Quenya 

amba

more

amba 2) adj. and noun "more", "used of any kind of measurement spatial, temporal, or quantitative" (PE:17:91). Cf. adverb ambë.

amba

more

Derivations

  • am- “intensive prefix” ✧ PE17/090
    • AMA “addition, increase, plus”
  • amba “more” ✧ PE17/091
    • AMA “addition, increase, plus” ✧ PE17/091

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
amba > amba[amba]✧ PE17/091

Variations

  • amba ✧ PE17/090; PE17/091
Quenya [PE17/090; PE17/091] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ambë

more

ambë adv. "more", "used of any kind of measurement spatial, temporal, or quantitative" (PE17:91). As noun or adjective, amba.

ambë

adverb. more

Cognates

  • ᴺS. am “more”

Derivations

  • amba “more” ✧ PE17/091
    • AMA “addition, increase, plus” ✧ PE17/091

Element in

  • Q. ambela “further still beyond, far away beyond” ✧ PE17/091
  • Q. am(be)na “nearer to” ✧ PE17/091

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
amba > ambe[ambe]✧ PE17/091

Variations

  • ambe ✧ PE17/091

lil

more

lil adverbial particle "more" (PE14:80)

morë

black

morë adj. "black" (MOR), "dark, darkness" (Letters:282). In compounds the stem-form mori- (q.v.) appears, since the primitive form was ¤mori.

morë

noun/adjective. dark, black; darkness, night, dark, black; darkness, [ᴹQ.] blackness, [Q.] night

A word meaning both “dark” and “black” in various compounds, sometimes also functioning as a noun “darkness”. It was derived from primitive ✶mori based on the root √MOR (Let/382).

Conceptual Development: This word has a long history in Tolkien’s languages. It first appeared as ᴱQ. {mōre >>} mōri “night” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s from the early root ᴱ√MORO (QL/62), also appearing as mōre “night” in the contemporaneous Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME/63). The word mōre was used as “darkness” in the Oilima Markirya poem written around 1930 (MC/214).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s there were two distinct forms: noun ᴹQ. móre “blackness, dark, night” from primitive ᴹ✶mǭri and adjective ᴹQ. more “blackness, dark, night” from primitive from primitive ᴹ✶mori (Ety/MOR; EtyAC/MOR), though the adjective prefix mori- was frequently translated “dark” in contemporaneous compounds: ᴹQ. Morimando “Dark Mando”, ᴹQ. Moriqendi “Dark Elves”, etc. In later writings, the forms with long ó were no longer used, though whether this was intentional or a coincidence is unclear.

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would mainly use more as an adjective with the sense “dark”, reserving for the colour “black” the word morna instead. For the noun form, I’d use mornië, but I sometimes use mori- or móri- for “night” in compounds as the time of darkness.

Cognates

  • S. môr “dark(ness); †night, dark(ness); †night, [N.] †black” ✧ Let/382

Derivations

  • mori “black” ✧ Let/382
    • MOR “black, dark, darkness” ✧ Let/382

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
mori > more[mori] > [more]✧ Let/382

Variations

  • more ✧ Let/382
Quenya [Let/382; PE17/110; PM/384; VT49/24] Group: Eldamo. Published by

mórë

blackness, dark, night, darkness

mórë noun "blackness, dark, night, darkness" (MOR, MC:214), also given with a short vowel:morë "dark, darkness" (Letters:282). If this is the initial element of Morinehtar "Darkness-slayer" (PM:384, 385), it would seem to have the stem-form mori-, though mori- is normally the adjective "dark, black" (see below).

mori

night

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

morĭ

adjective. dark

PQ. dark

Quenya [PE 19:81] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

mori-

dark, black

mori- "dark, black" in a number of compounds (independent form morë, q.v.):Morimando "Dark Mando" = Mandos (MBAD, VT45:33), morimaitë "black-handed" (LotR3:VI ch. 6, VT49:42). Moriquendi "Dark Elves" (SA:mor, WJ:361, 373), Moringotto "Black Foe", Sindarin Morgoth, later name of Melkor. The oldest form is said to have been Moriñgotho (MR:194). In late material, Tolkien is seen to consider both Moringotto and Moricotto _("k") _as the Quenya form of the name Morgoth (VT49:24-25; Moricotto also appears in the ablative, Moricottollo). Morion "the dark one", a title of Morgoth (FS). Morifinwë "dark Finwë", masc. name; he was called Caranthir in Sindarin (short Quenya name Moryo). (PM:353) In the name Morinehtar, translated "Darkness-slayer", the initial element is defined would thus seem to signify "darkness" rather than "dark" as an adjective (see mórë). (PM:384, 385)

morna

dark, black

morna adj. "dark, black" (Letters:282, LT1:261; also used of black hair, PE17:154), or "gloomy, sombre" (MOR). Used as noun in the phrase mi…morna of someone clad "in…black" (PE17:71). In tumbalemorna (Letters:282), q.v. Pl. mornë in Markirya**(the first version of this poem had "green rocks", MC:215, changed to ondolisse mornë** "upon dark rocks" in the final version; see MC:220, note 8).

móri

dark

móri adj. "dark" (MC:221; this is "Qenya"; in Tolkien's later Quenya mórë, morë)

morion

son of the dark

morion noun "son of the dark" (LT1:261). In Fíriel's Song, Morion is translated "dark one", referring to Melko(r); this may be a distinct formation not including the patronymic ending -ion "son", but rather the masculine ending -on added to the adjective morë, mori- "dark".

morqua

black

morqua adj. "black" (LT1:261; rather morna in LotR-style Quenya)

lúrëa

dark, overcast

lúrëa adj. "dark, overcast" (LT1:259)

night, a night

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

olo

night

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

an-

very

an- (2) intensive or superlative prefix carrying the idea of "very" or "most", seen in ancalima "most bright" (cf. calima "bright"), antara "very high, very lofty" and #anyára "very old" or "oldest" (the latter form occurring in the so-called Elaine inscription [VT49:40], there with the dative ending -n). Assimilated to am- before p-, as in amparca ("k") "very dry", and to al-, ar-, as- before words in l-, r-, s- (though Tolkien seems to indicate that before words in l- derived from earlier d, the original quality of the consonant would be preserved so that forms in and- rather than all- would result). See also un-. (Letters:279, VT45:5, 36) Regarding the form of the superlative prefix before certain consonants, another, partially discrepant system was also set down in the Etymologies and first published in VT45:36. The prefix was to appear as um- or un- before labialized consonants like p-, qu-, v- (the consonant v preserving its ancient pronunciation b- following the prefix, thus producing a word in umb-), as in- (technically -) before c- and g- (the latter presumably referring to words that originally had initial g-, later lost in Quenya but evidently preserved following this prefix), and as an- otherwise. However, this system would contradict the canonical example ancalima, which would have been *incalima if Tolkien had maintained this idea. In a post-LotR source, the basic form of the prefix is given as am- instead (see am- #2). In this late conception, the prefix still appears as an- before most consonants, but as ama- before r, l, and the form an- is used even before s- (whether original or from þ), not the assimilated variant as- described above. General principles would suggest that the form am- should also appear before y- (so the form #anyára probably presupposes an- rather than am- as the basic form of the prefix, Tolkien revisiting the earlier concept in the _Elaine inscription). (PE17:92)_

lai

very

[lai adverbial particle "very" (VT45:8)]

lóna

dark

?lóna (4) adj. "dark" (DO3/DŌ). If this is to be the cognate of "Noldorin"/Sindarin dûr, as the context seems to indicate, lóna is likely a misreading for *lóra in Tolkien's manuscript.

lúna

dark

lúna adj. *"dark" in Lúnaturco and Taras Lúna, Quenya names of Barad-dûr (Dark Tower). (PE17:22). In the Etymologies, lúnë "blue" was changed by Tolkien from lúna (VT45:29).

nulla

dark, dusky, obscure

nulla adj. "dark, dusky, obscure" (NDUL), "secret" (DUL). See also VT45:11.

ulca

adjective. dark

dark, gloomy, sinister

Quenya [PE 18:88] Group: Mellonath Daeron. Published by

ita

very, extremely

ita, íta adv. 2) "very, extremely" (PE17:112). Like #1 above, this element emerged as part of Tolkiens efforts to explain the initial element of the name Idril (Q Itaril), so it is questionable if #1 and #2 were ever meant to coexist in the "same" version of Quenya.

hróva

dark, dark brown

hróva adj. "dark, dark brown", used to refer to hair (PE17:154)

núla

dark, occult, mysterious

núla ("ñ")adj. "dark, occult, mysterious" (PE17:125)

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)._

lai

adverb. very

Derivations

  • DAY “*great”

Sindarin 

mor

black

_adj. _black.

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:31] -. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

mor-

black

_ pref. _black. >> Moria, morn-

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:35] -. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

morn

adjective. black, dark

Sindarin [Ety/373, Letters/382, Letters/427, WJ/368, WR/11] Group: SINDICT. Published by

morn

adjective. black

adj. black. >> mor, Morgai

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:101] -. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

morn-

black

_pref. _black. >> Moria, mor-

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:31:35] -. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

dûr

adjective. dark, sombre

Sindarin [Ety/354, S/430, UT/434] Group: SINDICT. Published by

dúath

adjective. dark

_ adj. _dark, black shadow.

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:87] < _du-wath_. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

dûr

dark

_ adj. _dark, gloomy, 'hellish'.

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:152] < _(n)dūrā_. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

fuin

noun. night, dead of night, gloom, darkness

Sindarin [Ety/354, Ety/382, S/431] Group: SINDICT. Published by

night

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

Sindarin [(PE17 Sindarin Corpus) PE17:152] < _dōmē _< DOM. Group: Parma Eldalamberon 17 Sindarin Corpus. Published by

night

1) (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).

night

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

am

adverb/adjective. more

Cognates

Derivations

  • AMA “addition, increase, plus”
Sindarin Group: Eldamo - neologism/reconstructions. Published by

morn

dark

morn (black), pl. myrn, lenited vorn. Note: the latter word is also used as a noun ”darkness, night”. (Letters:386)

morn

dark

(black), pl. myrn, lenited vorn. Note: the latter word is also used as a noun ”darkness, night”. (Letters:386)

morn

night

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

môr

dark

môr (black), lenited vôr, pl. mŷr (Letters:382), also

môr

dark

(black), lenited vôr, pl. m**ŷr* (Letters:382)*, also

môr

black

1) môr (dark), lenited vôr, pl. mŷr (Letters:382), also morn (dark), pl. myrn, lenited #vorn. Note: the word is also used as a noun ”darkness, night”. (Letters:386) The lenited form #vorn appears, compounded, in the name of the

môr

black

(dark), lenited vôr, pl. m**ŷr (Letters:382), also morn (dark), pl. **myrn, lenited #vorn. Note: the word is also used as a noun ”darkness, night”. (Letters:386) The lenited form #vorn appears, compounded, in the name of the

guldur

dark sorcery

(i nguldur = i ñuldur), pl. gyldyr (in gyldyr = i ñgyldyr)

galvorn

black metal

(i ’alvorn), pl. gelvyrn (i ngelvyrn = i ñelvyrn) if there is a pl. (WJ:322). 2) donn (swart, swarty, shady, shadowy) (lenited dhonn, pl. dynn). (VT45:11). Also dunn- in compounds.

daw

nighttime

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

dae

very

dae (exceedingly). Lenited dhae.

dae

adverb. very

Derivations

  • DAY “*great”

dae

very

(exceedingly). Lenited dhae.

graurim

dark people

(VT45:16);

an-

very

(as adverbial prefix) an-, as in:

an-

very

as in:

doll

dark

doll (dusky, misty, obscure), lenited noll, pl. dyll. Note: In ”Noldorin”, this word appeared as dolt as well as doll, but the latter seems the best form in S.

doll

dark

(dusky, misty, obscure), lenited noll, pl. dyll. Note: In ”Noldorin”, this word appeared as dolt as well as doll, but the latter seems the best form in S.

dûr

dark

dûr (sombre), lenited dhûr, pl. duir

dûr

dark

(sombre), lenited dhûr, pl. duir

graw

dark

graw (swart), lenited raw, pl. groe. (VT45:16)

graw

dark

(swart), lenited ’raw, pl. groe. (VT45:16)

gant

adverb. larger, greater, more, (lit.) increased

Derivations

  • ᴺ✶. GYANTA “*(en)large, increase”

dúath

nightshade

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

fuin

night, nightshade, dead of night

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

tinnu

early night without a moon

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

dúath

dark shadow

(i dhúath) (nightshade), pl. dúaith (i núaith);

Nandorin 

dunna

adjective. black

This might seem to be derived from dunnâ, sc. the stem DUN "dark (of colour)" (LR:355) either with the adjectival ending -nâ or with medial fortification n > nn and the simpler adjectival ending . However, other Nandorin words seem to have lost their final 's, e.g. ealc "swan" from alk-wâ, and (to quote a wholly parallel example) cogn "bow" from ku3nâ. The descendant form is not cogna with the final vowel intact as the case would seem to be in dunna. However, primitive does come out as -a in Nandorin, cf. golda "Noldo" from ñgolodô, so a form dunnô might be capable of yielding dunna, but this primitive form would rather be a noun "dark person/thing", since primitive -ô, -nô are nominal rather than adjectival endings. Of course, Nandorin may have turned an original noun into an adjective, or developed an adjectival ending -a afresh. But all things considered *dunnâ still appears to be the best reconstruction of the primitive form.

The words dunna and scella raise the question of whether original final is actually preserved as -a following double consonants (as opposed to clusters of different consonants) in Nandorin.

Nandorin [H. Fauskanger (LR:355)] < DUN. Published by

Black Speech

búrz

adjective. dark

Element in

  • Bs. burzum “darkness” ✧ PE17/011; PE17/012
  • Bs. Lugbúrz “Dark Tower” ✧ PE17/012; PE17/079

Variations

  • burz ✧ PE17/012
Black Speech [PE17/011; PE17/012; PE17/079] Group: Eldamo. Published by

búrz

adjective. dark

Black Speech [PE17/11] Published by

Adûnaic

dulgu

adjective. black, dark

An adjective translated “black” (SD/247). It appears in its plural form dulgî “black” in the final version of the Lament of Akallabêth (SD/247) and in its singular form dulgu in the second draft of this text (SD/312). It may be related to S. dûr “dark” and N. doll “obscure, hidden, dusky”, as suggested by Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynn (AAD/14). It is likely related to or a variant of dolgu “black, dark”.

Element in

Adûnaic [SD/247; SD/312] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Khuzdûl

narâg

adjective. black

Derivatives

  • S. Narog ✧ PE17/037; PE17/047

Element in

Variations

  • Narâg ✧ PE17/037
  • naruka ✧ PE17/047 (naruka)
Khuzdûl [PE17/037; PE17/047; RS/466] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Primitive elvish

amba

?. more

Derivations

  • AMA “addition, increase, plus” ✧ PE17/091

Derivatives

  • Q. amba “more” ✧ PE17/091
  • Q. ambë “more” ✧ PE17/091
Primitive elvish [PE17/091] Group: Eldamo. Published by

mori

adjective. black

Derivations

  • MOR “black, dark, darkness” ✧ Let/382

Derivatives

  • Q. morë “dark, black; darkness, night, dark, black; darkness, [ᴹQ.] blackness, [Q.] night” ✧ Let/382
  • S. môr “dark(ness); †night, dark(ness); †night, [N.] †black” ✧ Let/382; NM/279

Element in

Variations

  • morĭ ✧ PE19/081
Primitive elvish [Let/382; NM/279; PE19/081] Group: Eldamo. Published by

mornā

adjective. dark

Derivations

  • MOR “black, dark, darkness” ✧ Let/382

Derivatives

  • Q. morna “black, dark; black of hair, black, dark; black of hair; [ᴹQ.] sombre, gloomy” ✧ Let/382
  • S. morn “black, dark; night” ✧ Let/382; WJ/362
Primitive elvish [Let/382; WJ/362] Group: Eldamo. Published by

dom

root. dark, dark, [ᴹ√] faint, dim

This root was the basis for the main Elvish words for “dusk, night”, which was established as Q. lómë in Quenya for most of Tolkien’s life. The earliest form of this root was ᴱ√LOMO in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, unglossed but with various derivatives having to do with “dusk” and “shadow” (QL/55). One notable derivative was ᴱQ. lóme “dusk, gloom, darkness”, which survived in Tolkien’s later writings as “night” and in the 1910s was the basis for ᴱQ. Hisilóme/G. Hithlum “Shadowy Twilights”. Another notable derivative was G. lómin “shady, shadowy, gloomy; gloom(iness)” (GL/45) used in the name G. Dor Lómin, which in the 1910s was translated as “Land of Shadow” (LT1/112).

The “shadow” meaning of this early root seems to have transferred to ᴹ√LUM from The Etymologies of the 1930s, which served as the new basis for N. Hithlum (Ety/LUM), as opposed contemporaneous N. Dor-lómen which was redefined as “Land of Echoes (< ᴹ√LAM via Ilkorin or in later writings, via North Sindarin). The “dusk” sense was transferred to a new root ᴹ√DOM “faint, dim”, which (along with ᴹ√DOƷ) was the basis for the pair words ᴹQ. lóme/N. “night” (Ety/DOMO).

These two words for “night” survived in Tolkien’s later writing in both Quenya and Sindarin (Let/308; SA/dú). In notes from the 1940s Tolkien clarified that it “has no evil connotations; it is a word of peace and beauty and has none of the associations of fear or groping that, say, ‘dark’ has for us” (SD/306). The Elves were quite comfortable being under the night sky, dating back to the time when the Elves lived under the stars before the rising of the Sun and the Moon. The root √DOM reappeared in etymologies for star-words from the late 1950s or early 1960s (PE17/152). It appeared again in some very late notes from 1969 where it was glossed “dark” and served as the basis for words meaning “blind” as well as “night”, though this paragraph was rejected (PE22/153, note #50).

Derivatives

  • dōmē “night, twilight” ✧ PE17/152
    • Q. lómë “night, dimness, twilight, dusk, darkness, night, dimness, twilight, dusk, darkness, [ᴹQ.] night-time, shades of night, gloom; [ᴱQ.] shadow, cloud” ✧ PE17/152; SA/dú
    • S. “night, dimness; dim, dark, night, dimness; [N.] night-fall, late evening; [S.] dim, dark” ✧ PE17/152; SA/dú
  • ᴺQ. lomba “blind”
  • Q. lomba “blind” ✧ PE22/153
  • Q. lómë “night, dimness, twilight, dusk, darkness, night, dimness, twilight, dusk, darkness, [ᴹQ.] night-time, shades of night, gloom; [ᴱQ.] shadow, cloud” ✧ PE22/153
  • ᴺS. dom “blind”
  • S. dom “blind” ✧ PE22/153
Primitive elvish [PE17/151; PE17/152; PE22/153] Group: Eldamo. Published by

du Reconstructed

root. dark

Derivatives

  • durnu “dark of hue”
    • ᴺQ. nurno “dark, deep (of hue)”
  • Q. lúmë “darkness”
  • Q. lúna “*dark”

Noldorin 

morn

adjective. black, dark

Noldorin [Ety/373, Letters/382, Letters/427, WJ/368, WR/11] Group: SINDICT. Published by

morn

adjective. black

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. morna “gloomy, sombre” ✧ Ety/MOR

Derivations

  • ᴹ√MOR “*black, dark” ✧ Ety/MOR

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√MOR > morn[morna] > [morn]✧ Ety/MOR

Variations

  • moru ✧ EtyAC/MOR
  • Morn ✧ WR/113; WR/122 (Morn)
Noldorin [Ety/MOR; EtyAC/LIS; EtyAC/MAT; EtyAC/MOR; EtyAC/ÑGOL; PE22/033; TI/124; WR/113; WR/122] Group: Eldamo. Published by

môr

adjective. black

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. more “black, dark” ✧ Ety/MOR

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶mori “black” ✧ Ety/MOR
    • ᴹ√MOR “*black, dark” ✧ Ety/MOR

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶mori > môr[mori] > [more] > [mor] > [mōr]✧ Ety/MOR
Noldorin [Ety/MOR; EtyAC/LOƷ] Group: Eldamo. Published by

dûr

adjective. dark, sombre

Noldorin [Ety/354, S/430, UT/434] Group: SINDICT. Published by

dae

adverb. very

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. lai “very” ✧ EtyAC/DAƷ

Derivations

  • ᴹ√DAƷ “great” ✧ EtyAC/DAƷ

Element in

  • N. Daedhelos “Shadow of Fear” ✧ EtyAC/DAƷ (Daedeloth)

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√DAƷ > dae[dai] > [dae]✧ EtyAC/DAƷ

Variations

  • dae ✧ EtyAC/DAƷ (dae)
Noldorin [EtyAC/DAƷ] Group: Eldamo. Published by

doll

adjective. dark, dusky, obscure

Noldorin [Ety/355, Ety/376, Tengwestie/20031207] Group: SINDICT. Published by

dolt

adjective. dark, dusky, obscure

Noldorin [Ety/355, Ety/376, Tengwestie/20031207] Group: SINDICT. Published by

dûr

adjective. dark

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. lóna “dark” ✧ Ety/DOƷ

Derivations

  • ᴹ√DOƷ “night” ✧ Ety/DOƷ

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√DOƷ/DÔ > dûr[dōr] > [dūr]✧ Ety/DOƷ

Variations

  • Dûr ✧ WR/113
Noldorin [Ety/DOƷ; WR/113] Group: Eldamo. Published by

daw

noun. night-time, gloom

Noldorin [Ety/354] Group: SINDICT. Published by

fuin

noun. night, dead of night, gloom, darkness

Noldorin [Ety/354, Ety/382, S/431] 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 

more

adjective. black, dark

Cognates

  • N. môr “black” ✧ Ety/MOR

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶mori “black” ✧ Ety/MOR
    • ᴹ√MOR “*black, dark” ✧ Ety/MOR

Element in

  • ᴹQ. Morimando “Dark Mando”
  • ᴹQ. Morion “the Dark One”
  • ᴹQ. Moreldar “Dark-elves”
  • ᴹQ. Morimor “Dark Elves, *(lit.) Dark-ones” ✧ Ety/MOR
  • ᴹQ. Moriqendi “Dark-elves” ✧ Ety/MOR

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶mori > more[mori] > [more]✧ Ety/MOR

núre

noun. night

Derivations

  • ᴹ√NDŪ “go down, sink, set (of Sun)”

Element in

lai

adverb. very

Cognates

  • N. dae “very” ✧ EtyAC/DAƷ

Derivations

  • ᴹ√DAƷ “great” ✧ EtyAC/DAƷ

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√DAƷ > lai[dai] > [lai]✧ EtyAC/DAƷ

lóna

adjective. dark

Cognates

  • N. dûr “dark” ✧ Ety/DOƷ

Derivations

  • ᴹ√DOƷ “night” ✧ Ety/DOƷ

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√DOƷ/DÔ > lóna[doɣna] > [dōna] > [lōna]✧ Ety/DOƷ

Variations

  • lóna ✧ Ety/DOƷ

hui

proper name. Night

A name for (Primordial?) Night appearing in The Etymologies from the 1930s as a derivative of the root ᴹ√PHUY, along with its (archaic?) variant Fui (Ety/PHUY).

Conceptual Development: This name is most likely a remnant of the name ᴱQ. Fui from the earliest Lost Tales, where it was another name for the goddess ᴱQ. Nienna (LT1/66, LT1A/Fui). According to the Qenya and Gnomish Lexicons from the 1910s, this earlier version of the name is derived from the root ᴱ√ǶUẎU (GL/36, QL/38).

Derivations

  • ᴹ√PHUY “*darkness” ✧ Ety/PHUY

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√PHUY > Fui > Hui[pʰui] > [ɸui] > [hui]✧ Ety/PHUY

Doriathrin

môr

noun. night

A noun for “night” derived from primitive ᴹ✶mǭri (EtyAC/MOR), where the primitive [[ilk|[ǭ] became [ō]]].

Cognates

  • ᴹQ. móre “blackness, dark, night” ✧ Ety/MOR

Derivations

  • ᴹ✶mǭri “blackness, dark, night” ✧ EtyAC/MOR
    • ᴹ√MOR “*black, dark” ✧ Ety/MOR

Element in

  • Ilk. myrilind “nightingale” ✧ Ety/MOR

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ✶mǭri > môr[mǭri] > [mǭre] > [mōre] > [mōr]✧ EtyAC/MOR
Doriathrin [Ety/MOR] Group: Eldamo. Published by

dunn

adjective. black

A Doriathrin adjective meaning “black” (Ety/DUN). Its Noldorin and Danian cognates imply development from a primitive form ✱✶dunnā. Since the primitive form ended in [a], the Ilkorin a-affection would ordinarily have produced ✱✱donn. However, it seems that a-affection was prevented or reversed before [nn], as suggested by Helge Fauskanger (AL-Doriathrin/dunn).

Cognates

  • N. donn “swart, swarthy; shady, shadowy” ✧ Ety/DUN

Derivations

  • ᴹ√DUN “dark (of colour)” ✧ Ety/DUN; Ety/ÑGOROTH

Element in

  • Ilk. Nan Dungorthin “Vale of Black Horror” ✧ Ety/DUN; Ety/ÑGOROTH

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√DUN > dunn[dunnā] > [dunna] > [donna] > [dunna] > [dunn]✧ Ety/DUN
Doriathrin [Ety/DUN; Ety/ÑGOROTH] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Ossriandric

dunna

adjective. black

An adjective for “black” developed from the root ᴹ√DUN (Ety/DUN). It most likely developed from primitive ✱✶dunnā given its cognates, as suggested by Helge Fauskanger (AL-Nandorin/dunna). It is a counter-example to Danian a-affection, perhaps indicating that this change was prevented or reverted before nasal clusters as was the case in Ilkorin.

Cognates

  • N. donn “swart, swarthy; shady, shadowy” ✧ Ety/DUN

Derivations

  • ᴹ√DUN “dark (of colour)” ✧ Ety/DUN

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴹ√DUN > dunna[dunnā] > [dunna]✧ Ety/DUN
Ossriandric [Ety/DUN] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Middle Primitive Elvish

mori

adjective. black

Derivations

  • ᴹ√MOR “*black, dark” ✧ Ety/MOR

Derivatives

  • ᴹQ. more “black, dark” ✧ Ety/MOR
  • N. môr “black” ✧ Ety/MOR

Element in

Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/MOR] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ala-

prefix. very

Derivations

  • ᴱ√ALA “spread‽”

Element in

Middle Primitive Elvish [PE21/41] Group: Eldamo. Published by

doʒ

root. night

A root in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “night” that (along with ᴹ√DOM) was the basis for the ᴹQ. lóme/N. “night” (Ety/DOƷ). It replaced some rejected variants ᴹ√LOƷ and ᴹ√DAW (EtyAC/LOƷ). Many of the derivatives of ᴹ√DOƷ were later assigned to other roots: N. dûr “dark” became S. dûr “dark” < √NDU “under, down” in notes from the late 1950s or early 1960s (PE17/152) and ᴹQ. lóna “dark” became Q. lúna (PE17/22). There are no signs of ᴹQ. “night” and N. daw “night-time, gloom” in Tolkien’s later writing. Future derivations of Q. lómë/S. only mention the root √DOM (PE17/152; PE22/153) and thus ᴹ√DOƷ may have been abandoned.

In a message to the Elfling mailing list from July 2012 (Elfling/362.96), David Salo suggested there might be a later root ✱√DU serving as the basis for Q. lúna “dark” and Q. lúmë “darkness”, though the latter might instead be from √LUM. Such a root ✱√DU is not attested in Tolkien writings, but if it existed, it could be a later iteration of ᴹ√DOƷ. Another possible example of the root ✱√DU is primitive ✶durnŭ “dark of hue”.

Derivatives

  • Ilk. daum “night-time, gloom” ✧ Ety/DOƷ
  • ᴹ✶doʒmē ✧ Ety/DOMO
    • Ilk. daum “night-time, gloom”
    • On. doume “night-time, gloom”
    • N. daw “night-time, gloom” ✧ Ety/DOƷ
  • ᴹQ. “night, a night” ✧ Ety/DOƷ; EtyAC/LOƷ
  • ᴹQ. lóme “night, night-time, shades of night, gloom” ✧ Ety/DOƷ; Ety/LUM
    • Ad. lômi “(pleasant) night” ✧ SD/415
  • ᴹQ. lóna “dark” ✧ Ety/DOƷ
  • N. “night, night-fall, late evening” ✧ Ety/DOƷ; Ety/DYEL; Ety/DOMO
  • N. dúlin(n) “nightingale” ✧ Ety/DOƷ
  • N. dûr “dark” ✧ Ety/DOƷ
  • On. doume “night-time, gloom” ✧ Ety/DOƷ
    • N. daw “night-time, gloom” ✧ Ety/DOƷ

Element in

  • Ilk. durgul “sorcery”
  • N. daw “night-time, gloom” ✧ EtyAC/LOƷ (daw)
  • N. Delduthling “Ungoliant, *(lit.) Horror Night Spider” ✧ Ety/DYEL; Ety/SLIG; Ety/UÑG
  • N. Dureledh “Dark-elf” ✧ Ety/MOR
  • N. Durion “Dark-elf” ✧ Ety/MOR
  • N. Magladhûr “Black-sword” ✧ Ety/MAK (DOƷ)

Variations

  • DOƷ/DÔ ✧ Ety/DOƷ
  • DOG ✧ Ety/UÑG
  • LOƷ ✧ EtyAC/LOƷ (LOƷ)
  • DAW ✧ EtyAC/LOƷ (DAW)
Middle Primitive Elvish [Ety/DOƷ; Ety/DOMO; Ety/DYEL; Ety/LUM; Ety/MAK; Ety/MOR; Ety/NDŪ; Ety/SLIG; Ety/UÑG; EtyAC/LOƷ; EtyAC/UÑG] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Gnomish

gaid

adverb. more

gantha

adverb. more

Cognates

  • Eq. yanta- “to add to, enlarge, increase, augment” ✧ GL/37

Derivations

  • ᴱ√YṆTṆ “*(en)large, increase” ✧ GL/37

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√yṇt > gantha[jṇ̄tā] > [jantā] > [gantā] > [ganta] > [ganθa]✧ GL/37

morn

adjective. dark, black

Changes

  • môrmorn ✧ GL/58

Derivations

  • ᴱ√MORO “*black, dark” ✧ LT1A/Mornië

Element in

  • G. Morgoth “*Black Strife” ✧ LT2/067; LT1A/Mornië
  • G. Mormagli “Black Sword” ✧ GL/58; LT1A/Mornië
  • G. Mornir “Black Grief” ✧ GL/58; LT1A/Mornië
  • G. Morwinthi “Arcturus” ✧ GL/58

Variations

  • môr ✧ GL/58 (môr)
Gnomish [GL/58; LT1A/Mornië; LT2/067] Group: Eldamo. Published by

ga-

prefix. very, more

Derivations

  • ᴱ√YA “*and”

Element in

  • G. gaid “more” ✧ GL/36

odra

adverb. very

colw

adjective. black

Changes

  • colbcolw ✧ GL/26

Variations

  • colb ✧ GL/26 (colb)

gant

adjective. larger, greater, more, (lit.) increased

Cognates

Derivations

  • ᴱ√YṆTṆ “*(en)large, increase” ✧ GL/37

Element in

  • G. ganthan “waxen, grown big, grown up, adult, [originally?] large” ✧ GL/37
  • G. -iont(ha) “*superlative” ✧ GL/37

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√yṇt > gant[jṇ̄ta] > [janta] > [ganta] > [gant] > [ganθ] > [gant]✧ GL/37

fui

noun. night

Cognates

  • Eq. hui “dark, murk, fog; night, evening” ✧ LT1A/Fui; QL/041

Derivations

  • ᴱ√ǶUẎU “*darkness” ✧ GL/36; QL/041

Element in

  • G. fuior “deadly nightshade”
  • G. Durufui “Yule, (lit.) Log-night” ✧ LT1A/Turuhalmë
  • G. Fuil “Queen of the Dark” ✧ GL/36
  • G. Tarn Fui “Door of Night” ✧ LT1A/Tarn Fui

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√fuʒu > fui¹[xʷuɣu] > [fuɣu] > [fuɣ] > [fui]✧ GL/36
ᴱ√ǶUẎU > fui[xʷui] > [fui]✧ QL/041

Variations

  • fui¹ ✧ GL/36
  • Fui ✧ LT1A/Tarn Fui; LT1A/Turuhalmë
Gnomish [GL/36; LT1A/Fui; LT1A/Tarn Fui; LT1A/Turuhalmë; QL/041] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Noldorin

morn

adjective. black, dark

Early Noldorin [PE13/150] Group: Eldamo. Published by

agos

adverb. very

Changes

  • agasagos ✧ PE13/124

Element in

Variations

  • agas ✧ PE13/124 (agas)
Early Noldorin [PE13/124] Group: Eldamo. Published by

drú

adjective. dark

Early Noldorin [PE13/142] Group: Eldamo. Published by

hinar

adjective. dark

An adjective for “dark” from the Nebrachar poem written around 1930 (MC/217). Its etymology is unclear.

Element in

Early Noldorin [MC/217] Group: Eldamo. Published by

fuin

noun. night

Element in

  • En. Taur-na-Fuin “Deadly Nightshade” ✧ SM/026
  • En. urfuin “nightless” ✧ PE13/156

Variations

  • Fuin ✧ SM/026
Early Noldorin [PE13/143; PE13/156; SM/026] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Primitive Elvish

olo

root. *increase, more

Derivatives

  • Eq. olda “more”
  • Eq. olde “very, much, intensive” ✧ QL/069
  • Eq. oldo(s) “more”
  • Eq. oli- “intensive” ✧ QL/069
  • Eq. olli “many” ✧ QL/069
  • Eq. olt “much” ✧ QL/069
  • Eq. olta- “to magnify, extol, praise” ✧ QL/069
  • Eq. olto- “to increase, multiply” ✧ QL/069
  • Eq. olya “much” ✧ QL/069
Early Primitive Elvish [QL/069] Group: Eldamo. Published by

Early Quenya

olda

adjective. more

Derivations

  • ᴱ√OLO “*increase, more”

Variations

  • olda ✧ PE14/048; PE14/080; PE15/75
  • lilda ✧ PE14/080; PE15/75
Early Quenya [PE14/048; PE14/080; PE15/75] Group: Eldamo. Published by

oldo(s)

adverb. more

Derivations

  • ᴱ√OLO “*increase, more”

Variations

  • oldo ✧ PE14/048
  • oldos ✧ PE14/048
  • ol ✧ PE14/048
  • lildo(s) ✧ PE14/080; PE15/75
  • lil ✧ PE14/080; PE15/75
Early Quenya [PE14/048; PE14/080; PE15/75] Group: Eldamo. Published by

móre

noun/adjective. night, darkness; black, dark

Changes

  • móremore ✧ PE16/062
  • móremóri ✧ PE16/074
  • mōremōri ✧ QL/062

Cognates

  • G. mûri “darkness, †night” ✧ LT1A/Mornië

Derivations

  • ᴱ√MORO “*black, dark” ✧ LT1A/Mornië; QL/062

Element in

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√MORO > mōri[mōrī] > [mōri]✧ QL/062
ᴱ√MORO > mōre[mōri] > [mōre]✧ QL/062

Variations

  • mori ✧ LT1A/Mornië
  • more ✧ PE16/062
  • moore ✧ PE16/072
  • mōre ✧ PME/063; QL/062 (mōre)
  • mōri ✧ QL/062
Early Quenya [LT1A/Mornië; MC/214; MC/221; PE16/060; PE16/062; PE16/064; PE16/072; PE16/074; PE16/076; PE16/077; PME/063; QL/062] Group: Eldamo. Published by

morna

adjective. black

Changes

  • morwamorna ✧ QL/062

Derivations

  • ᴱ√MORO “*black, dark” ✧ LT1A/Mornië; QL/062

Phonetic Developments

DevelopmentStagesSources
ᴱ√MORO > morna[mornā] > [morna]✧ QL/062

Variations

  • morqa ✧ LT1A/Mornië; QL/062
  • morwa ✧ QL/063 (morwa)
Early Quenya [LT1A/Mornië; QL/062; QL/063] Group: Eldamo. Published by

morqa

adjective. black

móri

noun. night

morion

masculine name. Son of the Dark

Derivations

  • ᴱ√MORO “*black, dark” ✧ LT1A/Mornië; QL/062

Elements

WordGloss
MORO“*black, dark”
yondo“son, male descendant, (great) grandson”

Variations

  • morion ✧ LT1A/Mornië; PME/063; QL/062
Early Quenya [LT1A/Mornië; PME/063; QL/062] Group: Eldamo. Published by

fui

noun. night