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Lexicon of Names
Common name elements in Tolkien's works
This lexicon lists some of the more common elements found in the names of places and people in Tolkien's work. These are mainly derived from Elvish tongues, but some common forms from other languages, such as Old English or Adûnaic, are also included, as well as a few less recognisable words that are still found in modern English. There are very large number of these name elements, and this page is being expanded to include more over time.
Where possible, the particular Elvish source language for an element is shown, but sometimes this is not possible (for example, where a common root word occurs in more than one language). In cases like this, terms are simply labelled 'Elvish root'.
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R
ranga
( Sindarin) literally 'pace' or 'stride', but used by the Númenóreans as a unit of measurement, equivalent to approximately 38 inches, or slightly less than one metre. The plural was rangar, and five thousand of these rangar composed one lár, a distance of slightly less than three miles (or about 4.8 kilometres).
rath
( Sindarin) 'way' or 'street', derived from a root meaning 'climb', seen in the names Rath Celerdain (' Lampwrights' Street') and Rath Dínen (' Silent Street'), both in Minas Tirith. Also seen in Andrath ('long way', or 'long street') where the Greenway ran through a long gorge, and also in Cirith Forn en Andrath (translated 'northern pass of the long climb', with the original interpretation of rath as 'climb') the Sindarin name of the High Pass above Rivendell. As the previous example shows, rath can bear several interpretations; it goes back ultimately to a root rat- meaning 'walk', and can be applied in various forms to paths, streets, climbs, crossings and even river courses. An example of the last is in Rathlóriel (' Goldenbed') where rath describes the course of the bed of the river.
rem
( Elvish root) 'net' or 'mesh', seen uniquely in Remmirath (literally 'net of a host of jewels', but translated more simply as ' Netted Stars'). The etymology of this element is uncertain, but it may perhaps be related to rempa, meaning 'hooked'.
riven
(English) an archaic word meaning 'deeply cut' (from the rare verb 'rive' meaning to cut or tear apart), seen in Rivendell, which is an English translation of Elvish Imladris, 'deeply cut valley'.
rory
(Irish) Apparently an anglicisation of Irish ruaidhdrí, meaning 'red king'. Within the context of Tolkien's tales, ' Rory' was an abbreviation of Rorimac (the name of one of the Masters of Buckland) but in reality it appears that the name ' Rory' came first, and was expanded by Tolkien to fit the pattern of names used by the Brandybucks.
For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page.
Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 2010. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ.
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