Teleri

noun. Last-comers

Last-comers, Enders

teler

proper name. Last-comer, Hindmost

Quenya name for the third tribe of Elves (PM/318), usually appearing in the plural form Teleri (S/40; WJ/382). It was derived from the root √TELES “come at rear” (PE18/84; Ety/TELES), because “they tarried on the road and were not wholly of a mind to pass from the dusk to the light of Valinor” (S/53).

Conceptual Development: A similar name ᴱQ. Telelli appeared in the earliest Lost Tales, and its singular form ᴱQ. Telelle was glossed “little elf” in the Qenya Lexicon (QL/91). This early term applied to young Elves of all tribes, especially those talented in song (PE13/99; PE14/9). The related term ᴱQ. Teleri, however, referred specifically to the first tribe of Elves (LT1/50; PE14/9).

By the earliest drafts of the Silmarillion, however, Tolkien began to use ᴹQ. Teler as the term for the “Sea-elves”, the third tribe (SM/13). In The Etymologies from the 1930s, the name was given the derivation above (Ety/TELES), though initially it was because the third tribe “were the latest to awaken” (LR/168), not because they tarried on the march.

Changes

• Teles- → Teler- ✧ PE18/084

Cognates

• S. Teler “Teleri” ✧ PM/385; PMI/Teleri

Derivations

• √TELES “come at rear, end a line or series, come at rear, end a line or series; [ᴹ√] hindmost, tarrier” ✧ PE18/084
• √TEL “close, end, complete, come to an end” ✧ SA/tel

Element in

• Q. Telerin “of the Teleri”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√KYELES > Teler-	[kjelesi] > [tjelesi] > [tjelezi] > [tjeleri] > [teleri]	✧ PE18/084
√tel- > Teleri	[telesi] > [telezi] > [teleri]	✧ SA/tel

Variations

• Teles- ✧ PE18/084 (Teles-)

Teler

sea-elf

Teler noun "sea-elf", pl. Teleri, general (partitive) pl. Telelli, the third tribe of the Eldar (TELES (MIS) ), also called Lindar.Teleri means "those at the end of the line, the hindmost", (WJ:382 cf. 371), derived from the stem tel- "finish, end, be last" (SA:tel-). The Lindar were so called because they lagged behind on the march from Cuiviénen. In early "Qenya", Teler, also Telellë, was defined "little elf" (LT1:267), but this is hardly a valid gloss in Tolkien's later Quenya.

Teleri

Teleri

Teleri is the plural of Teler which means "last", root TEL. In The Silmarillion the word Teleri refers both to the Third Clan in general, and that branch that made it to Aman, taken from the Vanyar and Noldor point of view; particularly the Teleri of Aman were called Falmari.

linda

proper name. Singer

The name that the Teleri used to refer to themselves, usually appearing in the plural form Lindar and glossed “The Singers” (SI/Teleri, UT/286). They were so called because in legend, they sang before they could speak with words (WJ/382). The name was derived from the root √LIN “sing” (SA/lin, WJ/382).

Conceptual Development: In Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, this name was used for the first tribe, with the gloss “The Fair” (LR/168). It usually appeared as a collective noun, but sometimes appeared in the singular (PE22/51). In The Etymologies, it is given as ᴹQ. linda “fair, beautiful (of sound)” used as a name (Ety/LIND). In later writings, the name of the first tribe became the Vanyar, and Tolkien repurposed this name as another name of the third tribe with a slightly different derivation and meaning.

Cognates

• Nan. Lindē “Lindar” ✧ NM/347
• S. Glinnel “*Singer-elf” ✧ WJI/Glinnel; WJ/378
• T. Linda “Teler” ✧ WJ/382; WJI/Lindar

Derivations

• √LIN “sing, make a musical sound, sing, make a musical sound, [ᴱ√] gentle” ✧ SA/lin²
• ✶lindā “*sweet sounding” ✧ WJ/378; WJ/380; WJ/382

Element in

• Q. Lindalambë “Language of the Lindar”
• Q. Lindarin “*of the Lindar”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√lin- > Lindar	[lindar]	✧ SA/lin²
✶Lindāi > Lindar	[lindar]	✧ WJ/378
✶lindā > Lindar	[lindā] > [linda]	✧ WJ/380
✶Lindā > Lindar	[lindā] > [linda]	✧ WJ/382

Telellë

little elf

Telellë noun "little elf" (also Teler); the Telelli are said to be "young Elves of all clans who dwelt in Kôr to perfect their arts of singing and poetry" (LT1:267; see Teler)

lindo

singer, singing bird

lindo noun "singer, singing bird" (LIN2)

nyello

singer

nyello noun "singer" (NYEL). Compare the final element of Falanyel, #Solonyel, q.v