Lesson 34: Abstract Nouns — The -as Suffix

Introduction

Every language needs ways to express not just concrete things (tree, stone, sword) but abstract concepts: loyalty, wisdom, grief, hope, beauty. In English we turn adjectives into abstract nouns with suffixes like "-ness" (greatness), "-ity" (beauty → beautifulness), or "-hood" (manhood, kingship). Sindarin has its own machinery for this: the primary abstract noun suffix -as (and its variant -ias), plus a secondary suffix -ith found in verbal abstracts.

This lesson covers:

The -as suffix: how it works, what it means, all examples
The -ith suffix: another path to abstract nouns
Major standalone abstract nouns in Sindarin
The philosophical vocabulary — key abstract concepts in Tolkien's worldview

1. Abstract Nouns in Sindarin

An abstract noun names a quality, state, or concept rather than a tangible object. Compare:

Concrete	Abstract
aran (king)	aranas ᴺS. (kingship)
beleg (great/mighty)	belegas ᴺS. (greatness, might)
estel (one who trusts/hopes)	estel (hope, trust) — already abstract

In Sindarin, some words are inherently abstract (like estel, amarth) and don't need a suffix — they are simply abstract nouns by nature. Others require a suffix to shift from concrete to abstract meaning.

2. The -as Suffix

Basic Formation

The suffix -as attaches to a noun or adjective stem to produce an abstract noun meaning "the state/quality/condition of being [X]" or "the office/role of [X]":

stem + -as → abstract noun

When the stem ends in a vowel, the connecting form -ias is used (or the vowel contracts): gal- + -as → galas (but sometimes written galias or with other adjustments).

The Noldorin/Sindarin Base

The suffix -as is well-attested in Noldorin (Tolkien's earlier form of Sindarin) in the Etymologies. Several Noldorin abstract nouns in -as are directly cited. The transition to Sindarin is smooth — phonological patterns are the same.

Attested and Well-Supported Examples

From Tolkien's Noldorin/Sindarin texts:

nîdas or related forms — not clearly attested as such, but -as as a Noldorin abstract suffix is stated in the Etymologies

The clearest attested Sindarin abstract noun mechanism comes not from -as itself but from the parallel -ith suffix (see Section 4 below). The -as suffix is strongly supported by Noldorin evidence and universally used in ᴺS. by all Sindarin linguists.

3. Forming -as Abstract Nouns

From Nouns (Roles and States)

When added to a noun denoting a person or role, -as produces the abstract concept of holding that role:

Noun	Meaning	-as Abstract	Meaning
aran	king	aranas ᴺS.	kingship, royalty
heryn	lady	herynas ᴺS.	ladyship
caun	commander	caunas ᴺS.	command, leadership
edhel	elf	edhelas ᴺS.	elvishness, elf-nature
adan	man (human)	adanas ᴺS.	humanity, human nature
onod	ent	onodiath ᴺS. (or ondas)	ent-nature

From Adjectives (Qualities)

When added to an adjective, -as produces the quality itself as a noun:

Adjective	Meaning	-as Abstract	Meaning
beleg	great, mighty	belegas ᴺS.	greatness, might
mell	dear, beloved	mellas ᴺS.	love, dearness, affection
maer	good, fine	maeras ᴺS.	goodness, excellence
fair	white, radiant	fairas ᴺS.	radiance, whiteness
tîr	watching	tíras ᴺS.	vigilance
caer	huge	caeras ᴺS.	vastness
nim	white, pale	nimas ᴺS.	paleness, whiteness
naer	sad, lamentable	naeras ᴺS.	sadness, grief

From Verb Roots

Some -as nouns derive from verb roots, giving "the state resulting from [that verb's action]":

Root	Meaning	-as Derivative	Meaning
gal- (to shine/grow)	—	galas ᴺS.	radiance, growth
cuina- (to be alive)	live	cuinas ᴺS.	life, living
linna- (to sing)	sing	linnas ᴺS.	art of song

4. The -ith Suffix — Verbal Abstract Nouns

While -as is the primary abstract suffix for noun/adjective roots, the suffix -ith is used for verbal abstracts — nouns derived from verbs, expressing the action or state of that verb as an abstract concept.

Fully Attested: tirith

tir- (to watch, to guard) + -ith → tirith (guardianship, the act of watching/guarding)

Attested in the name Minas Tirith: "Tower of Guardianship / Tower of the Watch." Tolkien himself analyzed Minas Tirith as:

minas = tower, citadel
tirith = watch, guardianship (from tir- to watch + -ith verbal abstract)

This is one of the most important abstract noun formations in Sindarin, because it gives us a concrete, undeniable example of the -ith verbal abstract suffix.

Other -ith Forms

Verb	Root	-ith Abstract	Meaning
tiro	tir-	tirith	watch, guardianship — attested
pedo	ped-	pedith ᴺS.	speech, the act of speaking
linna	linn-	linnith ᴺS.	singing (compare linnad from Lesson 32)
leithia	leith-	leithith ᴺS.	release, freeing
elia	el-	elith ᴺS.	starlight; the state of starry shining

tirith vs. tirad

Both tirith (from -ith) and tirad ᴺS. (from -ad) can mean "the act of watching/guarding." Their nuance differs:

tirith = guardianship as an ongoing state or office (what Minas Tirith IS — a place of eternal watching)
tirad ᴺS. = the act of watching as a specific action in time (what a guard does right now)

5. Another Attested Abstract: prestanneth

Tolkien used prestanneth in his own grammatical notes about Sindarin (specifically in his essay on Sindarin phonology called Quendi and Eldar and related texts):

presta- (to affect, disturb, trouble) + -nneth → prestanneth

Tolkien glossed this as "the affection/mutation [of initial consonants]" — the grammatical term he used to describe the mutation system itself. So prestanneth literally means "the state of being affected, perturbation."

The suffix -nneth may be a variant of -neth (another abstract-state suffix, related to feminine -neth endings in some names). This gives us another data point: Sindarin has multiple abstract noun suffixes besides just -as and -ith.

6. Major Standalone Abstract Nouns

These words are inherently abstract — they do not need a suffix because they are already abstract in their basic form. They are among the most important vocabulary for understanding Tolkien's world:

estel — Hope/Trust

Meaning: hope that is grounded in trust; faith that something good is part of the greater design; NOT wishful thinking

Estel is one of Tolkien's most theologically rich words. It is not merely "I hope it won't rain." Estel is the active trust in the goodness of the world's maker — the hope that, even in darkness, the Music of Ilúvatar holds a good theme. In Unfinished Tales, Tolkien wrote a dialogue in which Finrod discusses estel with Andreth (a mortal woman):

"Estel we must keep, though hope seems lost."

This concept permeates Tolkien's work: Estel is Aragorn's name in his youth (given by Elrond to protect his identity) — he was raised as Hope, the last hope of the Númenórean line.

amarth — Doom/Fate

Meaning: fate, doom; not "doom" in the modern sense of inevitable catastrophe, but the appointed end/purpose of a life

Amarth is the fate that each being is given within the Music of the Ainur. It is not random or malicious; it is the shape of a life within the greater design. Túrin Turambar (túr-ambar + -bar... actually Turambar is a different formation; Túrin = "master of doom" in one interpretation).

The word Amon Amarth (= Mount Doom, where the One Ring was forged) uses amarth as a place name modifier: "Hill of Doom/Fate."

naur — Fire

Meaning: fire (as a primordial force); also used in exclamations

Naur appears in the attested exclamation Naur an edraith ammen! ("Fire [be] for saving us!") and Naur dan i ngaurhoth! ("Fire against the werewolf-host!") — Gandalf's words when fighting wolves and orcs on Caradhras. While naur is a concrete noun (fire as a substance), it resonates as a primordial, almost abstract force in Tolkien's world.

îdh — Rest, Repose

Îdh = rest, peace, repose. Used in Cabed-en-Aras and in names like Mithrellas... actually îdh appears in place names:

Rath Dínen = "Silent Street" (dínen = silent, from dîn = silence + adj. suffix)
dîn itself is an abstract-feeling noun: silence as a quality

meleth — Love (Strong/Deep Love)

mel- (to love) + -eth (verbal noun suffix) → meleth = love

Meleth is attested in Tolkien's texts — it is the deep, committed love between persons. Compare:

meleth (love, deep affection) from mel-
mell (dear, beloved) — the adjective
mellon (friend) — one who is loved: mel- + -lon (person suffix)
Mellonath ᴺS. — beloved friends as a collective

Meleth appears in Tolkien's Sindarin phrase for "I love you": Le melin (I love you) — using the verb mel-; and the noun meleth may appear in poetic contexts.

7. Abstract Noun Word List — 15 Key Items

Word	Meaning	Period	Notes
estel	hope, trust (in divine order)	S.	standalone; theologically central
amarth	fate, doom	S.	in Amon Amarth
tirith	watch, guardianship	S.	in Minas Tirith — fully attested
meleth	deep love	S.	from mel- to love
naur	fire (as force)	S.	in Gandalf's exclamations
dîn	silence	S.	in Rath Dínen
galas	radiance, growth	ᴺS.	from gal-
mellas	love/friendship	ᴺS.	from mell + -as
aranas	kingship	ᴺS.	from aran + -as
belegas	greatness, might	ᴺS.	from beleg + -as
maeras	goodness, excellence	ᴺS.	from maer + -as
nimas	whiteness, purity	ᴺS.	from nim + -as
naeras	sadness, grief	ᴺS.	from naer + -as
cuinas	life (abstract)	ᴺS.	from cuina- + -s
prestanneth	mutation/affection	S.	Tolkien's own grammatical term

8. Abstract Nouns in Sentences

Using the abstract vocabulary in sentences (all ᴺS. except where noted):

1. Estel ortheri amarth. — "Hope overcomes fate." (attested words, ᴺS. grammar)

ortheri = ᴺS. "overcomes" from or- (over) + teria- (to pierce/overcome)

2. Aranas i aran nâ vaer. ᴺS. — "The kingship of the king is good."

aranas (abstract: kingship) in subject position

3. Le melin, a tirith e·nîn sai bregol. ᴺS. — "I love you, but my watching is too fierce."

tirith used as an abstract concept the speaker holds

4. Meleth nín ú·fêla. ᴺS. — "My love does not depart / My love is undying."

meleth nín = my love (abstract noun + possessive)

5. I·naer e·galadh nâ galas egor belegas? ᴺS. — "Is the beauty of a tree radiance or greatness?" (Using two -as abstracts in one sentence)

9. The Philosophical Vocabulary

Three abstract nouns stand as pillars of Tolkien's Sindarin worldview:

Estel: Hope as Theological Virtue

In Tolkien's Catholic sensibility, estel is the equivalent of theological hope — the virtue of trusting in God's goodness even amid apparent evil. Tolkien contrasted this with Elvish amdir (rational expectation based on evidence — "I hope it will be fine because the sky is clear"). Amdir is reasonable forecast; estel is faithful trust that transcends evidence.

This distinction appears in Tolkien's unpublished writings (later published in Morgoth's Ring) and is one of the most philosophically sophisticated pieces of his invented-language corpus.

Amarth: Doom as Vocation

Amarth is "doom" in the Old English sense — the shape appointed for a life. Every being has their amarth within Ilúvatar's Music. Even Tolkien's darkest characters (Túrin Turambar, whose very name means something like "master of his doom") wrestle with amarth. The name Turambar = túr- (master) + ambar (doom, fate) = "he who masters his fate" — but of course in the story Túrin does not master his fate; he is mastered by it. The irony is embedded in the name.

Naur: Fire as Creation and Destruction

Fire (naur) in Tolkien's world is both:

A creative force (the fire of the Ainur's music, Gandalf's flame)
A destructive one (Balrogs, Morgoth's domain, Sauron's forges)

When Gandalf cries Naur an edraith ammen! he invokes fire not as a weapon of conquest but as the primal life-preserving force against the darkness.

10. Practice: Form 8 Abstract Nouns

Using -as and -ith, form abstract nouns from the stems below. Mark all as ᴺS.:

hîr (lord) → __________ (lordship)
caran (red) → __________ (redness)
elia- (to rain, of stars — to star-shine) → __________ (starlight, the act of shining)
mindon (watchtower) → abstract? __________ (the condition of watching from a height)
gwend (maiden, bond) → __________ (maidenhood, bond-state)
angol (magic, deep wisdom) → __________ (the quality of deep magic)
bel- (to love, strong) → __________ (strong love — but distinguish from meleth)
dúlin (nightingale) → -as → __________ (the quality of the nightingale; song-beauty)

Model Answers:

híras ᴺS. (lordship)
caranas ᴺS. (redness)
elith ᴺS. (starlight-act)
mindonas ᴺS. (watch-tower function)
gwenneth ᴺS. (maidenhood; using -eth variant — compare gweneth which Tolkien may have used)
angolas ᴺS. (deep-magic quality)
beleth ᴺS. (strong love — cf. beleth in Tolkien's earlier forms)
dúlinas ᴺS. (nightingale-quality; songbird beauty)

Key Points to Remember

-as forms abstract nouns from nouns and adjectives: state, quality, office of X
-ith forms verbal abstracts: ongoing state or office derived from a verb (tirith is the gold standard example)
Some abstract nouns are standalone: estel, amarth, meleth, dîn — no suffix needed
Mark all new -as formations ᴺS. — the suffix is very well-supported but the specific word may not be Tolkien's own
The philosophical triad: estel (hope/trust), amarth (doom/fate), naur (fire as primordial force) — three concepts that illuminate Tolkien's entire mythology

Next: Lesson 35 — Further Suffixes