Post by Darth Fingon on Jan 22, 2009 12:03:53 GMT -6
Alright, so today I was brushing up on evolutions in Sindarin plural patterns (as you do), and came across something curious that might help with creating a slightly less moronic assessment of Thranduil's name.
Back in the day, a possible pluralisation shift for final O was UI. So words with an O in the final syllable would instead have UI when the word was made plural. This started me thinking that, since we can't find any good meaning for Thranduil on singular UI words, what if it's an archaic plural?
Further: the word thar (beyond) becomes thra- in compounds (as seen in athra- words). If this is the first element in the name, it means the second needs to begin with ND (in its Old Sindarin form: no 'modern' Sindarin word begins with ND).
I took a look around for a word that has an Old Sindarin beginning of ND, an O, and ends in L: this could be ndol, ndôl, ndoll, or ndôll. Ndoll exists. Problem: it is an adjective.
The root, though, is good. And there are other words on the same root, with meanings along the lines of hidden, concealed, dark, and obscure. Appropriate to the King of Mirkwood, huh? From this root, we can guess that there is probably a noun along the same lines. Ndoll could also mean 'concealment'. Archaic plural would be nduill.
Thar + nduill = Thranduil. Literally 'beyond (as in, over or behind) concealments', but figuratively something more like 'hidden by secrets with some connotations of darkness'.
Isn't this fun?!
Back in the day, a possible pluralisation shift for final O was UI. So words with an O in the final syllable would instead have UI when the word was made plural. This started me thinking that, since we can't find any good meaning for Thranduil on singular UI words, what if it's an archaic plural?
Further: the word thar (beyond) becomes thra- in compounds (as seen in athra- words). If this is the first element in the name, it means the second needs to begin with ND (in its Old Sindarin form: no 'modern' Sindarin word begins with ND).
I took a look around for a word that has an Old Sindarin beginning of ND, an O, and ends in L: this could be ndol, ndôl, ndoll, or ndôll. Ndoll exists. Problem: it is an adjective.
The root, though, is good. And there are other words on the same root, with meanings along the lines of hidden, concealed, dark, and obscure. Appropriate to the King of Mirkwood, huh? From this root, we can guess that there is probably a noun along the same lines. Ndoll could also mean 'concealment'. Archaic plural would be nduill.
Thar + nduill = Thranduil. Literally 'beyond (as in, over or behind) concealments', but figuratively something more like 'hidden by secrets with some connotations of darkness'.
Isn't this fun?!
