Q. Elendil m. “Elf-friend, Star-lover”
Tar-Elendil was the fourth ruler of Númenor (UTI/219). Many centuries later a second, more famous, Elendil became the leader of the Men of the West against Sauron at the end of the Second Age and was considered the first king of Gondor and Arnor (LotR/1037). This name is attributed two different meanings: “Elf-friend” and “Star-lover” (WJ/410). The first interpretation was common among Men, and was derived from the ancient associations between Elda “Elf” and †él “star”. Properly speaking, though, his name was a compound of elen “star” and the suffix -(n)dil “lover”, so “Star-lover” is a better interpretation in proper Quenya. The proper Quenya for “Elf-friend” would be Eldandil.
Conceptual Development: In the very first draft of the tale of the Fall of Númenor, this character was named N. Agaldor > N. Amroth (LR/12, 31). When this character first appeared in the “Lost Road”, his name was ᴹQ. Herendil “Fortune’s Friend” and his father was called ᴹQ. Elendil (LR/57). In “The Notion Club Papers”, the character was given the Adûnaic name Ad. Nimruzân >> Nimruzîr “Elf-friend” (SD/389-90), and his contemporaneous Quenya name also shifted to ᴹQ. Elendil (SD/356). His father became ᴹQ. Amardil, later Q. Amandil.
The earlier character Ælfwine might be consider a precursor to Elendil, at least in the meaning of his name: “Elf-friend”. Therefore, the Early Qenya name ᴱQ. Eldairon of Ælfwine could be considered a precursor to the name Elendil (LT2/313).
References ✧ Let/156, 206, 386; LotR/191; LotRI/Elendil, Tar-Elendil; NM/16, 20; PE17/15, 28, 152; PM/401, 403; PMI/Elendil, Nimruzîr, Tar-Elendil; SA/(n)dil; SI/Elendil, Tar-Elendil; UT/210, 305; UTI/Elendil, Tar-Elendil; WJ/410; WJI
Glosses
Variations
Related
Inflections
| Elendilenna | allative | ✧ PM/401 |
Elements
| Elda | “Elf, (lit.) one of the Star-folk” | ||
| elen | “star” | ||
| -(n)dil | “-friend, -lover; devotion, disinterested love” | ✧ Let/386 (ndil); PE17/152 (dil); SA/(n)dil | |
| ✶eledā | “star-folk, of the stars” | ✧ Let/386 (eled) | |
Element In
Cognates
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
| ✶eled-nil > Elendil | [elednil] > [elendil] | ✧ PE17/152 |
ᴹQ. Elendil m. “Elf-friend”
References ✧ Ety/NIL; LR/29, 31, 48; LRI; RS/197, 215; RSI/Elendil, Orendil; SD/403; SDI1/Elendil; SDI2/Elendil, Nimruzân, Nimruzîr; TII; WRI
Glosses
Variations
Related
Changes
Inflections
| Elendil | plural | “Elf-friend” | ✧ SD/403 |
Element In
Cognates
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
| ᴹ✶Eled-nil > Elendil | [elednil] > [elendil] | ✧ Ety/NIL |
ᴱQ. Eldairon m. “Ælfwine”
Qenya name for Ælfwine from the earliest Lost Tales (LT2/313). Most likely it also means “Elf-friend” since its initial element is clearly Elda “Elf”, but the etymology of the second element is unclear.
See Q. Elendil for further discussion.
References ✧ LT2/313; LT2I
Glosses
Related
Elements
| Elda | “Elf; beach-fay” |
| ? |