Imrazor the Numenorean

[Shaky_the_Mohel]

Why was Imrazor (father of Galador, first Lord of Dol Amroth) called "the Numenorean"? (and why does he have an Adunaic name when he dwells in a Realm in Exile?)

 

[Inderjit S]

Imrazôr is a descendant of a family of the faithful who settled in Belfalas before the downfall of Númenor and were said to be related to Elendil. (One assumes, that they came to Middle-Earth after the removal of the Faithful, by Ar-Pharazôn kathuphazgânun from Andúnië to Romenna.)

I do not know why he was called the 'Númenórean' it could be that he was very much like the Númenórean lords of old (Of course the descendants of Anárion would have been like the Númenórean peoples of old, and of pure blood but it would have been seen as unusual for a lord of a Gondorian fief. Of course a lot of the "best" Númenórean blood was lost in the Last Alliance and Battle of Erui.

I too think that it is odd that he would have a Adûnaic name, esp. in consideration of the statements in Of Dwarves and Men (HoME 12) and River and Beacon Hills of Gondor that Adûnaic was abandoned by the remnants of the Númenóreans who held the coasts because of the fall of Númenór and the Faithful used Sindarin as their first tongue, but eventually, they had to use the Common Speech to converse with other Men and Sindarin became the language of the Númenórean nobles. (The Common Speech spread widely in the T.A and became known as Westron or Annunaid amongst the Elves.)

It may be that one of Imrazôr's parents or grandparents originated from Umbar, and he was given an Adûnaic name by the relation who hailed from Umbar , and he was chiefly remembered by that name. According to the Heirs of Elendil (HoME 12) Imrazôr was born in T.A 1950. This was 140 or so years since King Telumehatar Umbardacil re-took Umbar, or maybe Adûnaic briefly prospered in Pelargir (Though of course the events of the civil war took place about half a millennium earlier, it could be that the removal of Adûnaic was slow, there was also little generation gap between the two events) or the adjoining coastlands since Castamir was popular amongst the people of the coasts (He was Captain of the Ships at Pelargir and he had removed from Osgiliath to Pelargir and it could be that Adûnaic was spoken by him and his people, since he had a lot of support from Umbar and resided in Southern Gondor in a coalition of rebels who may have took up Adûnaic in rebellion), where it is probable that Adûnaic names remained there since it was in Gondor's influence for a short time and it is credible that the conservative-minded Black Númenóreans kept Adûnaic names. Though, rather interestingly, most of the well-known Black Númenóreans that we know of have Quenya names (Fuinir, Herumor, Sangahyando Angamaitë) though of course these may have been the names by which they were known in Gondorian lore and they had Adûnaic names that the Gondorian scribes who compiled the Appendix didn't know of.

Imrazôr was obviously acquainted with Sindarin, since then how could he have communicated with Mithrellas. (Who must have spoken Sindarin even though Nimrodel spoke the archaic Sylvan tongue) and he also gave his children (Galador and Gimlith Sindarin names) and it is probable that Sindarin was the main language of his household, as he was a Gondorian noble.

 

[Shaky_the_Mohel]

Thankyou, Inderjit S, for your detailed response

I had another look at the entry I created for Imrazôr at TolkienWiki. There I conjectured that he might himself have been a Black Númenórean, or had at least hailed from Umbar (I seem to remember reading somewhere that Queen Beruthiel was a Black Númenórean), because he is described as a "Númenórean mariner" (as opposed to a mariner of Gondor or Arnor).

Another possibility is that "Imrazôr" is a name in (true) Westron, not Adûnaic (which doesn't explain why he's known as "the Númenórean").

 

[Inderjit S]

There I conjectured that he might himself have been a Black Númenórean

Yes, but he is stated in note #39 of Cirion and Eorl to have been a descendant of a family of the faithful, who settled near Belfalas and were related to Elendil.

"Númenórean mariner" (as opposed to a mariner of Gondor or Arnor).

I've never read that before. Where is it stated?

I seem to remember reading somewhere that Queen Beruthiel was a Black Númenórean

The Istari; U.T

 

[Shaky_the_Mohel]

Yes, but he is stated in note #39 of Cirion and Eorl to have been a descendant of a family of the faithful, who settled near Belfalas and were related to Elendil.

You're right, and thanks for picking that up--I'll have to amend the Wiki entry.

I've never read that before. Where is it stated [that Imrazôr is a Númenórean mariner]?

Alas! the perils of relying too heavily upon a Tolkien handbook (it turns out that I had read it in J. E. A. Tyler's Complete Tolkien Companion) . . .