Q. Laurelindórenan loc. “(Land of the) Valley of Singing Gold”
The full Quenya name of S. Lórien (UT/253), appearing in the even longer Entish description of that land: Laurelindórenan lindelorendor malinornélion ornemalin (LotR/467). The name is a combination of the elements laurë “gold”, lin(dë) “singing”, -ndor “land” and the suffix -nan “valley” (Let/448, UT/253). This name was crafted by Galadriel, and was an allusion to the Golden Tree of Valinor, Laurelin (UT/253).
Conceptual Development: This name appeared as Laurelindórinan in the first edition of The Lord of the Rings, revised to Laurelindórenan in the second (SD/73). It also appeared in a shorter variant Laurelindórë “Land of Singing Gold” (PE17/80). It seems that when Tolkien first conceived of this name, it was merely an extended, Enticized version of Lórien (PE17/80). The idea that it was the full name coined by Galadriel came later, as Tolkien further developed the etymological history of S. Lórien (UT/253).
References ✧ Let/448; LotR/467; LotRI/Laurelindórenan, Lothlórien; NM/351; PE17/48, 80; SDI1/Laurelindórenan; UT/253; UTI/Laurelindorinan, Lórien²
Glosses
Variations
Related
Elements
| laurë | “gold (light or colour)” | ✧ Let/308; NM/351; PE17/48; UT/253 | |
| #lindë | “singing, song, musical sound” | ✧ Let/308 (lin); NM/351 | |
| -ndor | “land, country” | ✧ Let/308; NM/351; UT/253 | |
| nan(do) | “(wide) valley, vale” | ✧ Let/308 (nan); NM/351 (-nan); PE17/80 (nando); UT/253 (nan(d)) | |
| Laurelin | “Song of Gold, Singing Gold” | ✧ PE17/80 (laurelindë); PE17/80 | |
| √LIN² | “sing, make a musical sound” | ✧ UT/253 | |
Element In