How to construct names in both Quenya and Sindarin.

[Jpen93]

This is mostly idle curiosity, but I haven't found (and possibly this is due to my impatience with research) a definitive answer in how one should go about constructing names in either of these incomplete languages. I find both to be lovely languages, though I admit I am partial to Quenya for no reason I can fathom except for the sound in my mind.
I am a lover of names and naming things, and although I enjoy non-native languages, and am a self-admitted--possibly obsessive--fan of Tolkien's works, I am no linguist.
So I ask this forum of those who are most definitely better learned than I, how does one construct names in both these languages? I realise that each may have it's own answer, and quite possibly a detailed one. Is there a way for a novice to muddle through and be satisfied?

 

[Elaran]

As I demonstrated here (click), Sindarin mostly requires expert level knowledge on the historical phonetic development rules of the language to be able to form accurate names. Most attempts by beginners would yield inaccurate results, unless by chance they stumble upon a combination that does not require any change, which is rare. To "luck out" like that, a trick would be to use words which begin with vowels for non-initial elements, for example using adan "Man (race)" with mell "beloved" as Melladan "Beloved-Man" would be a straightforward combination with no change. But this trick does not guarantee that the results will be accurate, it only increases one's chances. For example, using cair "ship" as the initial element should instead yield Ceiradan "Ship-Man", because "ai" can only appear in the final syllables of polysyllabic words (e.g. erain) or in monosyllabic words (e.g. cair). And a more archaic form would be Ciriadan (because cair comes from ancient KIRjā > kirja > kerja > keria > keri > keir > kair, and most of these changes depend on the word's having no following element, thus the modern compound Ceiradan is sort of a reformation which removes only the latest "(final) ei>ai" rule).

Quenya is much safer with regard to its phonetic rules, but they are not non-existent. For example ar(a-) "noble" and cáno "lord" would simply be Arcáno or Aracáno "Noble Lord", but an element like ñolmo from primitive √ÑGOL (note: "ñ" stands for /ŋ/ in Tolkien's usage) would become Argolmo (note: "g" in Quenya can only survive after "r & l", and only if it comes from "ñg") or Arañgolmo. But cases like this are rarer in Quenya, thus it is easier to form accurate names in it without prior knowledge.

Another thing to keep in mind is that Elvish names are never made up of just one element (i.e. adjective or noun). As Tolkien says here:

The mere names of things, such as 'hill, river, tree', and especially of unique things, as 'sun', were not used, at any rate without differentiation: [...] for that would imply some kind of total equation or identity. An Elf (or Man) would not be called Anar 'Sun' even to depict great glory or radiant vigour. [...] But an Elf or Man could be called Anárion, Anardil [etc.] [PE21/86]

So at least two elements, either another adjective/noun or some masculine/feminine suffix, are needed. Also note that Tolkien's example Q. Anárion shows another instance wherein the phonetic rules of Quenya seemingly made changes to the isolated Anar form, but this word was actually A-NĀR (note: "ā" = long a) and it only lost its "ā" due to being final, but it is not final with Anárion and so it remains, meanwhile Anardil has a short "a" because the following consonant cluster "-rd- shortened it. As a final note, there is no attested Sindarin name with more than four syllables, so brevity is the soul of wit and all that.

 

[Elthir]

I'm no linguist, but I'm interested in Tolkien's nomenclature. My advice is to try to create something that reminds you of an already attested name. I realize that's subjective, but for my example: Elthir/Gilthir.

Sometimes combining Quenya words, or adding a prefix or a suffix to a word, looks easy enough: cirya + quen > ciryaquen "Ship-person, sailor" . . . or cirya + -mo (agental suffix) ciryamo "mariner" . . . and then consider the name Tar-Ciryatan (or Sindarin Cirdan)

Still, there are some things to try and keep in mind, like assimilation for example.

Elemmacil I'm guessing elen + macil (-nm- > -mm- here).
Elessar elen + sar (-ns- > -ss- here)

Also, I tend to drop final vowels when adding a suffix that starts with a vowel (like -iel for example). Laure "golden light/colour" (Laurelin), but *Lauriel not *Laureiel.

Anyway, it depend upon the words (or whatever) involved. Please don't consider this a full look at Quenya name-making though (and see Elaran's post above, as I'm sure you already have) -- it's rather just some stuff I can recall at the moment. In any case, to my mind, Quenya name-making is easier than Sindarin.

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Sindarin has a thing called "softening" or "soft mutation" for instance. And for example, I assume Gildor hails from gil + taur (taur reduced to -tor softened to -dor, like Balrog > contains raug, or r-au-g > -rog). But then we also have Halbarad, which, if the second element was simply mutated after the consonant L, we might expect *Halvarad.

So then you have to break down the mutations as found in the attested corpus, and try to note what words or elements are involved.

B > v after r . . . Arveleg (ar + beleg), with Beleg being a name by itself, of course.
But again we have Halbarad (hall + barad)

So unless I find examples to the contrary, I follow Tolkien's lead on the changes. The consonant contact changes and simplifications in Sindarin take some time to learn! A couple more examples, here considering the initial consonant of the second element: s (> h).

calen + sad Calenhad
Dir + sael Dirhael
Pant + sael Panthael ( -th- here pronounced like in English "outhouse", and we know this due to Tolkien spelling this name in Elvish letters)

And that's just scratching the surface. Tolkien once explained Boromir as hailing from boron + mir (-nm- > -mm- reduced to m here). And then we have the North Sindarin dialect to consider too. But for Boromir of The Lord of the Rings, JRRT decided to explain it as a "mixed form".

 

[doron]

Hello,
The easiest way to invent a name in Sindarin or Quenya is to transcribe it directly. But elves prefer to translate the meaning of the name and transcribe it afterwards.

 

[Elaran]

Hello,
The easiest way to invent a name in Sindarin or Quenya is to transcribe it directly. But elves prefer to translate the meaning of the name and transcribe it afterwards.

No. What you are describing (with inaccurate terminology) is transcribing a name with the Tengwar (i.e. Elvish letters), not translating into Sindarin or Quenya. Simply changing the "alphabet" does not change the language, and this is certainly not "inventing" a name. As for the Elves' "preferring" to translate the meaning... this does not make sense, because the Elves do not speak English or whatever language from which the name comes.

 

[Elthir]

Doron, what might be throwing you off is that many modern mortals have delved into creating Elvish names by meaning.

But if anyone is interested about the Elves (internally) here . . .

. . . for instance, we have this general scenario to muse about, from The Shibboleth of Feanor:
"The Noldor in exile as a rule chose one only of their names to be given a Sindarin shape
(edit for brevity ) though the ease of "translation" and its fitting into Sindarin style was also considered." And one example of translation here, in addition to the various examples of the Sindarization of Quenya names, appears to be: "Eðellos translated Eldalote according to sense: "Elven-flower".

. . . and if "you" (Doron or anyone) have this text or can get it (The History of Middle-Earth series volume twelve, The Peoples of Middle-Earth), check out the number of Sindarized names!

Possibly interesting note: Tolkien once adopted the name Mary to Quenya as María.