S. annon n. “(great) gate, door” (Category: Door, Gate)
A word for a great and strong entrance, typically translated “gate” but also usable in reference to a “great door”, notably in Ennyn Durin “Doors of Durin”, the great doors at the entrance to Moria.
Conceptual Development: The earliest iteration of this word was G. {anda >>} anna “door, opening” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, appearing near adhwen “approach, avenue”, and so likely derived from *√AD (GL/17). In the Gnomish Lexicon Slips this become [a]nn “door” derived from ᴱ✶anda (PE13/110). ᴱN. ann “door” reappeared in Early Noldorin word-lists of the 1920s from primitive ᴱ✶andond- and with a new plural form ennyn (PE13/137, 160).
This 1920s plural may have inspired a more elaborate form N. annon “great gate” in The Etymologies of the 1930s, which had the same plural ennyn and appeared under the root ᴹ√AD “entrance, gate” (Ety/AD). On drafts of Thror’s map from 1936, annon was used for “door” in the phrase lheben teil brann i annon ar neledh neledhi gar godrebh “five foot high the door and three may walk abreast” (TAI/150). The longer form annon appeared in various names in Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, include the first version of the Moria Gate Spell: N. annon porennin diragas·venwed (RS/451). From there it appeared in several names in the published version of The Lord of the Rings, as well as in the final version of the Moria Gate Spell: annon edhellen, edro hi ammen “Elvish gate open now for us” (LotR/307).
Notes on The Lord of the Rings provide further insights into Tolkien’s vision of this word’s later etymology, the clearest being notes from December 1959 (D59) where Tolkien said:
The words for “door, gate”, [ancient Sindarin] annō, annon(d)- are derivatives of √ANA “to” and mean originally “entrances, approaches”. Cf. Q ando. Quite distinct is ANAD- “long”, Q andā, S ann/and rare except in old words or names as anduin, Q anduine (PE17/40).
In notes from around 1967 Tolkien gave S. ann(on) “gate” (PE17/90), perhaps indicating he considered restoring the shorter form ann from the 1910s and 20s.
References ✧ LotR/305, 307; PE17/40, 45, 87, 90; S/238; SA/annon
Glosses
Variations
Inflections
| Ennyn | plural | “Doors” | ✧ LotR/305 |
| Ennyn | plural | ✧ PE17/40 | |
| Ennyn | plural | “Gates” | ✧ PE17/40 |
| ennyn | plural | ✧ SA/annon |
Element In
Cognates
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
| √ANA > Ennyn | [andondi] > [andundi] > [endyndi] > [endynd] > [endynn] > [ennynn] > [ennyn] | ✧ PE17/40 |
| √ANA > †annō/annon(d) | [andondo] > [andond] > [andonn] > [annonn] > [annon] | ✧ PE17/40 |
N. annon n. “great gate, door” (Category: Door, Gate)
References ✧ Ety/AD; RS/451; TAI/150; TI/182; WR/113
Glosses
Variations
Inflections
| Ennyn | plural | “doors” | ✧ TI/182 |
| Ennyn | plural | “gates” | ✧ WR/113 |
| ennyn | plural | ✧ Ety/AD |
Element In
Cognates
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
| ᴹ√AD > annon | [andondo] > [andond] > [andonn] > [annonn] > [annon] | ✧ Ety/AD |
| ᴹ√AD > ennyn | [andondi] > [andundi] > [endyndi] > [endynd] > [endynn] > [ennynn] > [ennyn] | ✧ Ety/AD |
ᴱN. ann n. “door” (Category: Door, Gate)
References ✧ PE13/137, 143, 156, 160
Glosses
Variations
Inflections
| #enn | i-mutation | ✧ PE13/143 |
| ennyn | plural | ✧ PE13/137; PE13/160 |
Element In
Cognates
Derivations