Pronunciations

C

'k', not 's'

CH

'k', not 'ch'

DH

soft 'th' in 'then', not 'thin'

G

'get', not 'gin'

KH

At the start of a word, the 'k' sound is often dropped, except in Khuzdul (Dwarvish)

Doubled consonants are twice long e.g. Yavanna is Yav-an-na, not Yav-ana. (English 'unnamed' not 'unaimed')

AE

a-e (sometimes same as AI)

AI

'eye', not 'ay'

AU

In Sauron, 'sour' not 'sore'

E

If at the end of a word is written as ë (Elwë, pronounced 'El-way'), if in middle of word (Menegroth) pronounced as 'Men-e-groth', not 'Meen-groth'

EA

e-a (written eä or Eä)

EI

'ay' ('grey')

EO

e-o (written eö or Eö)

ER

Before a consonant or at the end of a word (e.g. Nerdanel), pronounced as 'air'

IE

i-e (Ni-en-na, not Nee-na)

IR

Before a consonant or at the end of a word (e.g. Círdan), pronounced as 'eer'

OE

o-e (sometimes same as 'toy')

Ú

'oo', thus Túrin is 'Toorin', not 'Tyoorin'

UI

'ruin'

UR

Before an consonant or the end of a word(e.g. Gurthang), pronounced as 'oor'

A circumflex accent in stressed monosyllables in Sindarin denotes the particularly long vowel in such words (e.g. Hîn Húrin is 'Hyn' not 'Hin') but in Adúnaic (Númenórean) and Khuzdul (Dwarvish) names the circumflex simply denotes long vowels (Khazad-dûm).

Elements in Quenya and Sindarin

adan

'The Second People', (plural Edain), Quenya Atan (plural Atani), Men, esp. the three houses of the Elf-Friends

adu

'double'

aelin

'lake, pool', cf. lin (1)

aew

'small bird', Quenya aiwë

aglar

'glory, brilliance', Quenya alkar, cf. root kal-, 'shine', and also alata 'radiance'

aina

'holy'

alata

'radiance', Sindarin galad, cf. kal- (gal-)

alda

'tree', Sindarin galadh

alqua

'swan', Sindarin alph, root alak-, 'rushing'

amarth

'doom', Quenya ambar

amon

'hill', plural emyn

anca

'jaws'

an(d)

'long'

andúnë

'sunset, west', Sindarin annûn, root ndu, 'down, from on high', in Quenya númen 'the way of the sunset, west', and Sindarin dûn 'west', from which Adûnaic adûn

anga

'iron', Sindarin ang, angren 'of iron', plural engrin

anna

'gift'

annon

'great door or gate', plural ennyn

ar-

'beside, outside, without'

ar(a)-

'high, royal, noble', extended to arat- in aráto 'champion'; aran 'king', plural erein or erain

arien

Maia of the Sun, root as- also in Quenya árë 'sunlight'

atar

'father'

band

'prison, duress', Quenya mando, root mbando

bar

'dwelling', Quenya már, root mbár

barad

'tower', plural beraid.

beleg

'mighty'

bragol

'sudden'

brethil

'silver birch'

brith

'gravel'

---Names beginning with C---

See entries under K

calen (galen)

'green', c.f. kal-

cam

'(cupped) hand', from kamba

carak-

Root of Quenya carca 'fang', Sindarin carch, carach 'jaws'

caran

'red', Quenya carnë

ceber

'stake', plural cebir, gebir

celeb

'silver', Quenya telep or telpë, adjective celebrin 'like silver in hue or worth'

chaint

'shapes'

collo

'cloak', Sindarin gol

coron

'mound'

cú

'bow'

cuivië

'awakening', Sindarin echui

cul-

'golden-red'

curu

'skill'

dae

'shadow'

dagor

'battle', root ndak-, derivative Dagnir 'bane'

del

'horror', deloth 'abhorrence'

dim

'sad, gloomy'

dîn

'silent'

dol

'head', a hill or mountain

dolen

'hidden'

dôr

'land', Quenya blended with nórë 'people' to give Númen(n)órë 'people of the west', eventually Númenor 'land of the west', also Endor 'Middle-Earth', cf. ened

draug

'wolf'

dú

'night, dimness', Quenya lómë, derived from dömë; dúlin 'nightingale', Quenya lómelindë

duin

'(long) river'

dûr

'dark'

eär

'sea', Sindarin cf. gaer

echor

'encircling, circle'

edhel

'elf', plural Edhil

eithel

'well', Quenya ehtelë, cf. kel-

êl, elen

'star', adjectives elda and elena, 'of the stars', Sindarin eledh; Eldar, 'People of the Stars', the Elves, Sindarin Edhel

ened

'middle'

er

'one, alone'

ereg

'thorn, holly'

esgal

'screen, hiding'

falas

'shore, line of surf', Quenya falassë; derivative Quenya falma '(crested) wave'

faroth

Derived from root meaning 'hunt, pursue'

faug-

'gape'

fëa

'spirit'

fin-

'hair'

formen

'north', Sindarin forn, for, forod

fuin

'gloom, darkness', Quenya huinë

gaer

'sea', said to derive from gaya 'awe, dread'

galad

'radiance', Quenya alata, cf. kal- (gal-)

gaur

'werewolf', root ngwaw- 'howl'

gil

'star', giliath 'host of stars'

girith

'shuddering'

glam

'din'

glîn

'gleam', particularly of the eyes

golodh

Sindarin form of Noldo 'the Wise', plural Golodhrim and Gelydh, cf. gûl

gond

'stone', Quenya ondo

gor

'horror, dread', also goroth with same meaning

groth (grod)

'delving, underground dwelling'

gûl

'sorcery', root ngol-, from which Quenya nólë 'long study, lore, knowledge'

gurth

'death'

gwaith

'people'

gwath, wath

'shadow, dim light, grey', also weth; shadows cast by light were morchaint 'dark shapes'

hadhod

Sindarin translation of Khazâd

haudh

'mound'

heledh

'glass', Khuzdul kheled

heru

'lord', Sindarin hîr, also híril 'lady'

him

'cool'

híni

'children'

hîth

'mist', Quenya hísië

hoth

'host, horde', mainly in an evil sense

hyarmen

'south', Sindarin har-, harn, harad

iâ

'void, abyss'

iant

'bridge'

iâth

'fence'

iaur

'old'

ilm-

Stem possibly meaning 'high airs'

ilúvë

'the whole, the all, everything'

ita-

Root meaning 'sparkle'

kal- (gal-)

'shine'; derivatives calen (galen) 'green', aglar 'glory, brilliance', galad 'radiance'

káno

'commander', shortened to gon

kel-

'go away, (of water) flow away, flow down'; from et-kelë 'issue of water, spring' was derived cf. eithel 'well'

kemen

'earth'

khelek-

'ice', Quenya helka 'icy, ice-cold'

khil-

'follow'

kir-

'cut, cleave', cf. ris

lad

'plain, valley', also imlad 'narrow valley with steep sides (canyon)'

lanthir

'waterfall'

laurë

'golden in color', Sindarin (g)lór

lhach

'leaping flame'

lin (1)

'pool, mere', cf. aelin

lin- (2)

Root meaning 'sing, make a musical sound'

lith

'ash, ashes'

lok-

'bend, loop', from which (h)lókë 'snake, serpent', Sindarin lhûg

lóm

'echo', also lam

lómë

'dusk', cf. dú

londë

'land-locked haven', Sindarin lond, lonn

los

'snow', Sindarin loss; also lossë 'snow, snow-white'

loth

'flower', Quenya lótë

luin

'blue'

maeg

'sharp, piercing', Quenya maika

mal-

'gold', cf. cul-

man-

'good, blessed, unmarred'

mel-

'love', derivative mellon 'friend'

men

'way'

menel

'the heavens'

mereth

'feast'

minas

'tower', root min refering to isolated or prominent things, related to Quenya minya 'first'

mîr

'jewel', Quenya mírë

mith

'grey'

mor

'dark'

moth

'dusk'

nan(d)

'valley'

nár

'fire', also náro, nor, Sindarin naur; root (a)nar, from which Anar 'sun', Sindarin Anor

naug

'dwarf', related to nogoth, plural noegyth, also nogothrim

-(n)dil

'devoted to, lover of', frequent ending of personal names

-(n)dur

similar in meaning to cf. -(n)dil

neldë

'three'

neldor

'beech'

nen

'water', also nîn 'wet'

nim

'white', Quenya ninquë, root nimf, nimp, also niphred 'pallor'

oio

'ever'

orn

'tree', plural yrn

orod

'mountain', plural ered

os(t)

'fortress'

otso

'seven', shortened to os, Sindarin odo

palan

'far and wide'

paur

'fist, hand', Quenya quárë

pel-

'go round, encircle, fence', also ephel from et-pel 'outer fence'

quen- (quet-)

'say, speak', Sindarin pedo 'speak' corresponding to quet; quetta 'word', Sindarin beth; also Quendi, Quenya, Quenta 'those that speak with voices, speech, story'

ram

'wall', Quenya ramba

ran-

'wanderer, stray'

rant

'course (of a river)'

ras

'horn', plural rais

rauko

'demon', Sindarin raug, rog

riel

'garlanded maiden', root rig- 'twine, wreathe'

ril

'brilliance', Quenya rillë, rildë

rim

'great number, host', Quenya rimbë

ring

'cold, chill'

ris

'cleave', blended with kris-, cf. kir-; rist 'cleaver'

roch

'horse', Quenya rokko, shortened to ro(h)

rom-

Stem refering to the sound of trumpets and horns

rómen

'uprising, sunrise, east', Sindarin rhûn, amrûn

rond

'dome, vaulted or arched roof'

ros

'foam, spindrift, spray'

ruin

'red flame', Quenya rúnya

rûth

'anger'

sarn

'(small) stone'

sereg

'blood', Quenya serkë

sil- (thil-)

'shine (with white or silver light)', from which Isil 'moon', Sindarin Ithil

sîr

'river', from root sir- 'flow', in middle of words often hîr

sûl

'wind'

tal (dal)

'foot, end'

talath

'flat lands, plain'

tar-

'high', Quenya tára 'lofty', feminine tári; also tarma 'pillar'

tathar

'willow', adjective tathren; Quenya tasarë, tasarion

taur

'wood, forest', Quenya taurë

tel-

'finish, end, be last'

thalion

'strong, dauntless'

thang

'oppression', Quenya sanga 'press, throng'

thar-

'athwart, across'

thaur

'abominable, abhorrent', also saur

thin(d)

'grey', Quenya sinda

thôl

'helm'

thôn

'pine-tree'

thoron

'eagle', Quenya soron

til

'point, horn'

tin-

'sparkle', also din, Quenya tinta 'cause to sparkle', tinwë 'spark'; tindómerel 'daughter of the twilight', poetic name for a nightingale, Sindarin tinúviel

tir

'watch, watch over'

tol

'isle (with sheer sides)'

tum

'valley', Quenya tumbo

tur

'power, mastery'

uial

'twilight'

ur-

'heat, be hot', related to aurë 'sunlight, day', Sindarin aur, cf. arien

val-

'power', original stem bal-

vorn

'(shining) black'

wen

'maiden', frequent ending of personal names

wing

'foam, spray'

yávë

'fruit'

This list compiled from the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien. This list is by no means complete, but is correct to the best knowledge of the author.