Tolkien's languages

Chistopher Tolkien has speculated that his father, J.R.R. Tolkien, invented his entire mythology, as well as his stories of Middle-Earth, to explain the development of the Elvish languages he invented.

Two of Tolkien's languages have fairly extensive vocabularies:

• Quenya
• Sindarin, which leads you to
  • Sindarin parts of speech
  • Sindarin pronouns
  • Sindarin consonant mutation
  • Sindarin verbs
  • Sindarin "to be"

Others appear only as a few words, names and phrases in a few places:

• Adûnaic
• Westron
• Rohirric
• Khûzdul
• Hobbitish
• The Black Speech
• Druadan
• Entish

Therefore I say: Eä! Let these things Be!

-Ilúvatar
The Silmarillion

Ever wanted to know what some of the names you read mean? Noticed a lot of reoccuring letter combinations that you just know mean something? Well guess what....they do! Here is a list of some of the most common words/prefixes used in the Lord of the Rings and the Silmarillion.

Note: Most of these come from Sindarin, but a few draw their roots from Quenya. NONE of this should be taken to be reflecting the correct case in each example, they're shown just to provide a bit of understanding as to what that name actually means, how it relates to its holder, or just what that thing they're talking about is. Look here or here if you want specifics.

• Amon- Hill, Mount.
  Examples
  • Amon Amarth- Mount Doom
  • Amon Hen- The Hill of the Eye
  • Amon Ethir- The Hill of Spies

• Ang- Iron
  Examples
  • Angrist- Iron-cleaver
  • Angband- Iron fortress/prison
  • Anglachel- Iron flame

• Celeb- silver
  Examples
  • Celeborn- Silver tree
  • Celebrant- Silver course
  • Celebdil- silvertine

• Dol- Hill (Larger than Amon)
  Examples
  • Dol Amroth- Hill of Amroth
  • Dol Guldur- Hill of Sorcery
  • Dolmed - Wet-headed Mountain

• Dor- Land, Land of
  Examples
  • Mordor- Black Land
  • Doriath- Land of the Fence
  • Dor Caranthir- Land of Caranthir

• Eithel- Spring, well
  Examples
  • Eithel Ivrin- Springs of Ivrin
  • Eithel Sirion- Wells of Sirion

• Fëa- Spirit
  Examples
  • Fëanor- Spirit (of) Fire
  • Fëanturi- Spirit Masters

• Fin- Hair
  Examples
  • Finglas- Hair-leaf
  • Findaráto- Hair-eminent

• Gala- Tree
  Examples
  • Galadriel- Tree-lady (Later known as 'lady of light')
  • Galadrim- Tree people
  • Galathilion- White Tree of the Moon

• Hel¹- Ice
  Examples
  • Helcar- Icy cold
  • Helcaraxë- Grinding Ice, ice-fangs

• Lór- Dream, golden
  Examples
  • Lórien- Dreamland
  • Lórindol- Golden headed
  • Lórellin- Dream (lake?)

• Loss- Snow
  Examples
  • Lossarnach- Snow of Arnach
  • Lossoth- Snow People

• Mith- Grey
  Examples
  • Mithril- Grey silver, grey gleam
  • Mithrim- Grey People
  • Mithrandir- Grey pilgrim

• Mor- Black, Dark
  Examples
  • Mordor- Black Land
  • Morgoth- Dark Enemy
  • Morgul- Black Magic
  • Morannon- Black Gate

• Roh- Horse
  Examples
  • Rohan- Horseland
  • Roheryn- The Lady's Horse

• Rómen- East
  Examples
  • Rómen- East
  • Romendacil- East winner
  • Rómenna- Eastwards

• Uruk- Orc
  Examples
  • Uruk-Hai- Orc-race

¹JudyT offers insight to the mythological origins on some of these: Hel was an icy region in Norse mythology...

Questions? Corrections? Any more to add? /msg me

Editor's note (1/23/05): Galadriel does not come from galadh, Sindarin for 'tree' but from galad Sindarin for 'radiance'. The root is kal- in Quenya or gal- in Sindarin, and the name is a reference to her hair and means 'maiden crowned with a radiant garland' according to Tolkien. (Sil, pg 360)