tur-

wield, control, govern

tur- vb. "wield, control, govern" (1st pers. aorist turin "I wield" etc.), pa.t. turnë (TUR). The verb is elsewhere defined "master, conquer, win" (PE17:115), virtually the same meanings are elsewhere assigned to turu- #1, q.v.

tur-

verb. to master, conquer, dominate, win, to master, conquer, dominate, win; [ᴹQ.] to control, govern, *rule; to wield; [ᴱQ.] can, to be able

Cognates

• ᴺS. tor- “to win, have victory”

Derivations

• √TUR “dominate, master, conquer; power [over others], mastery (legitimate or illegitimate), control (of other wills); strong, mighty in power, dominate, master, conquer; power [over others], mastery (legitimate or illegitimate), control (of other wills); strong, mighty in power; [ᴹ√] victory; [ᴱ√] am strong” ✧ PE17/115

Element in

• Q. túrindië “*kingdom”
• Q. túrinasta “*kingdom”
• ᴺQ. immoturië “self-control”
• ᴺQ. ortur- “to overpower, conquer, prevail”
• Q. Turambar “Master of Doom, Master of Fate” ✧ PE17/124
• ᴺQ. útúrima “unruly”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√TUR > tur-	[tur-]	✧ PE17/115

turu-

master, defeat, have victory over

turu- (1) vb. "master, defeat, have victory over" (PE17:113, not clearly said to be Quenya, but the Q name Turucundo "Victory-prince" is listed immediately afterwards). Compare tur-; cf. also *turúna.

lerta-

can

lerta- vb. "can" in the sense "be free to do", being under no restraint (physical or other). Lertan quetë "I can speak (because I am free to do so, there being no obstacle of promise, secrecy, or duty)". Where the absence of a physical restraint is considered, this verb can be used in much the same sense as pol- (VT41:6)

töa

noun. wood (as material)

A word for “wood” mentioned in passing in notes on the Quendi and Eldar essay from 1959-60 (VT39/6), also appearing in a list of “large & small” roots from around 1968 with the gloss “wood as material” and derived from the root √TAW “wood” (PE17/115).

Conceptual Development: In The Etymologies of the 1930s Tolkien instead had ᴹQ. tavar “wood (material)” derived from primitive ᴹ✶tawar of the same meaning, from the extended root ᴹ√TÁWAR “wood, forest” (Ety/TÁWAR). In this earlier conception, the awa became ava rather than reducing to oa because the initial a was stressed. Stress alone was probably not enough to preserve ancient áwa in Tolkien’s later conception of the language’s phonetic development.

Cognates

• S. taw “wood as material” ✧ PE17/115

Derivations

• √TAW “wood” ✧ PE17/115

Element in

• ᴺQ. moritöa “ebony wood”
• ᴺQ. sortöa “aloe, (lit.) eaglewood”
• ᴺQ. töasta “grove”

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
√TAW > töa	[tawa] > [toa]	✧ PE17/115

pol-

can

pol- (1) vb. "can" = have physical power and ability, as in polin quetë "I can speak (because mouth and tongue are free)". Cf. ista-, lerta- as verbs "can" with somewhat different shades of meaning. (VT41:6, PE17:181)

tûr

noun. master, [N.] mastery, victory, [ᴱN.] power [over others]; [S.] master

Derivations

• √TUR “dominate, master, conquer; power [over others], mastery (legitimate or illegitimate), control (of other wills); strong, mighty in power, dominate, master, conquer; power [over others], mastery (legitimate or illegitimate), control (of other wills); strong, mighty in power; [ᴹ√] victory; [ᴱ√] am strong”

Element in

• S. Turamarth “Master of Doom” ✧ SA/amarth
• S. Turgon “Ruling Lord, Victory Prince, (lit.) Master Shout”
• S. Túrin

Variations

• tur ✧ SA/amarth (tur)

herdir

noun. master

herdir

noun. master

Changes

• herdir → Cherdir “master” ✧ AotM/062

Element in

• S. edregol e aníra tírad i Cherdir Perhael (i sennui Panthael estathar aen) Condir i Drann “in especial he desires to see Master Samwise (who should be called Fullwise) Mayor of the Shire” ✧ AotM/062; SD/129

Elements

Word	Gloss
hîr	“lord, master”
dîr	“man, man, [N.] adult male; agental suffix”

hîr

noun. master, lord

tûr

master

(i dûr, o thûr, construct tur) (victory, power, control; victor, lord), pl. t**uir (i th**uir), coll. pl. túrath

tûr

master, mastery

(i dûr, o thûr, construct tur) (victory, power, control; victor, lord), pl. t**uir (i th**uir), coll. pl. túrath

herdir

master

(noun) 1) herdir (i cherdir), no distinct pl. form, not even with article (i cherdir). Possibly used = ”Mr.” (i cherdir Perhael ”the Master Samwise” or *”Mr. Samwise”). (SD:128-31). Coll. pl. ?herdiriath. 2) heron (i cheron, o cheron) (lord), pl. heryn (i cheryn), coll. pl. heronnath. (VT45:22)._ Since the pl. heryn clashes with the fem. sg. heryn ”lady”, other words for ”lord, master” may be preferred. 3) hîr (i chîr, o chîr; also hir-, her- at the beginning of compounds) (lord), no distinct pl. form even with article (i chîr). (Letters:282, 386; VT41:9)_ 4) (also used = ”mastery”) tûr (i dûr, o thûr, construct tur) (victory, power, control; victor, lord), pl. tuir (i thuir), coll. pl. túrath

herdir

master

(i cherdir), no distinct pl. form, not even with article (i cherdir). Possibly used = ”Mr.” (i cherdir Perhael ”the Master Samwise” or ✱”Mr. Samwise”). (SD:128-31). Coll. pl. ?herdiriath.

heron

master

(i cheron, o cheron) (lord), pl. heryn (i cheryn), coll. pl. heronnath. (VT45:22). Since the pl. heryn clashes with the fem. sg. heryn ”lady”, other words for ”lord, master” may be preferred.

hîr

master

(i chîr, o chîr; also hir-, her- at the beginning of compounds) (lord), no distinct pl. form even with article (i chîr). (Letters:282, 386; VT41:9) 

orthor

master

(vb.) orthor (i orthor, in ertherir for archaic in örtherir) (conquer)

orthor

master

(i orthor, in ertherir for archaic in örtherir) (conquer)

tortha

wield

(i** dortha, i** thorthar) (control)

pol-

verb. can

matha

wield

1) matha- (i vatha, i mathar) (stroke, feel, handle), 2) maetha- (i vaetha, i maethar) (handle, manage, deal with). In Tolkiens earlier material, the verb maetha- meant ”fight”. 3) tortha- (i dortha, i thorthar) (control)

matha

wield

(i** vatha, i** mathar) (stroke, feel, handle)

maetha

wield

(i** vaetha, i** maethar) (handle, manage, deal with). In Tolkien’s earlier material, the verb maetha- meant ”fight”.

tur

root. dominate, master, conquer; power [over others], mastery (legitimate or illegitimate), control (of other wills); strong, mighty in power, dominate, master, conquer; power [over others], mastery (legitimate or illegitimate), control (of other wills); strong, mighty in power; [ᴹ√] victory; [ᴱ√] am strong

This root was connected to strength, victory and power for most of Tolkien’s life. It first appeared as ᴱ√TURU “am strong” the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. túre “might, strength, power”, ᴱQ. túrin “kingdom”, and ᴱQ. turu- “can, to be able” (QL/95). In the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon it had derivatives like G. tûr “king” and G. turm “authority, rule; strength” (GL/72).

In The Etymologies of the 1930s it appeared as ᴹ√TUR “power, control, mastery, victory” with derivatives like ᴹQ. taura/N. taur “mighty”, ᴹQ. tur-/N. tortha- “wield, control”, and ᴹQ. túre/N. tûr “mastery, victory” (Ety/TUR). The root √TUR was mentioned regularly in Tolkien’s later writings with glosses like “dominate, master, conquer” (PE17/104), “power” (PE17/113), “strong, mighty (in power)” (PE17/115), and “power of domination or dominion, control of other wills, legitimate or illegitimate mastery” (PE22/151).

Derivatives

• ✶turū “Great Lord or King”
• Q. taura “(very) mighty, masterful; vast, of unmeasured might or size” ✧ PE17/115; VT39/10
• Q. -tur “master, lord, ruler, master, lord, ruler, [ᴹQ.] victor” ✧ SA/tur
• Q. tur- “to master, conquer, dominate, win, to master, conquer, dominate, win; [ᴹQ.] to control, govern, *rule; to wield; [ᴱQ.] can, to be able” ✧ PE17/115
• Q. túra “big, great, great, big” ✧ PE17/115
• Q. turco “chief”
• Q. túrë “*might, mastery, [ᴹQ.] mastery, victory; [ᴱQ.] might, strength, power” ✧ PE17/115
• Q. túrin “lord”
• ᴺQ. túrion “palace”
• ᴺQ. turmë “governing power, strength”
• Q. turu- “to master, defeat, have victory over, to defeat, have victory over, master” ✧ PE17/113
• ᴺQ. turwa “powerful [in a general sense]”
• Q. turya- “*to strengthen, [ᴹQ.] to strengthen”
• ᴺS. tor- “to win, have victory”
• ᴺS. trog “easy to handle; convenient, tractable, docile”
• S. tûr “master, [N.] mastery, victory, [ᴱN.] power [over others]; [S.] master”

Element in

• ✶artaurē “Realm”
• ✶tura-mbar “master of fate” ✧ PE17/104
• √TURUK “*strong”
• Q. turindo “purposeful mind, strong will”
• Q. turmen “realm”
• Q. Túrosto “Mickleburg, (lit.) Great Fortress”
• S. Turgon “Ruling Lord, Victory Prince, (lit.) Master Shout” ✧ SA/tur
• S. Túrin ✧ SA/tur

Variations

• tur- ✧ PE22/159
• tur ✧ SA/tur

orthor-

verb. to master, conquer

tortha-

verb. to wield, control

heron

noun. master

hîr

noun. master, lord