iâ
(
Sindarin) 'void', 'abyss', especially in the sense of a gulf or chasm, and derived ultimately from the stem
yag-, meaning 'yawn' or 'gape'. Seen only in
Moria, the later
Elvish name for
Khazad-dûm, which translates as '
Black Chasm' or '
Black Pit'.
im
(
Sindarin) 'between', seen in
Taur-im-Duinath, '
Forest between the Rivers', for the great wood that stretched between the rivers
Sirion and
Gelion. It is not seen independently elsewhere, though the
Quenya version of the same word appears in
Galadriel's lament in
Lórien:
i falmalinnar imbë met, 'the foaming waves between us'. It possibly also appears in the etymology of the word
imlad for a deep dell or glen with a flat floor (a
lad being a region of flat land, with
im implying that it lay between valley walls).
in 2
(
Elvish root) a word variously defined as 'inner mind' or 'heart', reflecting a person's inner desires. It is attested in the names of
Húrin ('vigorous heart') and his son
Túrin 'he who desires mastery'. The name of the
Elf-maid
Idril is given various different derivations, but one of them connects its meaning to this word (via the original stem
id-) as meaning 'sweet heart' or 'beloved'.
ing
(
Elvish root) 'first', 'foremost', seen most prominently in
Ingwë ('first one') the
High King of the Elves. In the sense of 'foremost' or 'eminent', it appears in the name
Ingold, which is interpreted as 'eminent among his kindred', at least as used by
Men during the
Third Age (though historically it had meant 'foremost of the
Noldor').
ior
(
Sindarin) 'old', a word pronounced like English 'yore'. It appears in the names of two people of
Gondor:
loreth ('old woman') and
Iorlas (uncertain; perhaps simply 'aged'). The word was related to an older form
iaur, as for example in
Iant Iaur, the 'old bridge' across the river
Esgalduin in
Beleriand.
írim
(
Quenya)
írima meant 'desirable', 'lovely', 'beautiful', deriving from the word
íre, 'desire'. This element appears in a single recorded name,
Írimon, the birth-name of the
King who would rule
Númenor as
Tar-Meneldur, which seems to simply mean 'beautiful one'.
isen
(Old English) 'iron', the name of the important river
Isen, and its associated fortress complex
Isengard ('iron enclosure'). This element is also seen in the names of certain
Hobbits of the
Took family, such as
Isengar ('iron spear') and
Isengrim (uncertain, but probably simply 'iron grim').
istar
(
Quenya) derived from a root word
ista meaning 'knowledge', an
istar describes a learned person, or someone with great reserves of wisdom. In practice, the term is used exclusively for the emissaries sent by the
Valar to
Middle-earth in the
Third Age, and in this context
istar is translated into English as '
Wizard'. Indeed, the English etymology of '
Wizard' is identical, as the word originally meant simply 'wise person' or 'sage'. The plural form is
Istari ('
Wizards'), and the full name of the order to which these emissaries belonged was
Heren Istarion, the '
Order of Wizards'.
ith
(
Sindarin) a suffix that serves to turn a verbal base into a noun or an adjective, effectively equivalent to the ending '-ing' for English words. Examples include the river name
Sirith ('flowing'), the month name
Firith ('fading, dying'), and
Nen Girith ('
Shuddering Water') on the borders of
Brethil. This grammatical form also appears in
Minas Tirith (translated '
Tower of Guard', but literally 'watching tower'). A very common use was for narrow clefts or passes, with took the stem
cir- 'cut' and added
-ith to create the word
cirith, literally meaning 'cutting'. Among numerous examples of this usage are
Cirith Gorgor, ('
Haunted Pass'),
Cirith Ninniach ('
Rainbow Cleft'),
Cirith Thoronath ('
Eagles' Cleft'), and many, many others besides.