gor-

prefix. owing to approach of GUR to other stems Sindarin tended to use gor- in a very strong sense of things very painful and horrible to do

_ pref. _owing to approach of GUR to other stems (as ÑGUR 'death', ÑGOR 'terror, dread') Sindarin tended to use gor- in a very strong sense of things very painful and horrible to do. It used dír- 'tough' for lesser efforts. Q. uru-. >> dirbedui, gorbedui, gornod

gor-

prefix. hard, difficult

A prefix meaning “awkward, hard” in Definitive Linguistic Notes (DLN) from 1959 derived from the root √GUR of similar meaning, used in words such as gornod “hard to count” (PE17/154). This example was given as gornodui [unglossed] in draft notes (PE17/172). Tolkien said:

> Sindarin owing to approach of √GUR- to other stems (as ÑGUR- “death”, NGOR- “terror, dread”) tends to use gor- in a very strong sense of things very painful and horrible to do; and uses dir- (tough) for lesser efforts (PE17/154).

As an example, Tolkien gave gorbedui “only to be said with horror or grief, lamentable to tell” as opposed to dirbedui “hard to utter, difficult to pronounce”.

gor-

verb. to warn, urge

dîr

adjective. hard, difficult

An adjective glossed “hard, difficult” in Definitive Linguistic Notes (DLN) from 1959 derived from the root {√DIR >>} √DER of similar meaning (PE17/154). The primitive form was {✶dīrā >>} ✶dērā where [after the change to the root], the [[s|ancient long [ē] became [ī]]] as usual in Sindarin. This word clashes with dîr “man”, but can be distinguished because (a) it is an adjective rather than a noun and (b) its mutations are different, because dîr “man” is from ancient nd- while dîr “difficult” is from ancient d-, as in i nîr dhîr “the difficult man, (lit.) the man difficult”.

Tolkien gave one example of this prefix’s use in dirbedui “hard to utter, difficult to pronounce”. In its prefixal use, Tolkien glossed it as “tough (for lesser efforts)”, contrasting it with gor- “difficult (of things very painful and horrible to do)”; see that entry for discussion.

Neo-Sindarin: I believe that the adjective dîr has the connotation “difficult due to the complexity of the task”. It can be contrasted with rhanc, which I use to mean “difficult due to some resistance or obstacle” for purposes of Neo-Sindarin; compare Q. hranga- “thwart”.

Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had similar-seeming G. diriol “tedious”, but that was based G. dîr “long (of time)” so was unlikely to be related conceptually (GL/30). In Gnomish Lexicon Slips modifying that document Tolkien considered the form duiriol “tedious” before reverting back to diriol (PE13/112), and there was no sign of this word thereafter except for its possible reemergence as dîr “difficult”.

gurgof

noun. traitor

gurgof

noun. traitor

pân

adjective. all, in totality

As no other word beginning in ph- is attested, it is assumed that a nasal mutation is triggered by the pronoun în.1 , hence the form observed in the "King's Letter"

pân

adjective. all, all, *complete, entire, full, the whole

@@@ extended meaning suggested on Discord 2022-03-11

Gorgoroth

deadly fear

gorgoroth (i ngorgoroth = i ñorgoroth, o n**gorgoroth = o ngorgoroth) (terror), pl. gergeryth (in gergeryth = i ñgergeryth). Archaic pl. görgöryth. Also in shorter form gorgor (i ngorgor = i ñorgor, o n**gorgor = o ñgorgor) (extreme horror), pl. gergyr (in gergyr = i ñgergyr), coll. pl. gorgorath (WJ:415). Archaic pl. *görgyr. (verb), see FEEL TERROR.

gorgor

deadly fear

gorgor (i ngorgor = i ñorgor, o n**gorgor = o ñgorgor) (extreme horror), pl. gergyr (in gergyr = i ñgergyr), coll. pl. gorgorath (WJ:415). Archaic pl. görgyr. Also in longer form gorgoroth (i ngorgoroth = i ñorgoroth, o n**gorgoroth = o ñgorgoroth) (terror), pl. gergeryth (in gergeryth = i ñgergeryth). Archaic pl. *görgöryth.

pân

all

(adj.) *pân, pl. pain (only attested in mutated pl. form phain, SD:128-31). Not to be confused with the noun pân ”plank”.

pân

all

pl. pain (only attested in mutated pl. form phain, SD:128-31). Not to be confused with the noun pân ”plank”.

hor-

verb. to warn, urge

der

root. hard, difficult

A root in linguistic notes from 1959 used for the sense “hard, difficult” in Sindarin because other roots like √GUR > S. gor- gained a very negative sense due to collision with the roots √ÑGOR “horror” and √ÑGUR “death” (PE17/154). Tolkien first gave this root as √DIR before switching it to √DER. There is no indication of its use in Quenya, so it is probably a Sindarin-only innovation.

dērā

adjective. hard, difficult

gōr(i)kubā

noun. traitor

il

root. all

A root meaning “all” in Tolkien’s writings from the 1930s through 1960s (VT48/25) with derivatives in both Quenya and Sindarin, the most notable being Q. Ilúvatar “All-father” (MR/39). Its earliest precursor is the root ᴱ√ILU “ether, the slender airs among the stars” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, whose derivatives include various sky-words as well as ᴱQ. Ilúvatar, since in this early period the name meant “Heavenly Father” (QL/42). The meaning of the root shifted to ᴹ√IL “all” in The Etymologies of the 1930s (Ety/IL), and it retained this sense thereafter.

srak

root. hard, difficult

gorgoroth

place name. Deadly Fear

ur(u)-

prefix. hard, difficult, difficult, hard

A prefix appearing in Definitive Linguistic Notes (DLN) from 1959, meaning “hard, difficult” based on the root √GUR of similar meaning (PE17/154). Tolkien gave as examples of its use: urucarin “made with difficulty” and urcarne or urucárima “hard to make / do”.

Conceptual Development: On a rejected draft page Tolkien also had an unglossed prefixal form ur- apparently derived from √GUR “hard, stiff, difficult, cumbrous, slow”, with an unglossed example urunóte or urnótima, likely “✱difficult to count” (PE17/172). On this same rejected page Tolkien had ur(u) based on √UTHU “unsuitable, bad, improper, useless, wrong”, but since this derivation doesn’t make sense this is probably a slip or misreading for the prefix us-; see that entry for discussion.

Neo-Quenya: I believe that ur(u)- has the connotation “difficult, arduous” due to the inherent complexity of the task, as opposed to hrai- meaning “difficult, hard” due to resistance from the thing or people being worked upon.

óricuva

noun. traitor

illi

all

illi noun "all" (as independent noun, apparently treated as a plural form). Imb' illi "among all" (VT47:30)

illi

pronoun. all

ilya

all

ilya adj. and noun "all" (LR:47, 56; SD:310), "all, the whole" (IL); "each, every, all of a particular group of things" (VT39:20); ilyë before a plural noun, "all" being inflected like an adjective (Nam, RGEO:67): ilyë tier "all paths" (Namárië, VT39:20), ilyë mahalmar "all thrones" (CO), ilya raxellor "from all dangers" (VT44:9; we might expect *ilyë raxellor here), ilyárëa (older ilyázëa) "daily, of every day" (evidently ilya "every" + árë, ázë "day" + -a adjectival ending) (VT43:18). Tolkien apparently abandoned ilyárëa in favour of ilaurëa, q.v.

ilyë

adjective. all

qual-

verb. to die

A verb for “to die” in Late Notes on Verb Structure (LVS) from 1969 (PE22/152), clearly based on the root √KWAL having to do with pain and death (PE18/91, 103; Ety/KWAL). As such, I would use this verb for undesirable or painful death, as opposed to fir- “to die (a natural or peaceful death)”.

Conceptual Development: ᴱQ. qal- meant “die” in Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s (PE16/134), and the root √KWAL had a long history of connection to death and pain in Tolkien’s writings.

katha

adjective. all

A word translated “all” in the Lament of Akallabêth (SD/288, VT24/12). This word appeared in the form kâtha in the final typescript version of the Lament (SD/247), but in all other instances appeared as katha. If the final typescript is later than the final manuscript, kâtha may be its final form, but I believe that the manuscript was later, and katha better matches its appearance as an element in kathuphazgân “conqueror” (SD/429). This last example is interesting in that it is an example of an adjective declined into the objective case.