urug (monster, orc), pl. yryg
Sindarin
urug
noun. bogey
urug
noun. Orc (rarely used)
urug
noun. "bogey", anything that caused fear to the Elves, any dubious shape or shadow, or prowling creature
urui
noun/adjective. hot
urui
noun/adjective. the month of august
úrui
noun. August, *Hot-one
uru
noun. brazier, grate
urun
noun. copper
urug
bogey
urui
august
Urui
urug
bogey
(monster, orc), pl. yryg
urui
august
úrui
hot
1) úrui (no distinct pl. form), 2) born (red), lenited vorn, pl. byrn.
úrui
hot
(no distinct pl. form)
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 ”
ûr Reconstructed
noun. fire, fire; [ᴱN.] sun
A word for “fire” attested in later writings only as an element in names, such as S. Úrui “August, ✱Hot-one” (LotR/1110). It appeared as N. ûr “fire” in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the root ᴹ√UR “be hot”, but this and related words were deleted when Tolkien changed the sense of the root to “wide, large, great” (Ety/UR). However, √UR “heat” was restored in later writings (PE17/148; PE22/160), and primitive ✶ūr “a fire (on hearth)” appeared in Common Eldarin: Noun Structure from the early 1950s, though Tolkien did mark it with a “?” (PE21/71 and note #8).
Conceptual Development: Perhaps the first precursor to this word was G. †Uril, an archaic word for the Sun in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s appearing beside its modern form G. Aur (GL/75) and clearly a derivative of the early root ᴱ√URU as suggested by Christopher Tolkien (LT1A/Ûr; QL/098). In Gnomish Lexicon Slips revising this document, it became {ŷr >>} hŷr “sun” (PE13/114), and in Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s it became ᴱN. {húr >>} úr “sun”, derived from primitive ᴱ✶ourū̆ (PE13/155).
This in turn became N. ûr “fire” in The Etymologies of the 1930s under ᴹ√UR “be hot”, but as noted above the meaning of this root was changed in that document (Ety/UR). Although the root √UR “heat” was later restored, it isn’t clear whether Tolkien also restored ûr “fire”, though there is some secondary evidence of it: primitive ✶ūr “a fire (on hearth)” appeared in notes from the early 1950s, as also noted above (PE21/71).
Neo-Sindarin: If S. naur is (like its Quenya cognate Q. nár) more representative of an elemental or abstract notion of fire, then ûr might be used for an individual physical fire such as one in a fireplace.
orch
orc
orch (pl. yrch**, archaic †yrchy, coll. pl. orchoth). (RGEO:66, Names:171, Letters:178, MR:195; WJ:390-91, VT46:7). Other terms: 1) urug (monster, bogey), pl. yryg, 2) glamog (i **lamog), pl. glemyg (in glemyg) (WJ:391), 3) ”
orch
orc
(pl. yrch, archaic †yrchy, coll. pl. orchoth). (RGEO:66, Names:171, Letters:178, MR:195; WJ:390-91, VT46:7). Other terms: 1) urug (monster, bogey), pl. yryg, 2) glamog (i ’lamog), pl. glemyg (in glemyg) (WJ:391), 3) ”
rust
copper
rust, pl. ryst (idh ryst) if there is a pl. Possibly also ?urun (pl. yryn if there is a pl.).
rust
copper
pl. ryst (idh ryst) if there is a pl. Possibly also ?urun (pl. yryn if there is a pl.).
úan
úlug
(pl. úain), 3) urug (bogey, orc), pl. yryg
orch
noun. Orc, Orc, [N.] goblin
rust
noun. copper
A noun for “copper” in notes from the late 1960s based on the root √(u)rus (VT41/10).
Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had G. tăm “copper” (GL/69), clearly the cognate of ᴱQ. tambe “copper, bronze” under the early root ᴱ√TAMA “beat; smelt, forge” in the contemporaneous Qenya Lexicon (QL/88).
gorchanui
adjective. complicated, enigmatic, cryptic, hard to understand
-ruin
suffix. fire
suff. #fire. Q. ruine. >> Angruin
aegas
noun. mountain peak
aeglir
noun. range of mountain peaks
anor
noun. Sun
The most common Sindarin name for the Sun derived from primitive ✶Anār, an augmented form of the root √NAR “fire” (PE17/38; Ety/ANÁR; SD/302-303, 306). The o is the result of ancient ā becoming au and then this au becoming o in polysyllables.
Conceptual Development: The term Anor was first mentioned in conjunction with early tales of Númenor (LR/41). It briefly appeared as N. {ánar >>} Anar “sun” in The Etymologies of the 1930s under the entry for ᴹ√NAR (Ety/NAR¹; EtyAC/NAR¹), but as Anor under ᴹ√ANÁR (Ety/ANÁR). In The Notion Club Papers of the 1940s it was Anor, archaic †Anaur (SD/302-303, 306) and it retained this form thereafter.
born
adjective. hot, red
cidinn
?. [unglossed]
cinnog
?. [unglossed]
dîr
adjective. hard, difficult
An adjective glossed “hard, difficult” in Definitive Linguistic Notes (DLN) from 1959 derived from the root {√DIR >>} √DER of similar meaning (PE17/154). The primitive form was {✶dīrā >>} ✶dērā where [after the change to the root], the [[s|ancient long [ē] became [ī]]] as usual in Sindarin. This word clashes with dîr “man”, but can be distinguished because (a) it is an adjective rather than a noun and (b) its mutations are different, because dîr “man” is from ancient nd- while dîr “difficult” is from ancient d-, as in i nîr dhîr “the difficult man, (lit.) the man difficult”.
Tolkien gave one example of this prefix’s use in dirbedui “hard to utter, difficult to pronounce”. In its prefixal use, Tolkien glossed it as “tough (for lesser efforts)”, contrasting it with gor- “difficult (of things very painful and horrible to do)”; see that entry for discussion.
Neo-Sindarin: I believe that the adjective dîr has the connotation “difficult due to the complexity of the task”. It can be contrasted with rhanc, which I use to mean “difficult due to some resistance or obstacle” for purposes of Neo-Sindarin; compare Q. hranga- “thwart”.
Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had similar-seeming G. diriol “tedious”, but that was based G. dîr “long (of time)” so was unlikely to be related conceptually (GL/30). In Gnomish Lexicon Slips modifying that document Tolkien considered the form duiriol “tedious” before reverting back to diriol (PE13/112), and there was no sign of this word thereafter except for its possible reemergence as dîr “difficult”.
glamhoth
noun. barbaric host of Orcs
glamog
noun. an Orc, "a yelling one"
glamog
noun. orc
gor-
prefix. hard, difficult
A prefix meaning “awkward, hard” in Definitive Linguistic Notes (DLN) from 1959 derived from the root √GUR of similar meaning, used in words such as gornod “hard to count” (PE17/154). This example was given as gornodui [unglossed] in draft notes (PE17/172). Tolkien said:
> Sindarin owing to approach of √GUR- to other stems (as ÑGUR- “death”, NGOR- “terror, dread”) tends to use gor- in a very strong sense of things very painful and horrible to do; and uses dir- (tough) for lesser efforts (PE17/154).
As an example, Tolkien gave gorbedui “only to be said with horror or grief, lamentable to tell” as opposed to dirbedui “hard to utter, difficult to pronounce”.
graw
noun. bear
graw
noun. bear
A Sindarin word for “bear” in notes from the late 1960s, derived from primitive ✶grā (VT47/12).
Neo-Sindarin: Its Quenya cognate Q. roa had the revised meaning {“bear” >>} “dog”, so for purposes of Neo-Sindarin it is probably best to stick with [N.] brôg and ᴺS. medli [N. megli] as words for “bear”.
hand
noun. [unglossed]
madu
?. [unglossed]
maud
?. [unglossed]
medli
noun. bear
naur
fire
_ n. fire. naur an edraith ammen! _'fire [be] for rescue/saving for us'. Q. nár. >> Sammath Naur
naur
noun. fire, fire, [N.] flame
The basic Sindarin word for “fire”, derived from the root √NAR of the same meaning (LotR/942; PE17/38) and very well attested. It is derived from primitive ✱nār- since primitive long ā became au in Sindarin. It appeared as N. naur “flame” in The Etymologies of the 1930s with the same derivation (Ety/NAR). As a suffix it usually reduces to -nor, since au usually becomes o in polysyllables. As a prefix, though, it is often Nar- before consonant clusters, no doubt because the ancient long ā was shortened before it could become au.
Conceptual Development: In the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, the word for “fire” was G. sâ with archaic form †sai (GL/66) clearly based on the early root ᴱ√SAH(Y)A “be hot” as suggested by Christopher Tolkien (LT1A/Sári; QL/81). In Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s, the word for “fire” was ᴱN. byr or buir from primitive ᴱ✶ [mburyē] (PE13/139). Tolkien introduced naur in The Etymologies of the 1930s and stuck with it thereafter.
nor-
verb. to run
nor-
verb. to ride
orch
Orc
pl1. yrch, pl2. orchoth** ** n. Orc. Nand. ūriſ.
orchoth
noun. the Orcs (as a race)
orod
noun. mountain
orod
mountain
pl1. ered or eryd, pl2. #orodrim _n. _mountain. Tolkien notes that "eryd > ered by late change, but y unstressed remained in certain circumstances, e.g. before nasals" (PE17:33). >> dol, doll, Thangorodrim
orod
noun. mountain
The Sindarin word for “mountain”, a derivative of √RŌ/ORO “rise” (PE17/63). Its proper plural form is eryd; the plural form ered in The Lord of the Rings is a late [Gondorian only?] pronunciation (PE17/33).
Conceptual Development: The singular form of this noun was extremely stable. It first appeared as G. orod “mountain” in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s beside variant ort (GL/63), and it reappeared as N. orod “mountain” in The Etymologies of the 1930s as a derivative of the root ᴹ√OROT “height, mountain” (Ety/ÓROT). It appeared in a great many names in the sixty year span that Tolkien worked on the legendarium.
The development of its plural form is a bit more complex. Its Gnomish plural was orodin (GL/63), but by the Early Noldorin of the 1920s, its plural was eryd (MC/217). In The Etymologies of the 1930s, however, Tolkien gave its plural form as oroti > ereid > ered (Ety/ÓROT). This fits with normal Noldorin plural patterns of the 1930s: compare plurals N. eregdos → eregdes, N. golodh → geleidh, N. doron → deren, N. thoron → therein. Sindarin plural patterns consistently show o → y in final syllables, such as S. golodh → gelydh or S. Nogoth → Negyth.
This Noldorin plural for orod “mountain” made it into Lord of the Rings drafts, and Tolkien never corrected it before publication. This meant Tolkien was stuck with this remnant of Noldorin plural patterns, which was contradicted by other plural forms in The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien was forced to contrive an explanation for this phenomenon:
> S. Ered. This is used always in L.R. as plural of orod, mountain. But Emyn, pl. of Amon. Cf. also Eryn Forest (oron originally plural = trees?) in Eryn Lasgalen. Rodyn, pl. of Rodon = Vala. It seems necessary to assume that: eryd > ered by late change, but y unstressed remained in certain circumstances, e.g. before nasals. † Use Eryd in Silmarillion (PE17/33).
Despite his statement that y only remained before nasals, ered is the only Sindarin word that retains the Noldorin plural pattern: see the examples golydh and nogyth above, neither involving nasals. Also, despite J.R.R. Tolkien’s intent to use eryd in The Silmarillion, his son Christopher Tolkien retained the form ered in The Silmarillion as published, most likely to avoid confusing readers when they compared this plural to the plural forms in The Lord of the Rings.
Neo-Sindarin: Most knowledgeable Neo-Sindarin writers assume o → y in final syllables is the correct Sindarin plural pattern, and orod → ered is an aberration. I personally assume it is a late Gondorian-only (mis)pronunciation. See the discussion of Sindarin plural nouns for more information.
ross
adjective. red-haired, copper coloured (especially used of animals, as fox, red deer, etc.)
rust
noun. copper
rustui
adjective. of copper
rustui
adjective. copper, copper, *of copper, like copper
ulunn
noun. monster, deformed and hideous creature
amon
steep-sided mount
(hill), pl. emyn.
anor
sun
(pl. Anoer if there is a pl.) Archaic Anaur (SD:306).
bara
fiery
1) bara (eager), lenited vara, pl. berai, 2) nórui (sunny). No distinct pl. form.
bara
fiery
(eager), lenited vara, pl. berai
born
hot
(red), lenited vorn, pl. byrn.
brassen
white-hot
(lenited vrassen, pl. bressin)
bregedúr
wildfire
(i vregedúr), pl. bregedýr (i mregedýr)
brôg
bear
(i vrôg, construct brog), pl. brŷg (i mrŷg)
car
make
1) car- (i gâr, i cherir), pa.t. agor (do, build) (WJ:415), 2) echad- (i echad, in echedir) (fashion, shape), pa.t. echant (VT45:19)
cell
running
(of water: flowing), lenited gell; pl. cill
glam
body of orcs
(i ’lam) (din, uproar, tumult, confused yelling of beasts; shouting, confused noise), pl. glaim (in glaim), coll. pl. glammath
glamhoth
host of tumult
(a term for Orcs, also translated ”Yelling-horde”). (UT:54, MR:109, 195;
graw
bear
(noun) 1) graw (i **raw), pl. groe (in groe), coll. pl. ?grawath or ?groath (VT47:12). 2) brôg (i vrôg, construct brog), pl. brŷg (i mrŷg**), 3) *medli (i vedli), no distinct pl. form except with article (i medli). The word literally means ”honey-eater”. Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” megli.
graw
bear
(i ’raw), pl. groe (in groe), coll. pl. ?grawath or ?groath (VT47:12).
hûr
fiery spirit
(i chûr, o chûr, construct hur) (readiness for action, vigour), pl. huir (i chuir) if there is a pl.
ior
i
in ”Noldorin”, but apparently ✱yr- in Sindarin. Compare
medli
bear
(i vedli), no distinct pl. form except with article (i medli). The word literally means ”honey-eater”. – Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” megli.
medlin
bearish, of bears
(adjective derived from medli ”bear”), lenited vedlin, no distinct pl. form. – Suggested Sindarin form of ”Noldorin” meglin.
narthan
fire-sign
pl. **nerthain** (VT45:20)
naur
fire
1) naur (in compounds nar-, -nor) (flame, sun), pl. noer, coll. pl. norath; 2) ûr (heat), pl. uir. Notice the homophone ûr ”wide”.
naur
fire
(in compounds nar-, -nor) (flame, sun), pl. noer, coll. pl. norath
naur
sun
(mainly in compounds as nar-, -nor) (flame, fire), pl. noer, coll. pl. norath.
nórui
fiery
(sunny). No distinct pl. form.
orod
mountain
1) orod (pl. ered, eryd; coll. pl. #orodrim isolated from Thangorodrim), 2) ôr (stem orod-), also with pl. eryd, ered. (Names:178). Archaically, the plural forms were öryd, öröd.
orod
mountain
(pl. ered, eryd; coll. pl. #orodrim isolated from Thangorodrim)
ruin
fiery red
(burning); no distinct pl. form. Also used as noun ”red flame, blazing fire”. (Silm app, entry ruin; PM:366) Note: a homophone means ”slot, spoor, track, footprint”.
ulunn
monster
1) *ulunn (deformed and hideous creature), pl. ylynn. (The archaic form ulund and the later form ulun_ is cited in LR:396 s.v. Ú
ulunn
monster
(deformed and hideous creature), pl. ylynn. *(The archaic form ulund and the later form ulun is cited in LR:396 s.v.*
ôr
mountain
(stem orod-), also with pl. eryd, ered. (Names:178). Archaically, the plural forms were öryd, öröd.
ûr
fire
(heat), pl. uir. Notice the homophone ûr ”wide”.
A neologism for “copper” created by David Salo in his book Gateway to Sindarin based on the root √URUN (GS/292). I would use attested rust “copper” instead.