fern

noun/adjective. dead, dead person; [N.] dead (of mortals)

An adjective in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “dead (of mortals)” under the root ᴹ√PHIR “die of natural causes”, used as a plural noun in the name Dor Firn i Guinar “Land of the Dead that Live” (Ety/PHIR). Christopher Tolkien choose to include the name Dor Firn-i-Guinar in the published version of The Silmarillion (S/188), and most Sindarin writers accept its ongoing validity.

gorth

noun/adjective. dead; dead (person)

A noun for a “dead [person]” appearing its plural form in the phrase Dor Gyrth i Chuinar “Land of the Dead that Live” (Let/417) and its mutated class-plural form in the phrase Fui ’Ngorthrim “Paths of the Dead” (RC/526). It is clearly based on the root √ÑGUR “death”. In a Discord conversation from 2022-10-14, Lokyt suggested that this form is likely a nominalized adjective, from primitive ✱ngurtā “dead”. As such, it can probably be used as both an adjective for “dead” and a noun for a “dead (person)”.

Gyrth i Chuinar

noun. dead who live

gyrth (#pl. of? dead) + in (here: plural relative pronoun) + cuinar (3p pl of cuina- “be alive”) #Given as Gyrth i Guinar, in the Silmarillion, which is probably a mistake.

núrnen

place name. Sad Water, Dead Water

The inland sea in the middle of Mordor. Its final element is clearly nen “water, lake” (SA/nen). The meaning of its initial element is less clear, though it may simply incorporate the name of the region containing the sea: Nurn.

Possible Etymology: In The Lord of the Rings, this sea was described as “the dark sad waters” (LotR/923) and its name was glossed “Sad Water” in Tolkien’s “Unfinished Index” of The Lord of the Rings (RC/457). However, there is no attested Sindarin word nûr with a meaning similar to “sad”.

In Words, Phrases and Passages from the Lord of the Rings from the late 1950s or early 1960s, Tolkien translated the name as “Death/dead water” (PE17/87), with its first element derived from √ÑGUR “death”. Elsewhere the Sindarin word for “death” is guru, so maybe Tolkien intended the first element to be from its Quenya cognate [ᴹQ.] nuru. Perhaps the poisoned waters of Mordor made life within Núrnen difficult, like the Dead Sea of Earth.

Hammond and Scull suggested the two concepts could be related, with “sad” being used in the sense “bitter” or “unpalatable”, referring to its poisoned waters (RC/457).

Conceptual Development: This name first appeared on the first draft map of The Lord of the Rings as N. Nurnen with a short u (TI/309). It later appeared with a long u, as N. Nûrnen (WR/127) and N/S. Núrnen (SD/56).

fuin

noun. night, dead of night, gloom, darkness

gorth

noun. a dead person

gorthrim

noun. the dead

deldúwath

place name. Deadly Nightshade, (lit.) Horror of Night-shadow

Another name for Taur-nu-Fuin, the forest of Dorthonion corrupted by Morgoth (S/155). Tolkien generally glossed this name as “Deadly Nightshade” (WJ/282, LR/282), but it is a combination of del “horror”, dû “night” and the lenited form of gwath “shadow” (SA/del, dú, gwath), hence literally meaning “Horror of Night-shadow” (SI/Deldúwath).

Conceptual Development: In the earliest Lost Tales, this forest was referred to only by its other name, G. Taurfuin “Forest of Night” (LT2/47). Starting in the Lays of Beleriand from the 1920s, Tolkien sometimes referred to the forest in English as “Deadly Nightshade” (LB/34). An Elvish form of this second name first appeared in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, initially as N. Math-Fuin-delos (SM/299), later changed to N. Gwathfuin-Daidelos (SM/311). In the mid-30s he changed the name again to N. Deldúwath (LR/147), a name that also appeared in The Etymologies as Deldú(w)ath (Ety/DEL). He used the form Deldúwath thereafter.

gwanwen

proper name. Departed

A term the Sindar used for the Elves who left Beleriand for Aman, derived from the same root as Q. vanwa: √WĀ/AWA (WJ/366, 378). Another variation was Gwanwel (WJ/378), perhaps incorporating †Ell “Elf”.

gwanwen

adjective. departed, departed, *gone, lost [to time], past

delu

adjective. hateful, deadly, fell

gorth

dead

(adj.) 1) gorth (lenited ngorth; pl. gyrth), also fern, pl. firn. These adjectives may also be used as nouns ”dead person(s)”. According to LR:381 s.v. _

gorth

dead person

gorth (i ngorth = i ñorth, o n**gorth = o ñgorth), pl. gyrth (in gyrth = i ñgyrth), coll. pl. Gorthrim**, the dead as a group (RC:526). Note: a homophone means ”dread, horror”.

fuin

dead of night

fuin (gloom, darkness, night, nightshade). No distinct pl. form.

fuin

dead of night

(gloom, darkness, night, nightshade). No distinct pl. form.

fuin

night, nightshade, dead of night

(gloom, darkness). No distinct pl. form.

hesg

adjective. withered, dead; chilled, chill

Gorgoroth

deadly fear

gorgoroth (i ngorgoroth = i ñorgoroth, o n**gorgoroth = o ngorgoroth) (terror), pl. gergeryth (in gergeryth = i ñgergeryth). Archaic pl. görgöryth. Also in shorter form gorgor (i ngorgor = i ñorgor, o n**gorgor = o ñgorgor) (extreme horror), pl. gergyr (in gergyr = i ñgergyr), coll. pl. gorgorath (WJ:415). Archaic pl. *görgyr. (verb), see FEEL TERROR.

delu

deadly

delu (hateful, fell), lenited dhelu; analogical pl. dely. Archaic delw (the only attested form);

delu

deadly

(hateful, fell), lenited dhelu; analogical pl. dely. Archaic delw (the only attested form);

gorgor

deadly fear

(i ngorgor = i ñorgor, o n’gorgor = o ñgorgor) (extreme horror), pl. gergyr (in gergyr = i ñgergyr), coll. pl. *gorgorath*** (WJ:415). Archaic pl. görgyr. Also in longer form gorgoroth (i ngorgoroth = i ñorgoroth, o n’gorgoroth = o ñgorgoroth) (terror), pl. gergeryth (in gergeryth = i ñgergeryth). Archaic pl. ✱görgöryth**.

gorgor

deadly fear

gorgor (i ngorgor = i ñorgor, o n**gorgor = o ñgorgor) (extreme horror), pl. gergyr (in gergyr = i ñgergyr), coll. pl. gorgorath (WJ:415). Archaic pl. görgyr. Also in longer form gorgoroth (i ngorgoroth = i ñorgoroth, o n**gorgoroth = o ñgorgoroth) (terror), pl. gergeryth (in gergeryth = i ñgergeryth). Archaic pl. *görgöryth.

gorgoroth

deadly fear

(i ngorgoroth = i ñorgoroth, o n’gorgoroth = o ngorgoroth) (terror), pl. gergeryth (in gergeryth = i ñgergeryth). Archaic pl. görgöryth. Also in shorter form gorgor (i ngorgor = i ñorgor, o n’gorgor = o ñgorgor) (extreme horror), pl. gergyr (in gergyr = i ñgergyr), coll. pl. *gorgorath*** (WJ:415). Archaic pl. ✱görgyr**.

gwann

departed

(dead), lenited ’wann; pl. gwain

gwanwen

departed

1) (past participle) gwanwen (lenited wanwen; pl. gwenwin), also as noun: a ”departed” one, one of the Elves of Aman: Gwanwen (i **Wanwen), pl. Gwenwin (in Gwenwin) (WJ:378), 2) gwann (dead), lenited wann; pl. gwain**;

gwanwen

departed

(lenited ’wanwen; pl. gwenwin), also as noun: a ”departed” one, one of the Elves of Aman: Gwanwen (i ’Wanwen), pl. Gwenwin (in Gwenwin) (WJ:378)

delu

adjective. hateful, deadly, fell

delu

hateful

delu (deadly, fell), lenited dhelu; analogical pl. dely. Archaic delw (the only attested form).

delu

hateful

(deadly, fell), lenited dhelu; analogical pl. dely. Archaic delw (the only attested form).

baw

interjection. no, don't!

dangen

adjective. slain

An adjective for “slain” derived from primitive ✶dankĭna (PE17/133), best known from its (mutated plural) appearance in the name Haudh-en-Ndengin “Hill of Slain” (S/197). N. dangen “slain” also appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√NDAK “slay” (Ety/NDAK). This adjective is likely the passive participle of the verb dag- “to slay”.

Conceptual Development: A similar adjective ᴱN. danc “killed in battle” appeared in the Early Qenya Phonology of the 1920s, also related to ᴱN. dag- “slay” (PE14/66).

dû

night

_ n. _night (when viewed favourably). Q. lóme.

thos

noun. fear

_ n. _fear. O.Q. þosse. >> di'nguruthos

thoss

noun. fear

ú

prefix. no, not (negative prefix or particle)

û

interjection. no

adv. or interj. no, not (of fact).

achas

fear

(noun) 1) achas (dread), pl. echais. It is possible that the word is lenited in the source, and that it should have an initial g-; if so read gachas (i **achas), pl. gechais (i ngechais = i ñechais), 2) dêl (i dhêl, construct del) (disgust, loathing, horror), pl. dîl (i nîl), 3) delos (i dhelos) (horror, abhorrence, dread, detestation, loathing), pl. delys (i nelys), coll. pl. delossath. Note: a side-form ends in -oth (pl. -yth) instead of -os (-ys). 4) gôr (i ngôr = i ñor, o n**gôr = o ñgôr, construct gor) (dread, horror), pl. gŷr (i ngŷr = i ñŷr). Note: a homophone means ”vigour” but has different mutations. 5) niphred (pallor); pl. niphrid.

achas

fear

(dread), pl. echais. It is possible that the word is lenited in the source, and that it should have an initial g-; if so read gachas (i ’achas), pl. gechais (i ngechais = i ñechais)

bannen

gone

#bannen (pl. bennin). Isolated from govannen ”met”, based on the assumption that this past participle includes a form of the verb #bad- ”go”.

bannen

adjective. gone

bannen

gone

(pl. bennin). Isolated from govannen ”met”, based on the assumption that this past participle includes a form of the verb #bad- ”go”.

baw!

no

! (interjection expressing refusal or prohibition, not denying facts) baw! (dont!) Prefix

baw!

no

(don’t!) Prefix

daedhelos

great fear

(i naedhelos, o ndaedhelos), pl. daedhelys (i ndaedhelys). Coll. pl. daedhelossath. A side-form ends in -oth instead of -os. The word appears in the mutated form "ndaedelos" in LotR Appendix F, but since the second element must be delos "abhorrence" and it would surely be lenited following a vowel, this would seem to be one of the cases where Tolkien wrote d even though dh would be technically correct. Another term for

daen

corpse

daen (i naen, o ndaen), same in pl. except with article (i ndaen)

daen

corpse

(i naen, o ndaen), same in pl. except with article (i ndaen)

dag

slain

(passive participle of dag- "slay", but treated almost like a derived noun) dangen (i nangen, o ndangen), pl. dengin (i ndengin; the spelling "in-ndengin" occurs in the Silmarillion). Compare SLAY.

dag

slain

"slay", but treated almost like a derived noun) dangen (i nangen, o ndangen), pl. dengin* (i ndengin*; the spelling "in-ndengin" occurs in the Silmarillion). Compare

daw

nighttime

(i dhaw) (gloom), pl. doe (i noe), coll. pl. ?dawath or ?doath.

delos

fear

(i dhelos) (horror, abhorrence, dread, detestation, loathing), pl. delys (i nelys), coll. pl. delossath. Note: a side-form ends in -oth (pl. -yth) instead of -os (-ys).

dêl

fear

(i dhêl, construct del) (disgust, loathing, horror), pl. dîl (i nîl)

dúath

nightshade

(i dhúath) (dark shadow), pl. dúaith (i núaith).

dû

night

1) dû (i dhû) (nightfall, dusk, late evening, darkness), pl. dui (i nui) (SD:302), 2) morn (i vorn) (darkness), pl. myrn (i myrn). Note: the word is also used as an adjective ”dark, black” (Letters:386).

dû

night

(i dhû) (nightfall, dusk, late evening, darkness), pl. dui (i nui) (SD:302)

fir

die

1) fir- (i fîr, i firir) (fade), 2) gwanna- (i **wanna, in gwannar**) (depart)

fir

die

(i fîr, i firir) (fade)

goe

great fear

(i ’oe) (terror), no distinct pl. form except with article (i ngoe = i ñoe).

gosta

fear exceedingly

(i ’osta, i ngostar = i ñostar)

gwanna

die

(i ’wanna, in gwannar) (depart)

gôr

fear

(i ngôr = i ñor, o n’gôr = o ñgôr, construct gor) (dread, horror), pl. gŷr (i ngŷr = i ñŷr). Note: a homophone means ”vigour” but has different mutations.

gú

no, not

also ú

morn

night

(i vorn) (darkness), pl. myrn (i myrn). Note: the word is also used as an adjective ”dark, black” (Letters:386).

mân

departed spirit

(i vân, construct man), pl. main (i main)

niphred

fear

(pallor); pl. niphrid.

tevren

adjective. hateful

tharn

withered

tharn (sapless, stiff, rigid), pl. thern

tharn

withered

(sapless, stiff, rigid), pl. thern

tinnu

early night without a moon

(i dinnu, o thinnu) (dusk, twilight), pl. tinny (i thynny) if there is a pl.

firin

dead

firin adj. "dead" (by natural cause) (PHIR).This may obsolete the earlier "Qenya" word firin "ray of the sun" (LT2:341)

qualin

dead

qualin ("q")adj. "dead" (KWAL, LT1:264)

hessa

dead, withered

hessa adj. "dead, withered" (LT1:255)

loico

corpse, dead body

loico noun "corpse, dead body" (so in Markirya; Etym also has quelet of similar meaning)

loico

noun. corpse, dead body

A word for “corpse, dead body” in the 1960s version of the Markirya poem (MC/223). It may be related to noirë “tomb” via an unattested root (N)DOY as suggested by David Salo in a post on the Elfling mailing list in 2012.

Conceptual Development: In the version of the poem from around 1930, Tolkien used the word ᴱQ. kaivo “corpse” (MC/214, 221), probably based on the early root ᴱ√KAYA “lie, rest; dwell” (QL/46).

vanwa

gone, lost, no longer to be had, vanished, departed, dead, past, past and over, gone on the road, over

vanwa adj. "gone, lost, no longer to be had, vanished, departed, dead, past, past and over, gone on the road, over" (WJ:366, Nam, RGEO:67, WAN, LT1:264; older wanwa, PE17:143). The word was "not applied to _dead persons _except those who would not return, either because of a special doom (as [in the case of] Men) or because of a special will of their own (as Felagund or Míriel) or a special ban of Mandos (as Feanor)" (PE17:143). Also see avanwa.

vanwa

adjective. gone, lost, departed, vanished, past, over, no longer to be had, passed away, dead, gone, lost, departed, vanished, past, over, no longer to be had, passed away, dead, [ᴹQ.] gone for good; [ᴱQ.] on the road

fir-

die, fade

fir- vb. "die, fade" (cf. fifíru-); aorist (?) fírë "expire"; augmentless perfect fírië, translated "she has breathed forth"(but no explicit element meaning "she" seems to be present) (MR:250, 470, VT43:34)

hessa

adjective. withered, dead

auta-

go away, leave

auta- (1) vb. "go away, leave" (leave the point of the speaker's thought); old "strong" past tense anwë, usually replaced by vánë, perfect avánië but when the meaning is purely physical "went away (to another place)" rather than "disappear", the past tense oantë, perfect oantië was used. Past participle vanwa "gone, lost, no longer to be had, vanished, departed, dead, past and over" (WJ:366)

il-

verb. no, *un-

il- (prefix) "no, *un-" (LA); cf. ilfirin "immortal" (vs. firin "dead"). This prefix "denotes the opposite, the reversal, i.e. more than the mere negation" (VT42:32). But il- can also mean "all, every"; see ilaurëa, ilqua, ilquen.

qualmëa

adjective. deadly, deathly

-na

suffix. slain

A shorter ending -na also occurs, e.g. nahtana "slain" (VT49:24); the example hastaina "marred" would suggest that *nahtaina is equally possible. In the example aistana "blessed" (VT43:30), -na may be preferred to -ina for euphonic reasons, to avoid creating a second diphthong ai where one already occurs in the previous syllable (*aistaina). In PE17:68, the ending -ina is said to be "aorist" (unmarked as regards time and aspect); the same source states that the shorter ending -na is "no longer part of verbal conjugation", though it obviously survives in many words that are maybe now to be considered independent adjectives. See -na #4.

Fui

night

Fui noun "Night" (PHUY) - variant Hui, which form is probably to be preferred in light of Tolkien's later insight that the related word fuinë (see below) is actually Telerin, the proper Quenya form being huinë.

Hui

night

Hui noun "Night" (PHUY), in earlier "Qenya" defined as "evening" _(MC:214) or"fog, dark, murk, night" (LT1:253)._

auta-

verb. go away

caivo

corpse

caivo _("k")_noun "corpse" (MC:221; Tolkien's later Quenya has loico or quelet)

caurë

fear

caurë _("k")_noun "fear" (LT1:257)

la

no, not

la negation "no, not" (see lá); also prefix la- as in lacarë, q.v. (VT45:25)

lenweta-

go away, migrate, leave ones abode

lenweta- vb. "go away, migrate, leave ones abode", pa.t. lenwentë (PE17:51)

lá

no, not

lá (1) adv. "no, not" (LA, VT45:25) According to VT42:33, lá is the stressed form, alternating with la when the negation is unstressed. In another conceptual phase of Tolkien's, lá had the opposite meaning "yes" (VT42:32-33), but this idea is contradicted by both earlier and later material: usually lá is conceived as a negation. The negation can receive tense markers and be used as a negative verb "when [another] verb is not expressed" (VT49:13), apparently where the phrase "is not" is followed by a noun or an adjective as a predicate, or where some verb is understood, as in English "I do not" (i.e. "I do not do whatever the context indicates"). With pronominal endings la- in the aorist, e.g. lanyë "I do not, am not" (etc.) (Tolkien abandoned the form lamin.) Exemplified in the sentence melin sé apa lanyë hé *"I love him but I do not [love] him" (another person) (VT49:15). Present tense laia, past lánë, perfect alaië, future lauva.

ló

night, a night

ló (1) noun "night, a night" (DO3/DŌ, VT45:28)

mori

night

mori noun "night" (LT1:261, in Tolkien's later Quenya mórë, morë)

nanca

slain

nanca adj. *"slain" (PE17:68); see -na

nor-

prefix. fear

olo

night

?olo (reading uncertain), possibly a synonym of ló #1, hence noun "night" (VT45:28)

qual-

verb. die

quelet

corpse

quelet ("q") (quelets-, as in pl. queletsi) noun "corpse" (KWEL; Markirya also has loico)

sancë

hateful

sancë ("k")adj. "hateful" (LT2:341)

thosso

fear

†thosso (þossë) noun "fear" in Old Quenya (PE17:87, there spelt with the letter þ, not the digraph th)

ui

no

ui interjection "no" (originally an endingless negative verb in the 3rd person aorist: "it is not [so]"; see #u-). Apparently this is the word for "no" used to deny that something is true (compare vá, which is rather used to reject orders, or to issue negative orders). (VT49:28) Compare uito.

ñor

fear

[ñor noun? prefix? "fear" (PE17:172)]

þossë

noun. fear

sossë

noun. fear

tevinqua

adjective. hateful

gwann

adjective. departed, dead, dead, (lit.) departed

An adjective in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “departed, dead” derived from primitive ᴹ✶wannā under the root ᴹ√WAN “depart” (Ety/WAN).

Conceptual Development: Tolkien used a number of similar words for “dead” in his earlier writings. In the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s Tolkien had G. gwarth “dead (only of persons)” from primitive ᴱ✶gwṝþa (GL/44), and in Early Noldorin Word-lists he had ᴱN. {gwarth >>} gwardh “dead”, probably of similar derivation (PE13/146). In The Etymologies itself Tolkien also had N. goren “dead (of elves)” under the root ᴹ√ÑGUR, but this word was deleted (EtyAC/ÑGUR).

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would use the word gwann primarily in the sense “dead”, and for “departed” would use the related word gwanwen (WJ/378).

gwerth-i-cuina

place name. (Land of) the Dead that Live

An earlier name for S. Dor Firn-i-Guinar appearing in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, glossed “Living Dead” (SM/116) or “Land of the Dead that Live” (LR/305). It is a combination of the plural of G. gwarth “dead (only of persons)”, i “that” and the present form of cuina- “to live”. It is unclear why the verb was not plural or lenited, as it was in other forms of this name (and as it was on WJ/71).

gyrth-i-guinar

proper name. Dead that Live

A variant of Gwerth-i-Cuina appearing in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, glossed “Dead that Live” (LR/305). It is a combination of the plural of S. gorth “dead (person)”, i “that” and the lenited present plural form of cuina- “to live”.

fern

noun/adjective. dead (of mortals)

fuin

noun. night, dead of night

fern

noun/adjective. dead (of mortals)

fern

noun/adjective. dead person

fuin

noun. night, dead of night, gloom, darkness

goren

adjective. dead (of elves)

gwann

adjective. departed, dead

gwathfuin-daidelos

place name. Deadly Nightshade

An earlier name for S. Deldúwath appearing in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, glossed “Deadly Nightshade” (LR/133) or “Night of Dread’s Shadow” (LR/406). It is a combination of gwath “shade”, fuin “night” and Daedhelos “Shadow of Fear”.

math-fuin-delos

place name. Deadly Nightshade

Earliest name for S. Deldúwath appearing in Silmarillion drafts from the early 1930s, glossed “Deadly Nightshade” (SM/299). It is a combination of G. math “dusk”, N. fuin “night” and a variant form delos of deloth “abhorrence”.

deldúwath

place name. Deadly Nightshade

gorgoroth

place name. Deadly Fear

delw

adjective. hateful, deadly, fell

delw

adjective. hateful, deadly, fell

daen

noun. corpse

A noun for “corpse” in The Etymologies of the 1930s derived from ON. ndagno under the root ᴹ√NDAK “slay” (Ety/NDAK), where the g vocalized to i before n and then ai became ae.

Conceptual Development: There were a couple of unrelated “corpse” words in Tolkien’s earlier writings. G. cweleg “corpse, dead body” appeared in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s based on G. cwel- “fade, wither” (GL/28), clearly the equivalent of contemporaneous ᴱQ. qelet (qelekt-) of the same meaning (QL/76). ᴱN. rhanc “corpse, body of one slain in battle” appeared in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s related to the verb rhengi (rhang-) “to slay in battle” (PE13/152).

taur-na-fuin

place name. Forest of Night

Earlier name of S. Taur-nu-Fuin, this form of the name first appeared in The Lays of Beleriand (LB/34). Early in this period, Tolkien often translated this name as “Deadly Nightshade” (LB/34, SM/103, SM/299), but he eventually decided that this translation was actually a second name for the forest, whose Elvish form was N. Deldúwath.

In The Etymologies, Tolkien also posited that this name was a punning alteration of N. Dor-na-Thuin, the proper Noldorin form of Ilk. Dorthonion, the name of the region before it was corrupted by Morgoth (Ety/THŌN). When the Noldorin language became Sindarin, this development no longer made sense.

al-

prefix. no, not

daen

noun. corpse

dangen

noun. slain

dangen

adjective. slain

daw

noun. night-time, gloom

del

noun. fear, disgust, loathing, horror

gosta-

verb. to fear exceedingly

mû

interjection. no

dankĭna

adjective. slain