The Encyclopedia of Arda - an interactive guide to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien
Dates
Born in Valinor during the Years of the Trees; presumably still extant
Race
Division
Family
Pronunciation
fina'rrfin ('rr' indicates that the 'r' sound should be distinctly pronounced)
Meaning
Perhaps 'Finwë, noble Finwë'11
Titles
Finarfin was accounted lord of that tenth part of the Noldor who remained in Valinor

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 3 April 1999
  • Updates planned: 8

Finarfin

King over the Noldor in Aman

The youngest of Finwë's three sons; when his half-brother Fëanor led the host of the Noldor back to Middle-earth, Finarfin chose to remain in Valinor, and ruled those Noldor who also remained. His five children, Finrod, Orodreth, Angrod, Aegnor and Galadriel, all followed Fëanor into the east.


Notes

1

A possible derivation appears in The Peoples of Middle-earth (The History of Middle-earth volume XII): XI The Shibboleth of Fëanor. Here, Finarfin is a contraction of Finwë Arafinwë adapted to the sounds of Sindarin. The meaning would be 'Finwë, noble Finwë' (according to this source, Finwë originally named each of his three sons after himself).

It should be noted, though, that The Shibboleth of Fëanor dates from the late 1960's, suggesting that Tolkien invented this derivation 'after the event' - it appears (though this cannot be stated certainly) that the name came first, and its derivation followed years later.

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 3 April 1999
  • Updates planned: 8

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