General changes in TftE

[Aran e-Godhellim]

Well, that's not exactly true; we do see the form "Þindikollo" in "The Shibboleth of Fëanor." But you're right, he didn't usually use that form.

[gondowe]

What do you think about {Valmar}[Valimar]

[Aiwendil]

Hello, Gondonwe, and welcome to the project!

Thanks for bringing this point up - I don't think we have discussed the name Valmar/Valimar before. It looks to me like this is another case where the spelling in The Lord of the Rings ('Valimar') must take precedence, so I think the change must be made.

[Aran e-Godhellim]

I agree.

[Findegil]

ð to dh: I do not really agree that we should go back to dh. dh is not as comen in English as is th and therefore it is more necessary to distinguish it from a combination of d and h by simple coincidenc. This is especially true if we consider that at the end of his life Tolkien did well know that his books would certainly find an international readership. Thus even so his elvish names were nromally not translated the reader not very familar with english would probably not be aware of dh representing the voiced dental fricative sound. th on the other hand much better known all ofer the world. Therefore a change form th to þ does not seem to be necessary. Concerning the spelling in LotR I do not think that we should look at the spelling in this book for evidence. Other then in content, I think that, the spelling could much more easily be changed in such cases like dh to ð or Orc to Ork.

Valmar versus Valimar: I wonder if Valimar is the later name?

Respectfully
Findegil

[Aran e-Godhellim]

But dh is the modern spelling. It should simply be noted in a "note on pronunciation" like Tolkien had.

[Aiwendil]

Findegil wrote:

Concerning the spelling in LotR I do not think that we should look at the spelling in this book for evidence.

Why not? Aren't we obliged to use the spelling used in the works published during Tolkien's lifetime? Moreover, if readers are expected to make do with 'dh' in LotR, why shouldn't they in the Silmarillion? Indeed, one could even argue that readers used to 'dh' in LotR would be thrown off more by 'ð' than by 'dh'. Many readers (certainly most English-speaking ones) would be completely unfamiliar with the letter ð and would likely pronounce it as a 'd'.

On Valimar - I glanced quickly through HoMe earlier and it looks like 'Valmar' is the earlier (and far more common) form, though I'm not clear on whether 'Valimar' definitively replaced it or not. But the point is, I think, moot, as 'Valimar' is used in LotR and must take precedence.