fuir, pl. fŷr. Also used as adj. "right, north" (VT42:20). In ”Noldorin” the word appeared as (”foeir” =) föir, feir (LR:382 s.v. PHOR).
Sindarin
fuir
adjective. north
Derivations
- ᴹ√PHOR “right-hand”
Element in
- S. Eryn Fuir “North Wood” ✧ VT42/20
Variations
- Fuir ✧ VT42/20 (Fuir)
fuir
adjective. north
fair
noun. right (hand)
fuir
right hand
fuir
right
1) (adj, of direction), also used as noun "right hand": fuir (north), pl. fŷr (VT42:20). In ”Noldorin” the word appeared as (”foeir” =) föir, feir (LR:382 s.v. PHOR). 2) (direction, not "correct") fôr (north), pl. fŷr. 3) (straight) tîr (lenited dîr, no distinct pl. form) Note: a homophone means ”looking, view, glance” (noun).
fuir
right
(north), pl. fŷr (VT42:20). In ”Noldorin” the word appeared as (”foeir” =) föir, feir (LR:382 s.v. PHOR).
fuir
right hand
pl. fŷr. Also used as adj. "right, north" (VT42:20). In ”Noldorin” the word appeared as (”foeir” =) föir, feir (LR:382 s.v. PHOR).
fuir
adjective. [N.] right (hand); north
cam
noun. hand
camm
noun. hand
for
adjective. north
forn
adjective. north, north, [N.] right
Cognates
- Q. formen “north, north, [ᴹQ.] right-hand [direction]” ✧ PE17/018; SA/formen
Element in
- S. Cirith Forn en Andrath “High-Climbing Pass of the North”
- ᴺS. Forchalad “aurora, (lit.) northern radiance”
- S. Forfalas “North Falas”
- S. Forlindon “Lindon north of the Gulf of Lune”
- S. Forlond “North Haven”
- S. Forlonnas “North-harbourage”
- S. Fornarthan “North Beacon” ✧ VT42/30
- S. Fornost “Norbury, (lit.) Northern Fortress” ✧ RC/774; SA/formen
Variations
- for ✧ PE17/018
- for(n)- ✧ VT42/30
forn
noun. right, north
forod
noun. north
forod
noun. north
Cognates
- Q. formen “north, north, [ᴹQ.] right-hand [direction]” ✧ LotR/1123; PE17/018; SA/formen
Element in
- S. Forochel “*Northern Ice” ✧ PE17/116
- S. Forodwaith “North-region, Northmen”
forvo
noun. right hand
forvo
noun. right side
mab-
noun. a hand-full, complete hand (with all five fingers)
maw
noun. hand
maw
noun. hand
The Sindarin equivalent of Q. má, likewise derived from the root √MAH or √MAƷ “hand; handle, wield” (PE17/162; VT47/6). However, in Sindarin this word was archaic, used only in poetry, having been replaced in ordinary speech by other words like S. mâb and (less often) cam. Other remnants of this word can be seen in compounds like molif “wrist, (orig.) hand link” and directional words like forvo and harvo for left and right hand side.
Conceptual Development: In the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, G. mô from the early root ᴱ√MAHA was the normal word for “hand”, replacing mab “hand” (< ᴱ√MAHA) which in this document Tolkien decided was instead an irregular dual form of mô (GL/55). It had also had an irregular plural mabin based on this dual, replacing an older plural †maith. In the Gnomish Grammar, its archaic form was †mâ, with the usual Gnomish sound change of ā to ō (GG/14), as opposed to later Sindarin/Noldorin ā to au, spelt -aw when final. Tolkien seems to have abandoned mô as a non-archaic word for “hand” early on, preferring ᴱN. mab “hand” by the 1920s and introducing N. cam “hand” in the 1930s.
Cognates
Derivations
- √MAH “handle, manage, control, wield; serve, be of use, handle, manage, control, wield; serve, be of use; [ᴹ√] hand; [ᴱ√] grasp” ✧ PE17/162
- ✶mā “hand” ✧ VT47/06
- ✶maha “hand, the manager” ✧ PE19/074; PE19/102; VT47/06; VT47/07; VT47/35
- √MAH “handle, manage, control, wield; serve, be of use, handle, manage, control, wield; serve, be of use; [ᴹ√] hand; [ᴱ√] grasp” ✧ VT47/18; VT47/18
- √MAG “good (physically); to thrive, be in a good state, good (physically); to thrive, be in a good state; [ᴹ√] use, handle” ✧ VT47/18
- √MAH “handle, manage, control, wield; serve, be of use, handle, manage, control, wield; serve, be of use; [ᴹ√] hand; [ᴱ√] grasp” ✧ PE21/70
- √MAG “good (physically); to thrive, be in a good state, good (physically); to thrive, be in a good state; [ᴹ√] use, handle” ✧ VT47/18
- √MAG “good (physically); to thrive, be in a good state, good (physically); to thrive, be in a good state; [ᴹ√] use, handle” ✧ VT47/18
Element in
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √MAƷ > maw [mā] > [mǭ] > [mau] ✧ PE17/162 ✶mā > maw [mā] > [mǭ] > [mau] ✧ VT47/06 √mag > maw [mā] > [mǭ] > [mau] ✧ VT47/18
mâb
noun. a hand-full, complete hand (with all five fingers)
mâb
noun. hand, hand, [N.] grasp
The typical Sindarin word for “hand” (VT47/7, 20), usable in almost any context. It is most notable as an element in the name Mablung “Heavy Hand” (VT47/8). See below for a discussion of its etymology.
Conceptual Development: This word dates all the way back to the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, where G. mab “hand” appeared as a derivative of the early root ᴱ√MAPA “seize” (GL/55). Tolkien then revised the gloss to “hands”, saying instead it was an irregular dual of G. mô “hand”. The word reverted to singular ᴱN. mab “hand” in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s (PE13/149). These early versions of the word were already an element of Mablung “Heavy Hand(ed)” (LT2/38; LB/311), but also of Ermabwed “One-handed” (LT2/34; LB/119).
In the 1930s it seems Tolkien decided Ilk. mâb “hand” was primarily an Ilkorin word, and the usual word for “hand” in Noldorin was N. cam. Compare Ilkorin Ermabuin “One-handed” and Mablosgen “Empty-handed” with Noldorin Erchamion and Camlost of the same meaning. In The Etymologies of the 1930s, Tolkien had N. mab “grasp” under the root ᴹ√MAPA “seize”, but the version of the entry with that word was overwritten (EtyAC/MAP), leaving only the Ilkorin form mâb. In this period, Mablung may also have been an Ilkorin name.
After Tolkien abandoned Ilkorin in the 1950s, he kept S. Erchamion and Camlost based on cam, but also kept Mablung “Heavy Hand” which must have become Sindarin. In his later writings Tolkien again revisited the etymology of S. mâb “hand”. In a note from Jan-Feb 1968, he wrote:
> It [Q. má = “hand”] did not survive in Telerin and Sindarin as an independent word, but was replaced by the similar-sounding but unconnected C.E. makwā, Q. maqua, T. mapa, S. mab, of uncertain origin, but probably originally an adjectival formation from MAK “strike” ... (VT47/19).
This sentence was struck through, however. In drafts of notes on Elvish Hands, Fingers and Numerals written in or after 1968, Tolkien again derived mâb from √MAP (VT47/20 note #13), but in the final version of these notes he made the remarkable decision to discard this root despite it being a stable part of Elvish for nearly 50 years, declaring it was used only in Telerin and not Quenya or Sindarin (VT47/7). He coined a new etymology for S. mâb “hand” based on ✶makwā “handful” = ✶mā + ✶kwā (VT47/6-7), a variation on the above etymology from √MAK.
Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I prefer to ignore Tolkien’s 1968 removal of √MAP “seize”, and so would continue to derive S. mâb “hand” from that root. However, its ancient meaning may have been “✱grasp”, and its eventual use as “hand” might have been influenced by ancient ✶makwā “handful”.
Cognates
- Q. maqua “hand-full, group of five (similar) things; hand (colloquial); closing or closed [hand] (facing down) for taking” ✧ VT47/06; VT47/19; VT47/20
Derivations
- ✶makwā “a hand-full, complete hand with all five fingers” ✧ VT47/06; VT47/07; VT47/19
- √MAK “cut, hew with a sharp edge; kill, slay; forge metal, cut, hew with a sharp edge, [ᴹ√] cleave; sword, fight (with a sword); ️[√] forge metal; kill, slay” ✧ VT47/19
- √MAP “take away, take hold of, grasp, take away, take hold of, grasp, [ᴹ√] lay hold of with hand, seize” ✧ VT47/20
Element in
- ᴺS. mablanthos “sycamore”
- S. Mablung “Heavy Hand” ✧ VT47/07
- ᴺS. mabren “handed, having hands, dextrous”
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶makwā > mâb [makwā] > [mapā] > [mapa] > [map] > [mab] > [māb] ✧ VT47/06 ✶makwā > mâb [makwā] > [mapā] > [mapa] > [map] > [mab] > [māb] ✧ VT47/07 ✶makwā > mâb [makwā] > [mapā] > [mapa] > [map] > [mab] > [māb] ✧ VT47/19 √MAP > măpo > mâb [mapo] > [map] > [mab] > [māb] ✧ VT47/20
cam
hand
1) cam (i gam, o cham), pl. caim (i chaim), coll. pl. cammath; 2) mâb (i vâb; construct mab), pl. maib (i maib). 3) Archaic †maw (i vaw), pl. moe (i moe). A homophone means ”soil, stain”. (VT47:6) 4) (fist) dond (i dhond; construct don), pl. dynd (i nynd), coll. pl. donnath (VT47:23).
cam
hand
(i gam, o cham), pl. caim (i chaim), coll. pl. cammath
camlann
of the hand
(i gamlann, o chamlann), pl. cemlain (i chemlain).
crûm
left hand
(i grûm, o chrûm, construct crum), pl. cruim (i chruim), coll. pl. crummath. Also ✱hair (i chair), no distinct pl. form (not even with article). Note: hair is also used = ”left” as adjective. Cited in archaic form heir (LR:365 s.v. KHYAR).
dond
hand
(i dhond; construct don), pl. dynd (i nynd), coll. pl. donnath (VT47:23).
forgam
right-handed
(pl. fergaim, for archaic förgeim)
forod
north
#forod (isolated from Forodrim ”northmen”), also fôr (the latter also = right). The term Forven may refer to ”north” as a direction rather than a region (the element -ven means ”way”).
forod
north
(isolated from Forodrim ”northmen”), also fôr (the latter also = right). The term Forven may refer to ”north” as a direction rather than a region (the element -ven means ”way”).
fôr
right
(north), pl. fŷr.
maw
hand
(i vaw), pl. moe (i moe). A homophone means ”soil, stain”. (VT47:6)
mâb
hand
(i vâb; construct mab), pl. maib (i maib).
tîr
right
(lenited dîr, no distinct pl. form) Note: a homophone means ”looking, view, glance” (noun).
@@@ likely from [pʰorja] as suggested by David Salo (GS/255), thus a later version of than feir “right (hand)” with a different phonetic development. In the 2008 version of his Sindarin Dictionary, Didier Willis suggested fair as the Sindarized form of N. feir (HSD/fair), but more recent research indicates that fuir < ✱phorya is more likely, as suggested to me in a private chat by Elaran on 2018-08-26; see the entry on how [[s|[œi] became [ui] or [y]]] in Sindarin for further details.