fuir

adjective. north

A word appearing in the name Eryn Fuir “North Wood” in notes from the late 1960s that were ultimately struck through (VT42/20). David Salo suggested it was likely derived from ✱phorya (GS/255). If so, it would be a later version of N. fœir >> feir “right (hand)” from The Etymologies of the 1930s, which was the equivalent of ᴹQ. forya under the root ᴹ√PHOR of similar meaning (Ety/PHOR).

These differences between the Noldorin and Sindarin forms were due to varying phonetic developments in the 1930s vs. the 1950s-60s; see the entry on how œi became ui in Sindarin for more details.

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would use ᴺS. fuir in its 1930s sense “right (hand)”, since we have plenty of other words for “north”.

fuir

adjective. north

fair

noun. right (hand)

eryn fuir

place name. North Wood

The original Sindarin name of Roh. Firien woods, appearing in a deleted section of Tolkien’s essay on The Rivers and Beacon-hills of Gondor (VT42/20). The name is translated “North Wood”, a combination of eryn “woods” and fuir “north”.

fuir

right hand

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).

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

forn

adjective. north, north, [N.] right

An adjective for “north” based on the prefix for- (SA/formen; PE17/18). In The Etymologies of the 1930s it had the gloss “right or north” under the root ᴹ√PHOR “right-hand” (Ety/PHOR).

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of North-Sindarin I would use this adjective only for “north”, and for “right (hand)” I would use S. fuir; see that entry for discussion.

cam

noun. hand

camm

noun. hand

for-

prefix. north

A prefix for “north” (PE17/18) clearly based on the root ᴹ√PHOR “right-hand” (Ety/PHOR).

forn

noun. right, north

forod

noun. north

forod

noun. north

The Sindarin word for “north” derived from primitive ᴹ✶phoroti based on the root ᴹ√PHOR “right-hand” (LotR/1123; PE17/18; Ety/PHOR). It was the “right-hand direction” since the Elves reckoned their directions while facing west, so that “north” was to the right (LotR/1123). It can also be used for “the North” as a region, but Sindarin would do so without a definite article: mi Forod “in [the] North” (PE23/133).

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.

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”.

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).