dor

root. hard, tough, dried up, unyielding

The Elvish words for “oak” had very similar forms throughout Tolkien’s life. In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, it was ᴱQ. nor(ne) from the root ᴱ√NOŘO, which Tolkien marked with a “?” (QL/67). Its Gnomish cognate G. dorna (GL/30) hints that the true form of this early root might have been ✱ᴱ√NDOÐO or something similar. In the 1930s the root became ᴹ√DORON with derivatives ᴹQ. norno/N. doron “oak” (Ety/DÓRON). This somewhat surprising derivation was explained in the Outline of Phonology from the early 1950s, where Tolkien said:

> n ... also appears occasionally as product of [initial] d, instead of l, by assimilation to succeeding nasals, as in dorno > norno (PE19/80).

In etymological notes from the later 1950s or early 1960s, Tolkien gave the root √DOR “hard, tough”, that in Quenya was preserved only in the word “oak” and in ndŏr > nŏr “land” (PE17/181). Its connection to “oak” indicates this is a later iteration of ᴹ√DORON, though the connection to √NDOR “land” was new. A similar root √DORO “dried up, hard, unyielding” appeared in the contemporaneous Quendi and Eldar essay from around 1959-1960, again connected to √NDOR but without mention of “oak” (WJ/413).

In both sets of notes, √DOR has the Sindarin derivative dorn “tough, stiff, thrawn, obdurate”, also used as another name for the dwarves. However, Tolkien sometimes used norn “Dwarf” instead (PE23/139; WJ/209), reflecting some vacillation on this root.

dorno

noun. oak

ndōro

noun. land

ndorē

noun. land

khad

root. sit

The roots √KHAD and √KHAM were in competition for words having to do with “sit” and “seat” for a significant portion of Tolkien’s life. Both roots have antecedants in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, but in that early document the root for “sit” was given as ᴱ√ÐORO or ᴱ√SORO (QL/85), replacing rejected ᴱ√SOŘO [ᴱ√SOÐO] and ᴱ√SODO (QL/85). Of these, the true form was clearly ᴱ√ÐORO given Gnomish derivative G. dorn “seat”, G. doros “throne”, G. dortha- “settle” (GL/30). This root seems to have been abandoned in Tolkien’s later writing, though N. dortha- “dwell, stay” was reassigned to ᴹ√NDOR in The Etymologies of the 1930s (Ety/NDOR).

As for √KHAD and √KHAM, their clearest antecedents in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s were ᴱ√HAÐA “cleave, remain” and ᴱ√HAM (QL/39), the latter without gloss but with derivatives having to do with the ground such as ᴱQ. hamba “on the ground” and G. ham “ground” (QL/39; GL/48). Some variant of ᴱ√HAÐA seems to have drifted in the direction of “sit” based on ᴱN. haud “seat” from Early Noldorin word lists of the 1920s (PE13/147, 155).

Tolkien initially used the root ᴹ√KHAD for words having to do with “sit” and “seat” in The Etymologies of the 1930s (EtyAC/KHAM), but it was replaced by ᴹ√KHAM “sit” (Ety/KHAM) and this root seems to have survived for some time, since ᴹ√KHAM “sit down” appeared in the Quenya Verbal System from 1948 (PE22/103). However, at some point Tolkien added a new root ᴹ√KHAM “call to, summon, name by name” to The Etymologies, and in this new entry he said “KHAM sit (replacing KHAD, cancelled)” indicating ᴹ√KHAD was restored (EtyAC/KHAM²). This seems to represent an ongoing vacillation between √KHAD and √KHAM in the 1930s and 40s.

However, √KHAD “sit” appeared in the second version of Tengwesta Qenderinwa written around 1950 (PE18/95), Q. hárar “sit” (not ✱✱hámar) appears in Cirion’s Oath (UT/305), and in late notes on verbs from 1969 Tolkien had ✶khadmā “seat” as the basis for Q. hanw̃a S. haðw (PE22/148). There are no signs of √KHAM “sit” in this period, so it seems Tolkien chose √KHAD for “sit” in the 1950s and 60s.

Neo-Eldarin: I think √KHAD “sit” is the best choice for Neo-Eldarin, since it also lets us use ᴹ√KHAM “call to, summon, name by name” more freely.

gardā

noun. region

barathī

noun. queen

dirnā

adjective. tough

khadmā

noun. seat

mbar-

verb. to dwell

dor

noun. land, dwelling-place, region where certain people live

The form dor in the Etymologies is a misreading, see VT/45. In composition and in toponyms, the word is nevertheless reduced to Dor

dor-tathrin

place name. Dor-tathrin

dor-lómen

place name. Dor-lómen

doriathrin

proper name. Doriathrin

dorlamren

place name. Dorlamren

dorwinion

place name. Dorwinion

dortha-

verb. to dwell, stay, to dwell, stay, [G.] settle

A verb in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “dwell, stay” and appearing in its Noldorin-style infinitive form dortho- under the root ᴹ√NDOR “dwell, stay, rest, abide” (Ety/NDOR).

Conceptual Development: The verb G. dortha- “to settle” also appeared in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s where Tolkien said it was both “tr. & intr.” (GL/30). In this document it appeared beneath G. dorn “seat”, and thus likely was a cognate of ᴱQ. sorto- “to set, settle” based on the early root ᴱ√ÐORO “sit” (QL/85).

Neo-Sindarin: In Tolkien’s later writings, √NDOR was glossed “land” rather than “settle”, but I think this verb might still be a valid verbal elaboration for the later meaning of the root, with an original sense “✱to take residence in a land”.

doron

noun. oak

A word in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from the root ᴹ√DORON (Ety/DÓRON).

Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had G. Dorna “ilex, holm oak” (GL/30), cognate of ᴱQ. norne “oak-tree” which was derived from the early root ᴱ√NOŘO [NDOÐO?] in the contemporaneous Qenya Lexicon (QL/67). The Gnomish word became dorn “oak” in Gnomish Lexicon Slips modifying that document (PE13/113). See ᴱN. gorw “oak” for other early “oak” words.

Neo-Sindarin: Tolkien introduced words S. norð and Q. nordo “oak” in notes from the late 1950s or early 1960s (PE17/25). I prefer the form Q. norno “oak” as better-established and more etymologically interesting. I would thus use [N.] doron “oak” for purposes of Neo-Sindarin, which make it easier for us to retain N. nordh “cord” as well (Ety/SNUR).

dor-daideloth

place name. Land of (the Shadow of) Dread, Loathly Land

dor-na-fauglith

place name. Land of (Gasping) Thirst

dor granthir

place name. Land of Cranthir

doriath

place name. Land of the Cave

dor firn i guinar

place name. Land of the Dead that Live

dor-na-thuin

place name. Land of Pines

dortha-

verb. to dwell, stay

doron

noun. oak

dôr

noun. land, dwelling-place, region where certain people live

taur-na-fuin

place name. Forest of Night

Earlier name of S. Taur-nu-Fuin, this form of the name first appeared in The Lays of Beleriand (LB/34). Early in this period, Tolkien often translated this name as “Deadly Nightshade” (LB/34, SM/103, SM/299), but he eventually decided that this translation was actually a second name for the forest, whose Elvish form was N. Deldúwath.

In The Etymologies, Tolkien also posited that this name was a punning alteration of N. Dor-na-Thuin, the proper Noldorin form of Ilk. Dorthonion, the name of the region before it was corrupted by Morgoth (Ety/THŌN). When the Noldorin language became Sindarin, this development no longer made sense.

taur

adjective. vast, mighty, overwhelming, awful, huge; high, sublime

An adjective in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “mighty, vast, overwhelming, huge, awful” derived from primitive ᴹ✶taurā “masterful, mighty” based on the root ᴹ√TUR “power, control, mastery, victory” (Ety/TÁWAR, TUR). It was also influenced by ᴹ✶tārā “lofty” and as such had the alternate meaning “high, sublime”. Thus its gloss “awful” has the sense “causing awe” rather than its modern English meaning “terrible”, and its general meaning seems to something that is mighty (in strength or size) and also induces awe, either inspiring or terrifying. Its Quenya equivalent Q. taura continued to appear in later writings (PE17/115, VT39/10), indicating that this Noldorin word probably remained valid in Sindarin.

Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had the adjective G. taura “powerful” and the (archaic) noun G. †taur “ability, power” (GL/69), both based on the early root ᴱ√TURU “am strong” (GL/72; QL/95).

ardholen

place name. Hidden Realm

A Noldorin equivalent of Ilk. Garthurian “Fenced Realm, Hidden Realm” appearing in The Etymologies from the 1930s (Ety/GAT(H)). It seems to be a combination of ardh “realm” and the lenited form of dolen “hidden”. The related name Arthoren has a different meaning: “Fenced Realm”

thaun

noun. pine-tree

caew

noun. lair, resting-place

dar-

verb. to stay, wait, stop, remain

naugl

noun. dwarf

naugol

noun. dwarf

nawag

noun. Dwarf

post

noun. pause, halt, rest, cessation, respite

rhîs

noun. queen

tar-

adjective. tough, stiff

tara

adjective. tough, stiff

tortha-

verb. to wield, control

bereth

noun. queen, spouse

bereth

noun. queen

deldúwath

place name. Deadly Nightshade

dilia-

verb. to stop up

gwathfuin-daidelos

place name. Deadly Nightshade

An earlier name for S. Deldúwath appearing in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, glossed “Deadly Nightshade” (LR/133) or “Night of Dread’s Shadow” (LR/406). It is a combination of gwath “shade”, fuin “night” and Daedhelos “Shadow of Fear”.

hadh-

verb. sit

haf-

verb. to sit

hand

noun. seat

math-fuin-delos

place name. Deadly Nightshade

Earliest name for S. Deldúwath appearing in Silmarillion drafts from the early 1930s, glossed “Deadly Nightshade” (SM/299). It is a combination of G. math “dusk”, N. fuin “night” and a variant form delos of deloth “abhorrence”.

nan-tathren

place name. Land of Willows

nan-tathrin

place name. Land of Willows

naug

noun. Dwarf

nawag

noun. Dwarf

rhîs

noun. queen

dor

noun. land, dwelling-place, region where certain people live

The form dor in the Etymologies is a misreading, see VT/45. In composition and in toponyms, the word is nevertheless reduced to Dor

dor i thuin

place name. Dor i Thuin

A variant of the name Dorthonion, apparently the proper Sindarin name of that region. This name is a combination dôr “land”, i “the” and the plural thuin of thôn “pine” (PE17/81).

Conceptual Development: In The Etymologies from the 1930s, a similar variant N. Dor-na-Thuin appeared for Ilk. Dorthonion (Ety/THŌN).

Dor Lamren

noun. Dor Lamren

echoing land (pure S of Dor Lómin); (n-)dôr (“land, dwelling-place”), glamren (“echoing”) < glam (S glamor, glambr “echo”) + en (adjectival suffix)

dor haeron

proper name. Dor Haeron

Name of the region between the Isen and the Entwash, attested only in drafts of the Lord of the Rings appendices (PM/273). The initial element is clearly dôr “land”, and the final element may be a variation of hae “very far away” or haer “remote”, hence: “✱Distant Land” (as suggested by David Salo, GS/374).

dor lindon

place name. Dor Lindon

A fuller name for the land of Lindon (WJ/385), a combination dôr “land” with the name of that region.

Dor i Thuin

place name. Dor i Thuin

topon.

Dor nu Fauglirh

Dor nu Fauglirh

topon.

Dor nu Fuin

place name. Dor nu Fuin

topon.

dor-i-ndainn

place name. dor-i-ndainn

topon.

dor-lómin

place name. Dor-lómin

doriathrin

proper name. Doriathrin

Name of the language of Doriath, with the Quenya language suffix -rin (PE17/128, 132; LR/178). It also appeared as Doriathren with the Noldorin suffix -ren (PE18/26).

Doriath

Doriath

topon.

dorn

Dorn

pl1. Dyrn dwarf.

Dorloven

pure Sindarin form of Dorlomin

topon. pure Sindarin form of Dorlomin.

dor-i-ndainn

place name. *Land of the Nandor

dor-nu-fauglith

place name. Land under Choking Ash

Another name for Anfauglith (S/153), translated “Land under Choking Ash” (WJ/239-240). This name is a combination of dôr “land”, nu “under”, faug “thirsty” and lith “ash” (SA/faug, lith).

Conceptual Development: In the Lays of Beleriand from the 1920s, this name was first writen G. Dor na Maiglos, soon revised to ᴱN. Dor-na-Fauglith with na “of” instead of nu “under” (LB/49). In the Lays, this name was translated as “Thirsty Plain” or “Land of Thirst” (LB/39, 275). The name N. Dor-na-Fauglith was retained in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, variously translated as “Plain of Thirst”, “Land of Gasping Thirst” and “Land of Thirst” (SM/26, LR/132, LR/280). In Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s, Tolkien revised the name to Dor-no-Fauglith >> Dor-nu-Fauglith, and modified the translation to “Land under Choking Ash” (WJ/239-240).

dor daedeloth

place name. Land of Great Dread; Land of Shadow of Horror

The land of Morgoth (S/127), translated “Land of Great Dread” (WJ/183), a combination of dôr “land”, a form of daer “great” and deloth “abhorrence, detestation, loathing” (SA/del, WJ/187).

Conceptual Development: In the earliest Lost Tales, this name first appeared as G. Ladwen-na-Dhaideloth “Heath of the Sky-roof” (LT2/287), revised to G. Dor-na-Dhaideloth of similar meaning (LT2A/Dor-na-Dhaideloth, LT2/287). In the Lays of Beleriand from the 1920s, Tolkien revised the meaning of last element of ᴱN. Dor-na-Dhaideloth to “[Land of the] High Plain” (LB/49).

In Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, it generally appeared as N. Dor-Daideloth (SM/269, LR/250) or Dor-Daedeloth (LR/120, LR/256). At this time the name was usually glossed “Land of Dread”, but this was only accurate as a translation of its shorter variant Dor-Deloth (LR/405, WJ/183), which was also translated as “Loathly Land” in The Etymologies (Ety/DYEL). In one place in this period the name appeared as Dor-na-Daideloth “Land of the Shadow of Dread” (LR/405), a better indication of its full meaning. In The Etymologies from the 1930s, there was a word N. dae “shadow”, which appeared as an element in the variant name N. Daedhelos “Shadow of Fear” (Ety/DAY). These factors are probably the source of Christopher Tolkien’s translation in the Silmarillion Index: “Land of Shadow of Horror” (SI/Dor Daedeloth, SA/dae).

However, in revisions to the Silmarillion map from 1950s, J.R.R. Tolkien translated S. Dor Dae-deloth as “Land of Great Dread” (WJ/183), and later still considered changing the name to S. Dor-na-Daerachas of the same meaning (WJ/187). This indicates that he altered the sense of the element dae from “shadow” to “great”, though exactly when he did so is difficult to pin down.

dor dínen

place name. Silent Land

An uninhabited land in Beleriand, translated “Silent Land” (S/121, WJ/194), a combination of dôr “land” and dínen “silent” (SA/dîn).

Conceptual Development: In Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s, Tolkien also used the form Dor Dhínen (WJ/333), reflecting uncertainty over the proper form of the adjective dínen.

dor gyrth i chuinar

place name. Land of the Dead that Live

A variant form of Dor Firn-i-Guinar appearing in one of Tolkien’s letters from 1972 (Let/417). It differs from the common form in that it uses the plural gyrth of gorth for “The Dead” and that the verb inflection of cuina- “live” undergoes nasal mutation instead of soft mutation. The latter implies that the relative pronoun i is elided from a plural form in.

Conceptual Development: A similar variation N. Gyrth-i-Guinar appeared in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (LR/305).

dorloven

place name. *Echoing Land

The ordinary Sindarin form of Dor-lómin, which was itself a name in the North Sindarin dialect (PE17/133). This name is a combination of dôr “land” and loven “echoing” (RC/625).

Conceptual Development: In The Etymologies from the 1930s, Tolkien similarly differentiated between ordinary Noldorin Dorlamren (containing the lenited form of N. glamren) from Dor-lómen, which was the Noldorized form of Ilkorin Lómendor (Ety/LAM).

doriath

place name. Land of the Fence

The land ruled by Thingol and Melian, so called because it was protected by the Girdle of Melian (S/97). This name was translated “Land of the Girdle” (S/97) or more literally “Land of the Fence” (WJ/370), and was a combination of dôr “land” and iath “fence” (SA/dôr, iâth).

Conceptual Development: In the earliest Lost Tales, this land was first called G. Dor Athro “Land Beyond” (LT2A/Artanor), revised to G. Doriath (LT2/41), the form it retained thereafter. In The Etymologies from the 1930s, N. Doriath was translated “Land of the Cave”, with the second element being a lenited form of N. gath “cavern” (Ety/GAT(H)). The association of the name with the Girdle of Melian first appeared in Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s (WJ/16).

dor-na-daerachas

place name. Land of Great Dread

A proposed replacement name for Dor Daedeloth in very late notes from 1971 that Tolkien made to The Lord of the Rings maps (WJ/187), translated “Land of Great Dread” (WJ/183). The first few elements seem to be dôr “land”, na(n) “of” and daer “great”. This means the final element achas (perhaps lented from ✱gachas) must mean “dread”, but there are no other clear equivalents to this word in Tolkien’s writing. In a Discord chat from 2022-10-17, Röandil proposed the first element might instead by dae (still meaning “great”), and that the second element rachas might be related to Q. raxë “danger”.

dor caranthir

place name. Land of Caranthir

The realm of Caranthir in Beleriand (S/124), a combination of dôr “land” with his name.

Conceptual Development: In Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, this name first appeared as N. Dor Granthir (LR/265), using the earlier form of his name N. Cranthir, undergoing soft mutation according to the earlier rules of Noldorin, in which both nouns and adjectives are lenited in this position, not just adjectives as in Sindarin.

dor firn-i-guinar

place name. Land of the Dead that Live

Home of Beren and Lúthien after their return to life, translated “Land of the Dead that Live” (S/188). This name is a combination of dôr “land”, the plural firn of fern “dead”, the relative pronoun i “who” and the present plural inflection of the cuina- “live”, lenited to guinar by the preceding pronoun.

Conceptual Development: In the earliest Lost Tales, this name first appeared as G. (i·)Cuilwarthon “(The) Dead That Live Again” (LT2/41, 51). In the earliest Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s this form first persisted as Cuilwarthien (SM/133), but was soon revised to N. Gwerth-i-Cuina “(Land of) the Dead that Live” (SM/135). This name N. Dor Firn i Guinar first appeared in The Etymologies from the 1930s (Ety/KUY, PHIR). Nevertheless, the form Gwerth-i-guinar appeared in the initial Silmarillion revisions from the 1950s-60s (WJ/71) before Tolkien settled on its final form.

In both the 1930s and later, Tolkien occasionally used Gyrth as the word for “The Dead”, in N. Gyrth-i-Guinar (LR/305) and S. Dor Gyrth i Chuinar. See those entries for further discussion.

dorthonion

place name. Land of Pines

A forested region in northern Beleriand, meaning “Land of Pines”. After its corruption by the forces of Morgoth, the region was renamed to Taur-nu-Fuin.

Possibly Etymology: The name contains the elements S. dôr “land” and thôn “pine”, but its final element -ion is harder to explain. It could be the suffix -ion “-land” appearing in names like Eregion and Rhovanion, but then both the first and final elements of Dorthonion would mean “land”, which seems unlikely.

In one note (PE17/81), Tolkien said that this word was “Sindarin Noldorized”, so perhaps the final element is the Quenya genitive plural -ion, so that -thonion is Quenyarized Sindarin for “of Pines”. In the same note, Tolkien gives Dor i Thuin, apparently as the proper Sindarin name of the region. Since Dorthonion is where many Noldor settled after their arrival in Beleriand, this scenario is plausible.

Conceptual Development: In Silmarillion drafts from the early 1930s, this name first appeared as Taur Danin (SM/107), later revised to Taur-na-Danion “Forest of Pines” (SM/296, LR/145) with variants -Thanion, -Donion, -Thonion. It became Dorthanion >> Dorthonion in Silmarillion drafts from the mid-1930s (LR/145, 257), the last of these forms being used thereafter.

In The Etymologies, Tolkien specified that the name was from the Ilkorin language, Ilk. Dorthonion “Land of Pines”, while its Noldorin form was N. Dor-na-Thuin (Ety/THŌN). Since the Ilkorin language also used -(i)on for is genitive plural, this is an earlier parallel of the Quenyarized Dorthonion versus proper Sindarin Dor i Thuin discussed above.

Dor Lómin (Lómen)

noun. echoing land

(n-)dôr (“land, dwelling-place”), lómin ([also lómen] Dor. “echoing”)

Dorthonion

noun. land of pines

(n-)dôr (“land, dwelling-place”) + thôn (“pine-tree”) + ion ([HKF] Dor. plural gen. suffix)

dor-en-ernil

place name. Land of the Prince

The Gondorian province ruled by the Prince of Dol Amroth, translated “Land of the Prince” (UT/245), a combination dôr “land”, en “of the” and ernil “prince”.

Dorlomin

a name in a dialect of the North

topon. a name in a dialect of the North, S. Dorloven.

Dorthonion

place name. 'Land of Pines'

topon. 'Land of Pines'. Noldorized S. form.

dornhoth

noun. thrawn folk (dwarves)

dorn (“stiff, tough”) + hoth (“crowd, hord”, here used as collective plural suffix)

dor-cúarthol

place name. Land of Bow and Helm

The region where Túrin and Beleg campaigned against Morgoth, translated “Land of Bow and Helm” (S/205), a combination dôr “land”, cû “bow”, a variant ar of a “and” with thôl “helm” (SA/cú, thôl).

dorn

noun/adjective. tough, stiff, thrawn, obdurate; Dwarf

dor-rodyn

place name. *Land of the Valar

A Sindarin name for Q. Valinórë (MR/200). This name is a combination of dôr “land” and the plural Rodyn of Rodon “Vala”, also seen in the Sindarin name for the last day of the Elvish week: Rodyn (LotR/1110). This name may have replaced the earlier name Balannor; see that entry for discussion.

dorgannas

noun. shapes of the lands, *geography

dorgannas iaur

proper name. [Account of the] Shapes of the Lands of Old

A treatise on the geography of Beleriand, translated “account of the shapes of the lands of old” (WJ/192), a combination dôr “land”, the lenited form gannas of (otherwise unattested) cannas “shape” and iaur “old”. Despite the pluralities in the translation, the Sindarin forms are singular, so a more literal translation would be “Shape of the Land of Old”.

dorn

adjective. stiff, tough

dornhoth

noun. the Dwarves, lit. "the Thrawn Folk"

Dor-Cúartho

noun. land of bow and Helm

(n-)dôr (“land, dwelling-place”), cû (“bow”) + ar (“and”) + thôl (“helm”)

Dor-nu-Fauglith

noun. land under choking ash

(n-)dôr (“land, dwelling”) + nu (prep. “under”) + faug (“thirst”) + lith (“ash, sand, dust”)

Dor Daedelos

noun. land of great / shadow of fear

(n-)dôr (“land, dwelling-place”), dae (“shadow”) #or daer (“great”) + delos (“abhorrence, loathing, detestation”) [Etym. DYEL-] probably del (“fear”) + gos, goth (#gost? “dread”)

Dor Dínen

noun. silent land

(n-)dôr(“land, dwelling-place”), dîn (“silence”) + en (adjective suffix) #The lack of lenition might be explained by Tolkien's dislike for “uncouth” digraph dh.

Dor Firn-i-Chuinar

noun. land of the dead who live

(n-)dôr (“land, dwelling-place”), firn (pl. of fern “mortal”) + in (here: plural relative pronoun) + cuinar (3p pl. of cuina - “be alive”)

Dor I thoen

place name. 'Land of Pines'

topon. 'Land of Pines'. . This gloss was rejected.

Dorgannas Iaur

noun. account of the shapes of the lands of old

(n-)dôr (“land, dwelling place”) + cant (“shape”) + as (#abstract collective suffix) + iaur (“old”) #The suffix -as probably denotes “a complete set of different things of one kind”.

Doriath

noun. land of the fence

(n-)dôr (“land,dwelling”) + iâth (“fence”); genitival sequences with possessor or qualifier second in the later period became fixed compounds, as Dóriath; #probably reinterpreted by Tolkien from earlier ” land of the cave” < (n-)dôr (“land, dwelling-place”) + #i (sing or genitive article) + gath (“cavern”) [Etym. GATH-]

Dornhabar

Dw

topon. -. Dw. Khazad-dûm.

Dorwinion

'Young-land country'

topon. 'Young-land country', land of Gwinion. A land prob. far south down the river Running.

dorwinion

place name. Young-land country, land of Gwinion

A name applied to various places in the legendarium: a Southern land of wines in the Lays of Beleriand from the 1920s (LB/11), the land that produced the wines of the Elven-king in the Hobbit, and finally a region near the sea of Rhûn in the Pauline-Barnes map of Middle-earth (LB/26), all of which may be the same place, conceptually. It was also named as a region in Avallon (Tol Eressea) in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (LR/334, 338). In his Words, Phrases and Passages from the Lord of the Rings (WPP) from the late 1950s or early 1960s, Tolkien translated the name as “Young-land country, land of Gwinion” (PE17/54), a combination of dôr “country” and Gwinion “Young-land”.

dôr

noun. land, dwelling-place, region where certain people live

The form dor in the Etymologies is a misreading, see VT/45. In composition and in toponyms, the word is nevertheless reduced to Dor

dôr

noun. land, land, [N.] region where certain people live, [ᴱN.] country; [G.] people of the land

Garthurian (= Doriath)

noun. Dor. fenced realm

garth, gardh- (Dor. “realm”) + thurian ([HKF] Dor. p.p. of THUR- “surround, fence, ward, secrete”)

Dor-en-Ernil

Dor-en-Ernil

Dor-en-Ernil consists of the Sindarin words dor "land" + en "of" + ernil "prince".

Dor-lómin

Dor-lómin

Dor-lómin is a Sindarin name meaning "Land of Echoes".[source?] Its Quenya name was Lóminórë.

Dor Daedeloth

Dor Daedeloth

In the published Silmarillion, the name Dor Daedeloth is translated as "Land of the Shadow of Horror".

Dor Firn-i-Guinar

Dor Firn-i-Guinar

Dor Firn-i-Guinar is the name appearing in the published Silmarillion, apparently consisting of the Sindarin elements dor "land" + firn "dead" + in "who, that" + cuinar "live". In his manuscripts, Tolkien experimented with many variations on how to translate Land of the Dead that Live: I·Cuilwarthon, I·Guilwarthon, Cuilwarthien, Gwerth-i-cuina, and Gwerth-i-guinar. In a [] letter, Tolkien used the name Dor Gyrth i chuinar.

Dorwinion

Dorwinion

The name is Sindarin meaning "Land of Gwinion", whereas Gwinion itself is a name of a country meaning "Young-land"; from dor and gwain plus the geographical ending -iond. Tolkien commented that the Elvish name in such a remote location is a "testimony to the spread of Sindarin". Before the publication of Parma Eldalamberon 17, it had been suggested by Tolkienists that the name may come from an Avarin or Nandorin tongue. Didier Willis speculated that the element -Winion apparently meant "wine", without any probable origin in any known etymology.

Doriath

Doriath

Doriath is a Sindarin name meaning "Land of the Fence" or "Land of the Girdle". The name consists of the elements dôr + iâth. The earlier name of Doriath, Eglador, probably means either "Land of the Forsaken" or "Land of the Elves"[source?] in Sindarin.

Dor-lómin

place name. Land of Echoes

Dor-lómin is a Sindarin name meaning "Land of Echoes". Its Quenya name was Lóminórë.

Dor Firn-i-Guinar

Land of the dead that live

Dor Firn-i-Guinar is the name appearing in the published Silmarillion, apparently consisting of the Sindarin elements dor "land" + firn "dead" + in "who, that" + cuinar "live".

In his manuscripts, Tolkien experimented with many variations on how to translate Land of the Dead that Live: I·Cuilwarthon, I·Guilwarthon, Cuilwarthien, Gwerth-i-cuina, and Gwerth-i-guinar. In a 1972 letter, Tolkien used the name Dor Gyrth i chuinar.

Doriath

place name. Land of the Fence

Doriath is a Sindarin name meaning "Land of the Fence" or "Land of the Girdle". The name consists of the elements dôr + iâth.

Dorthonion

place name. Land of the Pine Trees

Dorthonion means "Land of the Pine Trees" in Sindarin (from dôr = "land, dwelling-place" and thôn = "pine tree").

dorn

stiff

1) dorn (tough), lenited dhorn, pl. dyrn; 2) tharn (sapless, rigid, withered), pl. thern.

dorn

tough

1) dorn (tough), lenited dhorn, pl. dyrn; 2) tara (also tar- as first element of compounds) (stiff), lenited dara. The historically correct pl. would be teiri; if analogy prevailed, it might be altered to terai.

dornhoth

thrawn folk

(a term for the Dwarves) Dornhoth (WJ:388, 408)

dornhoth

thrawn folk

(a term for the Dwarves) Dornhoth (WJ:388, 408)

doron

oak tree

doron (i dhoron), pl. deryn (i neryn). In "Noldorin", the pl. was deren.

doron

oak tree

(i dhoron), pl. deryn (i neryn). In "Noldorin", the pl. was deren.

dortha

stay

(i northa, i ndorthar) (dwell). Adj.

dortha

dwell

dortha- (i northa, i ndorthar) (stay)

dortha

dwell

(i northa, i ndorthar) (stay)

Dor Dínen

place name. Silent land

dorem

 noun. land picture, map

This word consists of two parts: dôr "land" + em "picture"

dorgant

noun. landscape, scene, *(lit.) land-shape

dorn

stiff

(tough), lenited dhorn, pl. dyrn

dorn

tough

(tough), lenited dhorn, pl. dyrn

dornhoth

thrawn folk

(WJ:388, 408)

dôr

dwelling place

(i nôr, construct dor) (land, region), pl. dŷr (i ndŷr) (WJ:413).

dôr

region

(i nôr, construct dor) (dwelling place, land), pl. dŷr (i ndŷr) (WJ:413)

dôr

land

1) dôr (i nôr, construct dor) (dwelling place, region), pl. dŷr (i ndŷr), coll. pl. dorath (WJ:413), 2) bâr (dwelling, house, home, family; earth) (i mâr, o mbâr, construct bar), pl. bair (i mbair). Also -bar, -mar at the end of compounds.

dôr

land

(i nôr, construct dor) (dwelling place, region), pl. dŷr (i ndŷr), coll. pl. dorath (WJ:413)

region

noun. holly-tree area

[HKF] reg (Dor. regorn “holly tree”) + ion (Dor. gen. pl. suffix) = Dor. Regornion [Etym. ERÉK-]

iathrim

doriath, people of

Iathrim (”Fence-people”) (WJ:378)

iathrim

doriath, people of

(”Fence-people”) (WJ:378)

taur-nu-fuin

place name. Forest under Night(shade)

A forest in northern Dorthonion corrupted by Morgoth and turned to darkness (S/155). Its name is a compound of taur “forest”, nu “under” and fuin “night” (SA/taur, fuin). The final element was often translated “nightshade” (S/155, WJ/56), but this is an allusion to the other name of this forest: Deldúwath “Deadly Nightshade”.

Conceptual Development: This name dates back to the earliest Lost Tales, and always had the elements taur and fuin. Its development was G. Taurfuin “Forest of Night” (LT2/47) >> N. Taur-na-Fuin “Forest of Night, Deadly Nightshade” (LB/34, SM/26, LR/133) >> S. Taur-nu-Fuin “Forest under Night(shade)” (S/155), with the middle preposition changing from na “of” to nu “under”.

In some older writings, this forest’s name was translated “Mirkwood” (LR/282, WJ/239) and in at least one place Tolkien decided that Taur-nu-Fuin was the proper Elvish name of Mirkwood (UT/281). However, the canonical Elvish name of Mirkwood was Taur e-Ndaedelos “Forest of the Great Fear” (LotR/1134).

thôn

noun. pine-tree

The Sindarin word for “pine-tree”, most notably as an element in the names Dorthonion “Land of Pines” and Orod-na-Thôn “Mount of the Pine Tree(s)”. Tolkien gave it as thôn < ✶stŏna in a 1955 letter to David Masson (PE17/82) and as {thaun >>} thôn in notes on Words, Phrases and Passages from the Lord of the Rings (WPP) from the late 1950s or early 1960s, derived from {✶stāna >> ✶thānĭ- >>} ✶thŏno (PE17/81).

Conceptual Development: The Etymologies of the 1930s had N. thaun “pine-tree” under the root ᴹ√THŌN of the same meaning (Ety/THŌN). Likely the vowel in this root was a fronted ǭ, which became au in both Sindarin and Noldorin.

In the 1910s and 20s, the “pine-tree” word was ᴱN./G. aigos, first glossed {“cheshnut tree”} in Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/17), with a variant form G. aiguis in the Gnomish Lexicon Slips (PE13/108), and simply as ᴱN. aigos “pine-tree” in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s (PE13/136, 158). It was replaced by thaun/thôn in Tolkien’s later writing, as noted above.

nornhabar

place name. Dwarrowdelf

An earlier Sindarin translation of Khazad-dûm, replaced by Hadhodrond (WJ/209). It is a compound of norn “hard”, which is sometimes used as a name for Dwarves, and the lenited form of ✱sabar “delving”. A variant Dornhabar appears in Tolkien’s Words, Phrases and Passages from the Lord of the Rings (PE17/35), changing the initial element to dorn of similar meaning. The form Domhabar that was originally published in PE17 is confirmed to have been an error; see the PEE (PEE).

arthórien

place name. Hidden Realm

A region between the rivers Aros and Celon, so labeled in the Silmarillion map from the 1950s but not in the published Silmarillion (WJ/183). It is also mentioned in Tolkien’s unfinished expansion of the Tale of the Children of Húrin (UT/77). A late isolated note indicates that Arthúrien (with a ú) was a name used by the Noldor, which was derived from the proper Sindarin form Garthúrian (WJ/189). The name is clearly not Quenya, so perhaps it is Noldorized Sindarin, dropping the initial g.

Conceptual Development: In The Etymologies from the 1930s, N. Arthoren is said to be a translation of Ilk. Garthurian, beside the “half translation” Arthurien (Ety/GAT(H), ƷAR, THUR), matching the later modification of Sindarin Garthúrian into Arthúrien/Arthórien.

garthúrian

place name. Hidden Realm

A region between the rivers Aros and Celon, so labeled in the Silmarillion map from the 1950s but not in the published Silmarillion (WJ/183). A late isolated note translates it as “Hidden Realm” and indicates that it is the Sindarin form from which Arthúrien is derived (WJ/189). Most likely it is a combination of gardh “realm”, thurin “hidden” and the suffix -ian(d) “land”.

Conceptual Development: In the earliest Lost Tales, G. Gar Thurion “Secret Place” was given as a name for Doriath (LT2/158), revised from earlier Gar Furion (LT2/202). In The Etymologies from the 1930s, Ilk. Garthurian is given as an Ilkorin name of Doriath, translated “Fenced Realm” or “Hidden Realm” (Ety/GAT(H), ƷAR, THUR). The name N. Arthurien is said to be a “half translation” of the Ilkorin name, matching the later modification of Sindarin Garthúrian into Arthúrien.

hadhu

noun. seat, seat, *chair

A word appearing as haðw “seat” in Late Notes on Verb Structure from 1969 derived from primitive ✶khadmā (PE22/148). In more typical Sindarin orthography it would be hadhu. Based on earlier versions of this word, it may mean “✱chair” as well (see below).

Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had G. dorn “seat” (GL/19), clearly based on the early root ᴱ√ÐORO “sit” (QL/85). In Early Noldorin Word-lists this became ᴱN. {hód >>} haud “seat” (PE13/147).

A draft entry to The Etymologies of the 1930s had N. hand “seat” and N. hanw “chair” derived from the root ᴹ√KHAD (EtyAC/KHAM). Tolkien updated this root form to ᴹ√KHAM “sit” with a noun form N. ham or hanw, with a hard-to-read gloss that was probably “?chair” (Ety/KHAM; EtyAC/KHAM). Tolkien then created yet another root ᴹ√KHAM “call to, summon”, saying that “KHAM sit (replacing KHAD, cancelled)”, so apparently the root for “sit” reverted back to KHAD. This is supported by the 1969 “seat” word haðw seen above.

nordh

noun. oak

A word for “oak” in notes from the late 1950s or early 1960s (PE17/25). See the entry N. doron for earlier forms of the word.

nordh

oak

{ð}_n. Bot._oak. A tree of the orn kind. Q. nordo. >> galadh, orn

ardh

region

1) ardh (realm), pl. erdh, also in augmented form ardhon (great region, great province, world), pl. erdhyn, coll. pl. ardhonnath. 2) dôr (i nôr, construct dor) (dwelling place, land), pl. dŷr (i ndŷr) (WJ:413), 3) gardh (i **ardh) (bounded or defined place), pl. gerdh (i ngerdh = i ñerdh), 4) gwaith (i **waith) (manhood, manpower, troop of able-bodied men, host, regiment, people, wilderness), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwaith).

caew

lair

1) caew (i gaew, o chaew) (resting place). No distinct pl. form except with article (i chaew). 2) torech (i dorech, o thorech) (hole, excavation), pl. terich (i therich) for archaic törich.

dartha

stay

1) dartha- (i dhartha, i narthar) (wait, remain, last, endure) (VT45:8), 2) dortha- (i northa, i ndorthar) (dwell). Adj.

daur

stop

(noun) daur (i dhaur) (pause; also used = ”league”, a distance of about 3 miles / 4.8 kilometers), pl. doer (i noer), coll. pl. dorath

daur

stop

(i dhaur) (pause; also used = ”league”, a distance of about 3 miles / 4.8 kilometers), pl. doer (i noer), coll. pl. dorath

daur

league

(a distance of about 3 miles / 4.8 kilometers) daur (i dhaur) (pause, stop), pl. doer (i noer), coll. pl. dorath

daur

league

(i dhaur) (pause, stop), pl. doer (i noer), coll. pl. dorath

daur

pause

(noun) 1) daur (i dhaur) (stop; also used = ”league”, a distance of about 3 miles / 4.8 kilometers), pl. doer (i noer), coll. pl. dorath. 2) (noun) post (i bost, o phost) (halt, rest, cessation, respite), pl. pyst (i physt)

daur

pause

(i dhaur) (stop; also used = ”league”, a distance of about 3 miles / 4.8 kilometers), pl. doer (i noer), coll. pl. dorath.

grôd

excavation

1) grôd (i **rôd, construct grod) (cave, delving, underground dwelling), pl. grŷd (in grŷd) (WJ:414), 2) torech (i dorech, o thorech) (lair, hole), pl. terich (i therich) for archaic törich** (RC:490);

hadhod

dwarf

1) hadhod (i chadhod, o chadhod), pl. hedhyd (i chedhyd), coll. pl. hadhodrim (WJ:388). This was a word borrowed from Dwarvish Khazâd. 2) naug (in compounds -nog), pl. #noeg, coll. pl. naugrim, nogrim. (WJ:388, 408, 413; VT45:13). In ”Noldorin” the pl. was nuig, but the Sindarin pl. form noeg is attested in Nibin-noeg ”Petty-dwarves” (WJ:187, 420). Note: naug is also used as an adj. ”dwarfed, stunted”. This word for ”dwarf” also appears in a diminutive form: naugol (in compounds naugla-), coll. pl. nauglath. 2)

matha

wield

1) matha- (i vatha, i mathar) (stroke, feel, handle), 2) maetha- (i vaetha, i maethar) (handle, manage, deal with). In Tolkiens earlier material, the verb maetha- meant ”fight”. 3) tortha- (i dortha, i thorthar) (control)

naug

dwarf

(in compounds -nog), pl. #noeg, coll. pl. naugrim, nogrim. (WJ:388, 408, 413; VT45:13). In ”Noldorin” the pl. was nuig, but the Sindarin pl. form noeg is attested in Nibin-noeg ”Petty-dwarves” (WJ:187, 420). Note: naug is also used as an adj. ”dwarfed, stunted”. This word for ”dwarf” also appears in a diminutive form: naugol (in compounds naugla-), coll. pl. nauglath. 2)

nogoth

dwarf

nogoth (pl. negyth; coll. pl. nogothrim). Archaic pl. ”noegyth” = nögyth (WJ:388, 408) 3) norn (pl. nyrn, coll. pl. nornwaith). From the adj. norn ”twisted, knotted, crabbed, hard”. (MR:93, WJ:205) 4) #Gonhir (i **Onhir), literally ”Master of Stone”, no distinct pl. form except with article (i Ngonhir = i Ñonhir, maybe primarily used as a coll. pl. Gonhirrim _(WJ:205, there spelt ”Gonnhirrim”) _The coll. pl. Dornhoth** ("Thrawn folk") (WJ:388, 408) also refers to the Dwarves.

nogoth

dwarf

(pl. negyth; coll. pl. nogothrim). Archaic pl. ”noegyth” = nögyth (WJ:388, 408) 3) norn (pl. nyrn, coll. pl. nornwaith). From the adj. norn ”twisted, knotted, crabbed, hard”. (MR:93, WJ:205) 4) #Gonhir (i ’Onhir), literally ”Master of Stone”, no distinct pl. form except with article (i Ngonhir = i Ñonhir, maybe primarily used as a coll. pl. Gonhirrim  (WJ:205, there spelt ”Gonnhirrim”) The coll. pl. Dornhoth ("Thrawn folk") (WJ:388, 408) also refers to the Dwarves.

thôn

pine-tree

thôn (pl. thŷn, coll. pl. ?thonath). In the linguistic scenario of the Etymologies, the ”Noldorin” word for ”pine-tree” was thaun pl. thuin, and thôn was rather ”Ilkorin”. However, when Tolkien revised his legendarium so that Sindarin replaced Ilkorin as the native Elven-tongue of Beleriand, names like Dorthonion ”Land of Pines” must be interpreted as containing a Sindarin word for pine. Adj. #thonion ”having pine trees” (isolated from the name Dorthonion), pl. thonyn

thôn

pine-tree

(pl. th**ŷn, coll. pl. ?thonath). In the linguistic scenario of the Etymologies, the ”Noldorin” word for ”pine-tree” was thaun pl. thuin, and thôn was rather ”Ilkorin”. However, when Tolkien revised his legendarium so that Sindarin replaced Ilkorin as the native Elven-tongue of Beleriand, names like Dorthonion ”Land of Pines” must be interpreted as containing a Sindarin word for pine. Adj. #thonion ”having pine trees” (isolated from the name Dorthonion), pl. thonyn**

torech

lair

(i** dorech, o thorech) (hole, excavation), pl. terich (i** therich) for archaic törich.

torech

excavation

(i** dorech, o thorech) (lair, hole), pl. terich (i** therich) for archaic törich (RC:490)

tortha

wield

(i** dortha, i** thorthar) (control)

gardh

noun. bounded or defined region

gardh

noun. world

hadhodrim

noun. the Dwarves (as a race)

naugrim

noun. Dwarves

nogotheg

noun. lit. "dwarflet", a name of the Petty-Dwarves

rían

noun. queen, queen, *(lit.) crowned-lady

Góndolind

a name in a dialect of the North

topon. a name in a dialect of the North, S. Gonnólen. Maybe acute accent in the two names was only used in order to mark pronunciation.

Hithlum

a name in a dialect of the North

topon. a name in a dialect of the North, S. Hilthlû.

ardhon

noun. great region, province

ardhon

noun. world

bar

noun. dwelling, home

bar

noun. inhabited land

bereth

noun. queen, spouse

cadhad

noun. dwarf

daur

noun. pause, stop

daur

noun. league (about 3 miles)

dern

hard

adj. hard, thrawn. Also used for Dwarves, esp. in pl2. dernlir. >> gorn

dern

Dwarf

pl2. dernlir n. Dwarf. >> gorn

dern

tough

_ adj. _tough. >> dír-

dír-

prefix. tough

_ pref. _tough. >> dern, dirbedui

dîr

adjective. hard

_ adj. _hard, difficult. dērā << dīrā. >> dír-

gardh

noun. region

gorn

hard

adj. hard, thrawn. Also used for Dwarves, esp. in pl2. gornhoth (hostile implication). >> dern

gorn

hard

_ adj. _hard, stiff, thrawn. >> gornod, gordh

gorn

Dwarf

pl2. gornhoth** ** n. Dwarf (hostile implication). >> dern

hadhod

noun. Dwarf

hadhod

noun. Dwarf

naug

noun. dwarf

_ n. _dwarf. [PE17:46] >> cadhad, nogon, nogoth

nogon

dwarf

pl1. nogoth, pl2. nogothrim, naugrim** _ n. _dwarf. _fennas nogothrim lasto beth lammen _'doorway of the Dwarf-folk listen to the words of my tongue'. Tolkien first glosed nogoth as 'a dwarf'. [**PE17:45-6] >> noegin, nogoth

nogoth

noun. Dwarf, lit. "the Stunted Folk"

nogothrim

noun. Dwarf-folk

nornwaith

noun. the Dwarves

rîs

noun. queen

tarch

adjective. stiff, tough

aran

king of a region

(pl. erain)

ardh

region

(realm), pl. erdh, also in augmented form ardhon (great region, great province, world), pl. erdhyn, coll. pl. ardhonnath.

avorn

staying

(not moving, fast), pl. evyrn

bereth

queen

(i vereth) (spouse), pl. berith (i mberith)

bâr

dwelling

bâr (house, home, family; land, earth) (i mâr, o mbâr, construct bar), pl. bair (i mbair). Also -bar, -mar at the end of compounds

bâr

dwelling

(house, home, family; land, earth) (i mâr, o mbâr, construct bar), pl. bair (i mbair). Also -bar, -mar at the end of compounds

bâr

land

(dwelling, house, home, family; earth) (i mâr, o mbâr, construct bar), pl. bair (i mbair). Also -bar, -mar at the end of compounds.

caeda-

verb. sit

caew

lair

(i** gaew, o chaew) (resting place). No distinct pl. form except with article (i** chaew).

dar

stop

(verb, used intransitively in the LotR), dar- (i dhâr, i nerir) (halt). The imperative daro! is attested.

dar

stop

(i dhâr, i nerir) (halt). The imperative daro! is attested.

dartha

stay

(i dhartha, i narthar) (wait, remain, last, endure) (VT45:8)

dilia

stop up

(i dhilia, i niliar), pa.t. diliant (VT45:9).

drúnos

folk

Drúnos (i Dhrúnos), pl. Drúnys (in Drúnys), coll. pl. Drúnossath. See WILD MAN.

drúnos

folk

Drúnos (i Dhrúnos), pl. Drúnys (in Drúnys), coll. pl. Drúnossath

drúnos

folk

Drúnos (i Dhrúnos), pl. Drúnys (in Drúnys), coll. pl. Drúnossath.

gardh

region

(i ’ardh) (bounded or defined place), pl. gerdh (i ngerdh = i ñerdh)

gilwen

region of stars

(Quenya Ilmen), also Gilith. In the Etymologies, this word is derived from a root GIL (LR:358) and would then have the form ’Ilwen (’Ilwith) when lenited. But in a later source, Tolkien cited the relevant root as ÑGIL (MR:388), and the lenited form would then be Ngilwen (Ngilwith).

gobel

enclosed dwelling

(i ’obel) (walled house or village, ”town”), pl. gebil (i ngebil = i ñebil). Archaic pl. göbil.

groth

large excavation

(i ’roth) (cave, delving), pl. gryth (in gryth)**

grôd

underground dwelling

(i ’rôd, construct grod) (cave, delving, excavation), pl. grŷd (in grŷd) (WJ:414)

grôd

excavation

(i ’rôd, construct grod) (cave, delving, underground dwelling), pl. grŷd (in grŷd) (WJ:414)

gwaith

region

(i ’waith) (manhood, manpower, troop of able-bodied men, host, regiment, people, wilderness), no distinct pl. form except with article (in gwaith).

hadhod

dwarf

(i chadhod, o chadhod), pl. hedhyd (i chedhyd), coll. pl. hadhodrim (WJ:388). This was a word borrowed from Dwarvish Khazâd.

hav

sit

hav- (i châf, i chevir), pa.t. hamp (with endings hemmi-, as in hemmin ”I sat”) or havant. (VT45:20)

hav

sit

(i châf, i chevir), pa.t. hamp (with endings hemmi-, as in hemmin ”

lebethron

oak tree

. An unidentified tree (or its wood) is the lebethron.

maetha

wield

(i** vaetha, i** maethar) (handle, manage, deal with). In Tolkien’s earlier material, the verb maetha- meant ”fight”.

matha

wield

(i** vatha, i** mathar) (stroke, feel, handle)

nand

wide grassland

(construct nan) (valley), pl. naind, coll. pl. **nannath **(VT45:36);

niben-naug

petty-dwarf

nog; pl. Nibin-noeg, coll. pl. *Nibin-nogrim** (UT:148)*

norn

hard

norn (twisted, knotted, crabbed, contorted), pl. nyrn. Also used as noun = ”Dwarf”. (MR:93, WJ:205)

norn

hard

(twisted, knotted, crabbed, contorted), pl. nyrn. Also used as noun = ”Dwarf”. (MR:93, WJ:205)

nuitha

stop short

(i nuitha, in nuithar) (prevent from coming to completion; stunt; not allow to continue) (WJ:413).

parth

enclosed grassland

(i barth, o pharth) (field, sward), pl. perth (i pherth);

post

pause

(i bost, o phost) (halt, rest, cessation, respite), pl. pyst (i physt)

rhûd

dwelling underground

(construct rhud, with article ?i thrûd or ?i rûd – *the lenition product of rh- is uncertain) (artificial cave, rockhewn hall, mine), pl. rhuid (?idh ruid) (PM:365)*.

rían

queen

(”crown-gift”), pl. ríain (idh ríain)

ríen

queen

(crowned lady), pl. ?rîn (idh rîn). The adjective rîn ”crowned” may also be used as a noun ”crowned woman” =  ”queen”, but with no distinct pl. form except when article precedes (idh rîn again); coll. pl. ríniath. Note: a homophone means ”remembrance”.

rîs

queen

1) rîs, no distinct pl. except with article preceding (idh rîs); coll. pl. ?rissath; 2) rían (”crown-gift”), pl. ríain (idh ríain); 3) bereth (i vereth) (spouse), pl. berith (i mberith), 4) ríen (crowned lady), pl. ?rîn (idh rîn). The adjective rîn ”crowned” may also be used as a noun ”crowned woman” = ”queen”, but with no distinct pl. form except when article precedes (idh rîn again); coll. pl. ríniath. Note: a homophone means ”remembrance”.

rîs

noun. queen

rîs

queen

no distinct pl. except with article preceding (idh rîs); coll. pl. ?rissath

taen

high mountain

(i daen, o thaen) (height), no distinct pl. form except with article (i thaen). Note: a homophone means ”long (and thin)”.

tara

tough

(also tar- as first element of compounds) (stiff), lenited dara. The historically correct pl. would be teiri; if analogy prevailed, it might be altered to terai.

tarias

stiffness

(i darias, o tharias) (toughness, difficulty), pl. teriais (i theriais) if there is a pl.

tarlanc

stiff-necked

(obstinate), lenited darlanc, pl. terlainc.

taur

vast

taur (also tor-, tar- in compounds) (lofty, high, sublime, noble; vast, masterful, mighty, overwhelming, huge, awful), lenited daur, pl. toer. Note: homophones mean ”king (of a people)” and also ”great wood, forest”.

taur

vast

(also tor-, tar- in compounds) (lofty, high, sublime, noble; vast, masterful, mighty, overwhelming, huge, awful), lenited daur, pl. toer. Note: homophones mean ”king (of a people)” and also ”great wood, forest”.

tharn

stiff

(sapless, rigid, withered), pl. thern.

dori

masculine name. Dori

khuzd

noun. Dwarf

dor-lómin

place name. *Echoing-land

-ndor

land

-ndor, final element in compounds: "land" (Letters:308, UT:253)

-ndor

suffix. land, country

lestanórë

place name. Doriath, *(lit.) Land of the Girdle

Given as the Quenya name of Doriath in the essay Quendi and Eldar from 1959-60, attested only in its genitive form Lestanórëo in the phrase Elwe, Aran Lestanórëo “Elwe, King of Doriath” (WJ/369). Its final element is certainly nórë “land”. Its initial element lesta resembles S. lest “girdle” in the name S. Lest Melian “Girdle of Melian” and may have a similar meaning. In the earlier poem Fíriel’s Song from the 1930s, the instrumental form lestanen of ᴹQ. lesta was translated “in measure” (LR/72), though it isn’t clear whether the meaning “measure” remained valid when Quendi and Eldar was written.

Conceptual Development: The name ᴱQ. Artanor was given as the equivalent to the precursor of Doriath: G. Dor Athro “Land Beyond” (LT2A/Artanor).

Lestanórë

doriath

Lestanórë place-name "Doriath", gen. Lestanórëo (WJ:369). If this name means the same as the Sindarin name Doriath, "Land of the Fence", #lesta ought to mean "fence" here (but it is obviously not a cognate of the Sindarin term iâth "fence").It may mean "girdle"; compare Sindarin Lest Melian as a name of the Girdle of Melian (WJ:XXX), suggesting*"Girdle-land" as the meaning of Lestanórë.

lóminórë

place name. *Echoing Land

Quenya name of Dor-lómin (WJ/145). It is probably a combination of the North Sindarin word NS. lómin “echoing” with Q. nórë “land”. The Quenya word for “echoing” is elsewhere given as [ᴹQ.] lámina (Ety/LAM).

norno

noun. oak

A word appearing as norno “oak” in both The Etymologies of the 1930s and the Outline of Phonology (OP2) from the early 1950s derived from primitive ✶[[p|dor[o]no]] and the root ᴹ√DORON (PE19/80; Ety/DÓRON). The appearance of an initial n- is unusual, since generally [[aq|initial [d] became [l]]] in Ancient Quenya. But sometimes ancient [[aq|initial [d] assimilated to following nasal]] instead, as was the case with this word.

Conceptual Development: Variants of this word date all the way back to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, which had ᴱQ. nor (norn-) “oak” and ᴱQ. norne “oak-tree” under the early root ᴱ√NOŘO [NDOÐO?] (QL/67). The form ᴱQ. norne “oak” was mentioned in Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s (PE16/140), but it became ᴹQ. norno in The Etymologies of the 1930s, as noted above.

Neo-Quenya: Tolkien introduced words Q. nordo and S. norð “oak” in notes from the late 1950s or early 1960s (PE17/25), possibly to avoid conflict with Norno “Dwarf” (WJ/388). I prefer the form norno “oak” as better-established and more etymologically interesting.

nór

noun. land

A term for “land” as in “(dry) land as opposed to the sea”, mentioned in the Quendi and Eldar essay of 1959-60 (WJ/413) and again in notes from around 1968 (PE17/106-107).

Possible Etymology: In the Quendi and Eldar essay this term was derived from primitive ✶ndōro, but in the aforementioned 1968 notes Tolkien clarified that its stem form was nŏr-. This means it was probably derived from ancient ✱ndŏr-, where the long vowel in the uninflected form was inherited from the Common Eldarin subjective form ✱ndōr, a phenomenon also seen in words like nér (ner-) “man”. I prefer this second derivation, as it makes the independent word more distinct from the suffixal form -ndor or -nóre used in the names of countries.

norno

noun. Dwarf

A word for a Dwarf (WJ/388), a personalized form of the adjective norna “stiff, tough” (WJ/413), patterned after S. dorn.

nórë

land

nórë noun "land" (associated with a particular people) (WJ:413), "country, land, dwelling-place, region where certain people live, race, clan" (NŌ, NDOR, BAL), also used = "race, tribe, people" (SA:dôr, PE17:169; however, the normal word for "people" is lië). Early "Qenya" hasnórë "native land, nation, family, country" (in compounds -nor) (LT1:272)

hanwa

noun. seat, seat, *chair

A noun in Late Notes on Verb Structure (LVS) written in 1969, given as hanw̃a “seat” and derived from primitive ✶khadmā where dm became nm [χanmā] and then nw (PE22/148). Early iterations of this word also meant “chair”, so this word may have that meaning as well.

Conceptual Development: The earliest “seat” words were ᴱQ. sōra {“seat, throne” >>} “seat” and ᴱQ. sonda “seat, chair” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√SOŘO [SOÐO] (QL/85-86). Tolkien revised the root to ᴱ√SORO (ÐORO) after which the form sonda was deleted. In the contemporaneous Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa Tolkien had only ᴱQ. sonda “seat” (PME/86).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien had ᴹQ. handa “chair” under the root ᴹ√KHAD, but Tolkien revised the root to ᴹ√KHAM “sit” and the Quenya form to ᴹQ. hamma “chair” (Ety/KHAM; EtyAC/KHAM). Tolkien then introduced a new root ᴹ√KHAM “call to, summon”, saying that “KHAM sit (replacing KHAD, cancelled)”, so apparently the root for “sit” reverted back to KHAD. This is supported by the 1969 “seat” word hanwa seen above.

-nor

suffix. land, country

Casar

dwarf

Casar ("k")noun "Dwarf", pl. Casari or Casári, partitive plural Casalli. Adapted from Dwarvish Khazâd. Casarrondo place-name "Khazad-dûm", Moria (WJ:388, 389; pl. Casári also in WJ:402)

Naira

vast, wide, empty

naira (2) adj. "vast, wide, empty" (PE17:27)

Nauco

dwarf

Nauco ("k")noun "Dwarf" (capitalized in WJ:388, but not in Etym, stem NAUK). Naucalië (not *Naucolië) the "Dwarf-people" as a whole. Nauco is a personalized form of the adjective nauca "stunted" (itself sometimes used as a noun "dwarf"); pl. naucor (PE17:45). See also Picinaucor.

Naucon

dwarf

Naucon (Naucond-, as in the pl. Naucondi) noun "dwarf", variant of Nauco (PE17:45; not capitalized in the source)

Yón

region, any (fairly extensive) region between obstacles such as rivers or mountains

yón (2), variant of yondë, q.v. Defined as "a region, any (fairly extensive) region _between obstacles such as rivers or mountains" (PE17:43)_

casar

noun. Dwarf

farnë

dwelling

#farnë (2) noun "dwelling", in orofarnë (as translated in Letters:224, but in other notes of Tolkiens the word was interpreted "any growing thing or plant", PE17:83)

ham-

sit

ham- (1) vb. "sit" (KHAM)

har-

sit, stay

har- vb. "sit, stay", pl. present hárar in CO (i hárar "those who sit, those who are sitting"). Imperative hara in the phrase (hara) máriessë "(stay) in happiness" (PE17:162). According to VT45:20, har- "sit" is derived from a stem KHAD which Tolkien abandoned in the Etymologies, but since CO is later than Etym, he may seem to have restored KHAD. If so, the past tense of har- would be *handë.

har-

verb. dwell, abide, reside permanently

hos

folk

hos noun "folk" (LT2:340)

lár

league

lár (1) noun "league", a linear measure, 5000 rangar (q.v.). A ranga was approximately 38 inches, so a lár was "5277 yards, two feet and four inches [ca. 4826 m], supposing the equivalence to be exact" - close enough to our league of 5280 yards to justify this translation. The basic meaning of lár is "pause"; in marches a brief halt was made for each league. (UT:285)

mahalma

throne

mahalma noun "throne", nominative pl. mahalmar "thrones" and locative pl. mahalmassen in CO. Adopted and adapted from Valarin (WJ:399)

mahalma

noun. throne

A noun for “throne” in the phrase nai tiruvantes i hárar mahalmassen mi Númen “in the keeping of those who sit upon thrones of the West” (UT/305, 317). In the Quendi and Eldar essay of 1959-60, Tolkien said that mahalma was derived from Valarin maχallām of the same meaning and was “properly one of the seats of the Valar” (WJ/399). As such, this word is unlikely to be used for an ordinary “throne”, which instead would be tarhanwa.

marda

dwelling

marda noun "dwelling" (PE17:107)

ména

region

ména noun "region" (MEN). Not to be confused with the present/continuative tense of #men- "go".

nauco

noun. dwarf

naucon

noun. Dwarf

nordo

oak

nordo noun "oak" (PE17:25), possibly replacing norno (q.v.) in a pre-LotR source.

nordo

noun. oak

A word for “oak” in notes from the late 1950s or early 1960s (PE17/25), possibly introduced to avoid conflict with Norno “Dwarf” (WJ/388). Its Sindarin cognate was S. norð, indicating derivation from primitive ✱nordō. See the entry Q. norno for earlier forms of the word.

norna

stiff, tough; hard, firm, resistant

norna adj. "stiff, tough; hard, firm, resistant" (WJ:413, PE17:106), "thrawn, tough, obdurate", mainly applied to persons (PE17:181)

norno

dwarf

Norno (2) noun "dwarf"; a personalized form of the adjective norna(WJ:413); Nornalië (not *Nornolië) the "Dwarf-people" as a whole (WJ:388)

norno

oak

norno (1) noun "oak" (DÓRON); a later source has nordo (PE17:25)

nór

land

nór noun "land" (stem nor-, PE17:106) this is land as opposed to water and sea (nor in Letters:308). Cf. nórë.

nóre

noun. land

ormë

summit, crest

ormë (2) noun "summit, crest" (LT1:256; this "Qenya" word is probably obsoleted by # 1 above)

pusta

stop

pusta (1) noun "stop", in punctuation full stop (PUS). Compare putta.

putta

stop

putta noun "stop" (in punctuation) _(PUT; see PUS). _According to VT46:10, a dot under a letter is intended, possibly indicating that the consonant is not followed by a vowel; cf. VT46:33 and see VT49:38, 40 regarding an actual example of such punctuation in a Tengwar sample.

sarda

hard

sarda adj. "hard" (VT39:17); pl. sardë "hards" may be used in the same sense as sarda tengwi, q.v. (As an independent form we would rather expect a nominal pl. sardar.)

sonda

seat

sonda noun "seat" (QL:85)

tap-

stop, block

tap- vb. "stop, block" (the form tapë given in the Etymologies is translated "he stops, blocks", evidently the 3rd person sg. aorist. In Etym as printed in LR, a was misprinted as á, cf. VT46:17). Pa.t. tampë (TAP)

tarya

tough, stiff

tarya adj. "tough, stiff" (TÁRAG)

tauca

stiff, wooden

tauca ("k") "stiff, wooden" (PE17:115)

torna

hard

#torna adj. "hard", as in tornanga (q.v.), seemingly -storna after prefixes ending in a vowel, as in the comparative forms aristorna, anastorna (PE17:56; the forms are untranslated and may not necessarily be the same adjective "hard".)

torna

adjective. hard

tur-

wield, control, govern

tur- vb. "wield, control, govern" (1st pers. aorist turin "I wield" etc.), pa.t. turnë (TUR). The verb is elsewhere defined "master, conquer, win" (PE17:115), virtually the same meanings are elsewhere assigned to turu- #1, q.v.

turinqui

queen

turinqui ("q") noun "queen" (LT1:260; apparently the fem. of tur. In Tolkien's later Quenya, "queen" is tári.)

tári

queen

tári noun "queen", used especially of Varda (TĀ/TA3, LT1:264), etymologically "she that is high" (SA:tar). Dative tárin in the Elaine inscription (VT49:40), genitive tário in Namárië. Elentári "Starqueen", a title of Varda. (Nam, RGEO:67). Tarinya "my queen" (UT:179; sic, not *tárinya). Táris or tárissë "queenship" (PE17:155)

tári

noun. queen, queen, [ᴱQ.] mistress, lady

urda

hard, difficult, arduous

urda adj. "hard, difficult, arduous" (PE17:154)

varni

queen

varni noun "queen" (LT1:273; rather tári in Tolkien's later Quenya)

yána

vast, huge; wide

yána (1) adj. "vast, huge; wide" (PE17:99, 115); also yanda, q.v.

yón

noun. region

noremma

noun. map

A neologism for “map” suggested by Shihali in 2018 on the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), a combination of nórë “land” and emma “picture”. The NQW had ᴺQ. nórihalmë “map” instead, where the second element was [ᴱQ.] halme “drawing”, but that is the wrong kind of “drawing”, meaning “drawing (pulling) wood”, not “a drawing of a picture”.

nórihalmë

noun. map

rianna

noun. queen

dóri-

noun. land

Isolated from Lindórinan. The independent form of the word may differ; it is unclear where the i of the compound Lindórinan comes from. In the Etymologies, the Eldarin words for "land" are derived from a stem NDOR "dwell, stay, rest, abide" (LR:376).

No Nandorin word is there listed, but Sindarin dor is derived from primitive ndorê. Notice, however, that Tolkien many years later derived the Eldarin words for "land" from a stem DORO "dried up, hard, unyielding" (WJ:413). However, this later source does confirm that the Primitive Quendian form was ndorê, now thought to be formed by initial enrichment d > nd. This is defined as "the hard, dry land as opposed to water or bog", later developing the meaning "land in general as opposed to sea", and finally also "a land" as a particular region, "with more or less defined bounds".

Whether dóri- actually comes from ndorê is highly doubtful (this would rather yield *dora in Nandorin), but it must be derived from the same set of stems.

lâi

collective noun. folk

A noun appearing only as an element in kadar-lâi “city folk” (SD/435). It may be related to Q. lië “people”, as suggested by various authors (AAD/18, AL/Adûnaic, EotAL/LAI). In at least one Avari dialect, this word was lai (WJ/410).

thâni

noun. land

A noun translated “land” (SD/435) appearing in the Adûnaic names for the Blessed Realm: Amatthâni and thâni’nAmân. Its Primitive Adûnaic form was also ✶thāni, though its primitive was glossed “realm" (SD/420).

zâyan

noun. land

An Adûnaic word for “land” (SD/423). It has an irregular plural form zâin which is the result of the phonetic change (SD/423): [[pad|medial [w] and [j] vanished before [u] and [i]]]. Thus, the archaic plural changed from †zâyîn > zâîn > zâin.

Conceptual Development: In earlier names this word appeared as zen (SD/378, 385).

-hai

suffix. folk