Sindarin - Parf Edhellen: an elvish dictionary (2024)

sindarin

noun. Grey-elven

Element in

• Q. hwesta sindarinwa “Grey-elven hw” ✧ LotR/1123

Elements

Word	Gloss
Sinda	“Grey-elf”
-rin	“-ian, racial-adjective, language”

sindarinwa

grey-elven

sindarinwa (þ) adj. "Grey-elven" in the phrase hwesta sindarinwa "Grey-elven hw" (Appendix E); it may really be "Sindarin" (as a noun) with the possessive ending -va, -wa appended, hence literally "hw of [the] Sindarin [language]"

sinda

grey

sinda (þ) adj. "grey" (PE17:72); nominal pl. Sindar used = "Grey-elves", lit. *"Grey ones"; see WJ:375. Gen. pl. Sindaron in WJ:369. With general meaning "grey" also in Sindacollo > Singollo "Grey-cloak, Thingol" (SA:thin(d), PE17:72; see also sindë, Sindicollo);†sindanórië "grey land", ablative sindanóriello "from/out of a grey country" (Nam); the reference is to a "mythical region of shadows lying at outer feet of the Mountains of Valinor" (PE17:72). However, other sources give sindë (q.v.) as the Quenya word for "grey"; perhaps sinda came to mean primarily "Grey-elf" as a noun. Derived adjective Sindarin "Grey-elven", normally used as a noun to refer to the Grey-elven language. (Appendix F)

sinda

adjective. grey

The best known Quenya word for “grey” and an element in a number of names. It is also used as a noun Sinda “Grey Elf”. Tolkien sometimes used a variant form sindë for “grey” (WJ/384; PE17/141; Ety/THIN); see that entry for details.

Cognates

• S. thind “grey, grey, [N.] pale” ✧ PE17/072; SA/thin(d)

Derivations

• √THIN “*grey” ✧ PE17/072
• ✶thindā “grey” ✧ PE17/072
  • √THIN “*grey”

Element in

• Q. Eldar Sindar “Grey Elves” ✧ PE21/77
• Q. Eldar sindaron “Grey Elves’” ✧ PE21/77
• Q. Sinda “Grey-elf” ✧ SA/thin(d)
• Q. Sindacollo “Grey-cloak, Greymantle” ✧ PE17/072; SA/thin(d)
• Q. Sinda Eldō “a Grey Elf’s” ✧ PE21/77
• Q. Sindanórië “Grey Country, Land of Greyness” ✧ PE17/072
• Q. Sindar Eldar “Grey Elves” ✧ PE21/77
• Q. Sindar Eldaron “Grey Elves’” ✧ PE21/77
• Q. Sindar i Eldar Malariando “Grey are the Elves of Beleriand” ✧ PE21/77
• Q. Sindel “Grey-elf”
• Q. sindië “greyness” ✧ PE17/072
• Q. Singollo “Grey-cloak, Greymantle” ✧ SA/thin(d)

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√ΘIN > sinda	[tʰinda] > [θinda] > [sinda]	✧ PE17/072
✶þindā > sinda	[tʰindā] > [θindā] > [θinda] > [sinda]	✧ PE17/072

Variations

• Sinda ✧ PE21/77

sindë

grey, pale or silvery grey

sindë (þ) adj. "grey, pale or silvery grey" (the Vanyarin dialect preserves the older form þindë) (WJ:384, THIN; in SA:thin(d) the form given is sinda, cf. also sindanóriello "from a grey country" in Namárië. Sindë and sinda_ are apparently variants of the same word.) _Stem sindi-, given the primitive form ¤thindi; cf. Sindicollo (q.v.)

hiswa

grey

hiswa (þ) adj. "grey" (KHIS/KHITH, Narqelion)

mista

grey

mista adj. "grey"; see lassemista

mista

adjective. grey

Cognates

• S. mith “grey, light grey, pale grey”

Derivations

• √MITH “grey”

Element in

• Q. Lassemista “Leaf-Grey” ✧ PE17/083

mísë

grey

mísë (þ, cf. Sindarin mith-) adj. "grey" (used as noun of grey clothes in the phrase mi mísë of someone clad "in grey"). The underlying stem refers a paler or whiter "grey" than sinda, making mísë "a luminous grey" (PE17:71-72)

Sindarin

Sindarin

The word Sindarin itself is actually a Quenya word given by the Noldorin Exiles. It is pronounced [ˈsindarin].

thind

adjective. grey, pale

thind

adjective. grey

adj. grey. Q. sinda. >> thin, Thingol, thinn

See Also

Friend - Parf Edhellen: an elvish dictionaryEnglish to Elvish Translator by One Ring CreatorsEldamo : Getting Started

thind

adjective. grey

_ adj. _grey. Obsolete except in names as Thingol. >> hithren

thind

adjective. grey, grey, [N.] pale

if from þindā, why no a-affection? @@@

Cognates

• Q. sinda “grey” ✧ PE17/072; SA/thin(d)
• Q. sindë “grey, pale or silvery grey, grey, pale or silvery grey, [ᴹQ.] pale” ✧ PE17/141; PE17/141; PE17/141

Derivations

• ✶thindā “grey” ✧ PE17/072
  • √THIN “*grey”
• ✶thindi “grey” ✧ PE17/140; PE17/141; PE17/141
  • √THIN “*grey” ✧ WJ/384

Element in

• ᴺS. thindrostir “badger”
• S. Thindrim “Sindar”
• S. Thingódhel “*Grey Noldo”
• S. Thingol “Greycloak, Greymantle” ✧ PE17/072; PE17/112; SA/thin(d)
• S. Thinnedhel “Grey-elf”
• S. Thinrod “noble member of the Thindrim”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶þindā > thin(n)	[tʰindā] > [tʰinda] > [θinda] > [θind] > [θinn]	✧ PE17/072
✶þindĭ- > thind	[tʰindi] > [tʰinde] > [θinde] > [θind]	✧ PE17/140
✶thĭndĭ > thind	[tʰindi] > [θindi] > [θind] > [θinn]	✧ PE17/141

Variations

• thin(n) ✧ PE17/072; PE17/112
• thinn ✧ PE17/141; PE17/141
• thin(d) ✧ SA/thin(d)

thinn

adjective. grey

adj. grey. Q. sinda. >> thin, thind, Thingol

thinn

adjective. grey

_adj. _grey. Q. sinde.

thinn

adjective. grey

hithren

adjective. grey

_ adj. _grey. >> thind

hithren

adjective. grey

Elements

Word	Gloss
hîth	“mist”

mithren

adjective. grey

mithren

adjective. grey

Changes

• mithren → hithren ✧ PE17/140

Element in

• S. Ered Mithrin “Grey Mountains” ✧ LotR/1064
• S. Mithrellas

Elements

Word	Gloss
mith	“grey, light grey, pale grey”
-ren	“adjective suffix”

thin

adjective. grey

adj. grey. Q. sinda. >> thind, Thingol, thinn

mith

adjective. (pale) grey

mith

grey

adj. grey, light grey. >> Mithrandir, mithril

edhellen

sindarin

: Apparently the Sindar called their own language simply edhellen = "Elvish".

edhellen

sindarin

= "Elvish".

thind

grey

(pale); no distinct pl. form.

mithren

grey

1) *mithren (lenited vithren, pl. mithrin). 2) thind (pale); no distinct pl. form. 3) (pale grey) mith (lenited vith; no distinct pl. form). David Salo would read mîth with a long vowel. Note: a hom*ophone means ”white fog, wet mist”.

mithren

grey

(lenited vithren, pl. mithrin).

mith

grey

(lenited vith; no distinct pl. form). David Salo would read mîth with a long vowel. Note: a hom*ophone means ”white fog, wet mist”.

thindi

adjective. grey

Changes

• thinide → thinida ✧ PE17/141
• thinidi → thĭndĭ ✧ PE17/141

Derivations

• √THIN “*grey” ✧ WJ/384

Derivatives

• Q. sindë “grey, pale or silvery grey, grey, pale or silvery grey, [ᴹQ.] pale” ✧ PE17/141; PE17/141; PE17/141; WJ/384
• S. thind “grey, grey, [N.] pale” ✧ PE17/140; PE17/141; PE17/141
• Van. thindë “grey, pale or silvery grey” ✧ WJ/384

Variations

• þindĭ- ✧ PE17/140
• thindi- ✧ PE17/141
• thĭndĭ ✧ PE17/141
• thinide ✧ PE17/141 (thinide)
• thinidi ✧ PE17/141 (thinidi)
• thini ✧ PE21/81

thindā

adjective. grey

Derivations

• √THIN “*grey”

Derivatives

• Q. Sinda “Grey-elf” ✧ PE17/141; PE17/141
• Q. sinda “grey” ✧ PE17/072
• S. Thend “*Sinda, Grey-Elf” ✧ PE17/141; PE17/141
• S. thind “grey, grey, [N.] pale” ✧ PE17/072

Variations

• þindā ✧ PE17/072
• thinida ✧ PE17/141

stin

root. grey

thini

adjective. grey

mith

root. grey

Tolkien introduced the root ᴹ√MITH in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a blending of ᴹ√MIS “✱wet” and ᴹ√KHITH “mist, fog”, with the derivative N. mith “white fog, wet mist” as in N. Mithrim “✱Mist Lake” (Ety/MITH, RINGI; EtyAC/MITH). As a later addition to this entry Tolkien wrote the adjective N. mith “grey”, and that was the more common use of this word in Tolkien’s later writings. In a 1955 letter to David Masson Tolkien specified that “usage suggests that MIÞ- is paler and whiter, a luminous grey” (PE17/72).

Derivatives

• ✶mītha “*grey”
  • S. Mîth “*Sinda, Grey-Elf” ✧ PE17/140
• Q. mísë “(light) grey”
• Q. mista “grey”
• S. mith “grey, light grey, pale grey”

Variations

• MIÞ ✧ PE17/072

thind

adjective. grey, pale

thinn

adjective. grey, pale

mid

adjective. grey

Element in

• N. har na ond i mid “stand by the grey stone” ✧ AotH/056

mith

adjective. (pale) grey

mith

adjective. grey

Derivations

• ᴹ√MITH “*mist, grey” ✧ Ety/MITH

Element in

• N. Mitheithel “Hoarwell”
• N. Mithlond “?Grey Havens, Grey Gulf”
• N. Mithrandir “Grey Wanderer/Pilgrim”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√MITH > mith	[mitʰe] > [miθe] > [miθ]	✧ Ety/MITH

Variations

• mith ✧ Ety/MITH

hiswa

adjective. grey, grey [of weather], *foggy, overcast; [ᴱQ.] dim, fading

This word is glossed “grey” in The Etymologies, but perhaps means “✱foggy, overcast”, since Sindarin cognate hethw means “foggy, obscure, vague” and related noun hiswë means “fog”. @@@

Cognates

• N. hethw “foggy, obscure, vague” ✧ Ety/KHIS
• Ilk. hedhu “grey” ✧ Ety/KHIS

Derivations

• ᴹ✶khithwa ✧ Ety/KHIS
  • ᴹ√KHITH “mist, fog” ✧ Ety/KHIS

Elements

Word	Gloss
hiswe	“fog”
-a	“adjectival suffix”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶khithwa > hiswa	[kʰitʰwa] > [kʰiθwa] > [xiθwa] > [hiθwa] > [hiswa]	✧ Ety/KHIS

thind

adjective. grey

An adjective for “grey” derived from primitive ᴹ✶thindi (Ety/THIN) because primitive final vowels vanished in Ilkorin.

Cognates

• ᴹQ. sinde “grey, pale” ✧ Ety/THIN

Derivations

• ᴹ✶thindi “pallid, grey, wan” ✧ Ety/THIN
  • ᴹ√THIN “*grey” ✧ Ety/THIN

Element in

• Ilk. Thind ✧ Ety/THIN
• Ilk. Thingol “*Grey-wise” ✧ Ety/THIN

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶thindi > thind	[tʰindi] > [tʰinde] > [θinde] > [θind]	✧ Ety/THIN

hedhu

adjective. grey

A Doriathrin adjective for “grey” written heðu in The Etymologies, and derived from the primitive form ᴹ✶khithwa [kʰitʰwa] (Ety/KHIS). This word illustrates several interesting phonetic changes in Ilkorin.

• The [[ilk|[i] became [e] before the final [a]]].

• Both the aspirates became voiceless spirants: [kʰ-] > [x-] and [-tʰ-] > [-θ-].

• Later the [[ilk|initial [x-] became [h-]]].

• Meanwhile the [[ilk|medial [-θ-] voiced to [-ð-]]] (“dh”).

• The [[ilk|primitive final [a] was lost]].

• Afterwards, the resulting [[ilk|final [w] became [u]]].

In most other Doriathrin words, a [[ilk|final [u] from [w] further developed into [o]]]; it is unclear why this change did not occur here.

Cognates

• ᴹQ. hiswa “grey, grey [of weather], *foggy, overcast; [ᴱQ.] dim, fading” ✧ Ety/KHIS

Derivations

• ᴹ✶khithwa ✧ Ety/KHIS
  • ᴹ√KHITH “mist, fog” ✧ Ety/KHIS

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶khithwa > heðu	[kʰitʰwa] > [kʰetʰwa] > [xetʰwa] > [xeθwa] > [xeθw] > [xeðw] > [heðw] > [heðu]	✧ Ety/KHIS

Variations

• heðu ✧ Ety/KHIS (Dor. heðu); EtyAC/KHIS (Dor. heðu)

musc

adjective. grey