Supplement 9: Vocabulary — Expanded Nature & Animals

Nature in Tolkien's Vision

Tolkien loved botany, was a passionate naturalist, and grew up in the English countryside. His Elvish nature vocabulary is among the richest and most thoroughly attested domains in Sindarin. The reasons are structural: many attested Sindarin phrases come from place names, and place names in Middle-earth are overwhelmingly about natural features — hills, rivers, trees, stars, weather.

Amon Sûl (Hill of Wind), Hithaeglir (Misty Mountains, literally "peaks of mist-veil"), Eryn Lasgalen (Wood of Greenleaves), Nen Hithoel (Lake of Mist), Nîn-in-Eilph (Swanfleet) — every one of these names is a nature vocabulary lesson waiting to be unpacked.

This supplement is organized by environmental domain and is designed to be read alongside a map of Middle-earth. As you learn each word, find a place name that uses it.

Sky, Light, and Heavenly Bodies

Sindarin	Forms	English	Status	Notes
Anor	—	the Sun (as personified light-giver)	S.	Amon Anor = hill associated with the Sun; anar- root; the Sun is Anor (Sindarin) = Anar (Quenya); she is Arien in person
Ithil	—	the Moon (as personified light)	S.	Ithilien = Moon-land; Minas Ithil = Tower of the Moon; he is Tilion in person; ithil- root
gil	gil (unchanged)	(bright) star, point of starlight	S.	Gilraen = star-wanderer; Gil-galad = star of radiance; Gildor = star-lord; one of the most productive roots in Sindarin personal names
elenath	—	all the stars, the starry host (collective)	S.	Attested: o menel aglar elenath ("from firmament glory of all-stars"); elen- (star) + -ath (collective); QUENYA uses elen for individual star; SINDARIN uses êl/êl for individual
êl	elin	star (individual)	S.	The Sindarin individual-star word; êl (one star) vs. elenath (all the stars); Elrond = star-dome
menel	—	sky, firmament, the heavens	S.	Attested: o menel (from heaven); palan-díriel o galadhremmin ennorath, Fanuilos... — the full hymn is rich with sky-vocabulary; menel is preserved almost identically in Quenya
fanui	—	cloudy, white-clouded (adj.)	S.	Fanuilos = Ever-white-clouded-peak (one of Varda's names: fan- cloud + ui- ever + -los white/snow-white)
sûl	sŷl	wind	S.	Amon Sûl = Hill of Wind (Weathertop); i-affection in plural: û→ŷ
thûl	thŷl	breath, wind (breath-wind)	S.	More intimate than sûl; the breath of a living being; related to the animating wind
hîth	—	mist, fog	S.	Hithaeglir = Misty Mountains (literally "veil-peaks of mist"): hîth + aeleg (prickle) + ir (plural?) = "misty prickle-peaks"; Hithlum = mist-shadow (hîth + lum)
naur	naurin	fire	S.	Naur an edraith ammen! (attested: "Fire for our salvation!"); also Naur dan i ngaurhoth! ("Fire against the werewolf host!"); naurin = fires (collective plural)
glawar	—	sunlight, golden radiance	S.	The light of the sun as radiance; glawar = warm sunlight; related to glaur- (gold, warm light) root
calad	—	light, radiance (general)	S.	Caladwen = light-maiden; calad = light in a general sense; contrast with glawar (sun-gold) and aglar (glory-light)
aglar	—	glory, radiant splendor	S.	Dagor Aglareb = Glorious Battle (aglar + adj. suffix -eb); aglar is light-as-glory, the light of triumph

The Elvish Reverence for Stars

More than the Sun or Moon, Tolkien's Elves are creatures of starlight. The Elves first awoke under stars (before the Sun and Moon existed). Varda, the most loved of the Valar, is Elbereth Gilthoniel — "Star-queen, Star-kindler" (gil + thon kindle + -iel). The entire opening of the great Elvish hymn (A Elbereth Gilthoniel / silivren penna míriel / o menel aglar elenath...) is a cascade of nature vocabulary: stars, silver radiance, jewel-like lights, the firmament's glory.

Weather and Atmospheric Phenomena

Sindarin	Forms	English	Status	Notes
gwaew	—	wind (storm-wind, heavy gust)	N.	Related to gwae- root = to blow; heavier than sûl; the wind in mountain passes
uinen	—	waves (name/personification of ocean waves)	S.	Uinen = wife of Ossë, Lady of the Seas; ui- (ever) + nen (water) = "ever-water"; the ceaseless motion of the sea
celw	—	spring, the fresh flow of a source	S./N.	kel- root = flowing away; the beginning of a water source where it springs from the earth
loss	—	snow (freshly fallen)	S.	Caradhras is snow-covered; loss = white snow; Fanuilos has -los (white snow-like) suffix
rim	—	cold (of water, weather)	S.	Rimmon = cold peak?; rim in weather contexts = cold; distinct from rim (host/multitude)
dû	—	dimness, twilight, fading light	S.	The state of fading light; Dol Dûgol = Hill of Dark Sorcery; dû as time-word = dusk/nightfall
fuin	—	darkness, dead of night	S.	Fuin Daegor = darkness of battle; absolute darkness, heavier than dû (twilight)

Water Features

Sindarin	Forms	English	Status	Notes
aear	—	sea, the open ocean	S.	Attested: A Elbereth... nef aear (on this side of the sea); the great sea; aear = "the wide sea"
aearon	—	Great Sea (augmented)	S.	sí nef aearon (attested: "here on this side of the ocean"); aear + -on augmentative suffix
duin	—	great river, river (large)	S.	Anduin = Long River (and + duin); Baranduin = Golden-brown River (Brandywine); duin = a major flowing river
sîr	sîr	river, stream (flowing)	S.	Sirith = flowing (river name); sîr from root sir- to flow; the verb siri- = to flow
ethir	—	outflow, river mouth, delta	S.	Ethir Anduin = mouths of Anduin; eth- (out) + sîr (flow) contracted
eithel	eithil	spring (water source)	S.	Eithel Ivrin (Ivrin's spring/wells), Eithel Sirion (wellspring of Sirion); i-affection plural: ei-/ei-
nen	nîn	water, (small) body of water	S.	Nen Hithoel (lake of mist-grey); nîn = watery, or "waters" plural; attested throughout
lond	lynd	haven, harbor, enclosed landing	S.	Mithlond = Grey Havens; lond = a sheltered harbor; plural lynd by i-affection
harlond	—	south haven	S.	har- (south) + lond (haven); the south harbor of Minas Tirith; fully attested as a place name
imlad	imlaid	deep valley with water	S.	Imladris = Rivendell (imlad + ris = cleft): "deep valley of the cleft"; im (deep, between) + lad (plain, flat)
gwathló	—	shadow-river (the Greyflood)	S.	gwath (shadow) + ló (river suffix or flow-word); the river associated with shadow and grey
sirith	—	flowing stream, river (name-word)	S.	Used as both a common noun (a flowing) and a river name; root sir-
lhûn	—	blue (the Gulf of Lhûn)	S.	Lhûn = blue; the Gulf of Lhûn west of the Blue Mountains; the word for the blue color of deep water
celant	—	flowing-course, silver stream	S.	Celebrant = Silver-course (celeb silver + rant course/channel); celant as the general "flowing course"
talf	telph	flat area, flat shore	N.	The flat shelf beside a river; i-affection with consonant shift
glân	—	bank, edge, white border	S.	glân = both "pure/white" and "boundary/edge/bank"; a river bank is a glân because it is the bright line where land meets water

Reading Water Names on a Map

The richness of Sindarin water vocabulary is best understood from a map of Middle-earth. Try locating these names and parsing them:

Nen Hithoel = nen (water/lake) + hîth (mist) + -oel (adj. suffix) = "Lake of Misty Grey"
Nîn-in-Eilph = nîn (watery/waters) + in (pl. article) + eilph (swans, pl. of alph) = "Swanfleet" = watery place of the swans
Anduin = and (long) + duin (great river) = "The Long River"
Baranduin = baran (golden-brown) + duin = the golden-brown river = Brandywine

Plants and Trees

Trees — General and Tall

Sindarin	Plural	English	Status	Notes
galadh	gelaidh	tree (any tree, living wood)	S.	Galadhrim = tree-people (Lothlórien Elves); Galadriel = "maiden crowned with a radiant garland" (but galadh = tree is in her name); i-affection plural
orn	yrn	tree (tall, noble tree)	S.	Celeborn = silver-tree (celeb + orn); Hírilorn = queen-tree (híril lady + orn); Yrn = trees (plural by i-affection: o→y)
taur	—	great forest, vast wood	S.	Taur-na-Neldor (forest of the three trees); Taur-e-Ndaedelos (Forest of Great Fear); taur implies scale and depth
eryn	—	forest, woodland area	S.	Eryn Lasgalen = Wood of Greenleaves (former Mirkwood after its cleansing); Eryn Vorn = Dark Wood; eryn is lighter than taur

Specific Attested Trees

Sindarin	Plural	English	Status	Notes
brethil	—	silver birch	S.	Forest of Brethil = silver-birch forest; fully attested as a place name
thôn	thŷn	pine tree	S.	Dorthonion = land of pines (dôr land + thon- pine + -ion collective/adjectival); i-affection plural
tulus	tylys	poplar tree	S./N.	i-affection: u→y; attested in Noldorin period
norn	nyrn	oak (hard, gnarled tree)	S./N.	Nornhabar = dwarves' stone-city?; norn = hard-gnarled, the quality of oak; i-affection: o→y
perilin	—	hawthorn (flowering thorn)	N.	Hawthorn blossom; the thorn-flower of hedgerows

Flowers and Low Plants

Sindarin	Plural	English	Status	Notes
alfirin	—	immortal flower, undying blossom	S.	al- (without/non-) + firin (mortal/dying): "undying flower"; white flower of Gondor; attested in the Song of the Mounds of Mundburg
elanor	—	sun-star flower (golden)	S.	el (star) + anor (sun): "star-sun"; the golden flower of Lothlórien; Sam names his daughter Elanor; fully attested
niphredil	—	snowdrop (pale flower)	S.	niph- (pallor, whiteness) + redil (?) = "scatter-pallor"?; the white flower that bloomed where Lúthien danced; attested in Tolkien's texts
uilos	—	ever-white flower	S.	ui (ever) + los (snow/white): "ever-white"; the white flower that represents perpetual purity; used as a poetic name for snow-white blossoms
lissuin	—	sweet-smelling flower	N.	liss- (sweet) + suin; the flower of sweet scent; not fully attested but built on regular roots
las	lais	leaf	S.	Eryn Lasgalen = Wood of Green Leaves (galen = green + las = leaf, contracted to lasgalen); also in athelas (ath- helpful + las leaf)

The Flowers of Lothlórien

Two flowers mentioned in the Golden Wood have attested Sindarin names:

Elanor: the golden flower, "sun-star." Sam names his daughter this after seeing it in Lothlórien.
Niphredil: the white flower, "scatter of pallor." It bloomed where Lúthien Tinúviel danced in Doriath; it grew also in Lothlórien.

These two flowers are Tolkien's most carefully named botanical details, and their Sindarin etymologies reward attention.

Animals

Birds

Sindarin	Plural	English	Status	Notes
alph	eilph	swan	S.	Nîn-in-Eilph = Swanfleet (attested); Alqualondë = Swan-haven (Quenya but shares alqua = swan root); plural eilph by i-affection
tuilinn	tuilinn	swallow (spring bird)	N.	tui- (spring, sprouting) + linn (bird/singer): "spring-singer"; the swallow as harbinger of spring
aew	iw	small bird	S.	The generic word for a small bird; Aewellond = bird-haven?
hwiniol	—	wild, swooping (of birds)	N.	The spinning swooping quality of a bird in flight
gwilwileth	—	butterfly (also used for fluttering birds)	N./S.	The fluttering creature; from gwil- (fly, flutter) root

Land Animals

Sindarin	Plural	English	Status	Notes
roch	rych	horse	S.	Rohan = Rochan = horse-land (roch + -an); rochir = horse-lord; i-affection plural; the most important animal in Tolkien's world
carw	cerw	deer, stag	N.	caru- root; i-affection plural
faun	foen	cloud-creature; a large pale animal	N.	Related to fan- (cloud, veil); i-affection
huan	—	great hound	S.	Huan = the great hound of Valinor who served Celegorm and befriended Lúthien; his name means simply "hound (great)"; attested proper name
lhûg	lhýg	serpent, large snake	N.	lhûg = the large serpent; used for Tolkien's great serpents; i-affection: û→ý
gaur	goeir	werewolf, demon-wolf	S.	Gaurhoth = werewolf-host (attested: Naur dan i ngaurhoth!); gaur = the monster-wolf; Sauron's werewolves
orch	yrch	orc, goblin	S.	yrch = orcs (plural) — attested in LotR: Legolas shouts Yrch!; i-affection: o→y; one of the most famous plural forms in Sindarin
naugrim	—	Dwarves (Elvish name)	S.	naug- (stunted/dwarf) + rim (host/people); the Elvish name for Dwarves; Gonnhirrim = Masters of Stone (another Elvish name for Dwarves)

Sea Creatures and Serpents

Sindarin	Forms	English	Status	Notes
ungol	—	spider	Used in S. context	Cirith Ungol = Pass of the Spider (ungol from Quenya root but used as Sindarin in this place name); Tolkien may have intended it as universally understood
orm	yrm	worm, dragon (great serpent)	N.	The great crawling creature; i-affection: o→y; root of English "worm" and related to Tolkien's Dragons (great worms)
lhûg	lhýg	great serpent	N.	See above; large serpents, the great crawling terrors

Yrch! — Legolas's Famous Warning

When Legolas sees orcs approaching in The Fellowship of the Ring, he cries a single word: Yrch! This is the plural of orch (orc) in Sindarin, showing the i-affection: o→y. The word is fully attested, shouted in fear and warning, and demonstrates that i-affection plurals are truly the living plural form — a Sindarin-speaker in extremity reaches for the natural plural form automatically.

Geology and Terrain

Sindarin	Plural	English	Status	Notes
orod	eryd	mountain, peak	S.	Orod-na-Thôn (Peak of Pine); Ered Luin = Blue Mountains; Ered Nimrais = White Mountains; i-affection plural: o→e
rass	ress	horn, sharp peak	S.	Methedras = last peak (methed + rass); Caradhras = red horn (caran + rass); the sharp point of a mountain
gond	gynd	great stone, rock	S.	Gondor = stone-land; Gondolin = hidden rock/stone (gond + dolen hidden); i-affection: o→y
sarn	sern	small stone, pebble, stony place	S.	Sarn Gebir = stony spurs (the rapids of Anduin); i-affection: a→e
caradhras	—	Red Horn (peak name)	S.	caran (red) + rass (horn/peak): the Red Horn; fully attested as the Redhorn mountain
methedras	—	Last Peak (Isengard's mountain)	S.	methed (end, last) + rass (horn): "the last peak"; attested
iant	iaint	bridge	S.	Iant Iaur = Old Bridge (iant + iaur old); i-affection plural
dôr	dŷr	land, territory	S.	Doriath = land of the fence (dôr + iath fence/hedge); Mordor = Dark Land; i-affection plural
ceven	—	the earth, ground	S.	The earth as a surface, the ground underfoot; Cementar in Quenya; Sindarin ceven
cofn	—	empty, hollow	N.	Used in caves and hollow places; the quality of emptiness in a cave
narch	—	jaw-like rock cleft, narrow gap	S.	Narchost = Tooth-fortress (narch + ost); the narrow cleft or jaw

Parsing Place Names as Vocabulary Lessons

Every major Sindarin place name is a vocabulary sentence. Practice parsing:

Hithaeglir = hîth (mist) + aeleg (prickle/sharp) + -ir (plural?) = "prickle-peaks of mist" = Misty Mountains
Imladris = imlad (deep valley) + ris (cleft) = "deep valley of the cleft" = Rivendell
Mithlond = mîth (grey) + lond (haven) = "Grey Havens"
Caradhras = caran (red) + rass (horn-peak) = "Redhorn"

Practice: Nature Vocabulary Exercises

Connect the vocabulary to places you know on the map of Middle-earth:

What does Amon Sûl mean literally? What is this location's Common Speech name?
Nen Hithoel has three components: what are they and what do they mean?
Eryn Lasgalen replaced the name Taur-e-Ndaedelos. Parse both names and explain what changed and why.
The plural of orch is yrch. What mutation or vowel change produces this? What mutation would occur in in yrch?
Alfirin and niphredil are both white flowers. How do their etymologies describe them differently?
Andúril (sword) and Anduin (river) share the element and-. What does it mean in each compound?
Parse Mithlond completely and explain what kind of place it describes.
The word naur appears in both the exclamation Naur an edraith ammen! and in weather-related vocabulary. What is the core meaning and how does context distinguish the uses?

Answers:

Amon Sûl = Hill (amon) of Wind (sûl) = Weathertop
Nen (water/lake) + hîth (mist) + -oel (adjective suffix meaning "grey-misty") = lake of misty grey water; a still lake in a misty gap
Eryn Lasgalen = forest (eryn) + las (leaf) + calen (green, adj.) = "Wood of Green Leaves"; Taur-e-Ndaedelos = great-forest (taur) + en (of) + ndaedelos (daedel dread + -os collective?) = "Forest of Great Fear/Dread"; after Sauron's fall the dark name was replaced by the joyful name
I-affection (internal vowel change): o→y; no consonant mutation on yrch after in because the word begins with a vowel (the mutation applies to initial consonants only)
Alfirin = al- (without) + firin (mortal) = "the undying" — defined by what it is not (mortal); niphredil = niph- (pallor) = "scatter of pallor/paleness" — defined by its color and appearance
Both use and = long: Andúril = long-fire (the long flame); Anduin = long-river (the long great river)
Mîth (grey) + lond (haven) = Grey Havens; a sheltered harbor with grey waters, the westernmost port of Middle-earth where ships sail to the Undying Lands
Naur = fire; in Naur an edraith ammen! = literal fire (to light as defense); in weather/medical contexts = "fever" or "burning" (metaphorical heat)