Quote:
-Alatar is roughly translated as 'aftercomer' (...) -An alternative [and interesting] translation of Alatar's name is also 'noble giant'.
It might be noted that so far we don't have Tolkien himself translating either
Alatar or
Pallando. Also, later he arguably lost the paper with these names -- or in any case, he later invented different names for these wizards, at least in the context of continuing to try and figure out a scenario surrounding the "other two"... and I say "other two" as JRRT's "Blue Wizard text" came
before a letter in which Tolkien stated that he did not know their colours, and doubted the other two had distinctive colours.
Anyway, for my guess, I think
Alatar might mean "Light-lord, Lord of Light"... comparing Tolkien's
Annatar "Gift-lord" and the Telerin form of Galadriel,
Alatáriel (Quenya Naltariel, Altariel) which appears to contain
*ñalatâ "radiance, glittering reflection". See the Silmarillion Appendix:
"In the High-elven speech her name was Al(a)táriel, derived from alata "radiance" (Sindarin galad) and riel..."Of course as I note, even my guess it not attested by Tolkien (no guess is, so far?).