128461.fb2
Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names These notes have been compiled for those who take an interest in the Eldarin languages, and The Lord of the Rings is extensively drawn upon for illustration. They are necessarily very compressed, giving an air of certainty and finality that is not altogether justified; and they are very selective, this depending both on considerations of length and the limitations of the editor's knowledge. The headings are not arranged systematically by roots or in Quenya or Sindarin forms, but somewhat arbitrarily, the aim being to make the component elements of names as readily identifiable as possible. adan (plural Edain) in Adanedhel, Aradan, Dunedain. For its meaning and history see Atani in the Index. aelin 'lake, pool' in Aelin-uial; cf. lin (2). aglar 'glory, brilliance' in Dagor Aglareb, Aglarond. The form m Quenya, alkar, has transposition of the consonants: to Sindarin aglareb corresponds Alkarinque. The root is kal-'shine', q.v. aina 'holy' in Ainur, Ainulindale. alda 'tree' (Quenya) in Aldaron, Aldudenie, Malinalda, corresponding to Sindarin galadh (seen in Caras Galadon and the Galadrim of Lothlorien). alqua 'swan' (Sindarin alph) in Alqualonde; from a root alak-'rushing' occurring also in Ancalagon. amarth 'doom' in Amon Amarth, Cabed Naeramarth, Umarth, and in the Sindarin form of Turin's name 'Master of Doom', Turamarth. The Quenya form of the word appears in Turambar. amon 'hill', a Sindarin word occurring as the first element of many names; plural emyn in Emyn Beraid. 445 anca 'jaws' in Ancalagon (for the second element in this name see alqua). an(d) 'long' in Andram, Anduin; also in Anfalas ('Lang-strand') in Gondor, Cair Andros ('ship of long-foam') an island in Anduin, and Angerthas 'long rune-rows'. andune 'sunset, west' in Andunie, to which corresponds in Sindarin annun, cf. Annuminas, and Henneth Annun 'window of the sunset' in Ithilien. The ancient root of these words, ndu, meaning 'down, from on high', appears also in Quenya numen 'the way of the sunset, west' and in Sindarin dun 'west', cf. Dunedain, Adunaic adun in Adunakhor, Anadune was a loan from Eldarin speech. anga 'iron', Sindarin ang, in Angainor, Angband, Anghabar, Anglachel, Angrist, Angrod, Anguirel, Gurthang; angren 'of iron' in Angrenost, plural engrin in Ered Engrin. anna 'gift' in Annatar, Melian, Yavanna; the same stem m Andor 'Land of Gift'. annon 'great door or gate', plural ennyn, in Annon-in-Gelydh; cf. Morannon the 'Black Gate' of Mordor and Sirannon the 'Gate-stream' of Moria. ar-'beside, outside' (whence Quenya ar 'and', Sindarin a), probably in Araman 'outside Aman'; cf. also (Nirnaeth) Arnoediad '(Tears) without reckoning'. ar(a)-'high, noble, royal' appears in a great many names, as Aradan, Aredhel, Argonath, Arnor, etc.; extended stem arat- appearing in Aratar, and in arato 'champion, eminent man', e.g. Angrod from Angarato and Finrod from Findarato; also aran 'king' in Aranruth. Ereinion 'scion of kings' (name of Gil-galad) has the plural of aran; cf. Fornost Erain 'Norbury of the Kings' in Arnor. The prefix Ar- of the Adunaic names of the Kings of Numenor was derived from this. arien (the Maia of the Sun) is derived from a root as-seen also in Quenya are 'sunlight'. atar 'father' in Atanatari (see Atani in Index), Iluvatar. band 'prison, duress' m Angband; from original mbando, of which the Quenya form appears in Mandos (Sindarin Angband=Quenya Angamando). bar 'dwelling' in Bar-en-Danwedh. The ancient word mbar (Quenya mar, Sindarin bar) meant the 'home' both of persons and of peoples, and thus appears in many place-names, as Brithombar, Dimbar (the first element of which means 'sad, gloomy'), Eldamar, Val(i)mar, Vinyamar, Mar-nu-Falmar. Mardil, name of the first of the Ruling Stewards of Gondor, means 'devoted to the house' (i.e. of the Kings). barad 'tower' in Barad-dur, Barad Either Barad Nimras; the plural in Emyn Beraid. beleg 'mighty' in Beleg, Belegaer, Belegost, Laer Cu Beleg. brago 'sudden' in Dagor Bragollach. brethil probably means 'silver birch'; cf. Nimbrethil the birchwoods in Arvernien, and Fimbrethil, one of the Entwives. brith 'gravel' m Brithiach, Brithombar, Brithon. (For many names beginning with C see entries under K)