Ann-thennath

A mode of Elvish verse, of which the only known example is the song of Tinúviel sung by Aragorn to the Hobbits beneath Weathertop. Its exact form is uncertain (Aragorn said that it was 'hard to render in our Common Speech',¹ so his translated version probably tells us little about the original structure). The ann- element of the name almost certainly means 'long', but the rest of the expression is difficult to interpret. Some² have suggested that the word combines the Elvish for 'long' and 'short', reflecting the metrical structure of the style. Alternatively, the second element may be related to the Elvish root teń-, in which case ann-thennath simply means 'long lines'.