Hmm, thanks Findegil. That speculation reads possible enough, assuming Tolkien left out some rather notable information here...
Quote:
'Elrond and Elros, children of Earendil (sea-lover) and Elwing (Elf-foam), were so called, because they were carried off by the sons of Feanor, in the last act of the feud between the high-elven houses of the Noldorin princes concerning the Silmarils; the Silmaril rescued from Morgoth by Beren and Luthien, and given to King Thingol Luthien's father, had descended to Elwing dtr. of Dior, son of Luthien. The infants were not slain, but left like 'babes in the wood', in a cave with a fall of water over the entrance. There they were found: Elrond within the cave, and Elros dabbling in the water.'
JRRT, letter 211, 1958
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... that is (though in any event I realize the natural inclination is to try to reconcile what we know from Quenta Silmarillion), I think a reader of this letter -- written and read when no Silmarillion was public of course -- would be quite surprised to find that the 'sons of Feanor' not only left these children in the wood... but found them and saved them too, as in 'other sons' (or Feanoreans in general)!
But possible I suppose, as I say. And I would reiterate the possibility that history might go hand in hand with nomenclature here. If (as we know is true) Elrond no longer means *Elf of the Cave according to text written after this letter, the question arguably becomes: was he found in a cave by anyone? and thus, was he left in the woods in the first place?
Not that this question can be answered easily
