balrog

proper name. Demon of Might

The great fire demons of Melkor, a combination of the root √BAL “power” with raug “demon” (SA/rauko, val; PE17/48).

Conceptual Development: The name G. Balrog appeared in the earliest Lost Tales (LT1/93) and always kept this form in Tolkien’s writings, but its meaning and etymology evolved over time: G. “a kind of fire demon” (GL/21), ᴱN. “evil demon” (PE13/138), N. “✱Torment Demon” (Ety/ÑGWAL, RUK), an untranslated orc word (LR/404) and finally S. “Mighty Demon” (PE17/48).

balrog

demon

n. (mighty) demon. A word made in ancient S. for the spirits (of 'māyan' origin) corrupted to his service by Melkor in the days outside Arda, before the coming of the Elves and the assault uopon Utumno. Q. pl1. Valaraucar. In a draft, Tolkien presented the Balrogs as of "Valar or Maian origin" (PE17:48). >> raug

balrog

noun. demon of power

bal- (stem “cruel” [Etym. ÑGWAL-]) + raug (“powerful and hostile creature, demon”)

balrog

fire-demon

balrog (i valrog), pl. balroeg (i malroeg). Coll. pl. balrogath is attested. Archaic form *balraug. (MR:79, WJ:415). The etymological meaning is rather ”power-demon”.

balrog

fire-demon

balrog (i valrog), pl. balroeg (i malroeg), coll. pl. balrogath (MR:79). Archaic form *balraug.

balrog

fire-demon

(i valrog), pl. balroeg (i malroeg). Coll. pl. balrogath is attested. Archaic form ✱balraug. (MR:79, WJ:415). The etymological meaning is rather ”power-demon”.

Balrogs

Balrogs

Balrog is Sindarin for "Demon of Might" from bal-, "power" and raug, rog, "demon". The Quenya form Valarauko points to a possible Primitive Quendian form *balaraukô. In the earlier Etymologies, the word Balrog was derived from ñgwalaraukô, but this is inconsistent with Quenya Valarauko. A list of Old English equivalents of Elvish words, glosses Balrog as having the equivalent Bealuwearg and Bealubroga. As noted by Christopher Tolkien, the Old English word contains the elements bealu ("evil"; as in bale(ful)) and wearg ("wolf, outlaw") or broga ("terror").

raug

demon

n. demon. Q. rauca. >> Balrog

raug

demon

raug (-rog in compounds, as in Balrog), pl. roeg (idh roeg), coll. pl. #rogath (isolated from Balrogath, MR:79). Also used = ”powerful, hostile, and terrible creature”.

raug

demon

(-rog in compounds, as in Balrog), pl. roeg (idh roeg), coll. pl. #rogath (isolated from Balrogath, MR:79). Also used = ”powerful, hostile, and terrible creature”.

balrog

proper name. *Torment Demon

rhaug

noun. demon

Malcaraucë

balrog

Malcaraucë noun "balrog", also Valkaraucë _("k")_(LT1:250; in Tolkien's later Quenya Valarauco)

Valcaraucë

balrog

Valcaraucë ("k") noun "balrog", also Malcaraucë (LT1:250; in Tolkien's later Quenya valarauco)

malarauco

balrog, demon

malarauco noun "balrog, demon" (RUK - rather valarauco in Tolkien's later Quenya)

valarauko

proper name. Demon of Might

Quenya name for a Balrog, a combination of some derivative of the root √BAL “power” with rauco “demon” (SA/rauko, val; PE17/48). It also appeared as Valarauka (PE17/48).

Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon from the 1910s, their name was either ᴱQ. Valkarauke “✱Cruel Demon” or ᴱQ. Malkarauke “✱Torment Demon” (QL/58, 60, 101-2). In The Etymologies from the 1930s, the second form reappeared as ᴹQ. Malarauko of similar meaning (Ety/RUK), but in this conceptual period it seems to be a loan word from either Noldorin or Orcish (LR/404). The forms Valarauka or Valarauko emerged in Tolkien’s later writing (PE17/48, WJ/415).

Valarauco

demon of might

Valarauco ("k") noun "Demon of Might" (here vala- assumes its basic meaning "power, might"), Sindarin balrog(WJ:415). Pl. Valaraucar (sic, not -or) "Balrogs", apparently containing rauca (q.v.) as an alternative form of rauco "demon" (SA:val-, SA:rauco). Earlier forms from the "Qenya Lexicon" are Valcaraucë, Malcaraucë (q.v.), apparently abandoned in LotR-style Quenya.

rauco

powerful, hostile, and terrible creature

rauco ("k") noun "a powerful, hostile, and terrible creature", "very terrible creature", especially in the compound Valarauco noun "Demon of Might" _(WJ:415, VT39:10, cf. SA:raukor. In the Etymologies, stem RUK, the gloss is "demon".)_ Longer variant arauco. The plural form Valaraucar "Balrogs" seems to contain the variant rauca.

arauco

powerful, hostile, and terrible creature; demon

arauco ("k")noun "a powerful, hostile, and terrible creature; demon" (variant of rauco). Tolkien's earlier "Qenya" has araucë "demon" (WJ:415, LT1:250)

arauco

noun. demon

rauca

demon

rauca ("k")noun "demon" (PE17:48). Variant of rauco, q.v.

rauca

noun. demon

raukō

noun. demon