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Old 07-26-2003, 08:41 AM   #8
Aiwendil
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Join Date: Mar 2001
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I cannot improve upon Jallanite's original comments on the names "Tarnin Austa" and "Nost-na-Lothion":

Quote:
Nost-na-Lothion. Translated 'Birth of Flowers'. In "Etymologies" under NO¯- 'beget' occurs Noldorin form noss 'house', example Nos Finrod 'House of Finrod'. In BolT 1 under Duilin, appears nos 'house' as well as related forms nosta- 'be born', nost 'birth; blood, high birth; birthday', and nôs 'birthday'. Nost appears only in this citation and the name Nost-na-Lothion, none of the 'birth' forms appears later, so it is not at all clear that Tolkien would have considered it still valid. But no other words meaning "born" or "birth" are given by Tolkien, so this might still stand.

Tarnin Austa, the Elvish name for the festival "Gates of Summer". Neither of the elements appears in extant later Sindarin. But there is also no conflict. (The place name Tarn Aeluin is a mixed form in which tarn is the English word meaning 'small mountain lake'.) Sindarin tarn meaning 'gate' might exist. Austa is not impossibly an alternate name for 'summer' alongside laer. Can be dropped as uncertain.
Both are old terms based at least in part upon old etymologies of which there is no later sign. But in neither case is there any overt conflict.
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