Kinship and Affection Among the Elves: Familial Terminology in Quenya and Sindarin
It has bothered me for quite some time that J. R. R. Tolkien did not develop a complete system of kinship terminology in either Quenya or Sindarin, and some of the words we do have are outdated Qenya and Gnomish which are linguistically incongruous with the later lexicon, so I have taken it upon myself to invent one.
This is primarily for my own usage, but please feel free to use them as well.
NOTE 1: The terms for mother, father, son, daughter, brother and sister as well as the Quenya terms for grandchildren are all from Tolkien’s preexisting lexicon; except for ‘nessa’, which, while an existing Quenya word, normally means ‘young’, but I have extrapolated this colloquial form from ‘hanno’. The rest are all constructed from preexisting words and elements in Quenya and Sindarin. I have not introduced any new elements to either language.
NOTE 2: Due to the Sundering occurring rather early in the elves’ history and, presumably, before they have had enough generations to necessitate such words, I have made it so that it appears that Quenya (Valinórëan) and Sindarin (Endórëan) kinship terminology had developed independently of each other.
Quenya
Mother
Amillë or Amil
Ammë [diminutive]
Father
Atar
Atto [diminutive]
Son
Yondo
Daughter
Seldë or Yeldë
Brother
Háno
Hanno [diminutive]
Onóro
Otorno
Sister
Nésa
Nessa [diminutive]
Onórë
Osellë
Grandson
Inyo [Noldorin]
Indyo [Vanyarin]
Granddaughter
Inyë [Noldorin]
Indyë [Vanyarin]
METHOD: For Quenya, I primarily made use of prefixes to indicate extended familial relationships. For grandparents, I used the reversible root ‘on’ or ‘ono’ (to beget) to indicate grandparents as ascendants. For aunts, uncles and cousins, I used the prefix ‘ara’ (beside) to indicate them as collateral relatives.
Grandmother
Nóamillë
Nammë [diminutive]
Grandfather
Nóatar
Natto [diminutive]
Aunt
Aramillë
Arammë [diminutive]
Uncle
Aratar
Aratto [diminutive]
Female Cousin
Arasellë
Male Cousin
Aratorno
Niece
Araseldë or Arayeldë
Nephew
Arayondo
Sindarin
Note on Sindarin: Due to certain linguistic features of Sindarin, I have made it so that they distinguish between older and younger collateral relatives of the same generation. As for descendants, grandchildren are distinguished as grandchildren from sons or daughters.
Mother
Emel
Emë or Emig [diminutive]
Naneth
Nana or Nanethig [diminutive]
Father
Adar
Ada or Atheg [diminutive]
Son
Ion
Daughter
Sel or Iel
Sister
Muinthel
Neth or Nîth older sister
Nethig younger sister
Brother
Muindor
Hanar older brother
Hawn or Haun [archaic] older brother
Honeg younger brother
METHOD: For Sindarin, I used reduplication to derive the terms for grandparents. This has already been suggested in Gnomish with the word for grandmother ‘mâm’, a reduplication of the word for mother 'mamil’. Aunt and uncle are derived from attaching the diminutive suffix to grandmother and grandfather respectively, as in Latin 'avus’ (maternal grandfather) and 'avunculus’ (maternal uncle, 'little grandfather’). Cousins use the prefix 'ar’ (beside) to indicate collateral relationship. Nieces are distinguished between brother-daughters and sister-daughters while nephews are distinguished between brother-sons and sister-sons.
Grandmother
Ememel
Mêm [diminutive]
Nananeth
Nân [diminutive]
Grandfather
Adadar
Dâd [diminutive]
Grandson
Iondion grandson through a son
Sellion grandson through a daughter
Granddaughter
Iondiel granddaughter through a son
Selliel granddaughter through a daughter
Aunt
Ememig
Mémig [diminutive]
Nananethig
Nánig [diminutive]
Uncle
Adatheg
Dátheg [diminutive]
Female Cousin
Arneth or Arnîth older or same-aged female cousin
Arnethig younger female cousin
Male Cousin
Arhanar older or same-aged male cousin
Arhawn or Arhaun [archaic] older or same-aged male cousin
Arhoneg younger male cousin
Niece
Hanariel brother’s daughter
Nethiel sister’s daughter
Nephew
Hanarion brother’s son
Nethion sister’s son
