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, Dúnedain.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 in Quenya, alkar, has transposition of the consonants: to Sindarin aglareb corresponds Alkarinquë.The root is kal- 'shine', q.v.🔗
aina 'holy' in Ainur, Ainulindalë.🔗
alda 'tree' (Quenya) in Aldaron, Aldudénië, Malinalda,corresponding to Sindarin galadh (seen in Caras Galadonand the Galadrim of Lothlórien).🔗
alqua 'swan' (Sindarin alph) in Alqualondë; from a root alak- 'rushing' occurring also in Ancalagon.🔗
amarth 'doom' in Amon Amarth, Cabed Naeramarth, Úmarth, and in the Sindarin form of Túrin'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'.🔗
andúnë 'sunset, west' in Andúnië, to which corresponds in Sindarin annun, cf. Annúminas, 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. Dúnedain, Adûnaic adunin Adunakhôr, Anadûnë 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 engrininEred Engrin.🔗
anna 'gift' in Annatar, Melian, Yavanna; the same stem in 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 Angaráto and Finrodfrom Findaráto; also aran 'king' in Aranrúth. 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 Adûnaic names of the Kings of Númenor was derived from this.🔗
arien (the Maia of the Sun) is derived from a root as- seen also in Quenya árë 'sunlight'.🔗
atar 'father' in Atanatári (see Atani in Index), Ilúvatar.🔗
band 'prison, duress' in Angband; from original mbando,of which the Quenya form appears in Mandos (Sindarin Angband=QuenyaAngamando).🔗
bar 'dwelling' in Bar-en-Danwedh. The ancient word mbár (Quenya már, 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-dûr, Barad Either Barad Nimras;the plural in Emyn Beraid.🔗
beleg 'mighty' in Beleg, Belegaer, Belegost, Laer Cú 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' in Brithiach, Brithombar, Brithon.🔗
(For many names beginning with C see entries under K)🔗
calen (galen) the usual Sindarin word for 'green', in Ard-galen, Tol Galen, Calenardhon; also in Parth Galen('Green Sward') beside Anduin and Pinnath Gelin('Green Ridges') in Gondor. See kal-.🔗
cam (from kamba) 'hand', but specifically of the hand held cupped in the attitude of receiving or holding, in Camlost, Erchamion.🔗
carak- This root is seen in Quenya carca 'fang', of which the Sindarin form carch occurs in Carcharoth, and also in Carchost ('Fang Fort', one of the Towers of the Teeth at the entrance to Mordor). Cf. Caragdûr, Carach Angren ('Iron Jaws', the rampart and dike guarding the entrance to Udun in Mordor), and Helcaraxë.🔗
caran 'red', Quenya carnë, in Caranthir, Carnil, Orocarni;also in Caradhras, from caran-rass, the 'Red-horn' in the Misty Mountains, and Carnimirie 'red-jewelled', the rowan-tree in Treebeard's song. The translation of Carcharoth in the text as 'Red Maw' must depend on association with this word; see carak-.🔗
celeb 'silver' (Quenya telep, telpë, as in Telperion) in Celeborn, Celebrant, Celebros. Celebrimbor means 'silver-fist', from the adjective celebrin 'silver' (meaning not 'made of silver' but 'like silver, in hue or worth') and paur (Quenya quare) 'fist' often used to mean 'hand'; the Quenya form of the name was Telperinquar. Celebrindal has celebrin and tal, dal 'foot'.🔗
coron 'mound' in Corollairë (also called Coron Oiolairë,which latter word appears to mean 'Ever-summer', cf. Oiolossë); cf. Cerin Amroth, the great mound in Lothlórien.🔗
cú 'bow' in Cúthalion, Dor Cúarthol, Laer Cú Beleg.🔗
cuivië 'awakening' in Cuiviénen (Sindarin Nen Echui).Other derivatives of the same root are Dor Firn-i-Guinar; coire, the first beginning of Spring, Sindarin echuir, The Lord of the Rings Appendix D; and coimas 'life-bread', Quenya name of lembas.🔗
cul- 'golden-red' in Culúrien.🔗
curu 'skill' in Curuftn(we), Curunír.🔗
dae 'shadow' in Dor Daedeloth, and perhaps in Daeron.🔗
dagor 'battle'; the root is ndak-, cf. Haudh-en-Ndengin.Another derivative is Dagnir(Dagnir Glaurunga 'Glaurung's Bane').🔗
del 'horror* in Deldúwath; deloth 'abhorrence' in Dor Daedeloth.🔗
dîn 'silent' in Dor Dínen; cf. Rath Dínen, the Silent Street in Minas Tirith, and Amon Dîn, one of the beacon-hills of Gondor.🔗
dol 'head' in Lórindol; often applied to hills and mountains, as in Dol Guldur, Dolmed, Mindolluin (also Nardol, one of the beacon-hills of Gondor, and Fanuidhol, one of the Mountains of Moria).🔗
dôr 'land' (i.e. dry land as opposed to sea) was derived from ndor; it occurs in many Sindarin names, as Doriath, Dorthonion, Eriador, Gondor, Mordor, etc. In Quenya the stem was blended and confused with a quite distinct word nórë meaning 'people'; in origin Valinórë was strictly 'the people of the Valar', but Valandor 'the land of the Valar', and similarly Númen(n)órë 'people of the West', but Númendor 'land of the West'. Quenya Endor'Middle-earth' was from ened 'middle' and ndor; this in Sindarin became Ennor (cf. ennorath 'middle lands' in the chant A Elbereth Gilthoniel).🔗
draug 'wolf' in Draugluin.🔗
dú 'night, dimness' in Deldúwath, Ephel Dúath. Derived from earlier dömë, whence Quenya lómë; thus Sindarin dúlin 'nightingale' corresponds to lómelindë.🔗
duin '(long) river' in Anduin, Baranduin, Esgalduin, Malduin, Taur-im-Duinath.🔗
dûr 'dark' in Barad-dûr, Caragdûr, Dol Guldur; also in Durthang (a castle in Mordor).🔗
ëar 'sea' (Quenya) in Eärendil, Eärrámë, and many other names. The Sindarin word gaer (in Belegaer) is apparently derived from the same original stem.🔗
echor in Echoriath 'Encircling Mountains' and Orfalch Echor; cf. Rammas Echor 'the great wall of the outer circle' about the Pelennor Fields at Minas Tirith.🔗
edhel 'elf' (Sindarin) in Adanedhel, Aredhel, Glóredhel, Ost-in-Edhil; also in Peredhil 'Half-elven'.🔗
eithel 'well' in Eithel Ivrin, Eithel Sirion, Barad Eithel;also in Mitheithel, the river Hoarwell in Eriador (named from its source). See kel-.🔗
êl, elen 'star'. According to Elvish legend, ele was a primitive exclamation 'behold!' made by the Elves when they first saw the stars. From this origin derived the ancient words êl and elen, meaning 'star', and the adjectives elda and elena, meaning 'of the stars'. These elements appear in a great many names. For the later use of the name Eldar see the Index. The Sindarin equivalent of Elda was Edhel (plural Edhil), q.v.; but the strictly corresponding form was Eledh, which occurs in Eledhwen.🔗
er 'one, alone', in Amon Ereb (cf. Erebor, the Lonely Mountain), Erchamion, Eressëa, Eru.🔗
ereg 'thorn, holly' in Eregion, Region.🔗
esgal 'screen, hiding' in Esgalduin.🔗
falas 'shore, line of surf' (Quenya falassë) in Falas, Belfalas; also Anfalas in Gondor. Cf. Falathar, Falathrim.Another derivative from the root was Quenya falma'(crested) wave', whence Falmari, Mar-nu-Falmar.🔗
faroth is derived from a root meaning 'hunt, pursue'; in the Lay of Leithian the Taur-en-Faroth above Nargothrond are called 'the Hills of the Hunters'.🔗
faug- 'gape' in Anfauglir, Anfauglith, Dor-nu-Fauglith.🔗
fea 'spirit' in Fëanor, Fëanturi.🔗
fin- 'hair' in Finduilas, Fingon, Finrod, Glorftndel.🔗
formen 'north' (Quenya) in Formenos; Sindarin forn(also for, forod) in Fornost.🔗
fuin'gloom, darkness' (Quenya huine) in Fuinur, Taur-nu-Fuin.🔗
gaer 'sea' in Belegaer (and in Gaerys, Sindarin name of Ossë). Said to derive from the stem gaya 'awe, dread', and to have been the name made for the vast and terrifying Great Sea when the Eldar first came to its shores.🔗
gaur 'werewolf (from a root ngwaw- 'howl') in Tol-in-Gaurhoth.🔗
gil 'star' in Dagor-nuin-Giliath, Osgiliath(giliath 'host of stars'); Gil-Estel, Gil-galad.🔗
girith 'shuddering' in Nen Girith; cf. also Girithron, name of the last month of the year in Sindarin (The Lord of the Rings Appendix D).🔗
glin 'gleam' (particularly applied to the eyes) in Maeglin.🔗
golodh is the Sindarin form of Quenya Noldo; see gûl.Plural Golodhrim, and Gelydh (in Annon-in-Gelydh).🔗
gond 'stone' in Gondolin, Gondor, Gonnhirrim, Argonath, seregon. The name of the hidden city of King Turgon was devised by him in Quenya as Ondolindë (Quenya ondo=Sindarin gond, and lindë 'singing, song'); but it was known always in legend in the Sindarin form Gondolin,which was probably interpreted as gond-dolen 'Hidden Rock'.🔗
gor 'horror, dread' in Gorthaur, Gorthol; goroth of the same meaning, with reduplicated gor, in Gorgoroth, Ered Gorgoroth.🔗
groth (grod) 'delving, underground dwelling' in Menegroth, Nogrod (probably also in Nimrodel, 'lady of the white cave'). Nogrod was originally Novrod 'hollow delving' (hence the translation Hollowbold), but was altered under the influence of naug 'dwarf'.🔗
gul 'sorcery' in Dol Guldur, Minas Morgul. This word was derived from the same ancient stem ngol- that appears in Noldor; cf. Quenya nólë 'long study, lore, knowledge'. But the Sindarin word was darkened in sense by its frequent use in the compound morgul 'black arts'.🔗
gurth 'death' in Gurthang (see also Melkor in the Index).🔗
gwaith 'people' in Gwaith-i-Mírdain; cf. Enedwaith 'Middle-folk', name of the land between the Greyflood and the Isen.🔗
gwalh, wath 'shadow' in Deldúwath, Ephel Dúath; also in Gwathlo,the river Greyflood in Eriador. Related forms in Ered Wethrin, ThurIngwëthil. (This Sindarin word referred to dim light, not to the shadows of objects cast by light: these were called morchaint 'dark shapes'.)🔗
hadhod in Hadhodrond (translation of Khazad-dûm)was a rendering of Khazâd into Sindarin sounds.🔗
haudh 'mound' in Haudh-en-Arwen, Haudh-en-Elleth, etc.🔗
heru 'lord' in Herumor, Herunúmen; Sindarin hir in Gonnhirrim, Rohirrim, Barahir; híril 'lady' in Hírilorn.🔗
him 'cool' in Himlad (and Himring?).🔗
hîn'children' in Eruhini 'Children of Eru'; Narn i Hîn Húrin.🔗
hith 'mist' in Hithaeglir, Hithlum (also in Nen Hithoel,a lake in Anduin). Hithlum is Sindarin in form, adapted from the Quenya name Hísilómë given by the Noldorin exiles (Quenya hísië 'mist', cf. Hísimë, the name of the eleventh month of the year. The Lord of the RingsAppendix D).🔗
hoth 'host, horde' (nearly always in a bad sense) in Tol-in-Gaurhoth; also in Loss(h)oth, the Snowmen of Forochel (The Lord of the Rings Appendix A [I, iii]) and Glamhoth 'din-horde', a name for Orcs.🔗
hyarmen 'south' (Quenya) in Hyarmentir; Sindarin har-, harn, harad.🔗
ia 'void, abyss' in Moria.🔗
iant 'bridge' in Iant Iaur.🔗
iâth 'fence' in Doriath.🔗
iaur 'old' in Iant Iaur; cf. the Elvish name of Bombadil, Iarwain.🔗
ilm- This stem appears in Ilmen, Ilmarë, and also in Ilmarin ('mansion of the high airs', the dwelling of Manwë and Varda upon Oiolossë).🔗
ilúvë 'the whole, the all' in Ilúvatar.🔗
kal' (gal-) This root, meaning 'shine', appears in Calacirya, Calaquendi, Tar-Calion; galvorn, Gil-galad, Galadriel. The last two names have no connexion with Sindarin galadhtree', although in the case of Galadriel such a connexion was often made, and the name altered to Galadhriel. In the High-elven speech her name was Al(a)táriel, derived from alata 'radiance' (Sindarin galad) and riel 'garlanded maiden' (from a root rig- 'twine, wreathe'): the whole meaning 'maiden crowned with a radiant garland', referring to her hair. calen (galen) 'green' is etymologically 'bright', and derives from this root; see also aglar.🔗
káno 'commander': this Quenya word is the origin of the second element in Fingon and Turgon.🔗
kel- 'go away', of water 'flow away, flow down', in Celon;from et-kele 'issue of water, spring' was derived, with transposition of the consonants, Quenya ehtele, Sindarin eithel.🔗
kemen 'earth' in Kementári; a Quenya word referring to the earth as a flat floor beneath menel, the heavens.🔗
kheliek- 'ice' in Helcar, Helcaraxë (Quenya helka 'icy, ice-cold'). But in Helevorn the first element is Sindarin heledh 'glass', taken from Khuzdul kheled (cf. Kheled-zaram 'Mirrormere'); Helevorn means 'black glass' (cf. galvorn).🔗
khil- 'follow' in Hildor, Hildórien, Eluchíl.🔗
kir- 'cut, cleave' in Calacirya, Cirth, Angerthas, Cirith(Ninniach, Thoronath). From the sense 'pass swiftly through' was derived Quenya círya 'sharp-prowed ship' (cf. English cutter), and this meaning appears also in Círdan, Tar-Ciryatan, and no doubt in the name of Isildur's son Círyon.🔗
lad 'plain, valley' in Dagorlad, Himlad; imlad a narrow valley with steep sides, in Imladris (cf. also Imlad Morgulin the Ephel Dúath).🔗
laure 'gold' (but of light and colour, not of the metal) in Laurelin; the Sindarin forms in Glóredhel, Glorfindel, Loeg Ningloron, Lórindol, Rathlóriel.🔗
lhach 'leaping flame' in Dagor Bragollach, and probably in Anglachel (the sword made by Eöl of meteoric iron).🔗
lin (1) 'pool, mere' in Linaewen (which contains aew[Quenya aiwe] 'small bird'), Teiglin; cf. aelin.🔗
lin- (2) This root, meaning 'sing, make a musical sound', occurs in Ainulindalë, Laurelin, Lindar, Lindon, Ered Lindon, lómelindi.🔗
lith 'ash' in Anfauglith, Dor-nu-Fauglith; also in Ered Lithui, the Ashen Mountains, forming the northern border of Mordor, and Lithlad 'Plain of Ashes' at the feet of Ered Lithui.🔗
lok- 'bend, loop' in Urulóki (Quenya [h]lókë 'snake, serpent', Sindarin Ihûg).🔗
lóm 'echo' in Dor-lómin, Ered Lómin; related are Lammoth, Lanthir Lamath.🔗
lómë 'dusk' in Lómion, lómelindi; see dú.🔗
londë 'land-locked haven' in Alqualondë; the Sindarin form lond(lonn) in Mithlond.🔗
los 'snow' in Oiolossë (Quenya oio 'ever' and losse 'snow, snow-white'); Sindarin loss in Amon Uilos and Aeglos.🔗
loth 'flower' in Lothlórien, Nimloth; Quenya lótë in Ninquelótë, Vingilótë.🔗
luin 'blue' in Ered Luin, Helluin, Luinil, Mindolluin.🔗
maeg 'sharp, piercing' (Quenya maika) in Maeglin.🔗
mal- 'gold' in Malduin, Malinalda; also in mallorn, and in the Field of Cormallen, which means 'golden circle' and was named from the culumalda trees that grew there (see cul-).🔗
mān- 'good, blessed, unmarred' in Aman, Manwë; derivatives of Aman in Amandil, Araman, Úmanyar.🔗
mel- 'love' in Melian (from Melyanna 'dear gift'); this stem is seen also in the Sindarin word mellon 'friend' in the inscription on the West-gate of Moria.🔗
men 'way' in Númen, Hyarmen, Rómen, Formen.🔗
menel 'the heavens' in Meneldil, Menelmacar, Meneltarma.🔗
mereth 'feast' in Mereth Aderthad; also in Merethrond,the Hall of Feasts in Minas Tirith.🔗
minas 'tower' in Annúminas, Minas Anor, Minas Tirith,etc. The same stem. occurs in other words referring to isolated, prominent, things, e.g. Mindolluin, Mindon;probably related is Quenya minya 'first' (cf. Tar-Minyatur, the name of Elros as first King of Númenor).🔗
mîr 'jewel' (Quenya mîrë) in Elemmírë, Gwaith-i-Mírdain, Míriel, Nauglamír, Tar-Atanamir.🔗
mith 'grey' in Mithlond, Mithrandir, Mithrim; also hi Mitheithel, the river Hoarwell in Eriador.🔗
mor 'dark' in Mordor, Morgoth, Moria, Moriquendi, Mormegil, Morwen, etc.🔗
moth 'dusk' in Nan Elmoth.🔗
nan(d) 'valley' in Nan Dungortheb, Nan Elmoth, Nan Tathren.🔗
nár 'fire' in Narsil, Narya; present also in the original forms of Aegnor (Aikanáro 'Sharp Flame' or 'Fell Fire') and Fëanor (Feanaro 'Spirit of Fire'). The Sindarin form was naur, as in Sammath Naur, the Chambers of Fire in Orodruin. Derived from the same ancient root (a)nar was the name of the Sun, Quenya Anar (also in Anárion), Sindarin Anor (cf. Minas Anor, Anorien).🔗
naug 'dwarf' in Naugrim; see also Nogrod in entry groth.Related is another Sindarin word for 'dwarf', nogoth,plural noegyth(Noegyth Nibin 'Petty-dwarves') and nogothrim.🔗
-(n)dil is a very frequent ending of personal names, Amandil, Eärendil (shortened Eärnil), Elendil, Mardil, etc.; it implies 'devotion', 'disinterested love' (see Mardil in entry bar).🔗
-{n)dur in names such as Eärendur (shortened Eärnur) is similar in meaning to -(n)dil.🔗
neldor 'beech' in Neldoreth; but it seems that this was properly the name of Hírilorn, the great beech-tree with three trunks (nelde 'three' and orn).🔗
nen 'water', used of lakes, pools, and lesser rivers, in Nen Girith, Nenning, Nenuial, Nenya; Cuiviénen, Uinen;also in many names in The Lord of the Rings, as Nen Hithoel, Bruinen, Emyn Arnen, Núrnen. Nîn 'wet' in Loeg Ningloron; also in Nindalf.🔗
nim 'white' (from earlier nimf, nimp) in Nimbrethil, Nimloth, Nimphelos, niphredil(niphred 'pallor'), Barad Nimras, Ered Nimrais. The Quenya form was ninque;thus Ninquelótë=Nimloth. Cf. also Taniquetil.🔗
orn 'tree' in Celeborn, Hírilorn; cf. Fangorn 'Treebeard' and mallorn, plural mellyrn, the trees of Lothlórien.🔗
orod 'mountain' in Orodruin, Thangorodrim; Orocarni, Oromet. Plural ered in Ered Engrin, Ered Lindon, etc.🔗
os(t) 'fortress' in Angrenost, Belegost, Formenos, Fornost, Mandos, Nargothrond (from Narog-ost-rond), Os(t)giliaih, Ost-in-Edhil.🔗
palan (Quenya) 'far and wide' in Palantíri, Tar-Palantir.🔗
pel- 'go round, encircle' in Pelargir, Pelóri, and in the Pelennor, the 'fenced land' of Minas Tirith; also in Ephel Brandir, Ephel Dúath (ephel from et-pel 'outer fence').🔗
quen- (quet-) 'say, speak' in Quendi(Calaquendi, Laiquendi, Moriquendi), Quenya, Valaquenta, Quenta Silmarillion. The Sindarin forms have p (or b) for qu; e.g. pedo 'speak' in the inscription on the West-gate of Moria, corresponding to the Quenya stem quet; and Gandalf's words before the gate, lasto beth lammen 'listen to the words of my tongue', where beth 'word' corresponds to Quenya quetta.🔗
ram 'wall' (Quenya ramba) in Andram, Ramdal; also in Rammas Echor, the wall about the Pelennor Fields at Minas Tirith.🔗
ran- 'wander, stray' in Rána, the Moon, and in Mithrandir, Aerandir; also in the river Gilraen in Gondor.🔗
rant 'course' in the river-names Adurant (with adu'double') and Celebrant ('Silverlode').🔗
ras 'horn' in Barad Nimras, also in Caradhras ('Redhorn') and Methedras ('Last Peak') in the Misty Mountains; plural rais in Ered Nimrais.🔗
rauko 'demon' in Valaraukar; Sindarin raug, rog in Balrog.🔗
ril'brilliance' in Idril, Silmaril; also in Anduril (the sword of Aragorn) and in mithril (Moria-silver). Idril's name in Quenya form was Itarillë (or Itarildë), from a stem ita- 'sparkle'.🔗
rim 'great number, host' (Quenya rimbë) was commonly used to form collective plurals, as Golodhrim, Mithrim(see the Index), Naugrim, Thangorodrim, etc.🔗
ring 'cold, chill' in Ringil, Ringwil, Himring; also in the river Ringló in Gondor, and in Ringarë, Quenya name of the last month of the year (The Lord of the Rings Appendix D).🔗
ris 'cleave' appears to have blended with the stem kris- of similar meaning (a derivative of the root kir- 'cleave, cut', q.v.); hence Angrist (also Orcrist 'Orc-cleaver', the sword of Thorin Oakenshield), Crissaegrim, Imladris.🔗
roch 'horse' (Quenya rokko) in Rochallor, Rohan (from Rochand 'land of horses'), Rohirrim; also in Roheryn'horse of the lady' (cf. heru), Aragorn's horse, which was so called because given to him by Arwen (The Return of the King V 2).🔗
rom-A stem used of the sound of trumpets and horns which appears in Oromë and Valaróma; cf. Béma, the name of this Vala in the language of Rohan as translated into Anglo-Saxon in The Lord of the Rings Appendix A (II): Anglo-Saxon bēme 'trumpet'.🔗
romen 'uprising, sunrise, east' (Quenya) in Romenna.The Sindarin words for 'east', rhûn (in Talath Rhunen) and amrûn, were of the same origin.🔗
rond meant a vaulted or arched roof, or a large hall or chamber so roofed; so Nargothrond (see ost), Hadhodrond, Aglarond. It could be applied to the heavens, hence the name Elrond 'star-dome'.🔗
ros 'foam, spindrift, spray' in Celebros, Elros, Rauros;also in Cair Andros, an island in the river Anduin.🔗
ruin 'red flame' (Quenya runya) inOrodruin.🔗
ruth 'anger' in Aranrúth.🔗
sarn '(small) stone' in Sarn Athrad(Sarn Ford on the Brandywine is a half-translation of this); also in Sarn Gebir ('stone-spikes': ceber, plural cebir 'stakes'), rapids in the river Anduin. A derivative is Serni, a river in Gondor.🔗
sereg 'blood' (Quenya serke) in seregon.🔗
sil- (and variant thil-) 'shine (with white or silver light)' in Belthil, Galathilion, Silpion, and in Quenya Isil, Sindarin Ithil, the Moon (whence Isildur, Narsil; Minas Ithil, Ithilien). The Quenya word Silmarilli is said to derive from the name silima that Fëanor gave to the substance from which they were made.🔗
sîr 'river', from root sir- 'flow', in Ossiriand (the first element is from the stem of the numeral 'seven', Quenya otso, Sindarin odo), Sirion; also in Sirannon (the 'Gate-stream' of Moria) and Sirith ('a flowing', as tirith 'watching' from tir), a river in Gondor. With change of s to h in the middle of words it is present in Minhiriath 'between the rivers', the region between the Brandywine and the Greyflood; in Nanduhirion 'vale of dim streams', the Dimrill Dale (see nan[d] and dú), and in Ethir Anduin, the outflow or delta of Anduin (from et-sir).🔗
sûl 'wind' in Amon Sûl, Súlimo; cf. súlimë, Quenya name of the third month of the year (The Lord of the RingsAppendix D).🔗
tal (dal) 'foot' in Celebrindal, and with the meaning 'end' in Ramdal.🔗
talath 'flat lands, plain' in Talath Dirnen, Talath Rhunen.🔗
tar- 'high' (Quenya tára 'lofty'), prefix of the Quenya names of the Númenórean Kings; also in Annatar. Feminine tári 'she that is high, Queen' in Elentári, Kementári. Cf. tarma 'pillar' in Meneltarma.🔗
tathar 'willow'; adjective tathren in Nan-tathren; Quenya tasare in Tasarinan, Nan-tasarion (see Nan-tathren in the Index).🔗
taur 'wood, forest' (Quenya taure) in Tauron, Taur-im-Duinath, Taur-nu-Fuin.🔗
tel- 'finish, end, be last' in Teleri.🔗
thalion 'strong, dauntless' in Cúthalion, Thalion.🔗
thong 'oppression' in Thangorodrim, also in Durthang (a castle in Mordor). Quenya sanga meant 'press, throng', whence Sangahyando 'Throng-cleaver', name of a man in Gondor (The Lord of the Rings Appendix A [I, iv]).🔗
thar- 'athwart, across' in Sarn Athrad, Thargelion; also in Tharbad (from thara-pata 'crossway*) where the ancient road from Arnor and Gondor crossed the Grey-flood.🔗
thaur 'abominable, abhorrent' in Sauron(fromThauron), Gorthaur.🔗
thin(d) 'grey' in Thingol; Quenya sinda in Sindar, Singollo(Sindacollo: collo 'cloak').🔗
thôl 'helm' in Dor Cúarthol, Gorthol.🔗
thon 'pine-tree' in Dorthonion.🔗
thoron 'eagle' in Thorondor (Quenya Sorontar), Cirith Thoronath. The Quenya form is perhaps present in the constellation-name Soronúmë.🔗
til 'point, horn' in Taniquetil, Tilion ('the Horned'); also in Celebdil 'Silvertine', one of the Mountains of Moria.🔗
tin- 'sparkle' (Quenya tinta 'cause to sparkle', tinwe'spark') in Tintallë; also in tindómë 'starry twilight' (The Lord of the Rings Appendix D), whence tindómerel'daughter of the twilight', a poetic name for the nightingale (Sindarin Tinúviel). It appears also in Sindarin ithildin 'starmoon', the substance of which the devices on the West-gate of Moria were made.🔗
tir 'watch, watch over' in Minas Tirith, palantíri, Tar-Palantir, Tirion.🔗
tol 'isle' (rising with sheer sides from the sea or from a river) in Tol Eressëa, Tol Galen, etc.🔗
turn 'valley' in Tumhalad, Tumladen; Quenya tumbo (cf. Treebeard's tumbalemorna 'lack deep valley'. The Two Towers III 4). Cf. Utumno, Sindarin Udûn (Gandalf in Mordor named the Balrog 'Flame of Udûn'), a name afterwards used of the deep dale in Moria between the Morannon and the Isenmouths.🔗
tur 'power, mastery' in Turambar, Turgon, Túrin, Fëanturi, Tar-'Minyatur.🔗
uial 'twilight' in Aelin-uial, Nenuial.🔗
ur- 'heat, be hot' in Urulóki; cf. Urimë and Urui, Quenya and Sindarin names of the eighth month of the year (The Lord of the Rings Appendix D). Related is the Quenya word aure 'sunlight, day' (cf. Fingon's cry 'before the Nirnaeth Arnoediad), Sindarin aur, which in the form Or- is prefixed to the names of the days of the week.🔗
val- 'power' in Valar, Valacirca, Valaquenta, Valaraukar, Val(i)mar, Valinor. The original stem was bal-, preserved in Sindarin Balan, plural Belain, the Valar, and in Balrog.🔗
wen 'maiden' is a frequent ending, as in Eärwen, Morwen.🔗
wing 'foam, spray' in Elwing, Vingilot (and only in these two names).🔗
yave 'fruit' (Quenya) in Yavanna; cf. Yavannie, Quenya name of the ninth month of the year, and yavie 'autumn' (The Lord of the Rings Appendix D).🔗