mor

root. black, dark, darkness

This root was connected to “black” and “darkness” for all of Tolkien’s life. It first appeared as unglossed ᴱ√MORO in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. móre “night” and ᴱQ. morna “black” (QL/62). In the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon it had derivatives like G. morn “dark, black” and G. morth “darkness” (GL/58). It appeared as ᴹ√MOR in The Etymologies of the 1930s with a similar set of derivatives (Ety/MOR) and √MOR was mentioned regularly in Tolkien’s later writings with glosses like “black, dark, darkness” (Let/308, 382; PE17/73).

Derivatives

• ✶mori “black” ✧ Let/382
  • Q. morë “dark, black; darkness, night, dark, black; darkness, [ᴹQ.] blackness, [Q.] night” ✧ Let/382
  • S. môr “dark(ness); †night, dark(ness); †night, [N.] †black” ✧ Let/382; NM/279
• ✶mornā “dark” ✧ Let/382
  • Q. morna “black, dark; black of hair, black, dark; black of hair; [ᴹQ.] sombre, gloomy” ✧ Let/382
  • S. morn “black, dark; night” ✧ Let/382; WJ/362
• Q. morna “black, dark; black of hair, black, dark; black of hair; [ᴹQ.] sombre, gloomy” ✧ PE17/073
• Q. mornië “darkness, blackness” ✧ PE17/073

Element in

• Q. Moriquendi “Elves of the Darkness, (lit.) Dark Elves” ✧ SA/mor
• Q. Mormacil “Black Sword”
• ᴺQ. mortavar “ebony, ivory”
• Q. Morwë
• S. Morannon “Black Gate” ✧ Let/382; PE17/073
• S. Moravar
• S. Morbenedh “*Dark-elf”
• S. Mordor “Black Land” ✧ Let/382; PE17/073; SA/mor
• S. Morgoth “Black Foe, Dark Foe, Black Enemy, Dark Tyrant” ✧ Let/382; PE17/073; SA/mor
• S. morgul “black arts, sorcery, necromancy” ✧ Let/382; PE17/036
• S. Moria “Black Chasm, Black Pit” ✧ Let/382; Let/384; SA/mor
• S. Mormegil “Black Sword” ✧ SA/mor
• S. Morwen “Dark Maiden” ✧ SA/mor

Variations

• mor ✧ Let/308; SA/mor
• mor- ✧ PE17/036

mori

adjective. black

Derivations

• √MOR “black, dark, darkness” ✧ Let/382

Derivatives

• Q. morë “dark, black; darkness, night, dark, black; darkness, [ᴹQ.] blackness, [Q.] night” ✧ Let/382
• S. môr “dark(ness); †night, dark(ness); †night, [N.] †black” ✧ Let/382; NM/279

Element in

• ✶morikwende “*Dark-elf, [ᴹ✶] Dark-elf”
• ✶Moriñgotho “Black Foe” ✧ PE19/081
• ᴺS. merifind “Black-haired”

Variations

• morĭ ✧ PE19/081

manrā

adjective. good

Derivations

• √MAN “good (morally), blessed, holy, unmarred, free from evil, good (morally), blessed, holy, unmarred, free from evil; [ᴹ√] holy spirit” ✧ PE17/162

Derivatives

• Q. mára “good, proper, good, proper; [ᴹQ.] useful, fit, good (of things), [ᴱQ.] excellent; mighty, power, doughty” ✧ PE17/162