S. Elrond m. “Star-dome”

S. Elrond, m. “Star-dome”

Lord of Rivendell (LotR/170). His name is translated “Star-dome” (Let/448, WJ/414), a combination of êl “star” and rond “vaulted roof” (SA/rond, WJ/414).

Conceptual Development: The name Elrond first appeared in early Silmarillion drafts from the late 1920s (SM/38) and was first published in the Hobbit in 1937. His name appeared in The Etymologies from the 1930s in two forms: Noldorin Elrond “Starry-dome” (Ety/EL) and Ilkorin Elrond “Vault of Heaven” (Ety/ROD), both with essentially the same etymology as his later Sindarin name. In a few places Tolkien considered alternate etymologies for this name: in Quenya Notes (QN) from 1957, he suggested the final element might be rhond “body” (PE17/183), and in a letter to Rhona Beare from 1958, he suggested the initial element might be archaic †Ell “Elf” (Let/281). Both of these seem to have been transient ideas.

References ✧ Let/281-282, 448; LotRI; PE17/183; PMI; SA/rond; SDI2/Elrond; SI; UTI; VT47/38; WJ/414; WJI

Glosses

Elements

êl “star”
rond “(vaulted or arched) roof; vaulted chamber or cavern; heavens [as a roof of the world]” ✧ SA/rond; WJ/414
Ell “Elf” ✧ Let/281
rondō “vaulted roof or chamber; cave; †heavens” ✧ Let/282
rhond “body” ✧ PE17/183 (rhonn)

Element In

Cognates


Ilk. Elrond m. “Vault of Heaven”

See S. Elrond for discussion.

Reference ✧ Ety/ROD ✧ “Vault of Heaven”

Related

Elements

el “star”
rond “domed roof” ✧ Ety/ROD
ᴹ√EL “star, starry sky” ✧ Ety/ROD

N. Elrond m. “Starry-dome, Sky”

See S. Elrond for discussion.

References ✧ Ety/EL, ƷEL; LRI; RSI; SDI1/Elrond; SMI; TII; WRI

Glosses

Related

Elements

el “star” ✧ Ety/EL
rhonn “roof, cave” soft-mutation
ᴹ√ROD “roof, cave” ✧ Ety/EL
ᴹ√ƷEL “sky” ✧ Ety/ƷEL