Rhimdath

From Tolkien Gateway
Rhimdath
River
General Information
Other namesRushdown
LocationUpper vale of the Anduin
TypeRiver
DescriptionShort, east-flowing tributary of the Anduin

The Rhimdath or Rushdown was a short, early tributary of the Anduin River. It flowed from the Misty Mountains eastward into the Anduin roughly halfway between the Langwell-Greylin confluence and the Carrock.[1] Given the name "Rushdown" it probably had a steep gradient.

The river-name is found as a pencilled addition by Tolkien on the map of Wilderland in one of his copies of The Hobbit.[1] It has been noted that Rhimdath (according to the map) seems to have been joined by another small mountain stream.[2]

Etymology

The first element in Rhimdath is related to Noldorin rhib-, rhimp, rhimmo ("to flow like a [?torrent]"), derived from the stem RIP- ("rush, fly, fling"). Christopher Tolkien stated that the name Rhibdath or Rhimdath, given the meaning "Rushdown", was a hastily scribbled addition at the end of the R-stems.[3] In the index he noted that this name only appeared in the Etymologies but is the river described above.[4][note 1]

The second element in Rhimdath is likely a derivative of the stem DAT- ("fall down").Template:Or[5]

Notes

  1. This was before the publication of The Return of the Shadow.

References