[Home] » Languages » Neo-Sindarin »  Neo-Sindarin Words[Search] [← Previous] [Next →][Search]

S. gil [ng-] n. “star; (bright) spark, silver glint, twinkle of light” (Category: Star)

S. gil [ng-], n. “star; (bright) spark, silver glint, twinkle of light” (Category: Star)
N. tinw “spark, small star”
G. tim “spark, gleam, (star)”
N. tint “spark”
G. tinwin “a small star”

The usual word for “star” in Sindarin which replaced archaic/poetic êl; it originally meant “(bright) spark” (RGEO/65; VT42/11). It was derived from the root √(Ñ)GIL meaning “shine (white)” (PE17/152) or “silver glint” (MR/388; PE17/22).

Conceptual Development: This word first appeared as G. gail “a star” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/42), derived from the early root ᴱ√Gil- (GL/38). In the Early Noldorin Grammar Tolkien said ᴱN. gail meant “sign, token, heavenly body” (PE13/123); earlier in this document he gave it the gloss {“life” >>} “sign” (PE13/120 and note #6). In Early Noldorin Word-lists written somewhat later, gail again simply meant “star” (PE13/143), and it was used this way in the Nebrachar poem from around 1930 (MC/217).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien gave it as N. geil “star” from primitive ᴹ✶gilya under the root ᴹ√GIL “shine (white or pale)” (Ety/GIL; EtyAC/GIL). Christopher Tolkien incorrectly marked geil as a plural form in The Etymologies as published in The Lost Road (LR/358), but Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynne corrected this in their Addenda and Corrigenda to the Etymologies (VT45/15). Remnants of this 1930s derivation can be seen in the forms geil/gail in notes from the 1950s, derived from ancient ✶gilyā “silver spark” (PE17/30, 152). Mostly, however, Tolkien represented this word as gil in later writings, including in The Lord of the Rings Appendix E (LotR/1113).

Possible Etymology: The etymology of gil is complicated by Tolkien’s vacillation with the singular form gail (†geil) < ✶gilyā, where the diphthong ai is the result of a-affection of the base vowel from i to e, which after i-intrusion produced ei and this diphthong became ai as usual in final syllables and monosyllables: gilyā [ >*geli(a)] > geil > gail. Signs of this etymology can be seen in the class plural giliath as in S. Dagor-nuin-Giliath “Battle-under-Stars” (S/106).

With this alternate derivation, the plural form would still be gîl, since the ancient plural prevented a-affection, and the prefixal form likewise would have been gil- (PE17/152). However, this derivation conflicts with Tolkien’s usual presentation of the singular form as gil. In some places Tolkien gave a primitive form like ✶(ñ)gillē (PE17/23) or a Sindarin form gill (PE17/50), but I think it is best to assume primitive *gili- to explain singular gil and class-plural giliath.

References ✧ Let/427; LotR/1113; MR/388, 470-471; PE17/22-23, 30, 50, 152; PE22/159; RC/232; RGEO/61, 65; S/106; SA/gil; VT42/11

Glosses

Variations

Related

Inflections

giliath class-plural   ✧ PE17/30
giliath class-plural “silver spark” ✧ PE17/152: pl. 2
giliath class-plural “hosts of stars” ✧ RC/232
giliath class-plural “host of stars” ✧ SA/gil
Giliath nasal-mutation class-plural; ng-mutation “stars” ✧ S/106
gîl plural “silver spark” ✧ PE17/152
gil- prefix   ✧ PE17/152: in compounds

Element In

Cognates

Derivations

Phonetic Developments

gilyā > geil > gail [giljā] > [gilja] > [gelja] > [gelia] > [geli] > [geil] > [gail] ✧ PE17/152
GIL > gîl [gilji] > [gilī] > [gil] > [gīl] ✧ PE17/152

N. geil n. “star” (Category: Star)

See S. gil for discussion.

References ✧ Ety/GIL, OT; EtyAC/GIL

Glosses

Variations

Changes

Inflections

giliath class-plural   ✧ Ety/GIL
gil plural “stars” ✧ Ety/OT
gíl plural   ✧ Ety/GIL

Element In

Derivations

Phonetic Developments

ᴹ✶gilya > gíl [gilji] > [gilī] > [gil] > [gīl] ✧ Ety/GIL
ᴹ✶gilya > geil [gilja] > [gelja] > [gelia] > [geli] > [geil] ✧ Ety/GIL

ᴱN. gail n. “star; sign, token, heavenly body” (Category: Star)

See S. gil for discussion.

References ✧ MC/217; PE13/120, 123, 143

Glosses

Variations

Changes

Inflections

i·ngailiath nasal-mutation plural; g-mutation ✧ PE13/120
i·ngailith nasal-mutation plural; g-mutation ✧ PE13/120
gailiath plural ✧ PE13/123
gailir plural ✧ PE13/123; PE13/143
i·ail soft-mutation; g-mutation ✧ PE13/120
o·gail stop-mutation; g-mutation ✧ PE13/120

Element In


G. gail n. “star” (Category: Star)

See S. gil for discussion.

References ✧ GL/37; LT1A/Tinwetári

Glosses

Element In

Cognates

Derivations