S. dûr [nd-] adj. “dark (with evil implications), gloomy, hellish” (Category: Dark, Murky)
The basic Sindarin adjective for “dark” derived from primitive ✶(n)dūrā from the root √NDU “under, down” (PE17/152), but it acquired an “evil” sense by association with names like Barad-dûr and words like guldur “sorcery” (PE17/31), hence also “gloomy, hellish”. A more neutral word is morn, but strictly speaking that is the colour “black” rather than “dark”.
Conceptual Development: The earliest precursor of this word seems to be ᴱN. drú “dark” from Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s (PE13/142). N. dûr appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s, but as a derivative of ᴹ√DOƷ “night” rather than ᴹ√NDŪ “go down” (Ety/DOƷ). Later on, S. dûr was only influenced by dû “night” rather than being directly related to it (PE17/152).
References ✧ PE17/22, 31, 85, 125, 152; RC/274; SA/dûr; UT/280
Glosses
Variations
Related
Inflections
| Duir | plural | “dark” | ✧ UT/280 |
| dûr | stop-mutation; nd-mutation | ✧ PE17/22 |
Element In
Cognates
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
| ✶(n)dūrā > Dûr | [ndūrā] > [ndūra] > [dūra] > [dūr] | ✧ PE17/152 |
N. dûr adj. “dark” (Category: Dark, Murky)
References ✧ Ety/DOƷ; WR/113
Glosses
Element In
Cognates
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
| ᴹ√DOƷ/DÔ > dûr | [dōr] > [dūr] | ✧ Ety/DOƷ |
ᴱN. drú adj. “dark” (Category: Dark, Murky)
Reference ✧ PE13/142 ✧ “dark”