N. tû n. “muscle, sinew; vigour, physical strength” (Category: Strong, Mighty, Powerful)
A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “muscle, sinew; vigour, physical strength” derived from primitive ᴹ✶tūgu under the root ᴹ√TUG (Ety/TUG). This root also had an adjective N. tong “taut, tight; resonant (of strings)”, clearly referring to the use of sinew in making stringed instruments. Thus I think tû likely refers mainly to “muscle, sinew”, and only metaphorically to “vigour, physical strength”, as in: i-Edhel han sâv dû “that Elf has muscle (tû) = has physical strength”.
Conceptual Development: Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s had ᴱN. núr “muscle” from primitive ᴱ✶snóra (PE13/151).
Reference ✧ Ety/TUG ✧ “muscle, sinew; vigour, physical strength”
Cognates
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
| ON. tūgo > tû | [tūgo] > [tūɣo] > [tūɣ] > [tū] | ✧ Ety/TUG |