S. neldor n. “beech” (Category: Beech)
A Sindarin word for “beech” appearing in the names Taur-na-Neldor “Beech-forest” (LotR/469; RC/384) and Neldoreth, the name of a forest with beeches (S/55; PE17/81).
Conceptual Development: In The Etymologies of the 1930s, Ilk. neldor was an Ilkorin word based on ᴹ√NÉL-ED “three”, which Tolkien said was “properly name of Hirilorn the great beech of Thingol with three trunks = neld-orn ? [question mark from Tolkien]” (Ety/NEL). In the 1910s and 20s, ᴱQ. neldor “beech” was an Early Qenya word (PE16/139; QL/65), and its cognates in this period were G. deldron “beech” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/30), G. deil(i)an or delwen “beech” in Gnomish Lexicon Slips (PE13/112), and ᴱN. {de(i)lian >>} deilian “beech-tree” in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s (PE13/142).
Possible Etymology: The Ilkorin derivation from √NELED is no longer suitable in Sindarin, since we would expect [d] > [ð] as in S. neledh “three”. It is possible Tolkien simply never reexamined the etymology of this word after it became Sindarin. Alternately, it could be nel- “tri-” + taur “forest” or -dor “-lord” or something similar.
References ✧ LotR/469; SA/neldor
Glosses
Related
Elements
| N. nel- | “tri-” | |
| orn | “(tall straight) tree” | ✧ SA/neldor |
Element In
Ilk. neldor n. “beech” (Category: Beech)
A Doriathrin noun for “beech (tree)”, properly referring to Hirilorn with a true meaning of “three trunks” (Ety/NEL). Tolkien indicated it was a combination of neld “three” and orn “tree”, though it is unclear why the final -n vanished. He marked this derivation with a “?” perhaps because of this uncertainty.
Conceptual Development: Tolkien seems to have coined this word to explain names like Neldoreth. Its most obvious precursor is ᴱQ. neldor (QL/65).
References ✧ Ety/BERÉTH, NEL
Glosses
Variations
Related
Elements
| *neld | “three” | ✧ Ety/NEL | |
| orn | “tree” | ✧ Ety/NEL | |
| ᴹ√NEL | “three” | ✧ Ety/BERÉTH | |
Element In
ᴱN. deilian n. “beech-tree” (Category: Beech)
References ✧ PE13/142
Glosses
Variations
Changes
Inflections
| deiliain | plural | ✧ PE13/142 |
G. deldron [nd-] n. “beech (tree)” (Category: Beech)
References ✧ GG/8; GL/30, 42; PE13/112
Glosses
Variations
Changes
Inflections
| deil(t) | plural | ✧ PE13/112 |
| delwein | plural | ✧ PE13/112 |
| i·ndeldron | soft-mutation; nd-mutation | ✧ GG/8 |
Element In
Cognates
Derivations
ᴱQ. neldor n. “beech” (Category: Beech)
References ✧ LT2A/Hirilorn; PE16/139; PME/65; QL/53, 65
Glosses
Variations
Inflections
| neldor- | stem | ✧ QL/65 |
Element In
Cognates
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
| ᴱ√NELE > ‽neldor | [neldor] | ✧ QL/65 |