dûr

adjective. dark (with evil implications), gloomy, hellish

The basic Sindarin adjective for “dark” derived from primitive ✶(n)dūrā from the root √NDU “under, down” (PE17/152), but it acquired an “evil” sense by association with names like Barad-dûr and words like guldur “sorcery” (PE17/31), hence also “gloomy, hellish”. A more neutral word is morn, but strictly speaking that is the colour “black” rather than “dark”.

Conceptual Development: The earliest precursor of this word seems to be ᴱN. drú “dark” from Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s (PE13/142). N. dûr appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s, but as a derivative of ᴹ√DOƷ “night” rather than ᴹ√NDŪ “go down” (Ety/DOƷ). Later on, S. dûr was only influenced by dû “night” rather than being directly related to it (PE17/152).

dûr

dark (with evil implications

_adj. _dark (with evil implications, e.g. Barad-dûr). >> Barad-dûr

dûr

adjective. dark, sombre

dûr

dark

_ adj. _dark, gloomy, 'hellish'.

barad-dûr

place name. Dark Tower

Sauron’s fortress in Mordor, translated “Dark Tower” (LotR/555). It is a combination of barad “tower” and dûr “dark” (PE17/22, 85; RC/274; SA/barad, dûr).

Conceptual Development: In Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, this name was already N. Barad-dûr when it first appeared (TI/178).

mengas dûr

place name. ?Dark Gap in the Way

Rejected precursor to Cabed-en-Aras (WJ/156). The meaning of this name is unclear, but it might be a combination of men “road, way”, [N.] gas “gap” and dûr “dark”, perhaps meaning “✱Dark Gap in the Way” (as suggested by David Salo, GS/384).

Barad-dûr

place name. 'Dark Tower'

topon. #'Dark Tower'. >> barad, dûr

Barad-dûr

noun. dark tower

barad (“tower”) + dûr (“dark, somber”) #Dh could revert to d assimilated by the preceding d.

guldur

noun. black arts, sorcery

dûr

dark

dûr (sombre), lenited dhûr, pl. duir

dûr

sombre

dûr (dark), lenited dhûr, pl. duir

dûr

dark

(sombre), lenited dhûr, pl. duir

dûr

sombre

(dark), lenited dhûr, pl. duir

tûr

lord

(i** dûr, o thûr, construct tur) (mastery, power, control; master, victor), pl. tuir (i** thuir), coll. pl. túrath.

Barad-dûr

Barad-dûr

Barad-Dûr translates from Sindarin as "Dark Tower". barad means "tower" and dûr means "dark". Lugbúrz was the name of Barad-dûr in the Black Speech, composed of of the Black Speech words lûg ("fortress, lock-up, prison") and búrz ("dark").

Barad-dûr

Dark Tower

Barad-Dûr translates from Sindarin as "Dark Tower". barad means "tower" and dûr means "dark". Lugbúrz was the name of Barad-dûr in the Black Speech from Lug meaning "tower" and búrz meaning "dark".