eär
(
Elvish root) 'sea', most famously seen in the name of
Eärendil the Mariner ('devoted to the sea'), but also in a variety of other names, such as
Eärendur ('sea servant'),
Eärnil (also 'devoted to the sea', from a comparable etymology to
Eärendil) or
Eärwen 'sea maiden'.
elda(r)
(
Elvish root) '
Elves', usually referring to a particular branch of that people. When the
Vala Oromë discovered the newly awakened
Elves in
Middle-earth, he gave them the name
Eldar, '
People of the Stars' (from
el, 'star'), though in later times the name came to be more specifically attached to those of the
Elves who made the
Great Journey into the
West. (The related term
Eldalië retained its broader meaning as a collective name for all
Elves.) The singular form for a single
Elf was
Elda, and the adjective (relating especially to their languages) was
Eldarin. From this term derived words like
Eldamar ('
Elvenhome') or
Tareldar ('
High Elves'), as well as several place-names associated with the
Eldar, such as
Mindon Eldaliéva ('tower of the
Elves'),
Eldalondë ('
Elf-haven') and
Eldanna ('towards the
Eldar'). This element is also seen in the names of certain
Men: there were two Kings of the
Dúnedain named
Eldacar ('
Elf helm'), and
Aragorn's son and heir was named
Eldarion ('descendant of the
Eldar', presumably in reference to his
Half-elven mother
Arwen).
eledh
(
Sindarin) '
Elf', a variant of
edhel, the more usual word in
Sindarin, that recalls the etymological origin of the
Elves as '
People of the Stars' (the ancient word for 'star' being
elen). The form
eledh is rare, but appears occasionally in the compound
Eledhrim, a name for
Elves as a people. In personal names, it occurs uniquely in
Morwen's surname
Eledhwen, which literally means '
Elf-maiden', but is usually translated '
Elfsheen'.
elf
(Old English) one of several spellings in Old English for a race of folkloric supernatural beings, with other regional variations including
ælf and
ylfe (with the former being somewhat more prevalent in Anglo-Saxon names). Tolkien chose this term to translate
Elda, the name for one of the
Firstborn race in his legendarium. Its ultimate origins are hard to disentangle: some sources suggest that it derives from ancient word for 'white', while others connect it to words meaning 'nightmare'. It also appears in many compound forms, such as
Elf-friend (Old English
Elfwine),
Elf-stone,
Elf-cake,
Elf-speech, and so on. As a word of Anglo-Saxon origins, it is also seen in various names derived from
Mannish tongues, not only
Elfwine above, but also
Elfhild ('
Elf-battle'),
Elfhelm ('
Elf-protector') and
Elfstan ('
Elf-stone'). The plural is
Elves, and the most common adjectival forms are
elven or
elvish, though a rare variation
elfin is seen in
Elfinesse ('land(s) of the
Elves').
endis
(
Elvish root) 'wife', 'bride'. The usual form was
indis, which was an intensified form of
ndis, 'woman', but in the name
Erendis ('lonely wife') the initial vowel sound
i mutates into an
e. The full spelling
indis can be seen in the subtitle of
Erendis' tale,
Indis i·Kiryamo, which translates as '
The Mariner's Wife'.
ent
(Old English) 'giant', 'mighty ancient one' preserved in Anglo-Saxon phrases such as
eald enta geweorc ('ancient works of giants'), which probably originally referred to the Roman ruins found in Saxon England. Tolkien used the word as the name of a race of ancient
Tree-herds, called the
Ents by the
Rohirrim (and the
Onodrim by the
Elves). This element is found in many combinations, especially the names of the lost
Entmaidens,
Entwives and
Entings (that is, young
Ents), as well as
Entish (the name of the
Ents' language),
Ent-draughts,
Ent-houses,
Ent-strides and so on. The same element is also seen in several place names associated with the
Ents, hence
Entwood (that is,
Fangorn Forest),
Entwash ('flooding river of the
Ents') and
Entwade (a ford of the
Entwash not far from
Edoras).
enyd
(
Sindarin) the plural of
onod, the word translated by Tolkien using the Old English
Ent.
Enyd would be used for a group of several
Ents, but the collective plural for the entire race was
Onodrim ('
Ent people').
ephel
(
Sindarin) 'fence', specifically referring to an 'outer' or 'surrounding' fence. Used in a literal sense in
Ephel Brandir, the fenced fortification of
Brandir on
Amon Obel in
Brethil, also sometimes called simply 'the
Ephel'. The same element is used figuratively in
Ephel Dúath, 'fence of shadow', the chain of mountains that bordered
Mordor to the west.
er 1
(
Elvish root) 'lone', 'single', denoting unique beings or things, or those that stand apart from others. From this derives the name
Eru, meaning simply 'the
One', the creator of
Arda. Several familiar names incorporate this element, including
Erebor the '
Lonely Mountain' and
Eriador the '
Lone-lands'.
Tol Eressëa, the island of the
Eldar in the
West, had a name that meant the '
Lonely Isle', while
Erendis, the estranged
Queen to
Tar-Aldarion, had a name that literally meant 'lonely wife'. While loneliness is part of the meaning of this root, it can also refer to simple singularity, so for example
Erui, a short river in
Gondor, got its name simply because it lacked any tributaries.
er 2
(Old English) a contraction of 'erd', meaning 'earth', found solely in the
Hobbit-name '
Erling' (earlier spelt 'Erdling'). That name literally translates as 'earthling', in the sense of one who worked with the earth. In Old English this usually indicated a farmer or especially a ploughman, though given
Erling's family traditions it more likely suggests 'gardener' in his particular case. Note that this element is not to be confused with the
Elvish prefix
er-, indicating a single or lonely thing.
esse
See nesse.
et
(archaic English from Old French) a diminutive ending, used in forming the names of small or young animals, as for example 'leveret' (a young
hare), 'eaglet' (a young
eagle) or 'piglet' (a young pig). Tolkien uses this pattern to form the word '
Dragonet', a name for a young
Dragon.
ethir
(
Sindarin) translated 'spy', though the literal meaning seems to be closer to 'lookout'. This word apparently derives from a compound like
et-tîr, to 'watch out' or 'look out'. It appears uniquely in
Amon Ethir, the '
Spyhill' raised by
Finrod to watch the approaches to his city of
Nargothrond.
Ethir in this sense is not to be confused with the
Elvish word for a river-mouth (notably in
Ethir Anduin, the '
Mouths of Anduin') which has a separate derivation.
even
(archaic English) 'evening' (from Old English
æfen). In
Evendim it referred to 'evening twilight' (a partial translation of
Elvish uial), and the poetic name
Evereven ('forever twilight') had a similar derivation.
Arwen's surname
Evenstar meant 'evening star', symbolising not only the 'twilight' years of the
Elves in
Middle-earth, but also connecting her to her grandfather
Eärendil and the
Silmaril he bore.