moria

place name. Black Chasm, Black Pit

Sindarin name for Khazad-dûm after the Dwarves were driven out by the Balrog, translated “Black Pit” (LotR/283, PE17/35) or “Black Chasm” (Let/382, PE17/40). It is a combination of morn “black” and iâ “chasm, pit” (PE17/35; SA/mor, iâ).

Conceptual Development: In Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, this name first appeared as N. Moria “Black Gulf” (RS/429). Its translation was later revised to “Black Pit” (TI/166). It also appeared in The Etymologies with essentially the same derivation as given above (Ety/YAG).

Derivations

• ✶Mornyā “Black Pit” ✧ PM/045

Element in

• S. Angerthas Moria “Angerthas of Moria”
• S. Ennyn Durin Aran Moria “the Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria” ✧ LotR/0305; PE17/040

Elements

Word	Gloss
morn	“black, dark; night”
iâ	“chasm, pit; void, abyss, chasm, pit; void, abyss; [N.] gulf”

Variations

• Mor-ia ✧ Let/178

Moria

noun. black chasm

mor (from stem mor “dark, black”) + iâ (“abyss, void”)

Moria

'Black Pit

topon. 'Black Pit, Black Chasm'.

Moria

Moria

The name Moria is composed of the Sindarin elements mor "black, dark" and iâ "void, abyss". Khazad-dûm was so called in Sindarin by the Gwaith-i-Mírdain, as for them it was but a "Dark Chasm". Although the Dwarves considered it a derogatory name, Celebrimbor went as far as to write the name "Moria" on the West-gate.[source?]