The word muindor is more usual
Noldorin
gwador
noun. brother (especially used of those not brothers by blood, but sworn brothers or associates)
gwador
noun. (sworn) brother, associate
Cognates
- ᴹQ. otorno “sworn brother, associate [m.]” ✧ Ety/TOR
Derivations
- On. wator “brother” ✧ Ety/TOR
Element in
- ᴺS. gwadoras “union, association, fellowship, society”
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources On. wator > gwador [wator] > [gwator] > [gwador] ✧ Ety/TOR On. wator > gwedeir [watori] > [gwatori] > [gwetœri] > [gwetœir] > [gwedœir] > [gwedeir] ✧ Ety/TOR
muindor
noun. brother
muindor
noun. brother
tôr
noun. brother
tôr
noun. brother
An (archaic) word for “brother” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from the root ᴹ√TOR of the same meaning, with an irregular plural terein (Ety/TOR). In ordinary speech, it was replaced by muindor, with an initial element muin “dear”.
Neo-Sindarin: In notes from the late 1960s, Tolkien introduced a new word hanar for “brother” (VT47/14). However, I think †tôr and related words might be retained to mean a “metaphorical brother”, a close male associate who may or may not be related by blood, as with such words as gwador “(sworn) brother, associate”. In this paradigm, I would assume muindor still refers to a brother by blood, with an added connotation of strong affection.
Cognates
- ᴹQ. toron “brother” ✧ Ety/TOR
Derivations
Element in
- N. muindor “brother” ✧ Ety/TOR
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources On. toron > tôr [toron] > [toro] > [tor] > [tōr] ✧ Ety/TOR
A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “brother” that was “especially used of those not brothers by blood, but sworn brothers or associates”, a combination of prefix N. gwa- “together” with the root ᴹ√TOR “brother” (Ety/TOR).