After Sauron is defeated, as Gandalf and Aragorn are waiting for a sign, Gandalf utters the above line to Aragorn.
My question is, what is the line of Nimloth, and how it is related to the sign they are waiting for?
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1 Answer
Nimloth, Sindarin for "white blossom", was the name of the White Tree of Númenor. Nimloth was a seedling of Celeborn, which was a seedling of Galathilion, which was created by Yavanna in the image of Telperion, one of the Two Trees of Valinor. Thus Nimloth's line dates back to Valinor. This is the tree that they're searching for (and found) a seedling of.
The full saying, on the finding of the tree, is Gandalf analogizing the hiding of Aragorn's line to that of Nimloth, the White Tree:
Here it has lain, hidden on the mountain, even as the race of Elendil lay hidden in the wastes of the North. Yet the line of Nimloth is older far than your line, King Elessar.'
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Important to add that the Years of the Trees began before the coming of the Elves here. On the other hand Aragorn can trace his descent back to Melian, who is definitely older than the Trees.– user8719Aug 7, 2014 at 22:20
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It is also worth noting that Nimloth was also the name of an Elf in the First Age. She married Dior, the son of Beren and Luthien, and had three children with him, the youngest of which, Elwing, married Earendil the Mariner and became mother to Elros, the first King of Numenor, and Elrond of Rivendell. Jan 1, 2016 at 7:31
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@user8719 "Lines", in this sense, are presumably determined by paternal descent, so we would trace Elros -> Eärendil -> Tuor -> Huor -> Galdor -> Hador -> ....., though Elros is the most relevant starting point as the first king of Númenor.– chepnerAug 30, 2019 at 19:37