The name in Quenya for the twilight of evening or dusk, the time of growing darkness that followed the setting of the Sun and led into full night. The name contrasted with tindómë, the twilight of morning before the rising of the Sun. The equivalent Sindarin terms were aduial for the undómë of evening, and minuial for the tindómë of morning.
Undómë was described as the 'sad twilight', because it marked the passing of beauty into darkness. In this sense it was used in the title of Arwen, who was known as Undómiel, a name derived from undómë, and translated 'Evenstar', describing a gleam of starlight in the fading light of day. Arwen was born into a world from which the Elves would soon depart, and marked the last glimpse of the ancient beauty of that people before they finally passed over the Sea.
Notes
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The interpretation of undómë as 'sad twilight' comes from the essay Dark and Light reproduced in The Nature of Middle-earth. It is not specifically stated to be a literal translation, but this does seem to be implied. It is perhaps notable that the Quenya word undu meant 'down', and given the association of undómë with sunset, this may suggest an additional influence on its origins. |
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- Updated 11 May 2026
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