Nightingales
Nightingales were small brown birds of thrush kind, famous for their clear singing and for the fact that they would sing at night as well as during the day (hence their name).
The Maia Melian was said to always have nightingales about her, and she taught them their songs. It was the song of these birds that enchanted Elwë, lord of the Teleri, when he was wandering alone in Nan Elmoth and came upon Melian.[1]
Names and Etymology
"Nightingale" in Sindarin is dúlin (dû + lind) or merilin. The Sindarin poetic word for "nightingale" was tinúviel, the name Beren gave to Lúthien when he first saw her.[2]
In Quenya, nightingale is lómelindë (lómë + lind)[3][1] tindómerel,[4] or morilinde[5]. These words contain words for "night" "dusk" and "dark".
They were also called the "Birds of Melian", circling above her head while she sat in Menegroth.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Thingol and Melian"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Beren and Lúthien"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Appendix: Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names", dú
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Appendix: Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names", tin-
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Three: "The Etymologies", p. 373 (root MOR-)
