tribes”), pl. toer (i thoer), coll. pl. torath.
taur
lofty
(also tor-, tar- in compounds) (high, sublime, noble; vast, masterful, mighty, overwhelming, huge, awful), lenited daur, pl. toer. Note: homophones mean ”king (of a people)” and also ”great wood, forest”.
taur
tall
(also tor-, tar- in compounds) (lofty, high, sublime, noble; vast, masterful, mighty, overwhelming, huge, awful), lenited daur, pl. toer. Note: homophones mean ”king (of a people)” and also ”great wood, forest”.
thar
beyond
(across, athwart, over)
cai
noun. hedge
drúadan
noun. wild man, one of the Woses
drû
noun. wild man, Wose, Púkel-Man
In PE/11:31, an older Gnomish word drû, drui meant "wood, forest", and in PE/13:142, the early Noldorin word drú was assigned the meaning "dark". Drû pl. Drúin later came to be used for the name of the Woses, with other derivatives (Drúadan, etc.). "Wose" is actually the modernization of an Anglo-Saxon word wasa only found in the compound wudu-wasa "wild man of the woods", cf. UT/385 sq. In the drafts of the "Ride of the Rohirrim" in WR/343-346, the Woses first appeared as "the dark men of Eilenach". Though internally said to derive from drughu in their own tongue, Tolkien's choice for the Sindarin name of the Woses was apparently influenced by earlier meanings assigned to this word
glad
noun. wood
A word for a “wood” in the name Methed-en-Glad “End of the Wood” (UT/153) and possibly also Gladuial “✱Twilight Wood” (WJ/183, 188 note #48). It resembles galadh “tree” and is probably related to it, but it cannot be derived directly from the same root ᴹ√GALAD as that would produce ✱✱gladh. It was either derived from a variant root ✱√GALAT, or was a loan word from Nandorin where the word for “tree” was Nan. galad (MR/182; PE17/50, 60).
Anor
noun. sun
Anor
noun. Sun
_n. Astron._Sun. Q. anār/anăr. >> Ithil
Dúnadan
noun. Man of the west, Númenórean
adan
noun. man, one of the Second People (elvish name for men)
adanadar
noun. man, one of the Fathers of Men
adanath
noun. men
ara
noun. king
_ n. _king.
aran
noun. king (used of a lord or king of a specified region)
athan
preposition. beyond
cai
noun. hedge
cair
noun. ship
cair
noun. ship
The Sindarin word for “ship”, most notably appearing as an element in the name Cair Andros “Ship of Long Foam” (LotR/812; PM/371). It is derived from primitive ✶kiryā, with the ancient i becoming e via a-affection [kery(a)], then the y intruding into the main syllable to form the diphthong ei [keir], and ultimately ei becoming ai as usual in final syllables in Sindarin of the 1950s and 60s [kair]. This word has a somewhat unusual plural, since ī replaced final ā in its ancient plural [kiryā-ī > kirī], so that a-affection did not occur resulting in a modern plural form cîr “ships” (PE17/147). Its class plural is likewise the somewhat unusual ciriath “[all the] ships” for similar reasons.
Conceptual Development: The Etymologies from around 1937 had N. ceir “ship” under the root ᴹ√KIR “cleave” (Ety/KIR), since in Noldorin of the 1930s ei did not (usually) become ai in final syllables. In Primitive Quendian Structure: Final Consonants from 1936, Tolkien gave cīr “ship”, first marked “N.”, then “Ilk.”, then “N. & Ilk.” (PE21/57 and note #28). It had the class plurals círiath or ciriath but it is not clear which of these was the intended final form (PE21/57 note #28). I think ciriath is more phonologically plausible; compare class plural S. Firiath “Mortals” vs. ordinary plural Fîr (WJ/387).
Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s had the word ᴱN. cair followed by ᴱN. braithgair, but neither word was translated (PE13/139-140).
dern
tough
_ adj. _tough. >> dír-
dír-
prefix. tough
dîr
noun. man, man, [N.] adult male; agental suffix
A word for “man” as a male person, attested only as an element in compounds or as (archaic?) ndir (PE17/60). This word likely refers to male individuals of all races including Elves, Men, Dwarves and so forth, much like its Quenya cognate Q. nér. This word must have been derived from the primitive subjective form ✶ndēr of the root √N(D)ER “male person”, where the ancient long ē became ī, and the initial cluster nd- became d-, though the ancient cluster would still be reflected in mutated forms, such as in i nîr “the man” rather than ✱✱i dhîr.
Conceptual Development: Perhaps the earliest precursor to this word is (archaic) G. †drio “hero, warrior” with variants driw, driodweg and driothweg, a cognate of ᴱQ. nēr (GL/22). This Gnomish word was derived from primitive ᴱ✶n’reu̯, where the initial nr- became dr-. At this early stage, the root was unstrengthened ᴱ√NERE (QL/65), as reflected in (archaic) ᴱN. nîr “hero, prince, warrior-elf” in the Early Noldorin Dictionary of the 1920s (PE13/164).
In The Etymologies of the 1930s the root became ᴹ√DER “adult male, man” of any speaking race and the derived form was N. dîr (Ety/DER). However, in this document Tolkien said:
> EN †dîr surviving chiefly in proper names (as Diriel older Dirghel [GYEL], Haldir, Brandir) and as agental ending (as ceredir “doer, maker”) ... In ordinary use EN has benn [for “man”] (properly = “husband”).
Thus in the scenario described in The Etymologies, dîr “man” was archaic and used only as an element in names or as a suffix. In ordinary speech it was replaced by N. benn, which used to mean “husband” but now meant “man”, while the word for “husband” became N. hervenn (Ety/BES). It is unlikely Tolkien imagined this exact scenario in later Sindarin, however, since the 1930s root for benn was ᴹ√BES “wed”, but by the 1960s the root for husband/wife/marry words had become √BER.
Neo-Sindarin: Since the status of N. benn is questionable given ᴹ√BES >> √BER, many Neo-Sindarin writers prefer to use S. ✱dîr as the Sindarin word for man. I am of the opinion that both dîr and benn are acceptable for “man, male person”. This is because I prefer to retain ᴹ√BES as the root for “marry, wed”, since it is the best basis for attested husband/wife words in (Neo) Sindarin.
eryn
noun. wood
galadh
noun. tree
galadh
tree
_n. Bot._tree, like oak (nordh) and beech. A galadh was more thick, dense and branching than a orn. In Sindarin, there was no much distinction in size between galað and orn. A galað was more thick, dense and branching than a orn. Birch, ash and oak are of the orn kind. Q. alda. >> orn
galadh
tree
{ð} n. tree. In Sindarin, there was no much distinction in size between galað and orn. A galað was more thick, dense and branching than a orn. Birch, ash and oak are of the orn kind. Q. alda. >> orn
galadh
noun. tree
The basic Sindarin word for “tree” (LotR/1113), derived from primitive ✶galadā and very well attested. This word dates back at least to The Etymologies of the 1930s, where N. galadh “tree” appeared under the root ᴹ√GALAD (Ety/GALAD). See also orn “(tall) tree” of similar meaning.
Conceptual Development: Gnomish of the 1910s had some earlier version of this “tree” word: G. galdon >> alwen “tree” in the Name-list to the Fall of Gondolin (PE15/24) and archaic/poetic G. †alwen “tree” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/19), the latter probably from the early root ᴱ√ALA “spread” that was the basis for ᴱQ. alda “tree” (QL/29).
glad
noun. wood
han
that
pl1. hain _pron. _that, the thing previously mentioned. Tolkien notes "hain = heinn (< san-)" (PE17:42). Im Narvi hain echant 'I Narvi made them'.
lebethron
noun. a tree - its black wood was used by the woodwrights of Gondor
In the original manuscript, one of the earlier (rejected) form of this name was lebendron. Didier Willis proposed the etymology lebed+doron "finger-oak", actually a real tree name (Finger Oak or Quercus digitata)
malhorn
noun. golden tree of Lothlórien
mallorn
noun. golden tree of Lothlórien
malt
noun. gold, gold (as metal)
A noun for “gold” based on the root √MALAT. The Etymologies of the 1930s specified that N. malt was “gold (as metal)” derived from the root ᴹ√SMAL “yellow” (Ety/SMAL). This is consistent with Tolkien’s later notes in which Q. malta was “gold (metal)”, as opposed to Q. laurë/S. glaur which was “gold (colour or light)” (PE17/51, 159). Note that in The Etymologies the form was revised to (h)malt indicating an archaic voiceless hm that was the result of ancient sm (EtyAC/SMAL), but this would no longer be the case after the root became √MALAT.
malthorn
noun. golden tree of Lothlórien
mírdan
noun. jewel-smith
mîr
noun. jewel, precious thing, treasure
mîr
noun. jewel
_ n. _jewel, precious thing. Q. míre, pl1. míri. >> advir
orn
noun. (any large) tree
oron
noun. tree
n. Bot. tree. Also in compound -(o)rŏnō. >> orn
raud
lofty
san
pronoun. that
taw
adverb. thither
Anor
sun
1) Anor (pl. Anoer if there is a pl.) Archaic Anaur (SD:306). 2) naur (mainly in compounds as nar-, -nor) (flame, fire), pl. noer, coll. pl. norath.
adan
man
(pl. Edain; the coll. pl. Adanath is attested). The word Adan came to be used primarily of a member of the Three Houses of the Edain, not of the mortal race of Men in general.
andrath
high pass
(literally "long climb"), pl. endraith.
aran
king
1) (king of a region) aran (pl. erain). Coll. pl. aranath. Also †âr with stem-form aran- (also with pl. erain; the longer form aran may be a back-formation from this plural). 2) (king of a people) †taur (i daur, o thaur) (said in LR:389 s.v. _T_Ā to refer to ”legitimate kings of the whole tribes”), pl. toer (i thoer), coll. pl. torath.
aran
king
(pl. erain). Coll. pl. aranath. Also †âr with stem-form aran- (also with pl. erain; the longer form aran may be a back-formation from this plural).
arth
lofty
1) arth (noble, exalted), pl. erth, 2) brand (high, noble, fine), lenited vrand, pl. braind, 3) orchall (superior, eminent), pl. erchail (for archaic örchail), 4) taur (also tor-, tar- in compounds) (high, sublime, noble; vast, masterful, mighty, overwhelming, huge, awful), lenited daur, pl. toer. Note: homophones mean ”king (of a people)” and also ”great wood, forest”.
arth
lofty
(noble, exalted), pl. erth
athar
beyond
1) *athar (across). Suggested correction of the reading "athan" in SD:62. As prep. probably followed by soft mutation. 2) (adverbial prefix) thar- (across, athwart, over)
athar
beyond
(across). Suggested correction of the reading "athan" in SD:62. As prep. probably followed by soft mutation.
brand
lofty
(high, noble, fine), lenited vrand, pl. braind
brand
tall
(lofty, noble, fine), lenited vrand, pl. braind.
bôr
trusty man
(boron-) (i vôr, construct bor) (steadfast man, faithful vassal), pl. *b**ŷr* for older beryn, i meryn (archaic böryn, i möryn). In ”Noldorin”, the older pl. forms were berein, beren.
cai
hedge
cai (i gai, o chai), pl. cî (i chî);
cai
hedge
(i gai, o chai), pl. cî (i chî);
cair
ship
cair (in compounds cír-) (i gair, o chair), pl. cîr, i chîr; coll. pl. ciriath.
cair
ship
(in compounds cír-) (i gair, o chair), pl. cîr, i chîr; coll. pl. ciriath.
caraes
hedge of spikes
(i garaes, o charaes). No distinct pl. form except with article (i charaes).
cirion
shipman
(i girion) (sailor), pl. ciryn (i chiryn), coll. pl. cirionnath.
curunír
man of craft
(i gurunír, o churunír) (wizard), no distinct pl. form except with article (i churunír), coll. pl. ?curuníriath.
círdan
shipbuilder, shipwright
(i gírdan, o chírdan) (shipwright), pl. círdain (i chírdain).
dorn
tough
1) dorn (tough), lenited dhorn, pl. dyrn; 2) tara (also tar- as first element of compounds) (stiff), lenited dara. The historically correct pl. would be teiri; if analogy prevailed, it might be altered to terai.
dorn
tough
(tough), lenited dhorn, pl. dyrn
duinen
high tide
(i dhuinen), pl. duinin (i nuinin). (VT48:26).
dîr
man
1) (adult male of any speaking race) dîr (dír-, also agentive ending -dir or -nir; with article, i nîr, hard mutation as in o ndîr), no distinct pl. form except with article (i ndîr); coll. pl. díriath. Also benn (i venn, construct ben), pl. binn (i minn). The latter is in archaic language used = "husband" (the etymological meaning). The ending -we in names may also express ”being, man, person”. 2) (mortal human as opposed to Elf) Adan (pl. Edain; the coll. pl. Adanath is attested). The word Adan came to be used primarily of a member of the Three Houses of the Edain, not of the mortal race of Men in general.
dîr
man
(dír-, also agentive ending -dir or -nir; with article, i nîr, hard mutation as in o ndîr), no distinct pl. form except with article (i ndîr); coll. pl. díriath. Also benn (i venn, construct ben), pl. binn (i minn). The latter is in archaic language used = "husband" (the etymological meaning). The ending -we in names may also express ”being, man, person”.
dúnadan
man of the west
(i Núnadan), pl. Dúnedain (i Ndúnedain) (WJ:378, 386).
eryn
wood
1) (forest) eryn. No distinct pl. form. 2) glâd (i **lâd, construct glad) (small forest), pl. glaid (in glaid**) See FOREST. 2)
eryn
wood
. No distinct pl. form.
firion
mortal man
(pl. firyn).
gaer
awful
1) gaer (dreadful, fearful; holy); lenited aear; no distinct pl. form. Note: homophones mean "reddish, copper-coloured, ruddy" and also "sea". 2) taur (also tor-, tar- in compounds) (lofty, high, sublime, noble; vast, masterful, mighty, overwhelming, huge), lenited daur, pl. toer. Note: homophones mean ”king (of a people)” and also ”great wood, forest”.
gaer
awful
(dreadful, fearful; holy); lenited ’aear; no distinct pl. form. Note: homophones mean "reddish, copper-coloured, ruddy" and also "sea".
galadh
tree
1) galadh (i **aladh), pl. gelaid (i ngelaidh = i ñelaidh) (Letters:426, SD:302). 2) orn (pl. yrn**). Note: a homophone means ”tall”.
galadh
tree
(i ’aladh), pl. gelaid (i ngelaidh = i ñelaidh) (Letters:426, SD:302).
galadhon
of or related to trees
(lenited ‘aladhon, pl. galadhoen). Archaic ✱galadhaun. The latter is based on David Salo’s analysis of the name Caras Galadhon; others have interpreted the last word as some kind of genitive plural, maybe influenced by Silvan Elvish.
galadhrim
people of the trees
(Elves of Lórien). Adj.
glâd
wood
(i ’lâd, construct glad) (small forest), pl. glaid (in glaid) See FOREST. 2)
golovir
noldo-jewel
(i Ngolovir = i Ñolovir, o N’golovir = o Ñgolovir), no distinct pl. form except with article (in Golovir = i Ñgolovir). Adj.
gondrath
highway
(i ’ondrath) (street of stone, causeway), pl. gendraith (i ngendraith = i ñendraith). Archaic pl. göndreith. (WJ:340). Possibly the pl. can also be gondraith, without umlaut of the first element.
hall
tall
(exalted); lenited chall; pl. hail. Note: a homophone means ”veiled, hidden, shadowed, shady”.
huorn
walking tree of fangorn
(i chuorn, o chuorn), pl. huyrn (i chuyrn).
hîn
they
(of women) hîn. It is unclear whether Tolkien maintained this ”Noldorin” pronoun in Sindarin.
hîn
they
. It is unclear whether Tolkien maintained this ”Noldorin” pronoun in Sindarin.
i
that
(+ soft mutation), basically in in the plural, but often loses the n which is then replaced by nasal mutation of the next consonant (e.g. gyrth i chuinar ”dead that live [cuinar]”, Letters:417). Sometimes i (+ soft mutation) is used in the singular as well. – The form ai (following by lenition) occurs in the phrase di ai gerir ✱”those who do” (VT44:23). Possibly it is a form of the relative pronoun that is used when the previous word ends in -i. Whether ai is both sg. and pl. is unclear; in its one attestation it is followed by a plural verb that is lenited.
lebethron
oak tree
.
malad
gold
(as metal) 1) malad (i valad), pl. melaid (i melaid) if there is a pl. 2) malt (i valt), pl. melt (i melt) if there is a pl. (VT42:27). ”Gold” in extended senses: glawar (i **lawar) (sunlight, radiance of the Golden Tree Laurelin), pl. glewair (in glewair**) (VT41:10) GOLD (COLOUR?) *mall (i vall), pl. mail (i mail) if there is a pl. Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” malt.
malad
gold
(i valad), pl. melaid (i melaid) if there is a pl.
mall
gold
(i vall), pl. mail (i mail) if there is a pl. – Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” malt.
malt
gold
(i valt), pl. melt (i melt) if there is a pl. (VT42:27). ”Gold” in extended senses: glawar (i ’lawar) (sunlight, radiance of the Golden Tree Laurelin), pl. glewair (in glewair) (VT41:10)
mirion
great jewel
(i Virion), pl. Míryn (i Míryn). (LR:373 s.v. MIR lists the archaic ”Noldorin” plural Miruin.)
mírdan
jewel-smith
(i vírdan), pl. mírdain (i mírdain)
míriel
jewel-like
(lenited víriel, pl. míril) (sparkling like a jewel)
mîr
jewel
mîr (i vîr, construct mir) (precious thing, treasure), no distinct pl. form except with article (i mîr), coll. pl. míriath. GREAT JEWEL (Silmaril) Mirion (i Virion), pl. Míryn (i Míryn). (LR:373 s.v. MIR lists the archaic ”Noldorin” plural Miruin.)
mîr
jewel
(i vîr, construct mir) (precious thing, treasure), no distinct pl. form except with article (i mîr), coll. pl. míriath.
nothlir
family tree
(family line); no distinct pl. form; coll. pl. nothliriath.
or
high
(adjectival pref.) or- (above, over), also ar- (noble, royal). In the form ar(a)- this is an element in the names of the kings of Arnor and Arthedain. Nouns:
or
high
(above, over), also ar- (noble, royal). In the form ar(a)- this is an element in the names of the kings of Arnor and Arthedain. Nouns:
orchall
lofty
(superior, eminent), pl. erchail (for archaic örchail)
orn
tree
(pl. yrn). Note: a homophone means ”tall”.
raud
tall
(eminent, noble), in compounds -rod, pl. roed. Also used as noun ”champion, eminent man, [a] noble”.
rhavan
wild man
(?i thravan or ?i ravan – the lenition product of rh is uncertain), pl. rhevain (?idh revain) (WJ:219). – The following terms apparently apply to ”men” of any speaking race:
sa
pronoun. that
t
awful
aur (also tor-, tar- in compounds) (lofty, high, sublime, noble; vast, masterful, mighty, overwhelming, huge), lenited daur, pl. toer. Note: homophones mean ”king (of a people)” and also ”great wood, forest”.
taw
that
(demonstrative pronoun) ?taw. _Only the ”Old Noldorin” form tó is actually given in LR:389 s.v. _
taw
pronoun. that
taw
that
. Only the ”Old Noldorin” form tó is actually given in LR:389 s.v.
tawar
wood
(as material) tawar (i dawar, o thawar) (forest), pl. tewair (i thewair).
tawar
wood
(i dawar, o thawar) (forest), pl. tewair (i thewair).
telu
high roof
(i delu, o thelu) (dome), pl. tely (i thely).
thalion
dauntless man
(hero), pl. thelyn. Also used as an adj. ”dauntless, steadfast, strong”.
toss
low-growing tree
(i** doss, o thoss, construct tos), pl. tyss (i** thyss). Tolkien mentioned ”maple, hawthorn, blackthorn, holly, etc.” as examples of the low-growing trees covered by this word. Specific trees, see
pref. king. >> ara-, Arathorn