eär
(
Elvish root) 'sea', most famously seen in the name of
Eärendil the Mariner ('devoted to the sea'), but also in a variety of other names, such as
Eärendur ('sea servant'),
Eärnil (also 'devoted to the sea', from a comparable etymology to
Eärendil) or
Eärwen 'sea maiden'.
elf
(Old English) one of several spellings in Old English for a race of folkloric supernatural beings, with other regional variations including
ælf and
ylfe (with the former being somewhat more prevalent in Anglo-Saxon names). Tolkien chose this term to translate
Elda, the name for one of the
Firstborn race in his legendarium. Its ultimate origins are hard to disentangle: some sources suggest that it derives from ancient word for 'white', while others connect it to words meaning 'nightmare'. It also appears in many compound forms, such as
Elf-friend (Old English
Elfwine),
Elf-stone,
Elf-cake,
Elf-speech, and so on. As a word of Anglo-Saxon origins, it is also seen in various names derived from
Mannish tongues, not only
Elfwine above, but also
Elfhild ('
Elf-battle'),
Elfhelm ('
Elf-protector') and
Elfstan ('
Elf-stone'). The plural is
Elves, and the normal adjectival form is
elven, though a rare variation
elfin is seen in
Elfinesse ('land(s) of the
Elves').
ent
(Old English) 'giant', 'mighty ancient one' preserved in Anglo-Saxon phrases such as
eald enta geweorc ('ancient works of giants'), which probably originally referred to the Roman ruins found in Saxon England. Tolkien used the word as the name of a race of ancient
Tree-herds, called the
Ents by the
Rohirrim (and the
Onodrim by the
Elves). This element is found in many combinations, especially the names of the lost
Entmaidens,
Entwives and
Entings (that is, young
Ents), as well as
Entish (the name of the
Ents' language),
Ent-draughts,
Ent-houses,
Ent-strides and so on. The same element is also seen in several place names associated with the
Ents, hence
Entwood (that is,
Fangorn Forest),
Entwash ('flooding river of the
Ents') and
Entwade (a ford of the
Entwash not far from
Edoras).
enyd
(
Sindarin) the plural of
onod, the word translated by Tolkien using the Old English
Ent.
Enyd would be used for a group of several
Ents, but the collective plural for the entire race was
Onodrim ('
Ent people').
ephel
(
Sindarin) 'fence', specifically referring to an 'outer' or 'surrounding' fence. Used in a literal sense in
Ephel Brandir, the fenced fortification of
Brandir on
Amon Obel in
Brethil, also sometimes called simply 'the
Ephel'. The same element is used figuratively in
Ephel Dúath, 'fence of shadow', the chain of mountains that bordered
Mordor to the west.
er
(Old English) a contraction of 'erd', meaning 'earth', found solely in the
Hobbit-name '
Erling' (earlier spelt 'Erdling'). That name literally translates as 'earthling', in the sense of one who worked with the earth. In Old English this usually indicated a farmer or especially a ploughman, though given
Erling's family traditions it more likely suggests 'gardener' in his particular case. Note that this element is not to be confused with the
Elvish prefix
er-, indicating a single or lonely thing.
esse
See nesse.
et
(archaic English from Old French) a diminutive ending, used in forming the names of small or young animals, as for example 'leveret' (a young
hare), 'eaglet' (a young
eagle) or 'piglet' (a young pig). Tolkien uses this pattern to form the word 'Dragonet', a name for a young
Dragon.
even
(archaic English) 'evening' (from Old English
æfen). In
Evendim it referred to 'evening twilight' (a partial translation of
Elvish uial), and the poetic name
Evereven ('forever twilight') had a similar derivation.
Arwen's surname
Evenstar meant 'evening star', symbolising not only the 'twilight' years of the
Elves in
Middle-earth, but also connecting her to her grandfather
Eärendil and the
Silmaril he bore.