_ n. _death. guru << gûru.
Sindarin
guru
noun. death, death (abstract)
guru
noun. death
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)
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.