The Sindarin word for a “fist” or a “closed hand” (PE17/42; PM/179), derived from either ✶kwārē or ✶kwāră (PE17/42; VT47/8) with the usual sound changes of ancient kw to p and ā to au. The word paur is most notable as the element -bor in the name Celebrimbor “Silver-fist”, with the usual soft-mutation of p to b and the change of au to o in polysyllables. In 1968 notes on Eldarin Hands, Fingers and Numerals Tolkien specified that “its chief use was in reference to the tightly closed hand as in using an implement or a craft-tool rather than to the ‘fist’ as used in punching” (VT47/8). For a “punching fist” the word [N.] drambor is more likely to be used.
Conceptual Development: N. paur “fist” first appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√KWAR, neither of which was deleted (Ety/KWAR). In the first version of this root, the form was N. par “hand” (EtyAC/KWAR).
(baur) _ n. _fist. Q. quáre. >> Celebrimbor