n. spark, star. Q. tinwe spark (Poet. star).
Sindarin
tîn
noun. spark, sparkle, twinkle of stars
Cognates
Derivations
Element in
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √TIN > tîn [tin] > [tīn] ✧ PE17/066 Variations
- tin ✧ PE17/039
- tĭn ✧ PE17/039
- tîn ✧ PE17/066
tîn
spark
tin
noun. spark
_ n. _spark, sparkle (esp. used of the twinkle of stars). >> ithildin
tin
noun. spark, sparkle, twinkle of stars
tîn
adjective. his
tîn
pronoun. his
Non-lenited form suggested by Carl Hostetter (VT31/21).
Element in
- S. ar Iorhael, Gelir, Cordof, ar Baravorn, ionnath dîn “and Frodo, Merry, Pippin and Hamfast his sons” ✧ AotM/062; SD/129
- S. ar Meril bess dîn, ar Elanor, Meril, Glorfinniel, ar Eirien sellath dîn “and Rose his wife; and Elanor, Rose, Goldilocks and Daisy his daughters” ✧ AotM/062; AotM/062; SD/129; SD/129
tîn
adjective. silent, quiet
See also dîn.1 for a discussion regarding this word
tîn
adjective. silent, quiet
în
adjective. his (referring to the subject)
dîn
noun. silence
Adjectival use seems to be attested in several place names (Amon Dín "Silent Hill", etc.), though an adjective dínen.1 is also attested (Rath Dínen "Silent Street"). When compared with other toponyms where lenition does occur (Taur-na-Chardhîn "Forest of the Southern Silence" in WJ/185,193 and Dor Dhínen in WJ/333,338), the forms dîn and dínen clearly seem to be unmutated. Absence of lenition in these examples from LotR was therefore tentatively explained by resistance to mutation (as in Nan Tathren, Ered Mithrin). However, Tolkien apparently changed his mind in his unfinished index of names from LotR, where he explains both words as mutated adjectives whose unlenited forms are respectively tîn.2
and tínen . Such hesitations between mutated and unmutated forms is not unusual, for instance a similar issue is met with gaear and aear . Of course, Taur-na-Chardhîn and Dor Dhínen would hardly be explainable in that alternate scenario
dîn
noun/adjective. silence; silent, quiet
@@@ variation reflects Tolkien’s vacillation on whether or not Sindarin genitives are lenited
Derivations
- √DIN “silence”
Element in
- S. Amon Dîn “Silent Hill” ✧ PE17/095; PE17/098; SA/dîn
- S. dínen “silent” ✧ PE17/098; RC/551
- S. Dor Dínen “Silent Land” ✧ SA/dîn
- S. Rath Dínen “Silent Street” ✧ SA/dîn
- S. si loth a galadh lasto dîn “*here flower and tree listen [in] silence” ✧ LB/354
- S. Taur-na-Chardhîn “Forest of Southern Silence” ✧ WJI/Taur-na-Chardhîn
Variations
- tîn ✧ RC/551
dîn
noun. silence
tinu
noun. spark, small star
tínen
adjective. silent
See also dîn.1 for a discussion regarding this word
tínen
adjective. silent
tín
his
*tín (only attested in lenited form dín, following a noun with article). Possibly, the word also covers ”her(s)” and ”its” as a general 3rd person form. If ”his” refers to the same person as the subject, the form ín* is used instead (e.g. i venn sunc i haw ín** ”the man drank his (own) juice”, but *i venn sunc i haw dín ”the man drank his (somebody elses) juice”.
tín
his
(only attested in lenited form dín, following a noun with article). Possibly, the word also covers ”her(s)” and ”its” as a general 3rd person form. If ”his” refers to the same person as the subject, the form ín is used instead (e.g. ✱i venn sunc i haw ín ”the man drank his (own) juice”, but ✱i venn sunc i haw dín ”the man drank his (somebody else’s) juice”.
tint
spark
1) tint (i dint, o thint), no distinct pl. form except with article (i thint), coll. pl. tinnath; 2) tinu (i dinu, o thinu; also -din at the end of compounds), analogical pl. tiny (i thiny). The word is also used =
tint
spark
(i dint, o thint), no distinct pl. form except with article (i thint), coll. pl. tinnath
tinu
spark
(i dinu, o thinu; also -din at the end of compounds), analogical pl. tiny (i thiny). The word is also used =
tîr
straight
tîr (lenited dîr, no distinct pl. form) (right). Note: a homophone means ”looking, view, glance” (noun).
tîr
straight
(lenited dîr, no distinct pl. form) (right). Note: a homophone means ”looking, view, glance” (noun).
ín
his
(pronoun referring to the subject, e.g. ✱i venn sunc i haw ín ”the man drank his [own] juice”, as opposed to ✱i venn sunc i haw dín ”the man drank his [= another’s] juice”)
enaith
sixth part
. No distinct pl. form. Archaic eneith.
tim
small star
(MR:388). Archaic tinw, so the coll. pl. is likely tinwath. 3)
-deid
suffix. his
-deith
suffix. his
-dyn
suffix. his
dínen
adjective. silent
See also dîn.1 for a discussion regarding this word
dínen
adjective. silent
adj. silent. >> dîn
dínen
adjective. silent
@@@ variation reflects Tolkien’s vacillation on whether or not Sindarin genitives are lenited
Element in
- S. Dor Dínen “Silent Land” ✧ S/121; WJ/333
- S. Rath Dínen “Silent Street” ✧ NM/364; RC/551
Elements
Word Gloss dîn “silence; silent, quiet” -en “adjective suffix” Variations
- Dínen ✧ NM/364; S/121
- tínen ✧ RC/551
gil-
prefix. spark
dínen
silent
dínen (lenited dhínen, pl. dínin). In certain sources, Tolkien seems to presuppose that the unlenited form is actually tínen, with dínen as the lenited form, but elsewhere it is implied that dínen is the basic form, hence dhínen as the lenited variant.
dínen
silent
(lenited dhínen, pl. dínin). In certain sources, Tolkien seems to presuppose that the unlenited form is actually tínen, with dínen as the lenited form, but elsewhere it is implied that dínen is the basic form, hence dhínen as the lenited variant.
sath
noun. part
Cognates
- ᴺQ. satta “part (of something)”
Derivations
- √SAT “space, place; divide, apportion, mark off”
A word for “spark, sparkle, twinkle of stars” appearing as an element in S. ithildin “moon-star” (PE17/39, 66). Tolkien sometimes gave it the form tĭn (PE17/39) and sometimes tîn (PE17/66). It was derived from the root √TIN “sparkle, spark” (PE17/66). Primitive ✶tĭnĭ “spark” from Common Eldarin: Noun Structure of the early 1950s may be its ancient form (PE21/80).
In one place Tolkien gave the form tim “spark” as another name for (apparent) stars, but its final m is hard to explain (MR/388; PE17/22). In notes associated with The Shibboleth of Fëanor from 1968 Tolkien said “In the Northern dialect, however, in final position only, C.E. tw > dw, dw > ðw, thw > þw, nw became b, v, f, m” (VT41/8). Thus, tim may be the North Sindarin equivalent of Q. tinwë. However, in the document where it appeared, tim was clearly marked “S” for Sindarin. This form could also be a remnant of Gnomish or Ilkorin tim (see below).
Conceptual Development: The earliest precursor of this word was G. tim “spark, gleam, (star)” in the Gnomish Lexicon of 1910s, derived from the early root ᴱ√tin- (GL/70), cognate to ᴱQ. tinwe (QL/92). In the Gnomish period, [[g|final [nw] became [m]]], as discussed by Roman Rausch in his Historical Phonology of Goldogrin (HGP/§2.7). This was not true later, since in The Etymologies of the 1930s, N. tinw “spark, small star” was the cognate for ᴹQ. tinwe and the form tim was Ilkorin, all of these under the root ᴹ√TIN “sparkle” (Ety/TIN). In his later writings, Tolkien had the forms tin, tîn and tim, as noted above. Thus while the root and basic meaning of this word were quite stable, its form went through a number of variations.
Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I’d use the form tîn since short vowels generally lengthened in monosyllables. I think properly it has the meaning “spark(le)” but metaphorically can apply to stars. For the ordinary word for “star”, I’d use gil.