# why Elendil is called Elendil



## Hirila (Mar 17, 2002)

Now, this here may be a bit tough for those who don`t talk German, but nonetheless:

Why was Elendil named "Elendil"? Just because "Krokofant" would have been too ridiculous? 
(For non-German-talking: Ele-fant = elephant; Kroko-dil = crocodile)

Ok, I have to admit everyone talking English can understand this joke.


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## gimli_alvevenn (Mar 17, 2002)

*Good queston!*

That is a very good question, and I hope that someone can give the answer.


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## Meliaiel (Mar 17, 2002)

...in elvish(to be more correct-in quenya)'Elendil'means 'Starfriend'('elen'-'star','-dil'-'friend').
Now why Starfriend?...due to the fact that elves adored stars so much,i think it's just a common elvish name...


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## Lillyaundra (Mar 17, 2002)

Meliaiel knows a lot!!!! 
Welcome       
Nice wording that is some serionuse datat you put down!! hehe


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## Glory (Mar 17, 2002)

Krokofant is agood name I am going to suggest it to someone lol


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## Glory (Mar 17, 2002)

Lilly how did you changed senior member for individual? I wanna do the same


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## Lillyaundra (Mar 17, 2002)

First you go into USER CP
then Edit Profile
Then scroll down 8 places or go to right after the B-day,
Then type your title.
YOu have to be under 25 characters
I am not sure but I THINK that you have to have 100 posts or more....


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## Meliaiel (Mar 17, 2002)

thank you Lillyaundra!and hey,indeed-how did ya change '...member' to '...individual...'?
whoops i missed that one


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## Glory (Mar 17, 2002)

ok I will thanks


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## Lillyaundra (Mar 17, 2002)

No prob!!! hehe 

I was wondering just how many names Aragorn has??


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## Glory (Mar 17, 2002)

I don't know ok he was called strider Elessar...by the way I changed it!! I am now a traveller!!!


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## Meliaiel (Mar 18, 2002)

...Strider,Elessar,Elf-Beryl(...),Estel,Aragorn,Dunedain,Toronghil(when he worked for Tengel the Rohanian and Ectelion the Gondorian,i hope i spelled the names correctly),and probably Telcontar,as it is an elvish equivalent for 'Strider'.
Heck,that's pretty much!


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## Lillyaundra (Mar 18, 2002)

You certainly are full of good info. Promise that if you ever leave, you will type EVERYTHING you know aabout Tolkien!!! 

I like your title Glory!!


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## Cian (Mar 18, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Meliaiel_
> Now why Starfriend?...due to the fact that elves adored stars so much,i think it's just a common elvish name...



Acording to Tolkien (in a letter) the name was a compound of _eled+ndil_ "Elf-friend"

According to JRRT's writings in War Of The Jewels however, he interpreted the notion that the Edain intended the name to mean "Elf-friend" while confusing the words _elen_ and _elda_.

Niggle: (outside of some spelling niggles) in your Aragorn name list note that Sindarin _Dúnedain_ is plural, singular _Dúnadan_


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## Elbereth (Mar 18, 2002)

According to "The Unfinished Tales", Ch. 4 (History of Galadriel and Celeborn), section: The Elessar

The Elessar was originally a green stone that was created by a very talented elven jewel-smith in Gondolin. This jewel had the abiltiy to capture the sunlight and it is said "that those who looked through this stone saw things that were withered or burned healed again...and that the hands of the one who held it brought to all that they touched healing from hurt."

Earendil was the last of those of middle earth to hold the stone...for he was lost in the sea in the first age...wearing the Elessar about his neck.

Then sometime during the 3rd age...the Elessar was returned to middle earth and given to Galadriel. Where it was thus passed on to Aragorn who was foretold to come to middle earth and restore the land...and after recieving the Elessar, Aragorn took on the name of the stone as his own.


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## Meliaiel (Mar 18, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Cian _
> *
> 
> Acording to Tolkien (in a letter) the name was a compound of eled+ndil "Elf-friend"
> ...


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## Cian (Mar 18, 2002)

You're welcome  and again, "Star-friend" is technically correct according to the WotJ notion, it's just that the Edain meant it to mean "Elf-friend". Tolkien says that in Quenya it properly meant 'a lover or student of the stars' and was applied to those devoted to astronomical lore. In this concept "Elf-friend" would have been more correctly represented by _Quen(den)dil_ or _Eldandil_


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## Meliaiel (Mar 19, 2002)

...so i'm not that bad?...
hey can i ask ya something,as you're an expert?i am still learning quenya so there are may things i do not know;for example,why would it be EldaNdil?not simply Eldadil-Elf-friend-or Eldardil,Friend of Elves?does that 'n' give the word some specal meaning?...
Thanks again!


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## Cian (Mar 19, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Meliaiel _
> ...so i'm not that bad?...



Welcome to the changing mind of JRRT  If which is 'later' is wanted: the War Of The Jewels text (from which I just referred to with "astronomical lore" and etc.) is written a bit earlier in Tolkien's life than the gloss "Elf-friend" that I gave (with initial eled- ), the latter from a relatively late letter. Actually there are several mentions to _Elendil_ meaning "Elf-friend" in Tolkien's letters.



> hey can i ask ya something, as you're an expert?



You can ask, but I'm not an expert. I think "expert" should be reserved for the likes of Carl Hostetter and friends, and David Salo, Helge Fauskanger ...



> ... why would it be EldaNdil? not simply Eldadil-Elf-friend-or Eldardil, Friend of Elves? does that 'n' give the word some specal meaning? ... Thanks again!



Note that _Quendil_ is a contraction of Quendë+ndil. See your _Silmarillion_ Appendix for the element -ndil (therein -(n)dil). 

Generally speaking "Eldadil" would also be awkward Quenya, and considered not possible by some experts (despite the vexing _Aldudénië!_) as -d- normally cannot occur like this. Quenya d normally only occurs in combinations nd(y), rd, ld according to David Salo's "Quenya Phonotactics".

If you are new to the langs I would generally avoid Elven name-generators and avoid the web-site with "Grey Company" Elvish (I think that's the name, or something similar)


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## Meliaiel (Mar 19, 2002)

Hantalyè,Cian!


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## Glory (Mar 20, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Lillyaundra _
> *You certainly are full of good info. Promise that if you ever leave, you will type EVERYTHING you know aabout Tolkien!!!
> 
> I like your title Glory!! *



thanks Lilly I like it too!!!


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