túrosto

place name. Mickleburg, (lit.) Great Fortress

Quenya name of Belegost (WJ/389). Its first element is a derivative of the root √TUR “strong” and the second element is osto “fortress”.

Cognates

• Kh. Gabilgathol “Great Fortress” ✧ WJ/389
• S. Belegost “Mickleburg, (lit.) Great Fortress” ✧ WJI/Belegost; WJI/Turosto

Elements

Word	Gloss
TUR	“dominate, master, conquer; power [over others], mastery (legitimate or illegitimate), control (of other wills); strong, mighty in power, dominate, master, conquer; power [over others], mastery (legitimate or illegitimate), control (of other wills); strong, mighty in power; [ᴹ√] victory; [ᴱ√] am strong”
osto	“fortress, stronghold, strong place, fortress, stronghold, strong place; [ᴹQ.] city, town with wall round”

belegost

place name. Mickleburg, (lit.) Great Fortress

Sindarin name of the Dwarven city of Kh. Gabilgathol, translated “Mickleburg” (S/91) and “Great Fortress” (WJ/209). This name is a compound of beleg “mighty” and ost “fortress” (SA/beleg, os(t)).

Conceptual Development: The name G. Belegost appeared in the earliest Lost Tales, already with the etymology given above (LT2/230, LT2A/Belegost). In one place it appeared in an extended form Ost Belegost (LT2/244).

The name reappeared in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, where it was translated “Great Fortress” alongside its Dwarven name Gabilgathol (LR/274). The name N. Belegost was translated “Great City” in The Etymologies (Ety/BEL), where its decomposition was made explicit as Beleg-ost (EtyAC/OS).

Cognates

• Kh. Gabilgathol “Great Fortress” ✧ WJI/Belegost; S/091; SI/Belegost; WJ/209; WJ/209; WJ/209; WJ/389; WJI/Gabilgathol
• Q. Túrosto “Mickleburg, (lit.) Great Fortress” ✧ WJI/Belegost; WJI/Turosto

Elements

Word	Gloss
beleg	“great, mighty; large, big, great, mighty; large, big, [ᴱN.] huge”
ost	“fort, fortress, stronghold, citadel; fortified town; enclosure, fort, fortress, stronghold, citadel; (fortified) town, [N.] city; [orig.] [S.] enclosure, [G.] yard”

gabilgathol

place name. Great Fortress

Cognates

• S. Belegost “Mickleburg, (lit.) Great Fortress” ✧ WJI/Belegost; S/091; SI/Belegost; WJ/209; WJ/209; WJ/209; WJ/389; WJI/Gabilgathol
• Q. Túrosto “Mickleburg, (lit.) Great Fortress” ✧ WJ/389
• N. Belegost “Great Fortress, Great City” ✧ LR/274; LRI/Gabilgathol

Elements

Word	Gloss
gabil	“great”
gathol	“fortress”