taur

adjective. vast, mighty, overwhelming, awful, huge; high, sublime

An adjective in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “mighty, vast, overwhelming, huge, awful” derived from primitive ᴹ✶taurā “masterful, mighty” based on the root ᴹ√TUR “power, control, mastery, victory” (Ety/TÁWAR, TUR). It was also influenced by ᴹ✶tārā “lofty” and as such had the alternate meaning “high, sublime”. Thus its gloss “awful” has the sense “causing awe” rather than its modern English meaning “terrible”, and its general meaning seems to something that is mighty (in strength or size) and also induces awe, either inspiring or terrifying. Its Quenya equivalent Q. taura continued to appear in later writings (PE17/115, VT39/10), indicating that this Noldorin word probably remained valid in Sindarin.

Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had the adjective G. taura “powerful” and the (archaic) noun G. †taur “ability, power” (GL/69), both based on the early root ᴱ√TURU “am strong” (GL/72; QL/95).

taur

noun. forest, great wood

taur

noun. king (of a whole tribe)

taur

noun. king (only used of the legitimate kings of whole tribes)

In LotR/IV:IV, Frodo is called Daur, which might be the mutated form of this word

taur

noun. great wood, forest

taur

adjective. mighty, vast, overwhelming, huge, awful, high, sublime

taur-na-danion

place name. Forest of Pines

Earliest name of Dorthonion in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, first appearing as Taur Danin (SM/197) and later expanded to Taur-na-Danion (LR/127) with variants -Thanion, -Donion, -Thonion before ultimately being replaced by the Ilkorin name Dorthonion (LR/145). It is a combination of taur “forest”, na “of” and early variants of thaun “pine”, possibly as an earlier Gnomish-style genitive plural.

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.

taur-rimmon

place name. Forest of Rimmon

Name of the forest of Rimmon in Lord of the Rings drafts (WR/351), a combination of that region’s name with taur “forest”.

taurost

place name. High City

The name of the central citadel of Minas Tirith in Lord of the Rings drafts (WR/260). It is a combination of taur “high” and ost “city”, as suggested by Roman Rausch (EE/3.24).

taur-na-delduath

place name. *Forest of Deadly Nightshade

A variant name of Taur-na-Fuin appearing in The Etymologies from the 1930s (Ety/ÑGOROTH), simply an expanded form of its other variant Deldúwath “Deadly Nightshade” with the addition of taur “forest” and na “of”.

taur egledhrim

proper name. King of the Exiles

Title of Fingolfin as the king of the Noldor appearing in The Etymologies from the 1930s (Ety/TĀ, EtyAC/TĀ), a combination of taur “king” and the class-plural of egledhron “exile”.

taur-nan-erig

place name. Forest of Region

A name appearing only in The Etymologies from the 1930s (Ety/ERÉK), a combination of taur “forest”, nan “of” and ereg “holly”.

taur-na-faroth

place name. *Forest of Hunting

tauros

masculine name. Lord of Forests; (lit.) Forest-Dread

duil rewinion

place name. Hills of the Hunters

Earliest name of Taur-en-Faroth in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (SM/225). Its seems to be a combination of the plural of dôl “hill” and the form rewinion “of the hunters”, apparently a genitive plural formation, possibly related to N. rhui(w) “hunt” from the root ᴹ√ROY “chase” or perhap G. raust “hunt” from the root ᴱ√RAVA.

deldúwath

place name. Deadly Nightshade

tawaren

adjective. wooden

aran

noun. king (used of a lord or king of a specified region)

athrada-

verb. to cross, traverse

borg

adjective. big

brand

adjective. lofty, noble, fine

brand

adjective. high (in size)

brann

adjective. lofty, noble, fine

brann

adjective. high (in size)

dofn

adjective. gloomy

dofn

adjective. gloomy

A word given as N. dofn “gloomy” in The Etymologies of the 1930s with variant dufui, both derivatives from the root ᴹ√DUB “loom, hang over oppressively (of clouds)” (Ety/DUB; EtyAC/DUB). The form dofn is the cognate of ᴹQ. lumna “lying heavy, oppressive” and shows a-affection, whereas dufui seems to be a Noldorin invention using the adjective suffix -ui, and thus preserves its primitive stem-vowel u.

Neo-Sindarin: For Neo-Sindarin, I’d write both forms as ᴺS. dovn and duvui to better reflect their pronunciation.

dufui

adjective. gloomy

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”.

tathor

noun. willow-tree

tathren

adjective. of willow, having willows

tawaren

adjective. wooden

tindu

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

tindu

noun. starry twilight

tinnu

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

tinnu

noun. starry twilight

âr

noun. king (used of a lord or king of a specified region)

âr

noun. king