Fellowship of the Ring Elvish Phrases: Every Line from Rivendell and Lothlórien
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Quick Answer: Sindarin is the everyday Elvish spoken in Rivendell. Be aware that the best-known "Rivendell" lines — Elrond's 'Henio, Aragorn' and the greeting 'Êl síla erin lû e-govaned vîn' (a star shines on the hour of our meeting) — are Sindarin constructed by David Salo for Peter Jackson's films, not Tolkien's own writing. Tolkien's own Elvish in this stretch of the book is Quenya and Sindarin verse rather than conversation.
From the moment the Fellowship crosses into Rivendell, The Lord of the Rings is saturated with Elvish. Sindarin is the working language of the Elves of the Third Age — spoken by Elrond, Arwen, Legolas, and Galadriel in everyday contexts. Quenya appears for ceremony, lore, and prayer. This guide collects every significant Elvish phrase from The Fellowship of the Ring, covering Rivendell, the Council of Elrond, Lothlórien, and the journey's end at Amon Hen.
Rivendell: Elvish Phrases and Greetings
Rivendell (Sindarin: Imladris — "deep valley of the cleft") is the primary Elvish setting of The Fellowship of the Ring. Elrond governs it and speaks Sindarin as his daily tongue.
| Elvish | Language | Translation | Speaker/Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Êl síla erin lû e-govaned vîn | Sindarin (film) | "A star shines on the hour of our meeting" | Constructed by David Salo for the films; a Sindarin rendering of Frodo's Quenya greeting to Gildor |
| Mae govannen | Sindarin | "Well met" (standard greeting) | Tolkien's own: Glorfindel greets Aragorn with it, FotR I.12. In the films Elrond and Haldir say it to Legolas |
| Cuio i Pheriain anann! Aglar'ni Pheriannath! | Sindarin | "Long live the Halflings! Glory to the Halflings!" | Not Rivendell — the host acclaims Frodo and Sam at the Field of Cormallen, RotK VI.4 |
| Annon edhellen, edro hi ammen! | Sindarin | "Elvish gate, open now for us!" | Gandalf at the Doors of Durin |
| Fennas nogothrim, lasto beth lammen! | Sindarin | "Doorway of the Dwarf-folk, listen to the word of my tongue!" | Gandalf, continued |
| Pedo mellon a minno | Sindarin | "Speak, friend, and enter" | The riddle inscription on the Doors of Moria |
Word-by-Word: The Moria Gate Inscription
Ennyn Durin Aran Moria: pedo mellon a minno. Im Narvi hain echant: Celebrimbor o Eregion teithant i thiw hin.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ennyn | Gates / doors |
| Durin | Proper name (Dwarf lord) |
| Aran | King |
| Moria | Black pit (mor = dark, ia = void/pit) |
| pedo | speak (imperative) |
| mellon | friend |
| a | and |
| minno | enter (imperative) |
The Council of Elrond: Key Elvish Terms
"Mae govannen" — want to actually speak Elvish?
Try It Free →| Term | Language | Meaning | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ash nazg | Black Speech | "One Ring" | Gandalf reads the Ring-inscription |
| Isil | Quenya | Moon | Referenced in lore discussion |
| Anor | Sindarin | Sun | Used in place names (Minas Anor) |
| Elen síla lúmenn' omentielvo | Quenya | "A star shines upon the hour of our meeting" | Frodo's greeting to Gildor Inglorion in the Shire, FotR I.3 — not at the Council, not in Namárië, and not in the films |
| Narsil | Quenya | nar (fire/sun) + sil (moon shine) | The sword of Elendil, reforged as Andúril |
Lothlórien: The Language of the Golden Wood
Lothlórien is unique in Middle-earth: it is where Galadriel maintains a pocket of First Age beauty using the power of Nenya. The Elves there speak Sindarin with archaic inflections, and Galadriel herself naturally reverts to Quenya.
| Elvish | Language | Translation | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Lórien! Lórien! | Sindarin | "O Lórien! Lórien!" | Elvish lament on entering the wood |
| Nimrodel | Sindarin | "Lady of the white cave" | The river and the Elf-maid's name |
| Caras Galadhon | Sindarin | City of the trees / "fortress of the trees" | Galadriel's city in Lothlórien |
| Mellyrn | Sindarin | Golden trees (plural of mallorn) | The silver-and-gold trees of Lórien |
| Namárië | Quenya | "Farewell" | Galadriel's farewell song |
| Nenya | Quenya | Ring of Water | Galadriel's ring (nén = water) |
Elvish Vocabulary: The Fellowship's Journey
| English | Sindarin | Quenya |
|---|---|---|
| Fellowship / company | gwaith (people, company) | no attested equivalent — elenion simply means "of stars" |
| Journey / road | lend | tië |
| Friend | mellon (Sindarin only) | meldo / nildo |
| Gate / door | annon | ando |
| Dark / darkness | mor | morna |
| Forest / wood | taur | taurë |
| River | sîr | sírë |
| Mountain | orod | oron |
| Bridge | iant | yanta |
| Star | êl, gîl | elen |
Legolas's Elvish Speech
Legolas is a Sindarin-speaking Wood-elf from Mirkwood (Sindarin: Eryn Lasgalen after the War). His speech patterns reflect common Sindarin, not Galadriel's archaic Quenya.
Tolkien in fact gives Legolas almost no direct Elvish speech in The Fellowship of the Ring; the lines usually credited to him belong to other speakers or to the films:
| Elvish | Translation | Context |
|---|---|---|
| A Elbereth Gilthoniel! | "O Elbereth star-kindler!" | Not Legolas. In The Fellowship of the Ring it is sung by Gildor Inglorion's company in the Shire (I.3) and cried by Frodo at Weathertop (I.11); Sam cries it in Shelob's Lair, TT IV.10 |
| Andelu i ven! | "The road is very dangerous" | Film Sindarin, constructed by David Salo — not in Tolkien's text |
Galadriel's Farewell: The Gift-giving
As the Fellowship departs, Galadriel gives gifts and speaks over each member. Her words in Tolkien's text include:
"For you little gardener and lover of trees, I have only a small gift." — to Sam, FotR II.8. The gift-giving is narrated entirely in English; Tolkien attaches no Elvish blessing to it.
Her one sustained piece of Elvish comes as the boats leave Lórien, when she sings the Quenya lament Namárië — the longest Elvish text Tolkien published. "Farewell" is his own gloss of it, from ná márië, "be well".
People Also Ask
What Elvish is spoken in Rivendell in The Fellowship of the Ring? In Rivendell, characters speak primarily Sindarin — the everyday Elvish tongue. Most of the Rivendell dialogue people remember is from Peter Jackson's films and was constructed by David Salo, not written by Tolkien: Elrond's 'Henio, Aragorn' and the greeting 'Êl síla erin lû e-govaned vîn' are both film Sindarin. In Tolkien's own text the famous greeting 'Elen síla lúmenn' omentielvo' is Quenya, spoken by Frodo to Gildor in the Shire — not in Rivendell at all.
What does Lothlórien mean in Elvish? Lothlórien means 'Lórien of the Blossom' in Sindarin — from 'loth' (flower, blossom) and 'Lórien' (a name borrowed from the Vala of dreams). The full name acknowledges both the dreamlike quality of the forest and its spectacular flowering trees, the golden mellyrn.
What Elvish blessing does Galadriel give the Fellowship? Galadriel gives each Fellowship member a personal gift and speaks blessings over them, but Tolkien wrote no Elvish blessing formula for the gift-giving — the words on the page there are English. Her one substantial Elvish passage is the Quenya lament 'Namárië' ('farewell', from ná márië 'be well'), which she sings as the Fellowship's boats pull away from Lórien.
Related Reading
- Rivendell Elvish Language Guide: Quenya vs Sindarin and Elrond's Speech Patterns
- 20 Famous Elvish Quotes from Tolkien's Works
- Galadriel's Elvish Quotes Translated: Every Phrase She Speaks in Lord of the Rings
- Lord of the Rings Elvish Phrases: 15 Famous Lines with Translations
Learn These Phrases
Practice these Rivendell and Lothlórien phrases in our interactive Elvish translator, or explore our full movie quotes collection for scene-by-scene breakdowns.
Mae govannen, mellyn nín — "Well met, my friends." (Mae govannen is Tolkien's own; mellyn is his attested plural of mellon — mellyrn is the plural of mallorn, the tree, not of "friend".)
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People Also Ask
What Elvish is spoken in Rivendell in The Fellowship of the Ring?
In Rivendell, characters speak primarily Sindarin — the everyday Elvish tongue. Most of the Rivendell dialogue people remember is from Peter Jackson's films and was constructed by David Salo, not written by Tolkien: Elrond's 'Henio, Aragorn' and the greeting 'Êl síla erin lû e-govaned vîn' (a star shines on the hour of our meeting) are both film Sindarin. In Tolkien's own text the Rivendell Elvish is sparser, and the famous greeting 'Elen síla lúmenn' omentielvo' is Quenya, spoken by Frodo to Gildor in the Shire — not in Rivendell at all.
What does Lothlórien mean in Elvish?
Lothlórien means 'Lórien of the Blossom' in Sindarin — from 'loth' (flower, blossom) and 'Lórien' (a name borrowed from the Vala of dreams). The full name acknowledges both the dreamlike quality of the forest and its spectacular flowering trees, the golden mellyrn.
What Elvish blessing does Galadriel give the Fellowship?
Galadriel gives each Fellowship member a personal gift and speaks blessings over them, but Tolkien wrote no Elvish blessing formula for the gift-giving — the words on the page there are English. Her one substantial Elvish passage is the Quenya lament 'Namárië' ('farewell', from ná márië 'be well'), which she sings as the Fellowship's boats pull away from Lórien.
