guru

noun. death, death (abstract)

A Sindarin word for “death” derived from primitive ✶ñgurū (PE17/87), unusual in that its primitive ancient vowel u did not vanish. In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien had variant forms [N.] gûr and gurw “death” marked with a “?”, both derived from Old Noldorin nguru and indicating some uncertainty on the exact phonetic developments (EtyAC/ÑGUR). Elsewhere in The Etymologies Tolkien said that [N.] guru was “Death as state or abstract”, as opposed to [N.] gwanw or gwanath for the “act of dying” (Ety/GWAN).

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would assume guru was for death as an abstraction or principle, and for the death of individuals I would use either gurth or gwanu/gwanath; see those entries for discussion.

guru

noun. death

_ n. _death. guru << gûru.

guruthos

noun. dread of death, death-horror, shadow of death, dread of death, death-horror, shadow of death, [N.] fear of death

A word for the fear of death in the phrase le nallon sí di’nguruthos, translated in The Road Goes Ever On published from 1967 as “here overwhelmed in dread of Death I cry” or more literally “to thee I cry here beneath-death-horror” (RGEO/64), also translated in a 1958 letter to Rhona Beare as “to thee I cry now in the shadow of (the fear of) death” (Let/278). In notes from the late 1950s or early 1960s, Tolkien identified the elements as guru “death” and thoss “fear” (PE17/87), based on the roots √ÑGUR and √THOS (PE17/95).

Conceptual Development: The form N. {gurthos >>} guruthos “fear of death” appeared in the margin of The Etymologies next to the entry for the root ᴹ√GOS “dread” where the word’s final element was probably N. gost “dread, terror” (EtyAC/GOS). As such, its initial element when the word was first introduced was probably N. guruth “death” (Ety/ÑGUR).

guruthos

noun. shadow of death

_ n. _shadow of death. >> nguruthos

guruthos

noun. the shadow of death, death-horror

nguruthos

noun. shadow of death

_ n. _shadow of death. >> guruthos

guruth

death

(i nguruth = i ñuruth, o n’guruth = o ñguruth), pl. gyryth (in gyryth = i ñgyryth)

guruthos

dread of death

(i nguruthos = i ñuruthos, o n’guruthos = o ñguruthos) (death-horror), pl. (if there is a pl.) either guruthys (in guruthys = i ñguruthys) or gyrythys (in gyrythys = i ñgyrythys) with umlaut throughtout the word. Coll. pl. guruthossath.

guruthos

death-horror, dread of death

guruthos (i nguruthos, o n**guruthos), pl. (if there is a pl.) either guruthys (in guruthys = i ñguruthys) or gyrythys (in gyrythys = i ñgyrythys) with umlaut throughtout the word. Coll. pl. guruthossath**.

guruthos

death-horror, dread of death

(i nguruthos, o n’guruthos), pl. (if there is a pl.) either guruthys (in guruthys = i ñguruthys) or gyrythys (in gyrythys = i ñgyrythys) with umlaut throughtout the word. Coll. pl. guruthossath.

curu

cunning device

(i guru, o churu) (skill, craft), pl. cyry (i chyry) (VT45:24). Similar forms function as adjectives:

Nûrnen

place name. Death

_ topon. _Death, dead water. >> guru

gurth

noun. death

The usual Sindarin word for “death”, derived from the root √ÑGUR of similar meaning (UT/39; Ety/ÑGUR).

Conceptual Development: This word dates all the way back to the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/43), anchored by well established names like Gurthang or Gurtholf(in), the name of Túrin’s sword. Tolkien experimented with various alternate forms over the years, such as G. urthu (GG/14), G. gurthu (GL/43), ᴱN. gurdh (PE13/146) and N. guruth (Ety/ÑGUR), but kept coming back to gurth as the basic form.

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would use this word for death in general and especially violent death, as opposed to the more euphemistic [N.] gwanath or gwanu “death”, more literally “departure”.

gwanath

death

1) (act of dying) gwanath (i **wanath), pl. gwenaith (in gwenaith), 2) (act of dying, especially the ”death” of Elves by fading or weariness) gwanu (i **wanu), analogical pl. gweny (in gweny). Archaic gwanw (LR:397 s.v. WAN), hence coll. pl. ?gwanwath. Other words (rather referring to Death as a state or abstract): 3) gûr (i ngûr = i ñûr, o n**gûr = o ñgûr, construct gur), pl. guir (in guir = i ñguir), 4) gurth (i ngurth = i ñurth, o n**gurth = o ñgurth), pl. gyrth (in gyrth = i ñgyrth), 5) guruth (i nguruth = i ñuruth, o n**guruth = o ñguruth), pl. gyryth (in gyryth** = i ñgyryth)

gorog

noun. horror

coru

adjective. cunning, wily

dae

noun. shadow

dae

noun. shadow, shadow (cast by an object or form), [N.] shade

dael

noun. horror

_ n. _horror.

dael

noun. horror

del

noun. horror

gorgor

noun. extreme horror, terror, haunting fear

gorog

noun. horror

gorth

noun. horror

gorth

noun. horror

gurth

noun. death

gwanu

noun. death (act of dying, not death as a state or abstract)

morchant

noun. shadow (of objects, cast by light), dark shape

achas

dread

(fear), pl. echais. It is possible that the word is lenited in the source, and that it should have an initial g-; if so read gachas (i ’achas), pl. gechais (i ngechais = i ñechais), coll. pl. achassath.

angos

horror

1) angos (pl. engys) (VT45:15), 2) dêl (i dhêl, construct del) (disgust, fear, loathing), pl. dîl (i nîl), 3) delos (i dhelos) (fear, abhorrence, dread, detestation, loathing), pl. delys (i nelys), coll. pl. delossath. A side-form ends in -oth (pl. -yth) instead of -os (-ys). 4) girith (i **irith) (shuddering), no distinct pl. form except with article (i ngirith = i ñirith), 5) gôr (i ngôr = i ñôr, o n**gôr = o ñgôr, construct gor) (fear, dread), pl. gŷr (in gŷr = i ñgŷr). Note: a homophone means ”vigour” but has different mutations. 6) gorog (i ngorog = i ñorog, o n**gorog = o ñgorog), pl. geryg (in geryg = i ñgeryg) (WJ:415). Archaic pl. göryg. 7) goroth (i ngoroth = i ñoroth, o n**goroth = o ñgoroth) (dread), pl. geryg (in geryg = i ñgeryg) (WJ:415). Archaic pl. göryth. 8) gorth (i ngorth = i ñorth, o n**gorth = o ñgorth) (dread), pl. gyrth (in gyrth = i ñgyrth). _(WJ:415) _Note: a homophone means ”dead; dead person”, 9) goss (i **oss, construct gos) (dread), pl. gyss (i ngyss = i ñyss).

angos

horror

(pl. engys) (VT45:15)

coru

cunning

(adj.) coru (wily), lenited goru, analogical pl. cery. Archaic corw (pl. cyrw).

coru

cunning

(wily), lenited goru, analogical pl. cery. Archaic corw (pl. cyrw).

dae

shadow

(i dhae) (shade), no distinct pl. form except with article (i nae).

daedhelos

great dread

(i naedhelos, o ndaedhelos), pl. daedhelys (i ndaedhelys). Coll. pl. daedhelossath. A side-form ends in -oth instead of -os. The word appears in the mutated form "ndaedelos" in LotR Appendix F, but since the second element must be delos "abhorrence" and it would surely be lenited following a vowel, this would seem to be one of the cases where Tolkien wrote d even though dh would be technically correct.

daew

shadow

(i dhaew), no distinct pl. form except with article (i ndaew) (VT45:8).

delos

dread

(i dhelos) (fear, horror, abhorrence, detestation, loathing), pl. delys (i nelys), coll. pl. delossath. A side-form ends in -oth (pl. -yth) instead of -os (-ys).

delos

horror

(i dhelos) (fear, abhorrence, dread, detestation, loathing), pl. delys (i nelys), coll. pl. delossath. A side-form ends in -oth (pl. -yth) instead of -os (-ys).

dêl

horror

(i dhêl, construct del) (disgust, fear, loathing), pl. dîl (i nîl)

dúath

dark shadow

(i dhúath) (nightshade), pl. dúaith (i núaith). Compare the Ephel Dúath or ”Mountains of Shadow” forming th outer fence of Mordor, perhaps suggesting that Dúath is also the word used of Sauron as ”the Shadow”.

gae

dread

(i ’ae), no distinct pl. form except with article (i ngae = i ñae)

girith

horror

(i ’irith) (shuddering), no distinct pl. form except with article (i ngirith = i ñirith)

gorog

horror

(i ngorog = i ñorog, o n’gorog = o ñgorog), pl. geryg (in geryg = i ñgeryg) (WJ:415). Archaic pl. göryg.

goroth

dread

(i ngoroth = i ñoroth, o n’goroth = o ñgoroth) (horror), pl. geryg (in geryg = i ñgeryg) (WJ:415). Archaic pl. ✱göryth.

goroth

horror

(i ngoroth = i ñoroth, o n’goroth = o ñgoroth) (dread), pl. geryg (in geryg = i ñgeryg) (WJ:415). Archaic pl. göryth.

gorth

dread

(i ngorth = i ñorth, o n’gorth = o ñgorth) (horror), pl. gyrth (in gyrth = i ñgyrth). (WJ:415) Note: a homophone means ”dead; dead person”.

gorth

horror

(i ngorth = i ñorth, o n’gorth = o ñgorth) (dread), pl. gyrth (in gyrth = i ñgyrth). (WJ:415) Note: a homophone means ”dead; dead person”

goss

dread

(i ’oss, constuct gos) (horror), pl. gyss (i ngyss = i ñyss).

goss

horror

(i ’oss, construct gos) (dread), pl. gyss (i ngyss = i ñyss).

gost

dread

(i ngost = i ñost, o n’gost = o ñgost) (terror), pl. gyst (in gyst = i ñgyst).

gurth

death

(i ngurth = i ñurth, o n’gurth = o ñgurth), pl. gyrth (in gyrth = i ñgyrth)

gwanath

death

(i ’wanath), pl. gwenaith (in gwenaith)

gwanu

death

(i ’wanu), analogical pl. gweny (in gweny). Archaic gwanw (LR:397 s.v. WAN), hence coll. pl. ?gwanwath. Other words (rather referring to Death as a state or abstract):

gwâth

shadow

(i ’wâth; construct gwath) (shade, dim light), pl. gwaith (in gwaith) (UT:261)

gôr

dread

(i ngôr = i ñôr, o n’gôr = o ñgôr, construct gor) (fear, horror), pl. gŷr (in gŷr = i ñgŷr). Note: a homophone means ”vigour”, but has different mutations.

gôr

horror

(i ngôr = i ñôr, o n’gôr = o ñgôr, construct gor) (fear, dread), pl. gŷr (in gŷr = i ñgŷr). Note: a homophone means ”vigour” but has different mutations.

gûr

death

(i ngûr = i ñûr, o n’gûr = o ñgûr, construct gur), pl. guir (in guir = i ñguir)

morchant

shadow

1) morchant (i vorchant), pl. morchaint (i morchaint). The literal meaning is ”dark shape”, referring to shadows with a recognizable form. 2) dae (i dhae) (shade), no distinct pl. form except with article (i nae). 3) daew (i dhaew), no distinct pl. form except with article (i ndaew) (VT45:8). 4) gwâth (i **wâth; construct gwath) (shade, dim light), pl. gwaith (in gwaith) (UT:261) 5) muil (i vuil) (twilight, dreariness, vagueness), no distinct pl. except with article (i muil**),

morchant

shadow

(i vorchant), pl. morchaint (i morchaint). The literal meaning is ”dark shape”, referring to shadows with a recognizable form.

muil

shadow

(i vuil) (twilight, dreariness, vagueness), no distinct pl. except with article (i muil)

guru

noun. death (abstract)

guruth

noun. death

guruthos

noun. fear of death

guruth

noun. death

curu

noun. cunning

gurtholf

proper name. Wand of Death

angos

noun. horror

corw

adjective. cunning, wily

dae

noun. shadow

daew

noun. shadow

del

noun. horror

gae

noun. dread

goe

noun. dread

goroth

noun. horror

goroth

noun. horror

gwanath

noun. death (act of dying, not death as a state or abstract)

gwanw

noun. death (act of dying, not death as a state or abstract)

gûr

noun. death

ñgurū

noun. death

ngur

root. horror

(ñ)guruk

noun. horror

wath

noun. shadow

nuru

death, death

nuru, Nuru noun "death, Death" _(ÑGUR). This represents earlier ñuru (VT46:4) _and should be spelt accordingly in Tengwar writing. When personalized, Nuru refers to Mandos. Cf. Nurufantur.

urdu

death

urdu noun "death" (LT2:342; rather nuru in Tolkien's later Quenya)

urtu

noun. death

aista-

to dread

aista- (3) vb. "to dread" (GÁYAS, VT45:14; possibly obsoleted by #2 above)

effírië

death

#effírië noun "death" (isolated from effíriemmo "of our death"). A verbal stem *effir- "expire, die" seems to be implied. (VT43:34)

effírië

noun. death

findë

cunning

findë (2) noun? (less likely adj.) "cunning" (LT1:253; this "Qenya" word is possibly obsoleted by # 1 above)

finië

cunning

finië noun? "cunning" (LT1:253)

mordo

shadow, obscurity, stain

mordo (1) noun "shadow, obscurity, stain" (MOR)

norto

horror

norto (ñ)noun "a horror" _(VT46:4. In Tengwar writing, the initial N would be represented by the letter noldo, not númen.)_

finië

noun. cunning

ugru

noun. shadow

A noun translated “shadow” (SD/247), also described as “a word with the evil sense of ‘night’ or ‘dark’” (SD/306). It appears in the preprositional phrase ugru-dalad “under shadow” (SD/247) and in the draft-dative form ugrus “‽horror‽shadow” (SD/311).

agan

noun. death

A noun for “death” attested both as an independent word (SD/426) and in the compound agannâlô “death-shadow” (SD/247).

agân

masculine name. Death

The masculine personification of agan “death” (SD/426). This could be the Adûnaic name for Mandos.

nâlu

noun. shadow

A noun attested only in the compound agannâlô “death-shadow [is]” (SD/247, VT24/12). The first element of the compound, agan “death”, as identified elsewhere (SD/426), so the remaining element must mean “shadow”. The compound is the subject of the sentence agannâlô burôda nênud “death-shadow [is] heavy on us” and is therefore in the subjective case. According the grammatical rules of Lowdham’s Report, the only possibly normal form producing this subjective is nâlu: compare nîlu “moon” to its subjective form nîlô (SD/431).

Conceptual Development: In early writings, the compound was (non-subjective) agannūlo, so that the apparent draft form of this noun was nūlo. A similar form nūlu appears on SD/306, described only as “a word with the evil sense of ‘night’ or ‘dark’”. It could be a separate word or another variation of this word, with the development nūlo >> nūlu >> nālu. Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynne suggested (AAD/21) that the earlier forms may be related to ᴹQ. nulla “dark, dusky, obscure”.