S. Ered Nimrais loc. “White Mountains, (lit.) White-horns Mountains”

S. Ered Nimrais, loc. “White Mountains, (lit.) White-horns Mountains”

Sindarin name of the “White Mountains” (LotR/258), more literally “White-horns Mountains” (UTI/Ered Nimrais). This name is a combination of the plural of orod “mountain” and the plural of Nimras “White Horn” (SA/nim, ras; PE17/89, 168).

Conceptual Development: In Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, these mountains were first called N. Eredvyrn or Ered Myrn “Black Mountains” (TI/124), later changed to “White Mountains” with numerous Elvish forms: N. Hebel Orolos >> Hebel Uilos (WR/137) >> Hebel or Ephel Nimrais (WR/137) >> Hebel or Ered Nimrath (WR/137, 167) >> Ered Nimras (WR/168), then briefly to Eredfain before finally Ered Nimrais (WR/288). In later writings it occasionally appeared with the proper Sindarin plural of orod: S. Eryd (PE17/168, WJ/385).

References ✧ LotR/258; LotRI/Ered Nimrais, White Mountains; PE17/168; RSI/Ered Nimrais; S/94; SA/nim, ras; SI/Ered Nimrais; UTI/Ered Nimrais; WJI/Eryd Nimrais

Glosses

Variations

Elements

orod “mountain” plural
Nimras “White Horn” plural ✧ SI/Ered Nimrais (nimrais)
nim “white” ✧ SA/nim
rass “horn” plural ✧ SA/ras (rais)

N. Ered Nimras loc. “White Mountains”

Earlier name for S. Ered Nimrais (WR/168), with singular ras “horn” instead of plural rais “horns”. The plural was introduced later (WR/288).

References ✧ SDI1/Ered Nimrais; WR/168, 288; WRI/Ered Nimrais

Glosses

Variations

Elements

orod “mountain” plural
nimp “pale”
rhas “horn [of both animals and mountains]” soft-mutation

N. Eredfain loc.

Earlier name for S. Ered Nimrais (WR/288), with a final element fain “white” instead of nimrais “white-horns”.

References ✧ WR/288; WRI/Ered Nimrais

Changes

Elements

orod “mountain” plural
fein “white, radiant” plural

N. Ered Nimrath loc. “White Mountains”

Earlier name for S. Ered Nimrais (WR/137), with a final element rath “course” (“?climb”) instead of rais “horns”, as suggested by Roman Rausch (EE/3.14). It also appeared as Hebel Nimrath (WR/167).

References ✧ WR/137, 167; WRI/Ered Nimrais

Glosses

Variations

Changes

Elements

orod “mountain” plural
nimp “pale”
rath “course, river-bed”

N. Ephel Nimrais loc.

Earlier name for S. Ered Nimrais (WR/137), using ephel “outer fence” instead of ered “mountains”. It also appearing as (rejected singular) Ephel Nimras and possibly Hebel Nimrais (the last element is hard to read).

References ✧ WR/137; WRI/Ered Nimrais

Variations

Changes

Elements

ephel “outer fence” ✧ WR/137
nimp “pale”
rhas “horn [of both animals and mountains]” soft-mutation plural

N. Hebel Uilos loc. “White Mountains”

Earlier name for S. Ered Nimrais appearing in Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s with the gloss “White Mountains” (WR/137). It is a combination of hebel and Uilos “Ever-snow”. The second element was initially (rejected) Orolos, perhaps meaning “?Mountain Snow” as suggested by Roman Rausch (EE/3.14).

References ✧ WR/137; WRI/Ered Nimrais

Glosses

Variations

Changes

Elements

hebel “?fence”
Uilos “Everlasting Snow”

N. Eredvyrn loc. “Black Mountains”

Earliest name for S. Ered Nimrais glossed “Black Mountains” instead of “White Mountains” (TI/124), with the lenited plural of morn “black” instead of nimrais “white-horns”.

References ✧ TI/124; TII/Black Mounttains

Glosses

Variations

Related

Changes

Elements

orod “mountain” plural ✧ TI/124 (Ered)
morn “black” soft-mutation plural ✧ TI/124 (vyrn)