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)

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

Cognates

• S. uial “twilight, evendim” ✧ PE17/153; PE17/169

Derivations

• ✶yuyuñal “twilight” ✧ PE17/169

Elements

Word	Gloss
yu-	“both, both, [ᴱQ.] twice”
GAL	“light; shine, be bright”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶yuy(u)ŋal > yúyal	[jujŋal] > [jujɣal] > [jujal] > [jūjal]	✧ PE17/169

Variations

• úyale ✧ PE17/153

úyalë

noun. twilight

ló

night, a night

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

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...

usque

noun. dusk, twilight

histë

dusk

histë noun "dusk" (LT1:255)

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".

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

• Q. Herumor “*Black Lord”
• ᴺQ. morendë “midnight”
• ᴺQ. moricalca “obsidian, (lit.) black glass”
• Q. Morifinwë “Dark Finwë”
• Q. Morikotto “*Dark Enemy” ✧ VT49/24
• ᴺQ. mórilanta “nightfall”
• ᴺQ. morilúpë “blackbird, (lit.) black plume”
• Q. morimaitë “black-handed” ✧ PE17/110
• Q. Morinehtar “Darkness-slayer” ✧ PM/384
• Q. Moriquendi “Elves of the Darkness, (lit.) Dark Elves”
• ᴺQ. moritöa “ebony wood”
• ᴺQ. móriva “nocturnal”
• ᴺQ. morteccon “graphite, (lit.) black writing rock”
• ᴺQ. morumbar “dark-fated”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶mori > more	[mori] > [more]	✧ Let/382

Variations

• more ✧ Let/382

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).

lómë

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

Cognates

• S. dû “night, dimness; dim, dark, night, dimness; [N.] night-fall, late evening; [S.] dim, dark” ✧ PE17/152; SA/dú; SA/lómë

Derivations

• ✶dōmē “night, twilight” ✧ PE17/152; SA/dú
  • √DOM “dark, dark, [ᴹ√] faint, dim” ✧ PE17/152
• √DOM “dark, dark, [ᴹ√] faint, dim” ✧ PE22/153

Element in

• Q. Aldalómë “Tree-twilight” ✧ RC/385
• Q. auta i lómë “The night is passing!” ✧ S/190; WJ/166
• Q. Hísilómë “Land of Mist, (lit.) Mist-and-Dusk”
• ᴺQ. illómëa “nightly”
• Q. lómëa “shadowed, gloomy, shadowed, gloomy, *dusk-like” ✧ PE17/081
• Q. Lómëanor “Gloomyland” ✧ Let/308
• Q. lómelindë “nightingale, (lit.) dusk-singer” ✧ SA/dú; SA/lómë
• Q. Lómion “Son of Twilight” ✧ SA/lómë
• ᴺQ. lómivehtë “night life”
• ᴺQ. silomë “tonight”
• Q. Taurelilómëa “Forestmanyshadowed” ✧ Let/308
• Q. Tauremornalómë “*Forest (of) Black Night”
• Q. tindómë “(starry) twilight, (usually) time near dawn, (starry) twilight, time near dawn, [ᴹQ.] starlit dusk”
• Q. undómë “twilight, time near evening”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶dōmē > lómë	[dōmē] > [lōmē] > [lōme]	✧ PE17/152
√DOM > lóme	[dōmē] > [lōmē] > [lōme]	✧ PE22/153
✶dōmē > lómë	[dōmē] > [lōmē] > [lōme]	✧ SA/dú

Variations

• lóme ✧ Let/308; PE17/081; PE17/120; PE22/153 (lóme)
• lômí ✧ PE17/087 (lômí)
• Lómë ✧ RC/385

morĭ

adjective. dark

PQ. dark

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?

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.

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).

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)

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)

hróva

dark, dark brown

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

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”.

Derivations

• √DU “dark”

Element in

• Q. enwina lúmë “the old darkness” ✧ MC/222

Variations

• lúme ✧ MC/222

mor

darkness

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

lúrëa

dark, overcast

lúrëa adj. "dark, overcast" (LT1:259)

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.)

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).]

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.

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.

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).

ulca

adjective. dark

dark, gloomy, sinister

usque

noun. dusk

dusk

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)

mórilanta

noun. nightfall

Elements

Word	Gloss
morë	“dark, black; darkness, night, dark, black; darkness, [ᴹQ.] blackness, [Q.] night”
lanta	“fall; falling, fall; falling, [ᴱQ.] fallen”

dû

night

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

dúath

noun. nightshade

uial

noun. twilight

uial

noun. twilight

_ n. _twilight. Q. úyale, yúyal.

môr

noun. dark(ness); †night, dark(ness); †night, [N.] †black

A word for “dark(ness)” (Let/382), sometimes used poetically for “†night” (NM/279), derived from primitive ✶mori based on the root √MOR.

Conceptual Development: Early precursors to this word include G. mûri “darkness, †night” and G. morth/moroth “darkness” (GL/58), both clearly derived from the early root ᴱ√MORO as suggested by Christopher Tolkien (LT1A/Mornië; Moru). In The Etymologies of the 1930s N. †môr was an archaic equivalent of ᴹQ. more “black”, already based on primitive ᴹ✶mori (Ety/MOR). In a deleted entry Tolkien also considered using N. môr for “night” (EtyAC/LOƷ).

Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would mainly use S. môr as a noun “darkness”, and for the adjective I would use S. morn “dark, black”.

Cognates

• Q. morë “dark, black; darkness, night, dark, black; darkness, [ᴹQ.] blackness, [Q.] night” ✧ Let/382

Derivations

• ✶mori “black” ✧ Let/382; NM/279
  • √MOR “black, dark, darkness” ✧ Let/382

Element in

• S. Dagmor “?Slayer of Darkness”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶mori > môr	[mori] > [more] > [mor] > [mōr]	✧ Let/382
✶mori > môr	[mori] > [more] > [mor] > [mōr]	✧ NM/279

morn

noun/adjective. black, dark; night

Cognates

• Q. morna “black, dark; black of hair, black, dark; black of hair; [ᴹQ.] sombre, gloomy” ✧ Let/382

Derivations

• ✶mornā “dark” ✧ Let/382; WJ/362
  • √MOR “black, dark, darkness” ✧ Let/382

Element in

• S. Aravorn
• S. Eryn Vorn “Dark Wood” ✧ RC/lxv
• S. galvorn “type of dark metal devised by Eöl, *(lit.) shining-black”
• S. Helevorn “Black Glass” ✧ PE17/037
• S. Lacho calad! Drego morn! “Flame light! Flee night!” ✧ UT/065
• S. Morben “*Dark-folk” ✧ WJ/362
• S. morchant “shadow cast by light, (lit.) dark shape” ✧ VT42/09
• S. Mordor “Black Land” ✧ Let/427
• S. Morgai “Black Fence” ✧ PE17/101
• S. morgul “black arts, sorcery, necromancy” ✧ PE17/031; PE17/125
• S. Moria “Black Chasm, Black Pit” ✧ PE17/035
• S. Mormegil “Black Sword”
• S. Mornan “Dark Valley”
• ᴺS. mornechui “coffee”
• S. Mornedhel “Dark-elf”
• S. Morthond “Blackroot”
• S. Ras Morthil “Andrast”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶mornā > morn	[mornā] > [morna] > [morn]	✧ Let/382
✶mornā > morn-	[mornā] > [morna] > [morn]	✧ WJ/362

Variations

• morn- ✧ WJ/362

môr

noun. darkness, dark, night

aur

noun. day, sunlight, morning

fuin

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

Cognates

• Q. huinë “gloom, (unrelieved) darkness, deep shadow, night shade; dark (as a substance)” ✧ SA/fuin; VT41/08; NM/279

Derivations

• ✶phuinē “deep shadow, night shade, dark substance, vapour-like darkeness, deep shadow, night shade, [ᴹ✶] night” ✧ NM/279; NM/283
  • √PHUY “breathe out, *darkness; breathe out” ✧ NM/279; NM/285

Element in

• S. Emyn-nu-Fuin “Mountains of Mirkwood, (lit.) Mountains under Night” ✧ UTI/Emyn-nu-Fuin
• S. Fuinur ✧ SA/fuin
• S. Taur-nu-Fuin “Forest under Night(shade)” ✧ SA/fuin

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶phuinē > fuin	[pʰuinē] > [pʰuine] > [ɸuine] > [fuine] > [fuin]	✧ NM/279
✶phuinē > fuin	[pʰuinē] > [pʰuine] > [ɸuine] > [fuine] > [fuin]	✧ NM/283

Variations

• Fuin ✧ UTI/Emyn-nu-Fuin

orithil

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

dû

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

Cognates

• 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; SA/lómë

Derivations

• ✶dōmē “night, twilight” ✧ PE17/152; SA/dú
  • √DOM “dark, dark, [ᴹ√] faint, dim” ✧ PE17/152

Element in

• S. Deldúwath “Deadly Nightshade, (lit.) Horror of Night-shadow” ✧ SA/dú
• S. dúath “night shadow, dark/black shadow, night shadow, dark/black shadow, [N.] night-shade” ✧ PE17/087; PE17/152; SA/dú
• S. dúlin “nightingale” ✧ SA/dú
• ᴺS. dúvad “supper, dinner”
• S. Nanduhirion “Dimrill Dale, (lit.) Vale of (the Region of) Dim Streams” ✧ PE17/037; RC/269; SA/sîr
• S. tinnu “*twilight, [N.] (starry) twilight, dusk, early night (without moon)”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
✶dōmē > dû	[dōmē] > [dūme] > [dūme] > [dūm] > [dūv] > [dū]	✧ PE17/152
✶dōmē > dú	[dōmē] > [dūme] > [dūme] > [dūm] > [dūv] > [dū]	✧ SA/dú

Variations

• dú ✧ SA/dú; SA/lómë; SA/sîr

orgaladh

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

This day was formerly called orgaladhad in the Elvish calendar

penninor

noun. last day of the year

orgaladhad

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

This day was renamed orgaladh in the Númenórean calendar

fuin

noun. night, dead of night, gloom, darkness

calan

noun. day, period of actual daylight

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

dû

noun. nightfall, late evening, night, dimness

morn

adjective. black, dark

morn

adjective. black

adj. black. >> mor, Morgai

moth

noun. dusk

Element in

• ᴺS. mothren “dusk, dusky”
• S. Nan Elmoth “*Valley of Starry Dusk” ✧ SA/moth
• S. Gilammoth

morn-

black

_pref. _black. >> Moria, mor-

dúath

noun. darkness, shadow

dúath

adjective. dark

_ adj. _dark, black shadow.

oranor

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

ormenel

noun. fifth day of the week, Heavens' day

oraearon

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

orbelain

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

orgilion

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

aur

day

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

aur

day

(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.

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.

dû

dusk

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

dûr

adjective. dark, sombre

dûr

dark

dûr (sombre), lenited dhûr, pl. duir

dûr

dark

_ adj. _dark, gloomy, 'hellish'.

dûr

dark

(sombre), lenited dhûr, pl. duir

mor

black

_adj. _black.

mor-

black

_ pref. _black. >> Moria, morn-

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

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).

daw

nighttime

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

dû

nightfall

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

dúath

nightshade

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

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)

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.

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

early night without a moon

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

fuin

darkness

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

graw

dark

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

graw

dark

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

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)

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).

moth

dusk

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

calan

daytime

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

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.

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.

edinor

anniversary day

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

dúath

dark shadow

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

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.

graurim

dark people

(VT45:16);

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)

dû

darkness

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

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)

huine

noun. deep shadow

deep shadow, night shade

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.

burzum

noun. darkness

Element in

• Bs. ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul “one ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them” ✧ LotR/0254; PE17/011; PE17/012

Elements

Word	Gloss
búrz	“dark”
-um	“particularizing suffix”

búrz

adjective. dark

búrz

adjective. dark

Element in

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

Variations

• burz ✧ PE17/012

burzum

noun. darkness

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

• Ad. bawîba dulgî “winds (were) black” ✧ SD/247; SD/312

narâg

adjective. black

Derivatives

• S. Narog ✧ PE17/037; PE17/047

Element in

• Kh. Narag-zâram “*Black Lake” ✧ PE17/037; RS/466
• Kh. Nargûn “Mordor” ✧ PE17/037; RS/466
• Kh. Nar(u)kuthûn ✧ PE17/047

Variations

• Narâg ✧ PE17/037
• naruka ✧ PE17/047 (naruka)

yuyuñal

noun. twilight

Derivatives

• Q. yúyal “twilight” ✧ PE17/169
• S. uial “twilight, evendim” ✧ PE17/169

Elements

Word	Gloss
YU	“both, both, [ᴹ√] two”
Ñ(G)AL	“gleam, sheen, shine (by reflection)”

Variations

• yuy(u)ŋal ✧ PE17/169

dōmē

noun. night, twilight

Derivations

• √DOM “dark, dark, [ᴹ√] faint, dim” ✧ PE17/152

Derivatives

• 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. dû “night, dimness; dim, dark, night, dimness; [N.] night-fall, late evening; [S.] dim, dark” ✧ PE17/152; SA/dú

Element in

• ✶tindōmi “*twilight”
• Q. tindómë “(starry) twilight, (usually) time near dawn, (starry) twilight, time near dawn, [ᴹQ.] starlit dusk” ✧ NM/279
• Q. undómë “twilight, time near evening” ✧ NM/279

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

• ✶morikwende “*Dark-elf, [ᴹ✶] Dark-elf”
• ✶Moriñgotho “Black Foe” ✧ PE19/081
• ᴺS. merifind “Black-haired”

Variations

• morĭ ✧ PE19/081

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

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).

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. dû “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

du Reconstructed

root. dark

Derivatives

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

us(u)kwē

noun. dusk

Derivations

• √USUK “dusk, evening, *reek, smoke; dusk, evening” ✧ PE18/100; PE21/71

Derivatives

• Q. usquë “dusk, dim light, [ᴹQ.] reek, *smoke; [Q.] dusk, dim light, [ᴹQ.] twilight; [ᴱQ.] fog” ✧ PE18/100; PE21/71

Variations

• uskwē ✧ PE18/100
• usukwē ✧ PE21/71

dúath

noun. nightshade

dúwath

noun. nightshade

uial

noun. twilight

uial

noun. twilight

Cognates

• ᴹQ. yúkale “twilight” ✧ Ety/KAL

Derivations

• ᴹ√YŪ “two, both” ✧ Ety/KAL
• ᴹ√KAL “shine” ✧ Ety/KAL

Element in

• N. Oelinuial “Pools of Twilight”
• N. Nenuial “Evendimmer”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√YŪ > uial	[juigal] > [uigal] > [uiɣal] > [uial]	✧ Ety/KAL
ᴹ√KAL > uigâl	[juikal] > [uikal] > [uigal] > [uigāl]	✧ Ety/KAL

Variations

• uigâl ✧ EtyAC/KAL (uigâl)

daw

noun. night-time, gloom

fuin

noun. night, dead of night

Cognates

• ᴹQ. huine “deep shadow, nightshade” ✧ Ety/PHUY

Derivations

• ᴹ✶phuine “night, deep shadow, nightshade” ✧ Ety/PHUY
  • ᴹ√PHUY “*darkness” ✧ Ety/PHUY
• ᴹ√PHUY “*darkness” ✧ EtyAC/LOƷ

Element in

• N. Gwathfuin-Daidelos “Deadly Nightshade”
• N. Math-Fuin-delos “Deadly Nightshade”
• N. Fuin Gorgoroth “*Night of Deadly Fear” ✧ Ety/ÑGOROTH
• N. Taur-na-Fuin “Forest of Night” ✧ Ety/PHUY
• N. Tol Fuin

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶phuine > fuin	[pʰuine] > [ɸuine] > [fuine] > [fuin]	✧ Ety/PHUY

Variations

• Fuin ✧ Ety/ÑGOROTH

tindu

noun. starry twilight

tinnu

noun. starry twilight

môr

noun. darkness, dark, night

aur

noun. day, sunlight, morning

penninar

noun. last day of the year

dû

noun. night, night-fall, late evening

Cognates

• ᴹQ. ló “night, a night” ✧ Ety/DOƷ
• ᴹQ. lóme “night, night-time, shades of night, gloom” ✧ SD/302

Derivations

• ᴹ√DOƷ “night” ✧ Ety/DOƷ; Ety/DYEL; Ety/DOMO
• ᴹ✶dōmi “night, twilight, gloom” ✧ SD/302
  • ᴹ√DOM “faint, dim” ✧ Ety/DOMO

Element in

• N. Delduthling “Ungoliant, *(lit.) Horror Night Spider” ✧ Ety/DOƷ
• N. Deldúwath “Deadly Nightshade” ✧ Ety/DYEL
• N. dú(w)ath “night-shade” ✧ Ety/DOƷ
• N. dúlin(n) “nightingale” ✧ Ety/DOƷ; SD/302
• N. Mordu “*Black Night”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√DOƷ/DÔ > dû	[dō] > [dū]	✧ Ety/DOƷ
ᴹ✶dōmi > dūmh > dū	[dōmi] > [dōme] > [dūme] > [dūm] > [dūv] > [dū]	✧ SD/302

Variations

• dú ✧ Ety/DYEL (dú)
• dū ✧ SD/302

fuin

noun. night, dead of night, gloom, darkness

dû

noun. nightfall, late evening, night, dimness

dolt

adjective. dark, dusky, obscure

morn

adjective. black, dark

morn

adjective. black

Cognates

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

Derivations

• ᴹ√MOR “*black, dark” ✧ Ety/MOR

Element in

• N. Eredvyrn “Black Mountains” ✧ TI/124
• N. Helevorn “Black Glass”
• N. Elivorn “Lake-Black” ✧ Ety/MOR
• N. i vegli vorn “the black bear” ✧ PE22/033
• N. Maglavorn “Black-sword” ✧ Ety/MOR (maglavorn)
• N. meglivorn “blackbear” ✧ Ety/MOR; EtyAC/LIS (morn) (mormagli); EtyAC/MAT (Mormagli); EtyAC/MAT (Meglivorn)
• N. Mornennyn “Gates of Mordor” ✧ WR/113
• N. Mordu “*Black Night”
• N. morgul “sorcery” ✧ EtyAC/ÑGOL
• N. Moria “Black Gulf”
• N. Mormegil “Black-sword”
• N. Mornvenniath “Black Mountains”
• N. Morthond “Blackroot”
• N. Morthu “*Black Stench”
• N. Morwen
• N. Nann Orothvor “Vale of Black Horror”
• N. Nelig Myrn “Teeth of Mordor” ✧ WR/113
• N. Naglath Morn “Teeth of Mordor” ✧ WR/122 (Naglath Morn)

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√MOR > morn	[morna] > [morn]	✧ Ety/MOR

Variations

• moru ✧ EtyAC/MOR
• Morn ✧ WR/113; WR/122 (Morn)

tindu

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

tinnu

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

dúath

noun. darkness, shadow

dúwath

noun. darkness, shadow

ar-

prefix. day

Cognates

• ᴹQ. are “day” ✧ Ety/AR¹

Derivations

• ᴹ✶ari “day” ✧ Ety/AR¹
  • ᴹ√AR “day” ✧ Ety/AR¹

Element in

• N. Ar Fennuir “Day of the Fanturi, fourth day of the Valian week”
• N. Ar Neleduir “Day of the three kings, fifth day of the Valian week”
• N. Ar Nethwelein “Day of the younger Gods, fifth day of the Valian week”
• N. Ar Uiar “Day of Ulmo, second day of the Valian week”
• N. Ar Vanwe “Day of Manwe, first day of the Valian week” ✧ Ety/AR¹
• N. Ar Vedhwen “Day of the Spouses, third day of the Valian week”
• N. Ar Velegol “Day of Aule, alternate name of the third day of the Valian week”
• N. Ar Ifan “*Day of Yavanna”
• N. edinar “anniversary day”
• N. Aroeren “Sea-day”
• N. Aranor “*Sun-day”
• N. Arvelain “*Day of the Valar”
• N. Argalad “Tree Day”
• N. Argaladath “*Day of the Trees”
• N. Argilion “*Star-day”
• N. Arithil “*Moon-day”
• N. Arvenel “*Heavens-day”
• N. penninar “full year (last day of year)”
• N. Ardórin “?Day of Kings”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶ari- > ar-	[ari] > [are] > [ar]	✧ Ety/AR¹

Variations

• ar- ✧ Ety/AR¹

doll

adjective. dark, dusky, obscure

dûr

adjective. dark, sombre

dûr

adjective. dark

Cognates

• ᴹQ. lóna “dark” ✧ Ety/DOƷ

Derivations

• ᴹ√DOƷ “night” ✧ Ety/DOƷ

Element in

• N. Barad-dûr “Dark Tower”
• N. Dureledh “Dark-elf” ✧ Ety/DOƷ
• N. Durion “Dark-elf” ✧ Ety/DOƷ
• N. Durthang
• N. durgul “sorcery”
• N. Magladhûr “Black-sword”
• N. Ennyn Dûr “Gates of Mordor” ✧ WR/113 (Ennyn Dûr)

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ√DOƷ/DÔ > dûr	[dōr] > [dūr]	✧ Ety/DOƷ

Variations

• Dûr ✧ WR/113

môr

adjective. black

Cognates

• ᴹQ. more “black, dark” ✧ Ety/MOR

Derivations

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

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶mori > môr	[mori] > [more] > [mor] > [mōr]	✧ Ety/MOR