Quenya 

nuru

death, death

nuru, Nuru noun "death, Death" _(ÑGUR). This represents earlier ñuru (VT46:4) _and should be spelt accordingly in Tengwar writing. When personalized, Nuru refers to Mandos. Cf. Nurufantur.

urdu

death

urdu noun "death" (LT2:342; rather nuru in Tolkien's later Quenya)

urtu

noun. death

Cognates

Element in

  • Q. násië “now and at the hour of our death: Amen” ✧ VT43/34

findë

cunning

findë (2) noun? (less likely adj.) "cunning" (LT1:253; this "Qenya" word is possibly obsoleted by # 1 above)

finië

cunning

finië noun? "cunning" (LT1:253)

effírië

death

#effírië noun "death" (isolated from effíriemmo "of our death"). A verbal stem *effir- "expire, die" seems to be implied. (VT43:34)

effírië

noun. death

finië

noun. cunning

Derivations

  • PHIN “clever, skillful; neat, fine, delicate; skill, dexterity, clever, skillful; neat, fine, delicate; skill, dexterity, [ᴹ√] nimbleness”

Sindarin 

guru

noun. death

_ n. _death. guru << gûru.

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:87] < _ngur(u)_. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

guru

noun. death, death (abstract)

A Sindarin word for “death” derived from primitive ✶ñgurū (PE17/87), unusual in that its primitive ancient vowel u did not vanish. In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien had variant forms [N.] gûr and gurw “death” marked with a “?”, both derived from Old Noldorin nguru and indicating some uncertainty on the exact phonetic developments (EtyAC/ÑGUR). Elsewhere in The Etymologies Tolkien said that [N.] guru was “Death as state or abstract”, as opposed to [N.] gwanw or gwanath for the “act of dying” (Ety/GWAN).

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would assume guru was for death as an abstraction or principle, and for the death of individuals I would use either gurth or gwanu/gwanath; see those entries for discussion.

Changes

  • gûruguru ✧ PE17/087

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. nuru “death, death [abstract]”

Derivations

  • ñgurū “death” ✧ PE17/087
    • ÑGUR “death; to die”

Element in

  • S. guruthos “dread of death, death-horror, shadow of death, dread of death, death-horror, shadow of death, [N.] fear of death” ✧ PE17/087

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ngurū > guru[ŋgurū] > [ŋguru] > [guru] > [guru] > [guru]✧ PE17/087

Variations

  • gûru ✧ PE17/087 (gûru)
Sindarin [PE17/087] Group: Eldamo. Published by

gurth

noun. death

Sindarin [S/432, UT/39, UT/54] Group: SINDICT. Published by

gurth

noun. death

The usual Sindarin word for “death”, derived from the root √ÑGUR of similar meaning (UT/39; Ety/ÑGUR).

Conceptual Development: This word dates all the way back to the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/43), anchored by well established names like Gurthang or Gurtholf(in), the name of Túrin’s sword. Tolkien experimented with various alternate forms over the years, such as G. urthu (GG/14), G. gurthu (GL/43), ᴱN. gurdh (PE13/146) and N. guruth (Ety/ÑGUR), but kept coming back to gurth as the basic form.

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would use this word for death in general and especially violent death, as opposed to the more euphemistic [N.] gwanath or gwanu “death”, more literally “departure”.

Cognates

Derivations

  • ÑGUR “death; to die”

Element in

Variations

  • Gurth ✧ UT/039
Sindarin [SA/gurth; UT/039] Group: Eldamo. Published by

coru

adjective. cunning, wily

Sindarin [Ety/366, X/W] Group: SINDICT. Published by

gwanu

noun. death (act of dying, not death as a state or abstract)

Sindarin [Ety/397, X/W] Group: SINDICT. Published by

Nûrnen

place name. Death

_ topon. _Death, dead water. >> guru

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:87] < _ngurū nenda_. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

guruth

death

(i nguruth = i ñuruth, o n’guruth = o ñguruth), pl. gyryth (in gyryth = i ñgyryth)

curu

cunning device

(i guru, o churu) (skill, craft), pl. cyry (i chyry) (VT45:24). Similar forms function as adjectives:

gurth

death

(i ngurth = i ñurth, o n’gurth = o ñgurth), pl. gyrth (in gyrth = i ñgyrth)

gûr

death

(i ngûr = i ñûr, o n’gûr = o ñgûr, construct gur), pl. guir (in guir = i ñguir)

coru

cunning

(adj.) coru (wily), lenited goru, analogical pl. cery. Archaic corw (pl. cyrw).

coru

cunning

(wily), lenited goru, analogical pl. cery. Archaic corw (pl. cyrw).

gwanu

death

(i ’wanu), analogical pl. gweny (in gweny). Archaic gwanw (LR:397 s.v. WAN), hence coll. pl. ?gwanwath. Other words (rather referring to Death as a state or abstract):

gwanath

death

1) (act of dying) gwanath (i **wanath), pl. gwenaith (in gwenaith), 2) (act of dying, especially the ”death” of Elves by fading or weariness) gwanu (i **wanu), analogical pl. gweny (in gweny). Archaic gwanw (LR:397 s.v. WAN), hence coll. pl. ?gwanwath. Other words (rather referring to Death as a state or abstract): 3) gûr (i ngûr = i ñûr, o n**gûr = o ñgûr, construct gur), pl. guir (in guir = i ñguir), 4) gurth (i ngurth = i ñurth, o n**gurth = o ñgurth), pl. gyrth (in gyrth = i ñgyrth), 5) guruth (i nguruth = i ñuruth, o n**guruth = o ñguruth), pl. gyryth (in gyryth** = i ñgyryth)

gwanath

death

(i ’wanath), pl. gwenaith (in gwenaith)

Adûnaic

agan

noun. death

A noun for “death” attested both as an independent word (SD/426) and in the compound agannâlô “death-shadow” (SD/247).

Element in

Variations

  • Agan ✧ SD/247
Adûnaic [SD/247; SD/312; SD/426] Group: Eldamo. Published by

agân

masculine name. Death

The masculine personification of agan “death” (SD/426). This could be the Adûnaic name for Mandos.

Variations

  • Agān ✧ SD/426

Primitive elvish

ñgurū

noun. death

Derivations

  • ÑGUR “death; to die”

Derivatives

  • S. guru “death, death (abstract)” ✧ PE17/087

Element in

  • S. Núrnen “Sad Water, Dead Water” ✧ PE17/087

Variations

  • ngurū ✧ PE17/087
Primitive elvish [PE17/087] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Noldorin 

guru

noun. death (abstract)

Changes

  • ngurwgûr/gurw ✧ Ety/ÑGUR

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. nuru “death, death [abstract]” ✧ Ety/ÑGUR

Derivations

  • On. nguru “death” ✧ Ety/ÑGUR
    • ᴹ√ÑGUR “*death” ✧ Ety/ÑGUR
  • ᴹ√ÑGUR “*death” ✧ Ety/WAN

Element in

  • N. Gurfannor “Lord of Death-cloud” ✧ Ety/ÑGUR

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
On. nguru > gûr/gurw[ŋguru] > [guru] > [guru] > [guru]✧ Ety/ÑGUR
ᴹ√NGUR > Guru[ŋguru] > [guru] > [guru] > [guru]✧ Ety/WAN

Variations

  • gûr/gurw ✧ Ety/ÑGUR (gûr/gurw)
  • Guru ✧ Ety/WAN
  • gûr ✧ EtyAC/ÑGUR
  • ngurw ✧ EtyAC/ÑGUR (ngurw)
Noldorin [Ety/ÑGUR; Ety/WAN; EtyAC/ÑGUR; EtyAC/WAN] Group: Eldamo. Published by

guruth

noun. death

Noldorin [Ety/377] Group: SINDICT. Published by

guruth

noun. death

Derivations

  • On. ngurtu “death” ✧ Ety/ÑGUR
    • ᴹ√ÑGUR “*death” ✧ Ety/ÑGUR

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
On. ngurtu > guruth[ŋgurtu] > [ŋgurtʰu] > [ŋgurθu] > [gurθu] > [gurθu] > [gurθu] > [guruθ]✧ Ety/ÑGUR

Variations

  • Gurth ✧ RS/186
Noldorin [Ety/ÑGUR; RS/186] Group: Eldamo. Published by

curu

noun. cunning

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. kurwe “craft” ✧ Ety/KUR

Derivations

  • ᴹ√KUR “craft” ✧ Ety/KUR

Element in

  • N. crumguru “wiley, sinister, guilty” ✧ EtyAC/KUR
  • N. Curufin “Crafty” ✧ Ety/KUR
  • N. curunir “a man of craft, wizard” ✧ Ety/KUR

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√KUR > curw > curu[kurwe] > [kurwe] > [kurw] > [kuru]✧ Ety/KUR
ᴹ√KUR > cyry[kurwi] > [kyrwi] > [kyrui] > [kyry]✧ Ety/KUR
Noldorin [Ety/KUR; EtyAC/KUR] Group: Eldamo. Published by

gûr

noun. death

Noldorin [Ety/377] Group: SINDICT. Published by

corw

adjective. cunning, wily

Noldorin [Ety/366, X/W] Group: SINDICT. Published by

gwanw

noun. death (act of dying, not death as a state or abstract)

Noldorin [Ety/397, X/W] Group: SINDICT. Published by

gwanath

noun. death (act of dying, not death as a state or abstract)

Noldorin [Ety/397] Group: SINDICT. Published by

Beware, older languages below! The languages below were invented during Tolkien's earlier period and should be used with caution. Remember to never, ever mix words from different languages!

Qenya 

nuru

noun. death, death [abstract]

A word for “death” in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√ÑGUR, where Tolkien said its personification was Mandos (Ety/ÑGUR). Tolkien also use this word as “death” in the phrase ᴹQ. núruhuine méne lumna “death-shadow on-us is-heavy” (LR/47, 56; SD/310).

Conceptual Development: A possible precursor to this word is ᴱQ. urdu “death” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s under the early root ᴱ√GWṚÐṚ “die” (QL/104), given as a cognate to G. gurthu in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon (GL/43). A variant of this form seems to have been briefly restored in Quenya prayers from the 1950s as incomplete urtulm..., probably Q. urtu with a possessive suffix, but this was quickly replaced by Q. fírië “death” (VT43/27, 34).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would use the word nuru for death as an abstract force or concept (Death), as opposed to the death of individuals which would be fírie (if natural or peaceful) or [ᴹQ.] qualme (if undesired or painful). This is the way its cognate [N.] guru was used (Ety/WAN).

Cognates

  • On. nguru “death” ✧ Ety/ÑGUR
  • N. guru “death (abstract)” ✧ Ety/ÑGUR
  • S. guru “death, death (abstract)”

Derivations

  • ᴹ√ÑGUR “*death” ✧ Ety/ÑGUR

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√ÑGUR > ñuru[ŋguru] > [ŋuru] > [nuru]✧ Ety/ÑGUR

Variations

  • ñuru ✧ Ety/ÑGUR
  • nūru ✧ SD/310
Qenya [Ety/ÑGUR; EtyAC/ÑGUR; LR/047; LR/056; SD/310] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Old Noldorin 

nguru

noun. death

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. nuru “death, death [abstract]” ✧ Ety/ÑGUR

Derivations

  • ᴹ√ÑGUR “*death” ✧ Ety/ÑGUR

Derivatives

  • N. guru “death (abstract)” ✧ Ety/ÑGUR

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√ÑGUR > nguru[ŋgurū] > [ŋguru]✧ Ety/ÑGUR
Old Noldorin [Ety/ÑGUR] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ngurtu

noun. death

Derivations

  • ᴹ√ÑGUR “*death” ✧ Ety/ÑGUR

Derivatives

  • N. guruth “death” ✧ Ety/ÑGUR

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√ÑGUR > ngurtu[ŋgurtū] > [ŋgurtu]✧ Ety/ÑGUR
Old Noldorin [Ety/ÑGUR] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Middle Primitive Elvish

wanwē

noun. death

Derivations

  • ᴹ√WAN “depart, go away, disappear, vanish” ✧ Ety/WAN

Derivatives

  • N. gwanw “death (act of dying)” ✧ Ety/WAN
Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/WAN] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Gnomish

gurth(u)

noun. death

Cognates

  • Eq. urdu “death” ✧ GL/43; LT2A/Gurtholfin

Derivations

Element in

  • G. Gurtholfin “Wand of Death” ✧ GL/43; GL/43 (Gortholfin); LT2A/Gurtholfin

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ✶gu̯rþū́ > gurthu[gʷṛθū] > [gʷurθū] > [gurθū] > [gurθu]✧ GL/43
ᴱ✶ngwṛþ- > gurth[ŋgʷṛθ] > [gʷṛθ] > [gʷurθ] > [gurθ]✧ GL/43

Variations

  • urthu ✧ GG/14
  • gurthu ✧ GL/41; GL/43; GL/44; LT2A/Gurtholfin
  • gorth ✧ GL/43 (gorth)
  • gurth ✧ GL/43
Gnomish [GG/13; GG/14; GL/41; GL/43; GL/44; LT2A/Gurtholfin] Group: Eldamo. Published by

mablios

adjective. cunning

Gnomish [GL/55; LT2A/Ermabwed] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Noldorin

gurdh

noun. death

Changes

  • gurthgurdh “death” ✧ PE13/146

Derivations

Element in

  • En. Gurthrond “Valley of the Dead Awaiting” ✧ LB/028

Variations

  • gurth ✧ LB/028; PE13/146
Early Noldorin [LB/028; PE13/146] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Quenya

urdu

noun. death

Cognates

  • G. gurth(u) “death” ✧ GL/43; LT2A/Gurtholfin

Derivations

Element in

  • Eq. Urdolwen “Wand of Death” ✧ GL/43

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ✶gu̯rþū́ > urdu[gʷṛθū] > [gʷṛθu] > [wṛθu] > [urθu] > [urðu] > [urdu]✧ GL/43
ᴱ√GWṚÐR > urdu[gʷṛðū] > [gʷṛðu] > [wṛðu] > [urðu] > [urdu]✧ QL/104
Early Quenya [GL/43; LT2A/Gurtholfin; QL/104] Group: Eldamo. Published by

qalume

noun. death

Derivations

  • ᴱ√QALA “die” ✧ QL/076

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√QALA > qalume[kʷalumē] > [kʷalume]✧ QL/076

Variations

  • qalume ✧ QL/076 (qalume)
Early Quenya [QL/076] Group: Eldamo. Published by

finde

noun. cunning

finie

noun. cunning

Derivations

  • ᴱ√FINI “*cunning” ✧ LT1A/Finwë; QL/038

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√FINI > finië[ɸiniē] > [ɸinie] > [finie]✧ LT1A/Finwë

Variations

  • finië ✧ LT1A/Finwë
  • findë ✧ LT1A/Finwë
  • finde ✧ QL/038
Early Quenya [LT1A/Finwë; QL/038] Group: Eldamo. Published by