Eldamo : Quenya : elen

Q. elen n. “star” (Category: Star)

Q. elen, n. “star” (Category: Star)

The most common Quenya word for “star”, mentioned very frequently, derived from an extended form ✶elen of the root √EL “behold” (PE17/67; WJ/360, 362). Its usual plural form is eleni, but it has an archaic plural †eldi sometimes used in verse, the result of the Ancient Quenya sound whereby [ln] became [ld] after the ancient plural underwent the Quenya syncope, ✶elenī > AQ. elni; its normal modern plural form eleni was actually a reformation from the singular (PE17/57, 151; WJ/362).

Conceptual Development: This word first appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s, though in the original entry for the root ᴹ√EL Tolkien said it was poetical and gave variants ellen and elena (Ety/EL).

References ✧ Let/265, 385; LotR/81, 377, 720, 915; MC/222; PE17/12, 24-25, 56-57, 67, 90-91, 101, 127, 151; PE19/96; PE23/128, 133, 142; PM/340; RGEO/58-59, 65; SA/êl; UT/213; VT49/39, 44-45; WJ/362, 367

Glosses

“*star” ✧ VT49/39; VT49/44
“a star” ✧ Let/265; LotR/81; PE17/12; WJ/367
“star” ✧ PE17/12; PE17/12; PE17/67; PE23/128; PE23/133; PE23/142; PM/340; RGEO/65; SA/êl; UT/213; WJ/362

Variations

elen ✧ Let/265; LotR/81; PE17/12; PE17/12; PE17/12; PE17/24; PE17/67; PE17/127; PE17/151; PE23/128; PE23/133; PE23/142; PM/340; RGEO/65; SA/êl; UT/213; VT49/39; VT49/44; VT49/45; WJ/362; WJ/367

eleni reformed from singular for †eldi ✧ PE17/151

Changes

elelli >> elli ✧ PE17/25

Inflections

elenillor	ablative plural	“[from] the stars”	✧ MC/222
Elem	assimilated	“star”	✧ PE19/96
Elenion	genitive plural	“of Stars”	✧ Let/385
Elenion	genitive plural		✧ LotR/720
elenion	genitive plural		✧ LotR/915; PE17/101
elenion	genitive plural	“of the ... stars”	✧ PE17/56
elenion	genitive plural	“among the stars”	✧ PE17/57
elenion	genitive plural	“among stars”	✧ PE17/90
elenion	genitive plural	“of stars”	✧ PE17/91; VT49/45
elelli	partitive-plural		✧ PE17/25
elelli	partitive-plural		✧ PE17/127
elli	partitive-plural		✧ PE17/24
eldi	plural		✧ PE17/25
eldi	plural		✧ PE17/67: plural [probably archaic]
†eldi	plural		✧ PE17/151
†eldi	plural		✧ WJ/362: pl., occasionally in verse
eleni	plural	“stars”	✧ LotR/377; PE17/56; PE17/91; PE23/133; PE23/133; RGEO/59; VT49/45
eleni	plural		✧ PE17/12; PE17/24; PE17/127; PE17/151; RGEO/65
eleni	plural	“stars”	✧ PE17/67: analogical plural
eleni	plural		✧ WJ/362: pl., without syncope, reformed from the singular
élenì	plural	“stars”	✧ RGEO/58

Element In

ᴺQ. !elengolmë “astronomy”
ᴺQ. !elenitsë “firefly, (lit.) star-fly”
Q. aiya Eärendil elenion ancalima “hail Eärendil, brightest of stars” ✧ LotR/720; LotR/915; PE17/90; PE17/101
Q. Elemmacil “*Star Sword”
Q. Elemmírë “Elven-gem, Star-gem” ✧ PE19/96
Q. Elendil “Elf-friend, Star-lover”
Q. Elendur “*Star-servant”
Q. elenillor pella talta-taltala “beyond the stars falling” ✧ MC/222
Q. elenion ancalima “brightest of stars” ✧ PE17/56; PE17/56; PE17/56; PE17/57; PE17/91
Q. Elenna “Starwards”
Q. elen síla lúmenn’ omentielvo “a star shines on the hour of our meeting” ✧ Let/265; LotR/81; PE17/12; PE23/128; WJ/367
Q. Elentári “Queen of the Stars, Star-queen”
Q. Elentir “*Star-gazer”
Q. Elenwë
Q. elenya “adjective referring to the stars, *of the stars, stellar” ✧ WJ/362
Q. *Elerondo “Elrond, (lit.) Star-dome”
Q. Elerossë “Star Foam”
Q. Elerrína “Crowned with Stars”
Q. Elessar “Elfstone”
Q. Elestirnë “Star-brow”
Q. yassen tintilar i eleni “wherein the stars tremble” ✧ LotR/377; PE23/133; RGEO/58
Q. yassen tintilar i eleni² “in which twinkle the stars” ✧ RGEO/58
Q. ancalima ep’ eleni “brighter than stars” ✧ PE17/56
Q. ancalima imbi eleni “brightest among stars” ✧ PE17/91
Q. arcalima ar eleni “A is brightest of all” ✧ PE17/56
Q. arcalima ep’ eleni “far and away brighter than stars” ✧ PE17/56
Q. Eldar nilir eleni “(the) Elves love (the) stars” ✧ PE23/133
Q. elen atta “two stars” ✧ PE23/142
Q. elen atto “of 2 stars” ✧ VT49/45
Q. eleni námaron anírime “stars/a star is/are the most beautiful of (created) things” ✧ PE23/133
Q. eleni neldë “*3 stars” ✧ VT49/45
Q. elenion neldë “of 3 stars” ✧ VT49/45; VT49/45
Q. elen síla omentielman “a star shines upon our meeting” ✧ PE23/128
Q. Elentirmo “Star-watcher” ✧ UT/213
Q. nai elen atta siluvat aurenna veryanwesto “*may two stars shine upon the day of your wedding” ✧ VT49/43; VT49/44
Q. nai elen siluva lyenna “*may a star shine upon you” ✧ VT49/40
Q. nai elen siluva parma-restalyanna meldonya “*may a star shine upon your book-fair, my friend” ✧ VT49/38

Cognates

S. †êl “star” ✧ PE17/24 (elin); PE17/24; PE17/67; PE17/127; PE17/151; SA/êl; WJ/363 (†êl)
T. él “star” ✧ WJ/407 (ēl)
T. †elen “star” ✧ WJ/362 (†elen)

Derivations

< √EL “lo, behold; star” ✧ PE17/151; PM/340; RGEO/65; SA/êl (ele)
< ✶elen “star” ✧ PE17/67; PE17/151 (elni); WJ/360
- < √EL “lo, behold; star” ✧ Let/281; PE17/67; VT42/11; WJ/360 (ELE)

Phonetic Developments

✶elen > elen	[elen]	✧ PE17/67
✶elni > †eldi	[eleni] > [elni] > [eldi]	✧ PE17/151

ᴹQ. elen n. “star” (Category: Star)

See Q. elen for discussion.

References ✧ Ety/EL; PE17/14; RS/324; VT28/11; WR/223