S. Ered Nimrais loc. “White Mountains, (lit.) White-horns Mountains”
Sindarin name of the “White Mountains” (LotR/258), more literally “White-horns Mountains” (UTI/Ered Nimrais). This name is a combination of the plural of orod “mountain” and the plural of Nimras “White Horn” (SA/nim, ras; PE17/89, 168).
Conceptual Development: In Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, these mountains were first called N. Eredvyrn or Ered Myrn “Black Mountains” (TI/124), later changed to “White Mountains” with numerous Elvish forms: N. Hebel Orolos >> Hebel Uilos (WR/137) >> Hebel or Ephel Nimrais (WR/137) >> Hebel or Ered Nimrath (WR/137, 167) >> Ered Nimras (WR/168), then briefly to Eredfain before finally Ered Nimrais (WR/288). In later writings it occasionally appeared with the proper Sindarin plural of orod: S. Eryd (PE17/168, WJ/385).
References ✧ LotR/258; LotRI/Ered Nimrais, White Mountains; PE17/168; RSI/Ered Nimrais; S/94; SA/nim, ras; SI/Ered Nimrais; UTI/Ered Nimrais; WJI/Eryd Nimrais
Glosses
Variations
Elements
| orod | “mountain” | plural | |
| Nimras | “White Horn” | plural | ✧ SI/Ered Nimrais (nimrais) |
| nim | “white” | ✧ SA/nim | |
| rass | “horn” | plural | ✧ SA/ras (rais) |
N. Ered Nimras loc. “White Mountains”
Earlier name for S. Ered Nimrais (WR/168), with singular ras “horn” instead of plural rais “horns”. The plural was introduced later (WR/288).
References ✧ SDI1/Ered Nimrais; WR/168, 288; WRI/Ered Nimrais
Glosses
Variations
Elements
| orod | “mountain” | plural |
| nimp | “pale” | |
| rhas | “horn [of both animals and mountains]” | soft-mutation |
N. Eredfain loc.
Earlier name for S. Ered Nimrais (WR/288), with a final element fain “white” instead of nimrais “white-horns”.
References ✧ WR/288; WRI/Ered Nimrais
Changes
Elements
| orod | “mountain” | plural |
| fein | “white, radiant” | plural |
N. Ered Nimrath loc. “White Mountains”
Earlier name for S. Ered Nimrais (WR/137), with a final element rath “course” (“?climb”) instead of rais “horns”, as suggested by Roman Rausch (EE/3.14). It also appeared as Hebel Nimrath (WR/167).
References ✧ WR/137, 167; WRI/Ered Nimrais
Glosses
Variations
Changes
Elements
| orod | “mountain” | plural |
| nimp | “pale” | |
| rath | “course, river-bed” |
N. Ephel Nimrais loc.
Earlier name for S. Ered Nimrais (WR/137), using ephel “outer fence” instead of ered “mountains”. It also appearing as (rejected singular) Ephel Nimras and possibly Hebel Nimrais (the last element is hard to read).
References ✧ WR/137; WRI/Ered Nimrais
Variations
Changes
Elements
| ephel | “outer fence” | ✧ WR/137 | |
| nimp | “pale” | ||
| rhas | “horn [of both animals and mountains]” | soft-mutation plural |
N. Hebel Uilos loc. “White Mountains”
Earlier name for S. Ered Nimrais appearing in Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s with the gloss “White Mountains” (WR/137). It is a combination of hebel and Uilos “Ever-snow”. The second element was initially (rejected) Orolos, perhaps meaning “?Mountain Snow” as suggested by Roman Rausch (EE/3.14).
References ✧ WR/137; WRI/Ered Nimrais
Glosses
Variations
Changes
Elements
| hebel | “?fence” |
| Uilos | “Everlasting Snow” |
N. Eredvyrn loc. “Black Mountains”
Earliest name for S. Ered Nimrais glossed “Black Mountains” instead of “White Mountains” (TI/124), with the lenited plural of morn “black” instead of nimrais “white-horns”.
References ✧ TI/124; TII/Black Mounttains
Glosses
Variations
Related
Changes
Elements
| orod | “mountain” | plural | ✧ TI/124 (Ered) |
| morn | “black” | soft-mutation plural | ✧ TI/124 (vyrn) |