S. Tumladen loc. “Wide Valley, flat valley with steep sides”

S. Tumladen, loc. “Wide Valley, flat valley with steep sides”

The hidden valley within the Echoriath where Gondolin was built (S/115), translated “Wide Valley” (SI/Tumladen). It was also the name of a valley in Gondor (LotR/764) glossed as a “flat valley with steep sides” (RC/521). This name is a combination of tum “valley” (SA/tum) and laden “open, cleared”.

Conceptual Development: In the earliest Lost Tales, this valley was named G. Tumladin with an i and the gloss “Valley of Smoothness” (LT2/163), a form that continued to appear in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (SM/148, LR/142). In The Etymologies from the 1930s, it appeared as N. Tumladen with an e and the gloss “Level Vale”, with essentially the same derivation given above (Ety/LAT, TUB). This later form was adopted in Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s (WJ/57). In one late note from around 1968, Tolkien gave the name as Tumlaðen (NM/351).

References ✧ LotRI; NM/351; RC/521; SA/tum; SI; WJI

Glosses

Variations

Elements

tum “valley, vale” ✧ NM/351; SA/tum
#laden “flat, wide” ✧ NM/351 (laðen); RC/521 (#laden)

N. Tumladen loc. “Level Vale”

See S. Tumladen for discussion.

References ✧ Ety/LAT, TUB; LBI/Tumladin; LR/142; LRI/Tumladin; SM/148; SMI/Tumladin; WRI

Glosses

Variations

Elements

tum “(deep) valley” ✧ Ety/TUB
lhaden “flat (and wide); open, cleared” soft-mutation ✧ Ety/LAT
ᴹ√LAT “lie open; be extended, stretch, be situated (of an area)” ✧ Ety/TUB

Cognates


ᴱN. Tumladin loc. “Smooth Valley”

See S. Tumladen for discussion.

References ✧ LBI; MC/217; SM/148; SMI

Glosses

Variations

Changes

Elements

tum(b) “flat vale”
lhaden “flat, smooth”

Element In


G. Tumladin loc. “Valley of Smoothness”

See S. Tumladen for discussion.

References ✧ LT2/163; LT2A/Tumladin

Glosses

Elements

tûm “valley” ✧ LT1A/Tombo
ladin “level, smooth; fair, equitable” ✧ LT2A/Ladwen-na-Dhaideloth