A noun appearing only in its mutated form -habar in names like Anghabar “Iron-delvings” and Nornhabar “Dwarrowdelf, ✱Dwarf-delving” (WJ/209). It provides evidence for the retention of the root √SAP “dig” in Tolkien’s later writing.
Sindarin
sabar
noun. delved mine
sabar
noun. delving
Derivations
- √SAP “*dig”
Element in
sabar
mine
1) (delved mine) #sabar (i habar, o sabar), pl. sebair (i sebair). Isolated from the name Anghabar, ”iron mine”. The root _
sabar
mine
(i habar, o sabar), pl. sebair (i sebair). Isolated from the name Anghabar, ”iron mine”. The root SAPA ”dig, excavate” (QL:82) suggests that this -habar is a lenited form of ✱sabar. If the unlenited form is actually ✱habar, read: habar (i chabar, o chabar), pl. hebair (i chebair).
sabar
delved mine
#sabar (i habar, o sabar), pl. sebair (i sebair). Isolated from the name Anghabar, ”iron mine”. The root _
sabar
delved mine
(i habar, o sabar), pl. sebair (i sebair). Isolated from the name Anghabar, ”iron mine”. The root SAPA ”dig, excavate” (QL:82) suggests that this -habar is a lenited form of ✱sabar. If the unlenited form is actually ✱habar, read: habar (i chabar, o chabar), pl. hebair (i chebair).
groth
delving
(i ’roth) (cave, large excavation), pl. gryth (in gryth)
grôd
delving
1) grôd (i **rôd, construct grod) (cave, excavation, underground dwelling), pl. grŷd (in grŷd) (WJ:414), 2) groth (i **roth) (cave, large excavation), pl. gryth (in gryth)
grôd
delving
(i ’rôd, construct grod) (cave, excavation, underground dwelling), pl. grŷd (in grŷd) (WJ:414)
rhûd
mine
*rhûd (construct rhud, with article ?i thrûd or ?i rûd the lenition product of rh- is uncertain) (dwelling underground, artificial cave, rockhewn hall), pl. rhuid (?idh ruid). (PM:365).
rhûd
mine
(construct rhud, with article ?i thrûd or ?i rûd – *the lenition product of rh- is uncertain) (dwelling underground, artificial cave, rockhewn hall), pl. rhuid (?idh ruid). (PM:365)*.
The unmutated form is reconstructed from the place name Nornhabar, assuming that the second word is mutated in composition. Though habar as the regular form might be possible as well, in the Qenyaqetsa we find the root SAPA "dig, excavate" (PE/12:82), so it seems most likely that Tolkien re-used this old base, and that the underlying form in those names would indeed be sabar