avar noun "recusant, one who refuses to act as advised or commanded"; pl. Avari Elves that refused to join in the westward march to Aman (WJ:371, singular Avar in WJ:377 and VT47:13, 24).The Etymologies gives Avar or Avaro, pl. Avari "Elves who never left Middle-earth or began the march" (AB/ABAR)
Quenya
avar
proper name. Refuser, Elf who did not journey to Aman
avar
recusant, one who refuses to act as advised or commanded
avar
adverb. away down
löa yucainen avar anduinë sí valútier
twenty years have flowed away down the Long River
The Elves who refused to journey to Aman, an agental formation of the ancient verb ava- “to refuse” with the common agental suffix -r(o) (VT47/13, WJ/371). This name most frequently appeared in its plural form Avari referring to this entire people (S/52).
Conceptual Development: The name ᴹQ. Avar(o) first appeared in plural form * in Tolkien’s linguistic notes from the 1930s with the gloss “The Departing”, and referred to those elves who left Middle-earth, whereas those who remained were referred to by the earlier name the ᴹQ. Lembi “Lingerers” (LR/169-170). Tolkien soon revised this name to refer to the Elves who remained behind, effectively replacing the term Lembi (LR/200). This name appeared in The Etymologies* with essentially the same derivation as given above (Ety/AB).