S. Gil-galad m. “Starlight, (lit.) Star of Radiance”
Last high-king of the Noldor and leader of the elves in the Last Alliance against Sauron at the end of the Second Age (LotR/52). His name is a compound of S. gil “star” and S. galad “radiance, glittering reflection”, the latter also an element in the name S. Galadriel “Glittering-garland” (RGEO/65, Let/425). In The Lord of the Rings his name was translated “Starlight” (LotR/191) but elsewhere Tolkien translated this name in various ways all roughly with the meaning: “Star of Radiance” (PM/347), which was the translation used by Christopher Tolkien in The Silmarillion index (SI/Gil-galad).
Conceptual Development: This name appeared in The Etymologies from the 1930s as N. Gil-galad “Starlight” (Ety/GIL). At this stage, the final element was probably the lenited form of N. calad “light” (PE17/50), though N. galad also appeared in The Etymologies with the gloss “light” (EtyAC/GAL).
References ✧ Let/279, 425-426; LotR/191; LotRI; NM/186; PE17/15, 23, 50, 59, 84, 152, 169; PM/347, 350; PMI/Gil-galad, Rodnor; RGEO/65; SA/gil, kal; SI; UTI; WJI/Gilgalad
Glosses
Variations
Related
Elements
| gil | “star; (bright) spark, silver glint, twinkle of light” | ✧ PE17/23; PE17/50 (Gill); RGEO/65; SA/gil | |
| galad | “radiance, glittering reflection; light, fire, brightness, shining; bliss” | ✧ Let/425; PE17/84; PM/347 | |
| calad | “light, fire, brightness, shining” | soft-mutation | ✧ PE17/50 (galad) |
| √Ñ(G)AL | “gleam, sheen, shine (by reflection)” | strengthened | ✧ PE17/59 (ÑGAL) |
| ✶ñ(g)alatā | “(reflected) radiance, glitter (of reflected light), glory” | ✧ PE17/169 (galatā-) | |
| √GAL¹ | “light; shine, be bright” | ✧ SA/kal | |
Derivations
N. Gil-galad m. “Starlight”
References ✧ Ety/GIL; LRI; RS/179, 215; RSI/Gilgalad; SDI2/Gilgalad; TII; WRI
Glosses
Variations
Elements
| geil | “star” | ✧ Ety/GIL (gíl) | |
| calad | “light” | soft-mutation |