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)._

mori

night

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

olo

night

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

huinë

noun. gloom, (unrelieved) darkness, deep shadow, night shade; dark (as a substance)

A word for “gloom” and “unrelieved darkness” such as a night without stars or moon (VT41/8), with an archaic form †fuinë [ɸuine] (PE19/71). In one place Tolkien said it is was used of darkness as an ethereal substance, the opposite of Q. linquë which was ethereal light (NM/279, 283). While light as a substance is an idea somewhat supported by reality (e.g. photons), darkness as a substance is necessarily poetic or mythic.

Conceptual Development: The earliest iteration of this word was ᴱQ. hui or fui “fog, dark, murk, night” from the early root ᴱ√ǶUẎU (QL/41), also appearing with the gloss “dark, murk” in the Poetic and Mythological Words of Eldarissa (PME/41). It was equated to ᴱQ. Fui, the name of the Death-goddess Nienna (QL/40). In the Oilima Markirya from around 1930, the word hui was given the translation “evening” in the phrase hui oilima man kiluva “Who shall see the last evening?” (MC/214).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s it was ᴹQ. fuine, huine “deep shadow” under the root ᴹ√PHUY (Ety/PHUY), and in various iterations of the ᴹQ. Lament of Atalante of the 1930s and 40s, huine was glossed “shadow” (LR/47, 56; SD/246, 310). In the Outline of Phonetic Development (OP1) of the 1940s, it was glossed “deep shadow, nightshade”, with fuine being its normal form but huine being its form in the {Lindarin >>} Vanyarin dialect (PE19/31). However in the Outline of Phonetic Development (OP2) of the 1950s, Tolkien revised this so that huine was its normal Quenya form in all dialects, fuine being archaic and pronounced with a pure labial “f” [ɸ] rather than the later labio-dental “f” [f] (PE19/71).

In writings after this point, it usually as huine (VT41/8; SA/fuin), but in some notes from the late 1960s Tolkien considered making huine the Vanyarin form again, with fuine being the form in Noldorin Quenya (NM/279).

Neo-Quenya: I prefer the notion that [[q|[ɸu] became [hu]]] in all Quenya dialects before [[q|[ɸ] became [f]]], so I would use the form huine. I would use it with the sense “darkness, deep shadow” for a particularly lightless darkness, but only metaphorically or poetically for darkness as ethereal substance in and of itself, as I believe the Elves would have been well aware that darkness was actually the absence of light.

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.

tauremornalómë

place name. *Forest (of) Black Night

A name of Fangorn forest, longer form of Tauremorna (LotR/469). This name is a compound of taurë “forest”, morna “black” and lómë “night”.

ló

night, a night

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

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).

auta i lómë

The night is passing!

lómë

noun. night, dimness, twilight, dusk, darkness, night, dimness, twilight, dusk, darkness, [ᴹQ.] night-time, shades of night, gloom; [ᴱQ.] shadow, cloud

undómë

twilight

undómë noun "twilight", usually of the time near evening, not near dawn (that is tindómë)

yualë

twilight

yualë noun "twilight" (KAL). Also yúcalë. Cf. yúyal.

yúcalë

twilight

yúcalë ("k")noun "twilight" (KAL, VT45:13). Also yualë.

yúyal

twilight

yúyal noun "twilight" (PE17:169); cf. yualë, yúcalë, q.v.

yúyal

noun. twilight

úyalë

noun. twilight

lómivehtë

noun. night life

Hísilómë

hithlum

Hísilómë (þ) place-name "Hithlum", "Land of Mist", more literally *"Mist-night" (SA:hîth, LUM, [VT45:28])

Tauremorna

black forest

Tauremorna place-name, "black forest" (LotR2:III ch. 4, translated in PE17:82). Tauremornalómë place-name, *"Forest (of) Black Night" (LotR2:III ch. 4)

alda

tree

alda noun "tree" (GALAD, GÁLAD, SA, Nam, RGEO:66, LR:41, SD:302, LT1:249, LT2:340, VT39:7), also name of tengwa #28 (Appendix E). Pl. aldar in Narqelion; gen. pl. aldaron "of trees" in Namárië. Etymology of alda, see Letters:426 and UT:266-7. The latter source states that primitive ¤galadā, whence Quenya alda, originally applied to stouter and more spreading trees such as oaks or beeches, while straighter and more slender trees such as birches were called ¤ornē, Quenya ornë - but this distinction was not always observed in Quenya, and it seems that alda became the general word. According to PE17:25, primitive galada (sic) referred to "a plant (large) and was a general term". Place-name Aldalómë ""tree-night" or "tree-shade-night" (LotR2:III ch. 4, translated in PE17:82); Aldarion masc. name, *"Son of (the) Trees" (Appendix A), Tar-Aldarion a Númenorean King (UT:210). Aldaron a name of Oromë (Silm); aldinga "tree-top" (VT47:28), aldarembina (pl. aldarembinë attested) adj. "tree-tangled", the cognate of Sindarin galadhremmin**(PM:17:26).Aldúya fourth day of the Eldarin six-day week, dedicated to the Trees (Appendix D). The word seems to include Aldu, a dual form referring to the Two Trees. The Númenóreans altered the name to Aldëa (presumably < aldajā), referring to one tree (the White) only. The dual Aldu seems to occur also in Aldudénië** "Lament for the Two Trees" (a strange word, since Quenya does not permit intervocalic d as in this word perhaps the Vanyarin dialect of Quenya did) (Silm)

ando

gate

ando (1) noun "gate", also name of tengwa #5 (AD, Appendix E). A deleted entry in the Etymologies gave Ando Lómen, evidently "Door of Night" (VT45:28; notice "Qenya" genitive in -n rather than -o as in LotR-style Quenya)

fuine

noun. deep shadow

PQ. deep shadow, night shade

fuinë

deep shadow

fuinë noun "deep shadow" (PHUY; cf. "Qenya" fuin "night" in MC:221). According to VT41:8, fuinë is not a Quenya form at all, but Telerin for Quenya huinë (but unquestionably, fuinë is quoted as a Quenya form in certain earlier sources; cf. also Fuinur below - perhaps we may assume that fuinë was borrowed into Quenya from Telerin and thus came to co-exist with huinë?

lómë

dusk, twilight

lómë noun "dusk, twilight", also "night"; according to SD:415, the stem is lómi- (contrast the "Qenya" genitive lómen rather than **lómin in VT45:28). According to PE17:152, lómë refers to night "when viewed favourably, as a rule, but it became the general rule" (cf. SD:414-415 regarding lōmi as an Adûnaic loan-word based on lómë, meaning "fair night, a night of stars" with "no connotations of gloom or fear"). In the battle-cry auta i lómë "the night is passing" (Silm. ch. 20), the "night" would however seem to refer metaphorically to the reign of Morgoth. As for the gloss, cf. Lómion masc. name "Child of Twilight [dusk]", the Quenya name Aredhel secretly gave to Maeglin _(SA). Otherwise lómë is usually defined as "night" (Letters:308, LR:41, SD:302 cf.414-15, SA:dú)_; the _Etymologies defines lómë as "Night [as phenomenon], night-time, shades of night, Dark" (DO3/DŌ, LUM, DOMO, VT45:28), or "night-light" (VT45:28, reading of _lómë uncertain). In early "Qenya" the gloss was "dusk, gloom, darkness" (LT1:255). Cf. lómelindëpl. lómelindi "nightingale" _(SA:dú, LR:41; SD:302, MR:172, DO3/DŌ, LIN2, TIN). _Derived adjective #lómëa "gloomy" in Lómëanor "Gloomyland"; see Taurelilómëa-tumbalemorna...

lúmë

darkness

lúmë (2) noun "darkness" (one wonders if Tolkien confused lúmë "time, hour" and lómë "night") (Markirya)

lúmë

noun. darkness

A noun in the 1960s versions of the Markirya glossed “darkness” (MC/222), perhaps derived from a root √DU as suggested by David Salo in a post to the Elfling mailing list in 2012 (Elfling/362.96).

Neo-Quenya: I’d generally use Q. huinë for “darkness” in Neo-Quenya, but that word is more for total darkness, whereas lúmë might be a less severe form of darkness, a variant of Q. lómë “night, dusk”.

ré

day

ré noun "day" (of the sun), a full 24-hour cycle (Appendix D) composed of aurë (day, daylight) and lómë "night" (VT49:45). Short -rë in compounds like Ringarë (q.v.). Allative rénna (VT49:45).

mórilanta

noun. nightfall

aldalómë

place name. Tree-twilight

An older name of Fangorn forest (LotR/469). It is a compound alda “tree” and lómë “twilight” (RC/385).

Ae

day

Ae (Quenya?) noun "day" (LEP/LEPEN/LEPEK - ae was written over ar [# 2] in the names of the Valinorean week, but ar was not struck out.)

Ungoliantë

ungoliant

Ungoliantë fem. name "Ungoliant" (the Spider, ally of Morgoth); also Ungweliantë (UÑG, DYEL, SLIG)

ala

day

[ala (7) noun "day", also alan "daytime". The forms allen, alanen listed after these words could be inflected forms of them, genitive "of daytime", constracted (allen = al'nen) and uncontracted. However, Tolkien struck out all of this (VT45:13).]

alda

noun. tree

alda

noun. tree, tree, [ᴱQ.] branch

The basic Quenya word for “tree” (LotR/1113), derived from primitive ✶galadā and very well attested. This word dates all the way back to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s where ᴱQ. alda “tree” appeared under the early root ᴱ√ALA “spread” (QL/29). Tolkien seems to have switched its derivation to ✱galadā in The Etymologies of the 1930s, where ᴹQ. alda “tree” appeared under the root ᴹ√GALAD of the same meaning (Ety/GALAD). See also ornë “(tall) tree” for a discussion of another similar word.

Conceptual Development: There were a few instances where the word alda had a different meaning. In Early Qenya Word-lists of the 1920s, alda was glossed “branch” (PE16/139). In notes from 1959 Tolkien said “✱galadā, originally only large flourishing plant, as tree, and especially one that flowered, Q alda, S galað; the general word for ‘tree’ was Q orne ‘upstanding plant’ (PE17/153)”. But in its numerous appearance elsewhere, alda was simply a general word for “tree”.

amanar

proper name. Yule

ar

day

ar (2) noun "day" (PE17:148), apparently short for árë, occurring in the names of the Valinorean week listed below. Tolkien indicated that ar in these names could also be arë when the following element begins in a consonant (VT45:27). Usually the word for "day" in LotR-style Quenya is rather aurë (or ré), q.v.

histë

dusk

histë noun "dusk" (LT1:255)

hróva

dark, dark brown

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

huinë

deep shadow

huinë noun "deep shadow" (PHUY), "gloom" (VT41:8), "gloom, darkness" (SA:fuin), also used for "shadow" = Sauron (LR:56). Possessive (adjectival) form huinéva in the name Taurë Huinéva, q.v. In earlier sources, huinë is quoted as a variant of fuinë, but according to VT41:8, huinë is the proper Quenya form and fuinë is Telerin.With prefix nu- "under" and allative ending -nna in nuhuinenna (SD:246); also unuhuinë "under-shadow" (LR:47).

hísë

dusk

hísë (2) noun "dusk" (LT1:255). A "Qenya" form possibly obsoleted by #1 above.

ilaurëa

daily

ilaurëa adj. "daily", "of every day" (il- "every" + aurë "day" + -a adjectival ending) (VT43:18).

lumbë

gloom, shadow

lumbë noun "gloom, shadow" (LUM)

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).

lúrëa

dark, overcast

lúrëa adj. "dark, overcast" (LT1:259)

mor

darkness

mor noun "darkness" (Letters:308; probably just an Elvish "element" rather than a complete word; Namárië has mornië for "darkness")

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).

mornië

darkness

mornië noun "darkness" (Nam, RGEO:67), "dark, blackness" (PE17:73). Early "Qenya" also has Mornië "Black Grief", "the black ship that plies between Mandos and Erumáni" (LT1:261). This is probably a compound of mor- "black" and nië "tear".

morqua

black

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

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.

morĭ

adjective. dark

PQ. dark

móri

dark

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

nulla

dark, dusky, obscure

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

núla

dark, occult, mysterious

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

ornë

tree

ornë noun "tree" _(Letters:308, SD:302: "when smaller and more slender like a birch or rowan", Etym stem ÓR-NI: "tree, high isolated tree"). For the etymology, see Letters:426; for (original) difference in meaning between ornë and alda, see alda. In ornemalin "tree-yellow"; see laurelindórenan lindelorendor... (LotR2:III ch. 4; cf. Letters:308), also as final element in malinornë "yellow-tree, mallorn" (q.v.) Masc. name Ornendil *"Tree-friend" (Appendix A)_, compound Ornelië "tree-folk" (Quenya name of the Galadhrim, the tree-people of Lórien) (TI:239).

tauremorna

place name. Black Forest

A name of Fangorn forest, shorter form of Tauremornalómë (LotR/469), translated “Black Forest” (PE17/82). This name is a compound of taurë “forest” and morna “black” (RC/385, PE17/82).

ulca

adjective. dark

dark, gloomy, sinister

usque

noun. dusk

dusk

usque

noun. dusk, twilight

yaru

gloom, blight

yaru noun "gloom, blight" (GL:37)

árë

day

árë noun "day" (PM:127) or "sunlight" (SA:arien). Stem ári- _(PE17:126, where the word is further defined as "warmth, especially of the sun, sunlight"). Also name of tengwa #31; cf. also ar # 2. Originally pronounced ázë; when /z/ merged with /r/, the letter became superfluous and was given the new value ss, hence it was re-named essë (Appendix E)_. Also árë nuquerna *"árë reversed", name of tengwa #32, similar to normal árë but turned upside down (Appendix E). See also ilyázëa, ilyárëa under ilya. In the Etymologies, this word has a short initial vowel: arë pl. ari (AR1)

dû

night

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

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.

dúath

noun. night shadow, dark/black shadow, night shadow, dark/black shadow, [N.] night-shade

A word meaning “night shadow” (PE17/152) or “dark/black shadow” (PE17/87), a combination of dû “night” and the soft-mutated form ’wath of gwath “shadow” (SA/dú, gwath), usually written dúath but sometimes dúwath or duwath. Most notably it appeared in the name Ephel Dúath “Mountains of Shadow; (lit.) Fence of Shadow” (LotR/636; RC/457). In one place Tolkien said it was used metaphorically for darkness as an ethereal substances, the opposite of glae(gal) which was light as a substance (NM/283).

Conceptual Development: N. Dú(w)ath “night-shade” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s, already with the etymology given above (Ety/DOƷ).

taur-nu-fuin

place name. Forest under Night(shade)

A forest in northern Dorthonion corrupted by Morgoth and turned to darkness (S/155). Its name is a compound of taur “forest”, nu “under” and fuin “night” (SA/taur, fuin). The final element was often translated “nightshade” (S/155, WJ/56), but this is an allusion to the other name of this forest: Deldúwath “Deadly Nightshade”.

Conceptual Development: This name dates back to the earliest Lost Tales, and always had the elements taur and fuin. Its development was G. Taurfuin “Forest of Night” (LT2/47) >> N. Taur-na-Fuin “Forest of Night, Deadly Nightshade” (LB/34, SM/26, LR/133) >> S. Taur-nu-Fuin “Forest under Night(shade)” (S/155), with the middle preposition changing from na “of” to nu “under”.

In some older writings, this forest’s name was translated “Mirkwood” (LR/282, WJ/239) and in at least one place Tolkien decided that Taur-nu-Fuin was the proper Elvish name of Mirkwood (UT/281). However, the canonical Elvish name of Mirkwood was Taur e-Ndaedelos “Forest of the Great Fear” (LotR/1134).

Deldú(w)ath

noun. horror night shadow

del (“fear, disgust, horror”) + dû (“nightfall, night, dimness”) + gwath (“shadow”)

Emyn-nu-Fuin

noun. mountains under night

emyn (pl. of amon “hill”) + nu (“under”) + fuin (“dead of night, gloom, darkness”)

Taur-nu-Fuin

noun. forest under night (Mirkwood)

taur (“great wood, forest”) + nu (“under”) + fuin (“night, gloom, darkness”)

du(w)ath

noun. 'night shadow'

n. 'night shadow'. >> dû

dû

noun. night, dimness; dim, dark, night, dimness; [N.] night-fall, late evening; [S.] dim, dark

fuin

noun. night, gloom, darkness, night, gloom, darkness, [N.] dead of night

tinnu

noun. *twilight, [N.] (starry) twilight, dusk, early night (without moon)

duwath

noun. night shadow, dark/black shadow, night shadow, dark/black shadow, [N.] night-shade

dû

noun. nightfall, late evening, night, dimness

fuin

noun. night, dead of night, gloom, darkness

lacho calad! drego morn!

Flame light! Flee night!

môr

noun. darkness, dark, night

dúath

noun. nightshade

uial

noun. twilight

uial

noun. twilight

_ n. _twilight. Q. úyale, yúyal.

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)

fuin

night, nightshade, dead of night

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

morn

night

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

dúvechuior

noun. nocturnal animal, (lit.) night-waker

A neologism for a “nocturnal animal” coined by Echuidor posted on 2024-11-08 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS), a combination of dû(v) “night” and an agental form of echui “awakening”.

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

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

tinnu

early night without a moon

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

tinnu

early night without a moon

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

tinnu

early night without a moon

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

tinnu

early night without a moon

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

dû

nightfall

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

ungoliant

feminine name. Ungoliant

Sindarin name of the great spider-demon (LotR/723, S/73). The initial element of her name is probably ungol “spider” but the meaning of the second element is unclear. It may simply be an adaptation of her Quenya name Q. Ungoliantë (Ety/UÑG).

Conceptual Development: In the Gnomish Lexicon from the 1910s, this name first appeared as G. Gungliont “The Spider of Night” (GL/43), but this was rejected and replaced by Ungweliont or Ungoliont (GL/75), a change that was also made in the earliest Lost Tales (LT1/156). At this stage, the initial element ungwi meant “spider” (GL/75). In the Lays of Beleriand from the 1920s and Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, the name was changed to Ungoliant (LB/132; SM/16, 91), though later in the drafts her name was generally replaced with its Quenya equivalent ᴹQ. Ungoliante (LR/230, 299).

At this stage, the name was frequently translated “Gloomweaver” (SM/16, 91), and in The Etymologies, N. Ungoliant was an adaption of her Quenya name with the same meaning, as noted above (Ety/UÑG). Here, the initial element Ungo- was related the root ᴹ√UÑG having to do with darkness and the final element -liant was related the root ᴹ√SLIG from which ᴹQ. liante “spider” was derived (Ety/SLIG). In Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, Ungoliant was also briefly considered as a name for Shelob (WR/196).

Given Tolkien’s later use of S. ungol as the Sindarin word for “spider”, it seems that he reversed the meaning of the two elements of this name again, but there is no indication of what the second element of the Sindarin name might mean in any of the published materials.

daw

nighttime

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

dúath

nightshade

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

uial

twilight

1. uial (pl. uiail if there is a pl.). This can be specified as: 1) (morning twilight) minuial (i vinuial) (dawn, morrowdim), pl. minuiail (i minuiail). 2) (second twilight, before nightfall) aduial (evendim, the time of evening when the stars come out), pl. aduiail. Other terms for twilight: 1) tinnu (i dinnu, o thinnu) (dusk, starlit evening, early night without a moon, starry twilight), pl. tinny (i thynny) if there is a pl. 2) muil (i vuil) (dreariness, shadow, vagueness), no distinct pl. except with article (i muil)

tinnu

twilight

(i** dinnu, o thinnu) (dusk, starlit evening, early night without a moon, starry twilight), pl. tinny (i** thynny) if there is a pl.

minuial

twilight

(i vinuial) (dawn, morrowdim), pl. minuiail (i minuiail).

muil

twilight

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

daw

gloom

1. daw (i dhaw) (nighttime), pl. doe (i noe), coll. pl. ?dawath or ?doath; 2) dim (i dhim) (sadness), no distinct pl. form except with article (i nim). Note: a homophone means ”stair”. 3) fuin (darkness, night, dead of night, nightshade). No distinct pl. form. 4) maur (i vaur), pl. moer (i moer) (VT45:35)

dû

darkness

1. dû (i dhû) (night, nightfall, late evening, dusk), pl. dui (i nui) (SD:302), 2) fuin (gloom, night, dead of night, nightshade). No distinct pl. form. 3) môr (i vôr, construct mor), pl. mŷr (i mŷr) if there is a pl. (Letters:382); 4 morn (i vorn) (night), pl. myrn (i myrn). Note: the word môr, morn is also used as an adjective ”dark, black”. (Letters:386)

morn

dark

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

moth

dusk

1. moth (i voth), pl. myth (i myth). David Salo would read *môth with a long vowel. 2) dû (i dhû) (night, nightfall, late evening, darkness), pl. dui (i nui) (SD:302).

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

tinnu

dusk

tinnu (i dinnu, o thinnu) (twilight, starlit evening, early night without a moon, starry twilight), pl. tinny (i thynny) if there is a pl.

dû

dusk

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

dû

darkness

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

fuin

gloom

(darkness, night, dead of night, nightshade). No distinct pl. form.

fuin

darkness

(gloom, night, dead of night, nightshade). No distinct pl. form.

morn

dark

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

môr

darkness

(i vôr, construct mor), pl. m**ŷr (i m**ŷr) if there is a pl. (Letters:382); 4 morn (i vorn) (night), pl. myrn (i myrn). Note: the word môr, morn is also used as an adjective ”dark, black”. (Letters:386)

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

tinnu

dusk

(i dinnu, o thinnu) (twilight, starlit evening, early night without a moon, starry twilight), pl. tinny (i thynny) if there is a pl.

daw

gloom

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

dúath

dark shadow

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

and

gate

!and (door), pl. aind, coll. pl. annath. Note that and is more commonly the adj. "long".

aur

day

aur (morning), pl. oer. As prefix or- in names of weekdays.

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.

dûr

dark

dûr (sombre), lenited dhûr, pl. duir

galadh

tree

1. galadh (i **aladh), pl. gelaid (i ngelaidh = i ñelaidh) (Letters:426, SD:302). 2) orn (pl. yrn**). Note: a homophone means ”tall”.

graw

dark

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

ilaurui

daily

(adj.) ilaurui (no distinct pl. form)

môr

dark

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

Hithlum

noun. misty shade

hîth (“mist, fog”) + lum (“shade”)

aur

noun. day, sunlight, morning

calan

noun. day, period of actual daylight

Attested in the first edition of LotR, but omitted from the second.

dúath

adjective. dark

_ adj. _dark, black shadow.

dúath

noun. darkness, shadow

dûr

adjective. dark, sombre

dûr

dark

_ adj. _dark, gloomy, 'hellish'.

galadh

noun. tree

galadh

tree

_n. Bot._tree, like oak (nordh) and beech. A galadh was more thick, dense and branching than a orn. In Sindarin, there was no much distinction in size between galað and orn. A galað was more thick, dense and branching than a orn. Birch, ash and oak are of the orn kind. Q. alda. >> orn

galadh

tree

{ð} n. tree. In Sindarin, there was no much distinction in size between galað and orn. A galað was more thick, dense and branching than a orn. Birch, ash and oak are of the orn kind. Q. alda. >> orn

galadh

noun. tree

The basic Sindarin word for “tree” (LotR/1113), derived from primitive ✶galadā and very well attested. This word dates back at least to The Etymologies of the 1930s, where N. galadh “tree” appeared under the root ᴹ√GALAD (Ety/GALAD). See also orn “(tall) tree” of similar meaning.

Conceptual Development: Gnomish of the 1910s had some earlier version of this “tree” word: G. galdon >> alwen “tree” in the Name-list to the Fall of Gondolin (PE15/24) and archaic/poetic G. †alwen “tree” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s (GL/19), the latter probably from the early root ᴱ√ALA “spread” that was the basis for ᴱQ. alda “tree” (QL/29).

ilaurui

adjective. daily

lebethron

noun. a tree - its black wood was used by the woodwrights of Gondor

In the original manuscript, one of the earlier (rejected) form of this name was lebendron. Didier Willis proposed the etymology lebed+doron "finger-oak", actually a real tree name (Finger Oak or Quercus digitata)

malhorn

noun. golden tree of Lothlórien

mallorn

noun. golden tree of Lothlórien

malthorn

noun. golden tree of Lothlórien

mor

black

_adj. _black.

mor-

black

_ pref. _black. >> Moria, morn-

morn

adjective. black, dark

morn

adjective. black

adj. black. >> mor, Morgai

morn-

black

_pref. _black. >> Moria, mor-

moth

noun. dusk

oraearon

noun. seventh day of the Númenórean week, Sea-day

oranor

noun. second day of the week, day of the Sun

orbelain

noun. sixth day of the week, day of the Powers or Valar

orgaladh

noun. fourth day of the Númenórean week, day of the White Tree

This day was formerly called orgaladhad in the Elvish calendar

orgaladhad

noun. fourth day of the Elvish week, day of the Two Trees

This day was renamed orgaladh in the Númenórean calendar

orgilion

noun. first day of the week, day of the Stars

orithil

noun. third day of the week, day of the Moon

ormenel

noun. fifth day of the week, Heavens' day

orn

noun. (any large) tree

oron

noun. tree

n. Bot. tree. Also in compound -(o)rŏnō. >> orn

penninor

noun. last day of the year

Hithlum

Mist-shadow

Hithlum is a North Sindarin word, meaning "Mist-shadow" (hith + lum); its Quenya counterpart is Hisilómë (pron. , stem Hisilómi-). Its Sindarin name is said to be Hithlũ.

Tolkien initially marked the word as Noldorin; its second element was cognate to Quenya lumbe.

Ungoliant

Ungoliant

The name is pronounced [uŋˈɡoljant]. In the form Ungoliant the name is technically Sindarin, but is a direct loan from Quenya Ungweliantë (ungwë + liantë: "dark spider"; pron. [uŋʷˌɡʷeliˈante]); the strictly Sindarin form being Delduthling "dark terror spider." She is also called "gloomweaver," Virilomë [ˌviriˈlome]) (Wirilomë in Vanyarin) which becomes Gwerlum ([ɡʷerlum]) in Sindarin.

and

gate

(door), pl. aind, coll. pl. annath. Note that and is more commonly the adj. "long".

annon

great gate

(door), pl. *ennyn***

aur

day

(morning), pl. oer. As prefix or- in names of weekdays.

calan

daytime

(i galan, o chalan), pl. celain (i chelain)

dim

gloom

(i dhim) (sadness), no distinct pl. form except with article (i nim). Note: a homophone means ”stair”.

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

(sombre), lenited dhûr, pl. duir

edinor

anniversary day

(pl. edinoer). Archaic edinaur. In ”Noldorin”, the word appeared as edinar.

galadh

tree

(i ’aladh), pl. gelaid (i ngelaidh = i ñelaidh) (Letters:426, SD:302).

galadhon

of or related to trees

(lenited ‘aladhon, pl. galadhoen). Archaic ✱galadhaun. The latter is based on David Salo’s analysis of the name Caras Galadhon; others have interpreted the last word as some kind of genitive plural, maybe influenced by Silvan Elvish.

galadhrim

people of the trees

(Elves of Lórien). Adj.

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.

graurim

dark people

(VT45:16);

graw

dark

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

guldur

dark sorcery

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

huorn

walking tree of fangorn

(i chuorn, o chuorn), pl. huyrn (i chuyrn).

ilaurui

daily

(no distinct pl. form)

lebethron

oak tree

.

maur

gloom

(i vaur), pl. moer (i moer) (VT45:35)

moth

dusk

(i voth), pl. myth (i myth). David Salo would read ✱môth with a long vowel.

môr

dark

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

nothlir

family tree

(family line); no distinct pl. form; coll. pl. nothliriath.

orn

tree

(pl. yrn). Note: a homophone means ”tall”.

toss

low-growing tree

(i** doss, o thoss, construct tos), pl. tyss (i** thyss). Tolkien mentioned ”maple, hawthorn, blackthorn, holly, etc.” as examples of the low-growing trees covered by this word. Specific trees, see

órui

noun. daily

delduthling

feminine name. Ungoliant, *(lit.) Horror Night Spider

Another name for Ungoliant appearing on in The Etymologies from the 1930s, a combination of del “horror”, dû “night” and thling “spider” (Ety/DYEL, DOƷ, SLIG).

mordu

masculine name. *Black Night

Precursor to the Mouth of Sauron, the messenger who parleyed with the forces of Gondor at the gates of Mordor, who appeared in some notes on the draft of The Lord of the Rings (WR/256). The last two letters of this name are unclear, but Christopher Tolkien believed they might be -du (WR/267 note #32). If this reading is correct, then the name is probably a compound of morn “black” and dû “night”, as suggested by Mark Fisher (EA): The Encyclopedia of Arda: Mouth of Sauron.

fuin gorgoroth

place name. *Night of Deadly Fear

Another name for Taur-na-Fuin appearing in The Etymologies from the 1930s, a combination of fuin “night” and the name Gorgoroth “Deadly Fear” (Ety/ÑGOROTH).

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.

daw

noun. night-time, gloom

dú(w)ath

noun. night-shade

dû

noun. night, night-fall, late evening

fuin

noun. night, dead of night

daw

noun. night-time, gloom

dû

noun. nightfall, late evening, night, dimness

fuin

noun. night, dead of night, gloom, darkness

môr

noun. darkness, dark, night

tindu

noun. dusk, twilight, early night (without Moon)

tinnu

noun. dusk, twilight, early night (without Moon)

tinnu

noun. (starry) twilight, dusk, early night (without moon)

dúath

noun. nightshade

dúwath

noun. nightshade

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

uial

noun. twilight

uial

noun. twilight

dûr

adjective. dark

maur

noun. gloom

A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “gloom” appearing under the root ᴹ√MOR (Ety/MOR). A nearby primitive form ᴹ✶mǭri is the likely basis for this word as suggested by Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynne (EtyAC/MOR), where the primitive ǭ became au as was the usual sound change in both Noldorin and later Sindarin (PE18/46, 96).

morn

adjective. black

ar-

prefix. day

aur

noun. day, sunlight, morning

doll

adjective. dark, dusky, obscure

dolt

adjective. dark, dusky, obscure

dúath

noun. darkness, shadow

dúwath

noun. darkness, shadow

dûr

adjective. dark, sombre

galadh

noun. tree

galadh

noun. tree

maur

noun. gloom

morn

adjective. black, dark

môr

adjective. black

ogol < ogl

gloom

n/adj gloom, gloomy

orn

noun. (any large) tree

orn

noun. tree

penninar

noun. last day of the year

tindu

noun. starry twilight

tinnu

noun. starry twilight

lômi

noun. (pleasant) night

A noun translated “night” or more fully “fair night, a night of stars”, a late loan word from Q. lómë (SD/414-5). According to Tolkien, it has a pleasant connotation similar to its Quenya equivalent: “it is a word of peace and beauty and has none of the associations of fear or groping that ‘dark’ has” (SD/306). Some unpleasant words for night and darkness are dulgu, nâlu and ugru.

dolgu

noun. dark, (evil) night

A noun attested as the isolated word dolgu, described as “a word with the evil sense of ‘night’ or ‘dark’” (SD/306). It may be related to S. dû “night” and N. doll “obscure, hidden, dusky”, as suggested by Carl Hostetter and Patrick Wynn (AAD/13). It is similar to the word dulgu “black” appearing in the Lament of Akallabêth and the two may be variations of the same word, but most authors have suggested (AAD/13-14, AL/Adûnaic, EotAL/DUL’G, NBA/11, 24) that they are distinct words. In the phonetic rules in Lowdham’s Report from this period, a short o cannot appear in an Adûnaic (SD/423), so perhaps the proper form of this noun should be ✱dôlgu.

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”.

dâur

noun. gloom

A noun translated as “gloom” derived from the root √DAWAR (SD/423). It is an example of how primitive [[ad|[w] and [j] became [u] and [i] before consonants and finally]], thereby producing diphthongs.

dōmē

noun. night, twilight

phuinē

noun. deep shadow, night shade, dark substance, vapour-like darkness, deep shadow, night shade, [ᴹ✶] night

tindōmi

noun. *twilight

yuyuñal

noun. twilight

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. dû “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).

mori

adjective. black

mornā

adjective. dark

us(u)kwē

noun. dusk

du Reconstructed

root. dark

huine

noun. deep shadow

deep shadow, night shade

fuinë

noun. gloom

galada

noun. tree

galla

noun. tree

galad

noun. tree

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 -â. However, other Nandorin words seem to have lost their final -â'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 -ô 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 -â is actually preserved as -a following double consonants (as opposed to clusters of different consonants) in Nandorin.

galad

noun. tree

>> Galadrim

galad

noun. tree

Derived from galadâ "great growth", "tree", applied to stout and spreading trees such as oaks and beeches (UT:266, Letters:426; in the latter source, the root GAL is defined as "grow", intransitive). It is interesting to notice that this word, given in a source much later than the Etymologies that provides most of the Nandorin material, nonetheless agrees well with the older words cited by Tolkien: again we see the loss of original final -â, whereas original post-vocalic d is unchanged as in the word edel.

burzum

noun. darkness

búrz

adjective. dark

burzum

noun. darkness

búrz

adjective. dark

narâg

adjective. black