torn

noun. burial mound

A word appearing in its plural form in Tyrn Gorthad “Barrow-downs” in The Lord of the Rings (LotR/1040). In notes on Words, Phrases and Passages from the Lord of the Rings (WPP) from the late 1950s or early 1960s, Tolkien translated torn as “burial mound” and the second element gorthad as “wraith, spirit of Dead” (PE17/116).

In notes on Sindarin genitives from around 1967 Tolkien had a nasal-mutated form Thor in the phrase i·m(b)air en Thor “the houses of the Dead” with unmutated Tor or Taur in the margin, but Tolkien revised this to i·m(b)air en N(d)engin “the houses of the Slain” (PE17/116). Christopher Gilson pointed out that this Tor/Taur might be connected to torn “burial mound”. It may be that Tolkien was uncertain which element of Tyrn Gorthad referred to the mounds, and which referred to the dead inside the mounds. He may also have felt constrained by the fact that tyrn was likely plural but gorthad was clearly singular.

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, it is probably easiest to assume torn means “burial mound” and gorthad means “wraith”.

torn

adjective. hidden, secret

torn

hidden

adj. hidden, secret. >> terech

torn

burial mound

pl1. tyrn n. burial mound. >> Tyrn Gorthad

torn

down

(noun) *torn (i dorn, o thorn), pl. tyrn (i thyrn). Only the pl. tyrn is attested, as part of the name Tyrn Gorthad ”Barrow-downs”.

torn

down

(i dorn, o thorn), pl. tyrn (i thyrn). Only the pl. tyrn is attested, as part of the name Tyrn Gorthad ”Barrow-downs”. 

thoren

hidden

(guarded, fenced), pl. thorin

hanar

noun. brother

hanar

noun. brother

A word for “brother” coined by Tolkien in notes on Eldarin Hands, Fingers and Numerals from the late 1960s, based on the root √KHAN of the same meaning and replacing the archaic form of the word †hawn (VT47/14). Remnants of this archaic form can be seem in the diminutive/affectionate form honeg “[little] brother” (VT48/6); Tolkien considered and apparently rejected alternates of the diminutive: honig and hanig (VT47/14; VT48/17).

Conceptual Development: The Etymologies of the 1930s had N. tôr “brother” from the root ᴹ√TOR (Ety/TOR), and the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had G. hethos “brother” from the early root ᴱ√HESE [HEÞE] (GL/48-49; QL/40). See those entries for discussion.

hawn

noun. brother

hawn

noun. brother

dolen

adjective. hidden, hidden, [N.] secret

honeg

noun. "litte brother"

Given as honig in VT/47:14, but see VT/48:17 n. 13 for discussion

honeg

noun. middle finger (Elvish play-name used by and taught to children)

Given as honig in VT/47:14, but see VT/48:17 n. 13 for discussion

dad

downward

;

dadbenn

downhill, sloping down

(inclined, prone [to do]), lenited dhadbenn, pl. dedbinn;

dolen

hidden

1) dolen (secret), lenited dholen, pl. dolin. Archaic daulen. 2) hall (veiled, shadowed, shady); lenited chall; pl. hail. Note: a homophone means ”high, exalted”, 3) thoren (guarded, fenced), pl. thorin, 4) thurin (secret); no distinct pl. form_.

dolen

hidden

(secret), lenited dholen, pl. dolin. Archaic daulen.

gwador

sworn brother

(i ’wador), pl. gwedyr (in gwedyr). In ”N”, the pl. was gwedeir (LR:394 s.v. TOR)

hall

hidden

(veiled, shadowed, shady); lenited chall; pl. hail. Note: a homophone means ”high, exalted”

hanar

brother

1) hanar (i chanar, o chanar), pl. henair (i chenair) (VT47:14). A more archaic term is *haun (spelt ”hawn” in source) (i chaun, o chaun), pl. hoen (i choen), coll. pl. honath.

hanar

brother

(i chanar, o chanar), pl. henair (i chenair) (VT47:14). A more archaic term is ✱haun (spelt ”hawn” in source) (i chaun, o chaun), pl. hoen (i choen), coll. pl. honath.

haudh

burial mound

haudh (i chaudh, o chaudh) (barrow, grave, tomb), pl. hoedh (i choedh), coll. pl. hodhath

haudh

burial mound

haudh (i chaudh, o chaudh) (barrow, grave, tomb), pl. hoedh (i choedh), coll. pl. hodhath.

honeg

little brother

(i choneg, o choneg), pl. honig (i chonig), also used as a play-name for the middle finger. (VT47:6, 16-17) 2) In older sources Tolkien listed different ”Noldorin” words for ”brother”: muindor (i vuindor), analogical pl. muindyr (i muindyr). Archaic/poetic †tôr (i** dôr, o thôr, construct tor), pl. teryn (i** theryn), coll. pl. toronath. In ”Noldorin”, the pl. was terein. 3) “Brother” in extended sense of “relative”: gwanur (i ’wanur) (kinsman, also kinswoman), pl. gwenyr (in gwenyr). Note: a homophone of the sg. means ”pair of twins”.

penna

slant down

(i benna, i phennar)

thurin

hidden

(secret); no distinct pl. form

toron

brother

toron (torn- as in pl. torni) noun "brother" (TOR; a later source gives háno, hanno [q.v.] as the word for "brother", leaving the status of toron uncertain)

otorno

brother, sworn brother, [male] associate

otorno noun "brother, sworn brother, [male] associate" (TOR, WŌ). Cf. osellë.

háno

noun. brother

A word for “brother” coined by Tolkien in notes on Eldarin Hands, Fingers and Numerals from the late 1960s, based on the root √KHAN of the same meaning (VT47/14). It had a diminutive/affectionate variant hanno used as a play name for the middle finger in several places in these notes (VT47/12; VT48/6).

Conceptual Development: The Etymologies of the 1930s had ᴹQ. toron “brother” from the root ᴹ√TOR (Ety/TOR), and the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s had ᴱQ. herendo “brother” from the early root ᴱ√HESE (QL/40). See those entries for discussion.

nunna

adverb. down

foina

hidden

foina adj. "hidden" (LT2:340)

furin

hidden, concealed

furin adj. "hidden, concealed" (also hurin, which form may be preferred in a LotR-compatible form of Quenya) (LT2:340)

hanno

brother

hanno noun "brother" (a colloquial form, cf. háno), also used in children's play for "middle finger" (VT47:12, 14, VT48:4, 6)

hurin

hidden, concealed

hurin adj. "hidden, concealed" (also furin) (LT2:340)

háno

brother

háno noun "brother", colloquially also hanno (VT47:12, 14). It is unclear whether Tolkien, by introducing this form, abandoned the older (TLT) word toron (q.v.)

muina

hidden, secret

muina adj. "hidden, secret" (MUY)

onóro

brother

onóro noun "brother" (of blood-kinship) (TOR, NŌ (WŌ) )

undu

down, under, beneath

undu adv. (and prep.?) "down, under, beneath" (UNU, VT46:20); prefixundu- "down", in undulávë "down-licked" = covered. (Nam)

undu

down

dad

adverb. down, downwards

dolen

adjective. hidden, secret

gwador

noun. brother (especially used of those not brothers by blood, but sworn brothers or associates)

muindor

noun. brother

muindor

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.

dad

adverb. down

tôr

noun. brother

The word muindor is more usual

hanna

noun. brother

háno

noun. brother

khan

root. brother

A root for “brother” that Tolkien introduced in notes on finger-names from the late 1960s as a companion to √NETH “sister” (VT47/14, 26, 34). It conflicts with, and possibly replaces, earlier uses for √KHAN such as √KHAN “back” in notes from around 1959 serving as the basis for the prefix Q. han- in hanquenta “answer” (PE17/166). The root ᴹ√KHAN also appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “understand, comprehend”, with various derivatives in both Quenya and Noldorin of similar meaning (Ety/KHAN).

It is unlikely that all these uses of √KHAN coexisted, but I think at a minimum both √KHAN “brother” and ᴹ√KHAN “understand, comprehend” should be retained for the purposes of Neo-Eldarin, as the latter has no good replacements in Tolkien’s later writing. As for hanquenta “answer”, it might be reinterpreted as “a saying providing understanding”, and so be derived from ᴹ√KHAN “understand”.