lúmë

darkness

lúmë (2) noun "darkness" (one wonders if Tolkien confused lúmë "time, hour" and lómë "night") (Markirya)

lúmë

noun. darkness

A noun in the 1960s versions of the Markirya glossed “darkness” (MC/222), perhaps derived from a root √DU as suggested by David Salo in a post to the Elfling mailing list in 2012 (Elfling/362.96).

Neo-Quenya: I’d generally use Q. huinë for “darkness” in Neo-Quenya, but that word is more for total darkness, whereas lúmë might be a less severe form of darkness, a variant of Q. lómë “night, dusk”.

Derivations

• √DU “dark”

Element in

• Q. enwina lúmë “the old darkness” ✧ MC/222

Variations

• lúme ✧ MC/222

mor

darkness

mor noun "darkness" (Letters:308; probably just an Elvish "element" rather than a complete word; Namárië has mornië for "darkness")

mornië

darkness

mornië noun "darkness" (Nam, RGEO:67), "dark, blackness" (PE17:73). Early "Qenya" also has Mornië "Black Grief", "the black ship that plies between Mandos and Erumáni" (LT1:261). This is probably a compound of mor- "black" and nië "tear".

lóna

dark

?lóna (4) adj. "dark" (DO3/DŌ). If this is to be the cognate of "Noldorin"/Sindarin dûr, as the context seems to indicate, lóna is likely a misreading for *lóra in Tolkien's manuscript.

lúna

dark

lúna adj. *"dark" in Lúnaturco and Taras Lúna, Quenya names of Barad-dûr (Dark Tower). (PE17:22). In the Etymologies, lúnë "blue" was changed by Tolkien from lúna (VT45:29).

morĭ

adjective. dark

PQ. dark

móri

dark

móri adj. "dark" (MC:221; this is "Qenya"; in Tolkien's later Quenya mórë, morë)

ulca

adjective. dark

dark, gloomy, sinister

mornië

noun. darkness, blackness

A word for “darkness” or “blackness” appear in the Namárië, a noun form of morna “black, dark” (LotR/377; PE17/73).

Derivations

• √MOR “black, dark, darkness” ✧ PE17/073

Element in

• Q. ar sindanóriello caita mornië “and out of a grey country darkness lies” ✧ LotR/0377; RGEO/58
• Q. ar sindanóriello mornië caita “and from a grey country darkness lies” ✧ RGEO/59

Elements

Word	Gloss
morna	“black, dark; black of hair, black, dark; black of hair; [ᴹQ.] sombre, gloomy”
-ië	“abstract noun, adverb”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√MOR > mornie	[mornie]	✧ PE17/073

Variations

• mornie ✧ PE17/073; PE17/073
• mórnië̀ ✧ RGEO/58

lúrëa

dark, overcast

lúrëa adj. "dark, overcast" (LT1:259)

-ië

openness

-ië (2) abstract ending, often used to derive abstracts from adjectives, e.g. látië "openness" vs. láta "open", mornië "darkness" vs. morna "black, dark", vanië (for *vanyië) "beauty" vs. vanya "fair".

látie

noun. openness

Elements

Word	Gloss
láta	“open (not closed)”
-ië	“abstract noun, adverb”

látië

openness

látië noun "openness" (VT39:23)

nulla

dark, dusky, obscure

nulla adj. "dark, dusky, obscure" (NDUL), "secret" (DUL). See also VT45:11.

mori-

dark, black

mori- "dark, black" in a number of compounds (independent form morë, q.v.):Morimando "Dark Mando" = Mandos (MBAD, VT45:33), morimaitë "black-handed" (LotR3:VI ch. 6, VT49:42). Moriquendi "Dark Elves" (SA:mor, WJ:361, 373), Moringotto "Black Foe", Sindarin Morgoth, later name of Melkor. The oldest form is said to have been Moriñgotho (MR:194). In late material, Tolkien is seen to consider both Moringotto and Moricotto _("k") _as the Quenya form of the name Morgoth (VT49:24-25; Moricotto also appears in the ablative, Moricottollo). Morion "the dark one", a title of Morgoth (FS). Morifinwë "dark Finwë", masc. name; he was called Caranthir in Sindarin (short Quenya name Moryo). (PM:353) In the name Morinehtar, translated "Darkness-slayer", the initial element is defined would thus seem to signify "darkness" rather than "dark" as an adjective (see mórë). (PM:384, 385)

morna

dark, black

morna adj. "dark, black" (Letters:282, LT1:261; also used of black hair, PE17:154), or "gloomy, sombre" (MOR). Used as noun in the phrase mi…morna of someone clad "in…black" (PE17:71). In tumbalemorna (Letters:282), q.v. Pl. mornë in Markirya**(the first version of this poem had "green rocks", MC:215, changed to ondolisse mornë** "upon dark rocks" in the final version; see MC:220, note 8).

morë

noun/adjective. dark, black; darkness, night, dark, black; darkness, [ᴹQ.] blackness, [Q.] night

A word meaning both “dark” and “black” in various compounds, sometimes also functioning as a noun “darkness”. It was derived from primitive ✶mori based on the root √MOR (Let/382).

Conceptual Development: This word has a long history in Tolkien’s languages. It first appeared as ᴱQ. {mōre >>} mōri “night” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s from the early root ᴱ√MORO (QL/62), also appearing as mōre “night” in the contemporaneous Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME/63). The word mōre was used as “darkness” in the Oilima Markirya poem written around 1930 (MC/214).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s there were two distinct forms: noun ᴹQ. móre “blackness, dark, night” from primitive ᴹ✶mǭri and adjective ᴹQ. more “blackness, dark, night” from primitive from primitive ᴹ✶mori (Ety/MOR; EtyAC/MOR), though the adjective prefix mori- was frequently translated “dark” in contemporaneous compounds: ᴹQ. Morimando “Dark Mando”, ᴹQ. Moriqendi “Dark Elves”, etc. In later writings, the forms with long ó were no longer used, though whether this was intentional or a coincidence is unclear.

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would mainly use more as an adjective with the sense “dark”, reserving for the colour “black” the word morna instead. For the noun form, I’d use mornië, but I sometimes use mori- or móri- for “night” in compounds as the time of darkness.

Cognates

• S. môr “dark(ness); †night, dark(ness); †night, [N.] †black” ✧ Let/382

Derivations

• ✶mori “black” ✧ Let/382
  • √MOR “black, dark, darkness” ✧ Let/382

Element in

• Q. Herumor “*Black Lord”
• ᴺQ. morendë “midnight”
• ᴺQ. moricalca “obsidian, (lit.) black glass”
• Q. Morifinwë “Dark Finwë”
• Q. Morikotto “*Dark Enemy” ✧ VT49/24
• ᴺQ. mórilanta “nightfall”
• ᴺQ. morilúpë “blackbird, (lit.) black plume”
• Q. morimaitë “black-handed” ✧ PE17/110
• Q. Morinehtar “Darkness-slayer” ✧ PM/384
• Q. Moriquendi “Elves of the Darkness, (lit.) Dark Elves”
• ᴺQ. moritöa “ebony wood”
• ᴺQ. móriva “nocturnal”
• ᴺQ. morteccon “graphite, (lit.) black writing rock”
• ᴺQ. morumbar “dark-fated”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶mori > more	[mori] > [more]	✧ Let/382

Variations

• more ✧ Let/382

hróva

dark, dark brown

hróva adj. "dark, dark brown", used to refer to hair (PE17:154)

mórë

blackness, dark, night, darkness

mórë noun "blackness, dark, night, darkness" (MOR, MC:214), also given with a short vowel:morë "dark, darkness" (Letters:282). If this is the initial element of Morinehtar "Darkness-slayer" (PM:384, 385), it would seem to have the stem-form mori-, though mori- is normally the adjective "dark, black" (see below).

núla

dark, occult, mysterious

núla ("ñ")adj. "dark, occult, mysterious" (PE17:125)

histë

dusk

histë noun "dusk" (LT1:255)

hísë

dusk

hísë (2) noun "dusk" (LT1:255). A "Qenya" form possibly obsoleted by #1 above.

lómë

noun. night, dimness, twilight, dusk, darkness, night, dimness, twilight, dusk, darkness, [ᴹQ.] night-time, shades of night, gloom; [ᴱQ.] shadow, cloud

Cognates

• S. dû “night, dimness; dim, dark, night, dimness; [N.] night-fall, late evening; [S.] dim, dark” ✧ PE17/152; SA/dú; SA/lómë

Derivations

• ✶dōmē “night, twilight” ✧ PE17/152; SA/dú
  • √DOM “dark, dark, [ᴹ√] faint, dim” ✧ PE17/152
• √DOM “dark, dark, [ᴹ√] faint, dim” ✧ PE22/153

Element in

• Q. Aldalómë “Tree-twilight” ✧ RC/385
• Q. auta i lómë “The night is passing!” ✧ S/190; WJ/166
• Q. Hísilómë “Land of Mist, (lit.) Mist-and-Dusk”
• ᴺQ. illómëa “nightly”
• Q. lómëa “shadowed, gloomy, shadowed, gloomy, *dusk-like” ✧ PE17/081
• Q. Lómëanor “Gloomyland” ✧ Let/308
• Q. lómelindë “nightingale, (lit.) dusk-singer” ✧ SA/dú; SA/lómë
• Q. Lómion “Son of Twilight” ✧ SA/lómë
• ᴺQ. lómivehtë “night life”
• ᴺQ. silomë “tonight”
• Q. Taurelilómëa “Forestmanyshadowed” ✧ Let/308
• Q. Tauremornalómë “*Forest (of) Black Night”
• Q. tindómë “(starry) twilight, (usually) time near dawn, (starry) twilight, time near dawn, [ᴹQ.] starlit dusk”
• Q. undómë “twilight, time near evening”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶dōmē > lómë	[dōmē] > [lōmē] > [lōme]	✧ PE17/152
√DOM > lóme	[dōmē] > [lōmē] > [lōme]	✧ PE22/153
✶dōmē > lómë	[dōmē] > [lōmē] > [lōme]	✧ SA/dú

Variations

• lóme ✧ Let/308; PE17/081; PE17/120; PE22/153 (lóme)
• lômí ✧ PE17/087 (lômí)
• Lómë ✧ RC/385

morë

black

morë adj. "black" (MOR), "dark, darkness" (Letters:282). In compounds the stem-form mori- (q.v.) appears, since the primitive form was ¤mori.

usque

noun. dusk

dusk

yaru

gloom, blight

yaru noun "gloom, blight" (GL:37)

fuine

noun. deep shadow

PQ. deep shadow, night shade

fuinë

deep shadow

fuinë noun "deep shadow" (PHUY; cf. "Qenya" fuin "night" in MC:221). According to VT41:8, fuinë is not a Quenya form at all, but Telerin for Quenya huinë (but unquestionably, fuinë is quoted as a Quenya form in certain earlier sources; cf. also Fuinur below - perhaps we may assume that fuinë was borrowed into Quenya from Telerin and thus came to co-exist with huinë?

huinë

deep shadow

huinë noun "deep shadow" (PHUY), "gloom" (VT41:8), "gloom, darkness" (SA:fuin), also used for "shadow" = Sauron (LR:56). Possessive (adjectival) form huinéva in the name Taurë Huinéva, q.v. In earlier sources, huinë is quoted as a variant of fuinë, but according to VT41:8, huinë is the proper Quenya form and fuinë is Telerin.With prefix nu- "under" and allative ending -nna in nuhuinenna (SD:246); also unuhuinë "under-shadow" (LR:47).

morqua

black

morqua adj. "black" (LT1:261; rather morna in LotR-style Quenya)

lusta

void, empty

lusta adj. "void, empty" (LUS)

lómë

dusk, twilight

lómë noun "dusk, twilight", also "night"; according to SD:415, the stem is lómi- (contrast the "Qenya" genitive lómen rather than **lómin in VT45:28). According to PE17:152, lómë refers to night "when viewed favourably, as a rule, but it became the general rule" (cf. SD:414-415 regarding lōmi as an Adûnaic loan-word based on lómë, meaning "fair night, a night of stars" with "no connotations of gloom or fear"). In the battle-cry auta i lómë "the night is passing" (Silm. ch. 20), the "night" would however seem to refer metaphorically to the reign of Morgoth. As for the gloss, cf. Lómion masc. name "Child of Twilight [dusk]", the Quenya name Aredhel secretly gave to Maeglin _(SA). Otherwise lómë is usually defined as "night" (Letters:308, LR:41, SD:302 cf.414-15, SA:dú)_; the _Etymologies defines lómë as "Night [as phenomenon], night-time, shades of night, Dark" (DO3/DŌ, LUM, DOMO, VT45:28), or "night-light" (VT45:28, reading of _lómë uncertain). In early "Qenya" the gloss was "dusk, gloom, darkness" (LT1:255). Cf. lómelindëpl. lómelindi "nightingale" _(SA:dú, LR:41; SD:302, MR:172, DO3/DŌ, LIN2, TIN). _Derived adjective #lómëa "gloomy" in Lómëanor "Gloomyland"; see Taurelilómëa-tumbalemorna...

usque

noun. dusk, twilight

mori

night

mori noun "night" (LT1:261, in Tolkien's later Quenya mórë, morë)

Fui

night

Fui noun "Night" (PHUY) - variant Hui, which form is probably to be preferred in light of Tolkien's later insight that the related word fuinë (see below) is actually Telerin, the proper Quenya form being huinë.

Hui

night

Hui noun "Night" (PHUY), in earlier "Qenya" defined as "evening" _(MC:214) or"fog, dark, murk, night" (LT1:253)._

lumbë

gloom, shadow

lumbë noun "gloom, shadow" (LUM)

mordo

shadow, obscurity, stain

mordo (1) noun "shadow, obscurity, stain" (MOR)

olo

night

?olo (reading uncertain), possibly a synonym of ló #1, hence noun "night" (VT45:28)

ló

night, a night

ló (1) noun "night, a night" (DO3/DŌ, VT45:28)

dúath

adjective. dark

_ adj. _dark, black shadow.

dúath

noun. darkness, shadow

dûr

dark

_ adj. _dark, gloomy, 'hellish'.

môr

noun. darkness, dark, night

dae

noun. shadow

dae

noun. shadow, shadow (cast by an object or form), [N.] shade

Element in

• S. Daeron ✧ SA/dae
• S. Dor Daedeloth “Land of Great Dread; Land of Shadow of Horror” ✧ SA/dae

fuin

noun. night, gloom, darkness, night, gloom, darkness, [N.] dead of night

Cognates

• Q. huinë “gloom, (unrelieved) darkness, deep shadow, night shade; dark (as a substance)” ✧ SA/fuin; VT41/08; NM/279

Derivations

• ✶phuinē “deep shadow, night shade, dark substance, vapour-like darkeness, deep shadow, night shade, [ᴹ✶] night” ✧ NM/279; NM/283
  • √PHUY “breathe out, *darkness; breathe out” ✧ NM/279; NM/285

Element in

• S. Emyn-nu-Fuin “Mountains of Mirkwood, (lit.) Mountains under Night” ✧ UTI/Emyn-nu-Fuin
• S. Fuinur ✧ SA/fuin
• S. Taur-nu-Fuin “Forest under Night(shade)” ✧ SA/fuin

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶phuinē > fuin	[pʰuinē] > [pʰuine] > [ɸuine] > [fuine] > [fuin]	✧ NM/279
✶phuinē > fuin	[pʰuinē] > [pʰuine] > [ɸuine] > [fuine] > [fuin]	✧ NM/283

Variations

• Fuin ✧ UTI/Emyn-nu-Fuin

dûr

adjective. dark, sombre

morn

adjective. black, dark

fuin

noun. night, dead of night, gloom, darkness

morn

adjective. black

adj. black. >> mor, Morgai

moth

noun. dusk

Element in

• ᴺS. mothren “dusk, dusky”
• S. Nan Elmoth “*Valley of Starry Dusk” ✧ SA/moth
• S. Gilammoth

mor

black

_adj. _black.

mor-

black

_ pref. _black. >> Moria, morn-

morn-

black

_pref. _black. >> Moria, mor-

dúath

noun. nightshade

guruthos

noun. the shadow of death, death-horror

morchant

noun. shadow (of objects, cast by light), dark shape

dû

night

_ n. _night (when viewed favourably). Q. lóme.

dû

darkness

1) dû (i dhû) (night, nightfall, late evening, dusk), pl. dui (i nui) (SD:302), 2) fuin (gloom, night, dead of night, nightshade). No distinct pl. form. 3) môr (i vôr, construct mor), pl. mŷr (i mŷr) if there is a pl. (Letters:382); 4 morn (i vorn) (night), pl. myrn (i myrn). Note: the word môr, morn is also used as an adjective ”dark, black”. (Letters:386)

dû

darkness

(i dhû) (night, nightfall, late evening, dusk), pl. dui (i nui) (SD:302)

fuin

darkness

(gloom, night, dead of night, nightshade). No distinct pl. form.

môr

darkness

(i vôr, construct mor), pl. m**ŷr (i m**ŷr) if there is a pl. (Letters:382); 4 morn (i vorn) (night), pl. myrn (i myrn). Note: the word môr, morn is also used as an adjective ”dark, black”. (Letters:386)

doll

dark

doll (dusky, misty, obscure), lenited noll, pl. dyll. Note: In ”Noldorin”, this word appeared as dolt as well as doll, but the latter seems the best form in S.

doll

dark

(dusky, misty, obscure), lenited noll, pl. dyll. Note: In ”Noldorin”, this word appeared as dolt as well as doll, but the latter seems the best form in S.

dûr

dark

dûr (sombre), lenited dhûr, pl. duir

dûr

dark

(sombre), lenited dhûr, pl. duir

graw

dark

graw (swart), lenited raw, pl. groe. (VT45:16)

graw

dark

(swart), lenited ’raw, pl. groe. (VT45:16)

morn

dark

morn (black), pl. myrn, lenited vorn. Note: the latter word is also used as a noun ”darkness, night”. (Letters:386)

morn

dark

(black), pl. myrn, lenited vorn. Note: the latter word is also used as a noun ”darkness, night”. (Letters:386)

môr

dark

môr (black), lenited vôr, pl. mŷr (Letters:382), also

môr

dark

(black), lenited vôr, pl. m**ŷr* (Letters:382)*, also

dae

shadow

(i dhae) (shade), no distinct pl. form except with article (i nae).

dúath

dark shadow

(i dhúath) (nightshade), pl. dúaith (i núaith). Compare the Ephel Dúath or ”Mountains of Shadow” forming th outer fence of Mordor, perhaps suggesting that Dúath is also the word used of Sauron as ”the Shadow”.

graurim

dark people

(VT45:16);

daew

shadow

(i dhaew), no distinct pl. form except with article (i ndaew) (VT45:8).

dúath

dark shadow

(i dhúath) (nightshade), pl. dúaith (i núaith);

guldur

dark sorcery

(i nguldur = i ñuldur), pl. gyldyr (in gyldyr = i ñgyldyr)

galvorn

black metal

(i ’alvorn), pl. gelvyrn (i ngelvyrn = i ñelvyrn) if there is a pl. (WJ:322). 2) donn (swart, swarty, shady, shadowy) (lenited dhonn, pl. dynn). (VT45:11). Also dunn- in compounds.

daw

gloom

1) daw (i dhaw) (nighttime), pl. doe (i noe), coll. pl. ?dawath or ?doath; 2) dim (i dhim) (sadness), no distinct pl. form except with article (i nim). Note: a homophone means ”stair”. 3) fuin (darkness, night, dead of night, nightshade). No distinct pl. form. 4) maur (i vaur), pl. moer (i moer) (VT45:35)

daw

gloom

(i dhaw) (nighttime), pl. doe (i noe), coll. pl. ?dawath or ?doath

daw

nighttime

daw (i dhaw) (gloom), pl. doe (i noe), coll. pl. ?dawath or ?doath.

daw

nighttime

daw (i dhaw) (gloom), pl. doe (i noe), coll. pl. ?dawath or ?doath.

daw

nighttime

(i dhaw) (gloom), pl. doe (i noe), coll. pl. ?dawath or ?doath.

dû

dusk

(i dhû) (night, nightfall, late evening, darkness), pl. dui (i nui) (SD:302).

gast

void

(i ’Ast if the word can occur with article and is not counted as a proper name)

maur

gloom

(i vaur), pl. moer (i moer) (VT45:35)

morn

night

(i vorn) (darkness), pl. myrn (i myrn). Note: the word is also used as an adjective ”dark, black” (Letters:386).

moth

dusk

1) moth (i voth), pl. myth (i myth). David Salo would read *môth with a long vowel. 2) dû (i dhû) (night, nightfall, late evening, darkness), pl. dui (i nui) (SD:302).

moth

dusk

(i voth), pl. myth (i myth). David Salo would read ✱môth with a long vowel.

tinnu

dusk

tinnu (i dinnu, o thinnu) (twilight, starlit evening, early night without a moon, starry twilight), pl. tinny (i thynny) if there is a pl.

tinnu

dusk

(i dinnu, o thinnu) (twilight, starlit evening, early night without a moon, starry twilight), pl. tinny (i thynny) if there is a pl.

môr

black

1) môr (dark), lenited vôr, pl. mŷr (Letters:382), also morn (dark), pl. myrn, lenited #vorn. Note: the word is also used as a noun ”darkness, night”. (Letters:386) The lenited form #vorn appears, compounded, in the name of the

môr

black

(dark), lenited vôr, pl. m**ŷr (Letters:382), also morn (dark), pl. **myrn, lenited #vorn. Note: the word is also used as a noun ”darkness, night”. (Letters:386) The lenited form #vorn appears, compounded, in the name of the

dúath

nightshade

(i dhúath) (dark shadow), pl. dúaith (i núaith).

morchant

shadow

1) morchant (i vorchant), pl. morchaint (i morchaint). The literal meaning is ”dark shape”, referring to shadows with a recognizable form. 2) dae (i dhae) (shade), no distinct pl. form except with article (i nae). 3) daew (i dhaew), no distinct pl. form except with article (i ndaew) (VT45:8). 4) gwâth (i **wâth; construct gwath) (shade, dim light), pl. gwaith (in gwaith) (UT:261) 5) muil (i vuil) (twilight, dreariness, vagueness), no distinct pl. except with article (i muil**),

morchant

shadow

(i vorchant), pl. morchaint (i morchaint). The literal meaning is ”dark shape”, referring to shadows with a recognizable form.

fuin

night, nightshade, dead of night

(gloom, darkness). No distinct pl. form.

dim

gloom

(i dhim) (sadness), no distinct pl. form except with article (i nim). Note: a homophone means ”stair”.

gaw

void

(noun) 1) gaw (i **aw), pl. goe (i ngoe = i ñoe), 2) (noun, "the Void" beyond the world) Gast (i **Ast if the word can occur with article and is not counted as a proper name), 3) iâ (chasm, gulf, abyss), pl. iai (LR:400, RS:437, Letters:383)

gaw

void

(i ’aw), pl. goe (i ngoe = i ñoe)

tinnu

early night without a moon

(i dinnu, o thinnu) (dusk, twilight), pl. tinny (i thynny) if there is a pl.

cofn

void

(adjective) cofn (empty), lenited gofn, pl. cyfn

cofn

void

(empty), lenited gofn, pl. cyfn

dû

night

1) dû (i dhû) (nightfall, dusk, late evening, darkness), pl. dui (i nui) (SD:302), 2) morn (i vorn) (darkness), pl. myrn (i myrn). Note: the word is also used as an adjective ”dark, black” (Letters:386).

dû

night

(i dhû) (nightfall, dusk, late evening, darkness), pl. dui (i nui) (SD:302)

fuin

gloom

(darkness, night, dead of night, nightshade). No distinct pl. form.

iâ

void

(chasm, gulf, abyss), pl. iai (LR:400, RS:437, Letters:383)

gwâth

shadow

(i ’wâth; construct gwath) (shade, dim light), pl. gwaith (in gwaith) (UT:261)

muil

shadow

(i vuil) (twilight, dreariness, vagueness), no distinct pl. except with article (i muil)

fuinë

noun. gloom

Cognates

• Q. huinë “gloom, (unrelieved) darkness, deep shadow, night shade; dark (as a substance)” ✧ VT41/08

Variations

• fuine ✧ VT41/08

huine

noun. deep shadow

deep shadow, night shade

dunna

adjective. black

This might seem to be derived from dunnâ, sc. the stem DUN "dark (of colour)" (LR:355) either with the adjectival ending -nâ or with medial fortification n > nn and the simpler adjectival ending -â. However, other Nandorin words seem to have lost their final -â's, e.g. ealc "swan" from alk-wâ, and (to quote a wholly parallel example) cogn "bow" from ku3nâ. The descendant form is not cogna with the final vowel intact as the case would seem to be in dunna. However, primitive -ô does come out as -a in Nandorin, cf. golda "Noldo" from ñgolodô, so a form dunnô might be capable of yielding dunna, but this primitive form would rather be a noun "dark person/thing", since primitive -ô, -nô are nominal rather than adjectival endings. Of course, Nandorin may have turned an original noun into an adjective, or developed an adjectival ending -a afresh. But all things considered *dunnâ still appears to be the best reconstruction of the primitive form.

The words dunna and scella raise the question of whether original final -â is actually preserved as -a following double consonants (as opposed to clusters of different consonants) in Nandorin.

burzum

noun. darkness

Element in

• Bs. ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul “one ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them” ✧ LotR/0254; PE17/011; PE17/012

Elements

Word	Gloss
búrz	“dark”
-um	“particularizing suffix”

búrz

adjective. dark

Element in

• Bs. burzum “darkness” ✧ PE17/011; PE17/012
• Bs. Lugbúrz “Dark Tower” ✧ PE17/012; PE17/079

Variations

• burz ✧ PE17/012

burzum

noun. darkness

búrz

adjective. dark

dâur

noun. gloom

A noun translated as “gloom” derived from the root √DAWAR (SD/423). It is an example of how primitive [[ad|[w] and [j] became [u] and [i] before consonants and finally]], thereby producing diphthongs.

Derivations

• ✶Ad. dāw’r “gloom” ✧ SD/423
  • √Ad. DAWAR “*gloom” ✧ SD/423

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶Ad. dāw’r > dâur	[dāwr] > [dāur]	✧ SD/423

ugru

noun. shadow

A noun translated “shadow” (SD/247), also described as “a word with the evil sense of ‘night’ or ‘dark’” (SD/306). It appears in the preprositional phrase ugru-dalad “under shadow” (SD/247) and in the draft-dative form ugrus “‽horror‽shadow” (SD/311).

Element in

• Ad. Êruhînim dubdam ugru-dalad “[the Children of Eru] fell under shadow” ✧ SD/247; SD/247
• Ad. ēruhīn udūbanim dalad ugrus “‽ fell under ‽horror‽shadow” ✧ SD/311
• Ad. ugrudâ- “to overshadow”

nâlu

noun. shadow

A noun attested only in the compound agannâlô “death-shadow [is]” (SD/247, VT24/12). The first element of the compound, agan “death”, as identified elsewhere (SD/426), so the remaining element must mean “shadow”. The compound is the subject of the sentence agannâlô burôda nênud “death-shadow [is] heavy on us” and is therefore in the subjective case. According the grammatical rules of Lowdham’s Report, the only possibly normal form producing this subjective is nâlu: compare nîlu “moon” to its subjective form nîlô (SD/431).

Conceptual Development: In early writings, the compound was (non-subjective) agannūlo, so that the apparent draft form of this noun was nūlo. A similar form nūlu appears on SD/306, described only as “a word with the evil sense of ‘night’ or ‘dark’”. It could be a separate word or another variation of this word, with the development nūlo >> nūlu >> nālu. Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynne suggested (AAD/21) that the earlier forms may be related to ᴹQ. nulla “dark, dusky, obscure”.

Element in

• Ad. agannâlô burôda nênud “[the] death-shadow [is] heavy on us” ✧ SD/247; SD/247
• Ad. agannūlo burudan nēnum “death-shade heavy-is on-us” ✧ SD/312

Variations

• nūlu ✧ SD/306
• nūlo ✧ SD/312

narâg

adjective. black

Derivatives

• S. Narog ✧ PE17/037; PE17/047

Element in

• Kh. Narag-zâram “*Black Lake” ✧ PE17/037; RS/466
• Kh. Nargûn “Mordor” ✧ PE17/037; RS/466
• Kh. Nar(u)kuthûn ✧ PE17/047

Variations

• Narâg ✧ PE17/037
• naruka ✧ PE17/047 (naruka)

dom

root. dark, dark, [ᴹ√] faint, dim

This root was the basis for the main Elvish words for “dusk, night”, which was established as Q. lómë in Quenya for most of Tolkien’s life. The earliest form of this root was ᴱ√LOMO in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, unglossed but with various derivatives having to do with “dusk” and “shadow” (QL/55). One notable derivative was ᴱQ. lóme “dusk, gloom, darkness”, which survived in Tolkien’s later writings as “night” and in the 1910s was the basis for ᴱQ. Hisilóme/G. Hithlum “Shadowy Twilights”. Another notable derivative was G. lómin “shady, shadowy, gloomy; gloom(iness)” (GL/45) used in the name G. Dor Lómin, which in the 1910s was translated as “Land of Shadow” (LT1/112).

The “shadow” meaning of this early root seems to have transferred to ᴹ√LUM from The Etymologies of the 1930s, which served as the new basis for N. Hithlum (Ety/LUM), as opposed contemporaneous N. Dor-lómen which was redefined as “Land of Echoes (< ᴹ√LAM via Ilkorin or in later writings, via North Sindarin). The “dusk” sense was transferred to a new root ᴹ√DOM “faint, dim”, which (along with ᴹ√DOƷ) was the basis for the pair words ᴹQ. lóme/N. dû “night” (Ety/DOMO).

These two words for “night” survived in Tolkien’s later writing in both Quenya and Sindarin (Let/308; SA/dú). In notes from the 1940s Tolkien clarified that it “has no evil connotations; it is a word of peace and beauty and has none of the associations of fear or groping that, say, ‘dark’ has for us” (SD/306). The Elves were quite comfortable being under the night sky, dating back to the time when the Elves lived under the stars before the rising of the Sun and the Moon. The root √DOM reappeared in etymologies for star-words from the late 1950s or early 1960s (PE17/152). It appeared again in some very late notes from 1969 where it was glossed “dark” and served as the basis for words meaning “blind” as well as “night”, though this paragraph was rejected (PE22/153, note #50).

Derivatives

• ✶dōmē “night, twilight” ✧ PE17/152
  • Q. lómë “night, dimness, twilight, dusk, darkness, night, dimness, twilight, dusk, darkness, [ᴹQ.] night-time, shades of night, gloom; [ᴱQ.] shadow, cloud” ✧ PE17/152; SA/dú
  • S. dû “night, dimness; dim, dark, night, dimness; [N.] night-fall, late evening; [S.] dim, dark” ✧ PE17/152; SA/dú
• ᴺQ. lomba “blind”
• Q. lomba “blind” ✧ PE22/153
• Q. lómë “night, dimness, twilight, dusk, darkness, night, dimness, twilight, dusk, darkness, [ᴹQ.] night-time, shades of night, gloom; [ᴱQ.] shadow, cloud” ✧ PE22/153
• ᴺS. dom “blind”
• S. dom “blind” ✧ PE22/153

lub

root. shadow, darkness

This root and ones like it were the basis for shadowy things throughout Tolkien’s life, but went through a number of minor conceptual shifts. The earliest appearance of this root was as ᴱ√LUVU in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, with derivatives like ᴱQ. lumbo “dark lowering cloud” and ᴱQ. lūre “dark weather” (QL/57). In the Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa written afterwards, Tolkien gave the root as ᴱ√LUB with a similar set of derivatives (PME/57); phonological developments in both Early Qenya and Gnomish make it very difficult to distinguish ancient voiced stops [b] from voiced spirants [β]. Sign of this root can also be seen in Gnomish words G. lum or glum “cloud”, G. lumbri “foul weather”, and G. luv- “hang, lower, of clouds” (GL/55).

The derivatives of this root in the 1910s seem to connect more specifically to dark weather, but in The Etymologies of the 1930s the root reappeared as ᴹ√LUM with derivatives having to do mainly with shadow, such as ᴹQ. lumbe “gloom, shadow” and N. lhum “shade” (Ety/LUM). These in turn served as the basis for N. Hithlum and ᴹQ. †Hísilumbe >> ᴹQ. Hisilóme interpreted in this period as “Mist-and-Dusk” (LR/406). In earlier writing the second element of ᴱQ. Hisilóme “Misty-gloom” was derived from ᴱ√LOMO (QL/55), whereas in 1964 notes Hithlum was designated “North Sindarin” and given a new etymology as a direct loan from its Quenya equivalent, and thus no longer connected to √LUM (PE17/133).

The last appearance of the root in currently published material was as √LUM or √LUB “shadow, darkness” with derivatives Q. lumbo “dark, shade” and Q. lumbule “shadow” (PE17/168). Q. Luvailin “Shadowmere” (RC/217) is probably related and must derived from √LUB. For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I would assume that √LUB is the form as the root, as the various lumb- form can likewise be derived from √LUB by way of strengthened ✱lu(m)b-.

Derivatives

• Q. lumbo “cloud; gloom, dark, shade, cloud, [ᴱQ.] dark lowering cloud; [Q.] gloom, dark, shade” ✧ PE17/168
• Q. lumbulë “dark shadow, heavy shadow; deep in shadow” ✧ PE17/168
• ᴺQ. lúrë “dark weather, bad weather”
• ᴺS. lummor “foul weather”

Element in

• Q. Luvailin “Shadowmere”

Variations

• LUM ✧ PE17/161; PE17/168
• LUB ✧ PE17/161; PE17/168

lum

root. shadow, darkness

mornā

adjective. dark

Derivations

• √MOR “black, dark, darkness” ✧ Let/382

Derivatives

• Q. morna “black, dark; black of hair, black, dark; black of hair; [ᴹQ.] sombre, gloomy” ✧ Let/382
• S. morn “black, dark; night” ✧ Let/382; WJ/362

mor

root. black, dark, darkness

This root was connected to “black” and “darkness” for all of Tolkien’s life. It first appeared as unglossed ᴱ√MORO in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. móre “night” and ᴱQ. morna “black” (QL/62). In the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon it had derivatives like G. morn “dark, black” and G. morth “darkness” (GL/58). It appeared as ᴹ√MOR in The Etymologies of the 1930s with a similar set of derivatives (Ety/MOR) and √MOR was mentioned regularly in Tolkien’s later writings with glosses like “black, dark, darkness” (Let/308, 382; PE17/73).

Derivatives

• ✶mori “black” ✧ Let/382
  • Q. morë “dark, black; darkness, night, dark, black; darkness, [ᴹQ.] blackness, [Q.] night” ✧ Let/382
  • S. môr “dark(ness); †night, dark(ness); †night, [N.] †black” ✧ Let/382; NM/279
• ✶mornā “dark” ✧ Let/382
  • Q. morna “black, dark; black of hair, black, dark; black of hair; [ᴹQ.] sombre, gloomy” ✧ Let/382
  • S. morn “black, dark; night” ✧ Let/382; WJ/362
• Q. morna “black, dark; black of hair, black, dark; black of hair; [ᴹQ.] sombre, gloomy” ✧ PE17/073
• Q. mornië “darkness, blackness” ✧ PE17/073

Element in

• Q. Moriquendi “Elves of the Darkness, (lit.) Dark Elves” ✧ SA/mor
• Q. Mormacil “Black Sword”
• ᴺQ. mortavar “ebony, ivory”
• Q. Morwë
• S. Morannon “Black Gate” ✧ Let/382; PE17/073
• S. Moravar
• S. Morbenedh “*Dark-elf”
• S. Mordor “Black Land” ✧ Let/382; PE17/073; SA/mor
• S. Morgoth “Black Foe, Dark Foe, Black Enemy, Dark Tyrant” ✧ Let/382; PE17/073; SA/mor
• S. morgul “black arts, sorcery, necromancy” ✧ Let/382; PE17/036
• S. Moria “Black Chasm, Black Pit” ✧ Let/382; Let/384; SA/mor
• S. Mormegil “Black Sword” ✧ SA/mor
• S. Morwen “Dark Maiden” ✧ SA/mor

Variations

• mor ✧ Let/308; SA/mor
• mor- ✧ PE17/036

phuy

root. breathe out, *darkness; breathe out

The first iteration of this root was ᴱ√ǶUẎU in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. hui/G. fui “night” and G. fung “dark” (QL/41; GL/36). Tolkien noted that this early root must be “ƕ because of Noldo [Gnomish] fui” (QL/41). This is because [[g|ƕ [xʷ] > f]] universally in Gnomish but ƕu- &gt; hu- in Early Quenya (PE12/17).

The root appeared as unglossed ᴹ√PHUY in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives having to do with “darkness” such as ᴹQ. huine “deep shadow, nightshade” and N. fuin “night, dead of night” (Ety/PHUY). The 1930s forms likewise had a hu-/fu- variation between Quenya and Noldorin, because [[mq|phu- > ꝑu- [ɸu] > hu-]] in Quenya. The root √PHUY appeared again in notes from the late 1960s having to do with night, twilight and day. In one of these notes Tolkien gave the gloss “(prob.) fog, mists”, but then struck this out (NM/284 note #2). In a marginal note he gave it the gloss “breathe out” in connection to the notion that Q. huinë/S. fuin represented an ethereal substance that quenched light (NM/285 note #5). For purposes of Neo-Eldarin, I’d assume this root simply meant “✱darkness”.

Derivatives

• ✶phuinē “deep shadow, night shade, dark substance, vapour-like darkeness, deep shadow, night shade, [ᴹ✶] night” ✧ NM/279; NM/285
  • Q. huinë “gloom, (unrelieved) darkness, deep shadow, night shade; dark (as a substance)” ✧ NM/279; NM/283; PE19/071
  • S. fuin “night, gloom, darkness, night, gloom, darkness, [N.] dead of night” ✧ NM/279; NM/283
• ᴺQ. huiva “murky, *(nearly) lightless”

us(u)kwē

noun. dusk

Derivations

• √USUK “dusk, evening, *reek, smoke; dusk, evening” ✧ PE18/100; PE21/71

Derivatives

• Q. usquë “dusk, dim light, [ᴹQ.] reek, *smoke; [Q.] dusk, dim light, [ᴹQ.] twilight; [ᴱQ.] fog” ✧ PE18/100; PE21/71

Variations

• uskwē ✧ PE18/100
• usukwē ✧ PE21/71

mori

adjective. black

Derivations

• √MOR “black, dark, darkness” ✧ Let/382

Derivatives

• Q. morë “dark, black; darkness, night, dark, black; darkness, [ᴹQ.] blackness, [Q.] night” ✧ Let/382
• S. môr “dark(ness); †night, dark(ness); †night, [N.] †black” ✧ Let/382; NM/279

Element in

• ✶morikwende “*Dark-elf, [ᴹ✶] Dark-elf”
• ✶Moriñgotho “Black Foe” ✧ PE19/081
• ᴺS. merifind “Black-haired”

Variations

• morĭ ✧ PE19/081

thus

root. evil mist, fog, darkness; blow, cause an air movement, blow, cause an air movement; [ᴹ√] *smell, stench; [√] evil mist, fog, darkness

Derivations

• √THŪ “blow, cause an air movement, blow, cause an air movement, [ᴹ√] puff”

Derivatives

• ✶thūsē “horrible darkness, black mist” ✧ PE17/183
  • S. thû “horrible darkness, black mist, [N.] stench; [S.] black mist, horrible darkness” ✧ PE17/183
• ✶thusta- “to send on [a gust of air]”
  • Q. susta- “to blow (tr.)” ✧ NM/239
• ✶thusya- “to go forth (as an emission)”
  • Q. surya- “to blow (intr.)” ✧ NM/239
• Q. sussë “puff (of air)” ✧ NM/237
• ᴺQ. susta- “to stink”
• S. thos “puff (of air)” ✧ NM/237
• S. thû “movement of spirit” ✧ NM/237

Element in

• ✶ñgor(o)-thūsō “Mist of Fear” ✧ PE17/183

Variations

• thus ✧ NM/237

wath

noun. shadow

Derivations

• √WATH “*shade, [ᴹ√] shade”

Derivatives

• S. gwath “shadow, dim light, shadow, dim light, [N.] shade” ✧ PE17/041

du Reconstructed

root. dark

Derivatives

• ✶durnu “dark of hue”
  • ᴺQ. nurno “dark, deep (of hue)”
• Q. lúmë “darkness”
• Q. lúna “*dark”

dúath

noun. darkness, shadow

dúwath

noun. darkness, shadow

dûr

adjective. dark

Cognates

• ᴹQ. lóna “dark” ✧ Ety/DOƷ

Derivations

• ᴹ√DOƷ “night” ✧ Ety/DOƷ

Element in

• N. Barad-dûr “Dark Tower”
• N. Dureledh “Dark-elf” ✧ Ety/DOƷ
• N. Durion “Dark-elf” ✧ Ety/DOƷ
• N. Durthang
• N. durgul “sorcery”
• N. Magladhûr “Black-sword”
• N. Ennyn Dûr “Gates of Mordor” ✧ WR/113 (Ennyn Dûr)

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√DOƷ/DÔ > dûr	[dōr] > [dūr]	✧ Ety/DOƷ

Variations

• Dûr ✧ WR/113

môr

noun. darkness, dark, night

dae

noun. shadow

daew

noun. shadow

dûr

adjective. dark, sombre

doll

adjective. dark, dusky, obscure

dolt

adjective. dark, dusky, obscure

morn

adjective. black, dark

daw

noun. night-time, gloom

fuin

noun. night, dead of night, gloom, darkness

gast

proper name. Void

A name for the Void beyond the world appearing in The Etymologies from the 1930s, more fully Belegast (Ety/KUM).

Derivations

• ᴹ√GAS “yawn, gape” ✧ Ety/KUM

Element in

• N. Belegast “Void” ✧ Ety/KUM

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√GAS > Gast	[gaste] > [gast]	✧ Ety/KUM

maur

noun. gloom

maur

noun. gloom

A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “gloom” appearing under the root ᴹ√MOR (Ety/MOR). A nearby primitive form ᴹ✶mǭri is the likely basis for this word as suggested by Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynne (EtyAC/MOR), where the primitive ǭ became au as was the usual sound change in both Noldorin and later Sindarin (PE18/46, 96).

Cognates

• ᴹQ. móre “blackness, dark, night” ✧ Ety/MOR

Derivations

• ᴹ✶mǭri “blackness, dark, night” ✧ EtyAC/MOR
  • ᴹ√MOR “*black, dark” ✧ Ety/MOR

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶mǭri > maur	[mǭri] > [mǭre] > [moure] > [maure] > [maur]	✧ EtyAC/MOR

morn

adjective. black

Cognates

• ᴹQ. morna “gloomy, sombre” ✧ Ety/MOR

Derivations

• ᴹ√MOR “*black, dark” ✧ Ety/MOR

Element in

• N. Eredvyrn “Black Mountains” ✧ TI/124
• N. Helevorn “Black Glass”
• N. Elivorn “Lake-Black” ✧ Ety/MOR
• N. i vegli vorn “the black bear” ✧ PE22/033
• N. Maglavorn “Black-sword” ✧ Ety/MOR (maglavorn)
• N. meglivorn “blackbear” ✧ Ety/MOR; EtyAC/LIS (morn) (mormagli); EtyAC/MAT (Mormagli); EtyAC/MAT (Meglivorn)
• N. Mornennyn “Gates of Mordor” ✧ WR/113
• N. Mordu “*Black Night”
• N. morgul “sorcery” ✧ EtyAC/ÑGOL
• N. Moria “Black Gulf”
• N. Mormegil “Black-sword”
• N. Mornvenniath “Black Mountains”
• N. Morthond “Blackroot”
• N. Morthu “*Black Stench”
• N. Morwen
• N. Nann Orothvor “Vale of Black Horror”
• N. Nelig Myrn “Teeth of Mordor” ✧ WR/113
• N. Naglath Morn “Teeth of Mordor” ✧ WR/122 (Naglath Morn)

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√MOR > morn	[morna] > [morn]	✧ Ety/MOR

Variations

• moru ✧ EtyAC/MOR
• Morn ✧ WR/113; WR/122 (Morn)

môr

adjective. black

Cognates

• ᴹQ. more “black, dark” ✧ Ety/MOR

Derivations

• ᴹ✶mori “black” ✧ Ety/MOR
  • ᴹ√MOR “*black, dark” ✧ Ety/MOR

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶mori > môr	[mori] > [more] > [mor] > [mōr]	✧ Ety/MOR

dúath

noun. nightshade

dúwath

noun. nightshade

belegast

place name. Void

Noldorin term for the “Void” appearing in The Etymologies from the 1930s, a combination of beleg “great” and Gast “void” (Ety/KUM), also appearing as a variant Belego containing gaw “void” (Ety/GAS).

Elements

Word	Gloss
beleg	“great, large”
Gast	“Void”

Variations

• Belego ✧ Ety/GAS

gaw

noun. void

gaw

noun. void

Derivations

• ᴹ✶gāsa “void” ✧ Ety/GAS
  • ᴹ√GAS “yawn, gape” ✧ Ety/GAS

Element in

• N. Belegast “Void” ✧ Ety/GAS

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶gāsa > gaw	[gāsa] > [gǭsa] > [gǭha] > [gouha] > [gauha] > [gauh] > [gau]	✧ Ety/GAS

tindu

noun. starry twilight

tinnu

noun. starry twilight

tindu

noun. dusk, twilight, early night (without Moon)

tinnu

noun. dusk, twilight, early night (without Moon)

ogol < ogl

gloom

n/adj gloom, gloomy