A neologism for “car” coined by Luinyelle posted on 2025-06-03 in the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord Server (VLDS) as a combination of √nor- “run” and [N.] gaud “machine”.
Sindarin
run-
verb. to rub, grind
noriod
noun. car, automobile, (lit.) run-machine
nor
run
(verb) 1) nor- (i nôr, in nerir). Only attested as imperative noro! 2) *yr-. Only the ”Old Noldorin” form yurine* ”I run” is given in the source; the verbal stem would become ior**- in ”Noldorin”, but apparently *yr- in Sindarin. Compare COURSE, q.v., where the words come from the same root __-.
nor
run
(i nôr, in nerir). Only attested as imperative noro! 2) ✱yr-. Only the ”Old Noldorin” form yurine ”
nor-
verb. to run (of men and animals using legs), to run (of men and animals using legs); [G.] to roll [of vehicles]
A verb for “to run”, most famously used in the phrase noro lim, noro lim Asfaloth “run swift, run swift, Asfaloth” (LotR/213; PE17/18). In Words, Phrases and Passages from the Lord of the Rings (WPP) from the late 1950s or early 1960s, Tolkien indicated its full meaning was “run (of men and animals using legs: not of fluids etc.)” (PE17/18), while in notes from around 1965 Tolkien said it meant “run (or leap: of animals, men etc.)” and was derived from the root √NOR of the same meaning (PE17/168).
Conceptual Development: This verb dates all the way back to the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, which had G. nor- “run, roll” (GL/61), clearly based on the early root ᴱ√NORO “run, go smoothly, ride, spin” as suggested by Christopher Tolkien (LT1A/Nornorë; QL/67). The root ᴹ√NOR reappeared in a rejected page of verbal roots in the Quenya Verbal System (QVS) of 1948, where it was glossed “run as of wheels, roll along” (PE22/127). The verb N. nor- was also used in Lord of the Rings drafts of the 1940s in the untranslated phrase nora-lim, nora-lim (RS/196).
Neo-Sindarin: It is possible that by the 1950s and 60s, S. nor- could only be used for “run (with legs)”. However, for purposes of Neo-Sindarin I prefer to assume it could still be used of vehicles moving on wheels, but only when those vehicle are moving at or near full speed. It is clear that it cannot be used for running water, however.
nor-
verb. to run
nor-
verb. to ride
nor-
verb. run (of men and animals using legs : not of fluids
noro
verb. run! ride!
Untranslated in LotR, but written nora-lim and rendered as "ride on" in RS/196 (not a literal translation) and later translated as "run swift" in RC/195. A verb nor- is attested in the old Gnomish lexicon, PE/11:61, with the meaning "to run, roll"
noro lim, noro lim asfaloth
run swift, run swift, Asfaloth
northa-
verb. make run
_v. _make run, specially of riding horses or other animals. Q. norta-. >> nor-
northa-
verb. to make run, to make run (of horses and animals), *ride; [G.] to send rolling [as a vehicle], speed
A causative verb in notes from the late 1950s or early 1960s based on the root √NOR “run”, meaning “make run, specially used of riding horses or other animals” so probably also having the sense “✱ride” like its Quenya cognate Q. norta- (PE17/168).
Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had G. northa- “to send rolling, speed” (GL/61), clearly based on the early root ᴱ√NORO “run, go smoothly, ride, spin” (QL/67). This early root had other derivatives like G. norn “wheel”.
Neo-Sindarin: I let the root √NOR retain the sense “roll” for purposes of Neo-Eldarin, so I would keep the sense “send rolling, speed” for S. northa- as well, using it for both “ride [an animal]” and “ride [a vehicle]”.
annor-
verb. to attack, assault, (lit.) towards-run
cell
running
(of water: flowing), lenited gell; pl. cill
ior
i
in ”Noldorin”, but apparently ✱yr- in Sindarin. Compare
lob-
verb. to gallop, *lope, [G.] run
A neologism coined by Paul Strack in 2020 specifically for Eldamo based on the root √RUN of similar meaning (PE17/89). This very hypothetical verb is one of the few situations in which basic verb might have the vowel u, since normally in Sindarin a short *u* became *o*, but it is preserved before nasals as with trunc “great stake” or mund “bull”.