Eldamo : Primitive Elvish : DER

√DER root. “hard, difficult”

√DER root. “hard, difficult”: ᴹ√DER “adult male, man”

A root in linguistic notes from 1959 used for the sense “hard, difficult” in Sindarin because other roots like √GUR > S. gor- gained a very negative sense due to collision with the roots √ÑGOR “horror” and √ÑGUR “death” (PE17/154). Tolkien first gave this root as √DIR before switching it to √DER. There is no indication of its use in Quenya, so it is probably a Sindarin-only innovation.

References ✧ PE17/151, 154

Glosses

“hard, difficult” ✧ PE17/151; PE17/154

Variations

DER ✧ PE17/151; PE17/154
DIR ✧ PE17/154

DER “hard, difficult” may be a (?obsolete) Sindarin variant of DOR “hard, tough, dried up, unyielding”
DER “hard, difficult” appears in the same note as GUR “hard, stiff, difficult, cumbrous, slow”
DER “hard, difficult” may replace the DER form of ᴹ√(N)DER “adult male, man; bridegroom”

Changes

DIR >> DER “hard, difficult” ✧ PE17/154

Derivatives

> ✶dērā “hard, difficult” ✧ PE17/154
- > S. dîr² “hard, difficult” ✧ PE17/154
  - ⇒ S. dirbedui “hard to utter, difficult to pronounce” ✧ PE17/154
> ✶dirnā “tough” ✧ PE17/154
- > S. dern “tough, thrawn” ✧ PE17/154