Ephel Dúath

noun. fence of shadow

ephel (“outer fence, encircling fence”) < ed (“outer”) + pel (“fenced field”), dû (“nightfall, dimness”) + gwath (“shade”)

ephel dúath

place name. Mountains of Shadow; (lit.) Fence of Shadow

The “Mountains of Shadow” west of Mordor (LotR/636), or more literally the “Fence of Shadow” (RC/457). This name is combination of ephel “fence” and dúath “night shadow” (SA/pel, dú, gwath; PE17/152).

Conceptual Development: In Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, the earliest Elvish name these mountains was simply N. Duath (TI/309, TI/343), later revised to N. Hebel Dúath (WR/122) and finally Ephel Dúath (WR/180).

Elements

Word	Gloss
ephel	“outer fence, surrounding ring”
dúath	“night shadow, dark/black shadow, night shadow, dark/black shadow, [N.] night-shade”

Variations

• Ephel Duath ✧ PE17/152

guruthos

noun. the shadow of death, death-horror

morchant

noun. shadow (of objects, cast by light), dark shape

dae

noun. shadow

dae

noun. shadow, shadow (cast by an object or form), [N.] shade

Element in

• S. Daeron ✧ SA/dae
• S. Dor Daedeloth “Land of Great Dread; Land of Shadow of Horror” ✧ SA/dae

dúath

dark shadow

(i dhúath) (nightshade), pl. dúaith (i núaith). Compare the Ephel Dúath or ”Mountains of Shadow” forming th outer fence of Mordor, perhaps suggesting that Dúath is also the word used of Sauron as ”the Shadow”.

gwâth

shadow

(i ’wâth; construct gwath) (shade, dim light), pl. gwaith (in gwaith) (UT:261)

morchant

shadow

1) morchant (i vorchant), pl. morchaint (i morchaint). The literal meaning is ”dark shape”, referring to shadows with a recognizable form. 2) dae (i dhae) (shade), no distinct pl. form except with article (i nae). 3) daew (i dhaew), no distinct pl. form except with article (i ndaew) (VT45:8). 4) gwâth (i **wâth; construct gwath) (shade, dim light), pl. gwaith (in gwaith) (UT:261) 5) muil (i vuil) (twilight, dreariness, vagueness), no distinct pl. except with article (i muil**),

morchant

shadow

(i vorchant), pl. morchaint (i morchaint). The literal meaning is ”dark shape”, referring to shadows with a recognizable form.

dae

shadow

(i dhae) (shade), no distinct pl. form except with article (i nae).

daew

shadow

(i dhaew), no distinct pl. form except with article (i ndaew) (VT45:8).

muil

shadow

(i vuil) (twilight, dreariness, vagueness), no distinct pl. except with article (i muil)