The word Aros, derived from the Elvish root YAR- ("blood"), is said to be a "name of river with reddish water". The Noldorin form of the word was iaros.
Sindarin
aros
place name. Aros
Element in
- S. Arossiach “Ford(s) of Aros” ✧ S/121
Aros
Aros (name)
A river in southern Doriath (S/121). The meaning of this name is unclear.
Conceptual Development: This name dates back to the earliest Lost Tales, where the name G. Aros appeared (LT2/236). In The Etymologies from the 1930s, Tolkien designated this name as Ilkorin Aros, related to the adjective Ilk. arn “red” due to the colour of its waters (Ety/YAR). Since Tolkien abandoned the Ilkorin language, it is unclear what the meaning of this name would have been in his later writings.