An adjective for “dark” from the Nebrachar poem written around 1930 (MC/217). Its etymology is unclear.
Early Noldorin
drú
adjective. dark
dron
noun. wood
hinar
adjective. dark
Beware, older languages below! The languages below were invented during Tolkien's earlier period and should be used with caution. Remember to never, ever mix words from different languages!
The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had G. drui or drû “wood, forest”; Tolkien specified it was not used of wood a material (GL/31). This Gnomish word may be related to the root ᴱ√TUÐU “kindle”; see that entry for details. In Early Noldorin Word-lists it appeared as ᴱN. dron “wood” (PE13/142).