S. Iarwain m. “Old-young”

S. Iarwain, m. “Old-young”

A title of Tom Bombadil (LotR/1114), translated “Old-young” in an unpublished letter from 1968 (RC/128). This name is a combination of iaur “old” (SA/iant) and the lenited form of gwain¹ “young”.

Conceptual Development: In Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, this name first appeared as N. Iaur (the adjective iaur “old” as a name) alongside N. Erion, both translated “Eldest” (TI/125).

References ✧ LotR/1114; RC/128; SA/iaur

Glosses

Elements

iaur “old” ✧ SA/iaur
#gwain¹ “young, *new” soft-mutation ✧ SA/iaur (#wain)

Element In


N. Erion m. “Eldest”

Earlier form of S. Iarwain appearing in Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, translated “Eldest” and appearing beside N. Iaur (TI/125). It might be a superlative form of iaur “old”; in the Early Noldorin Grammar, the similar suffix -iant was used for the superlative (PE13/125). If the suffix -ion was a Noldorin superlative suffix, perhaps the initial [e] developed due to Noldorin i-affection.

References ✧ TI/125, 158; TII/Tom Bombadil

Glosses

Elements

iaur “ancient, old(en)” superlative
Iaur “Eldest” ✧ TI/125

N. Iaur m. “Eldest”

See S. Iarwain for discussion.

References ✧ TI/125; TII/Tom Bombadil

Glosses

Elements

iaur “ancient, old(en)”

Element In