S. Beleriand loc. “Country of Balar”
The land in northwest Middle-earth where the Sindar dwelled, named after the island and bay of Balar (S/54). It ends with the archaic suffix †-ian(d) “land” (PE17/29, 37, 42), hence: “Country of Balar” (SI/Beleriand). This name retains final -nd because it is archaic; its modern Sindarin form would be Belerian (WJ/5).
Conceptual Development: The first name for this region in Tolkien’s writings was ᴱN. Broceliand >> Broseliand, an indication that Tolkien was inspired by the legendary forest of Brocéliande in France (LB/160). He then considered a wild variety of possible names before settling on ᴱN. Beleriand (LB/157, 160). The name N. Beleriand appeared in Silmarillion drafts and The Etymologies from the 1930s, already with the derivation given above (LR/404, Ety/BAL).
References ✧ LotR/1115; LotRI; LT1I; LT2I; MR/200; MRI; PE17/29, 37, 42; PE21/78; PMI; SI; UTI; VT50/18; WJ/5; WJI/Balar, Beleriand
Glosses
Variations
Inflections
| Velerian | soft-mutation; b-mutation | “*Beleriand” | ✧ VT50/18 |
| Veleriann | soft-mutation; b-mutation | “*Beleriand” | ✧ VT50/18 |
Elements
| Balar | ✧ WJI/Balar | |
| -ian(d) | “-land, country” | ✧ PE17/29; PE17/37 (†-iand(a)); PE17/42; PE17/42 |
Element In
Cognates
N. Beleriand loc.
References ✧ Ety/BAL; LR/180, 202, 404; LRI; PE22/34, 41; RSI; SDI2/Beleriand; SM/107; SMI; TII; WRI
Variations
Inflections
| Veleriand | soft-mutation; b-mutation | ✧ LR/202 |
Elements
| Balar | ✧ Ety/BAL; LR/404 | |
| -ian(d) | “-land” |
Element In
Cognates
ᴱN. Beleriand loc.
References ✧ LB/157, 160; LBI/Arsiriand, Belaurien, Beleriand, Bladorinand, Broseliand, Geleriand, Golodh, Lassariand, Noldórinan, Ossiriand; SMI/Golodh
Variations
Related
Changes
ᴱN. Broseliand loc.
References ✧ LB/157, 160; LBI/Beleriand, Broceliande, Broseliand; SM/107; SMI/Beleriand, Broseliand
Variations
Changes