Eldamo : Sindarin : gor-¹

S. gor-¹ pref. “hard, difficult” (Category: Difficult)

S. gor-¹, pref. “hard, difficult” (Category: 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”.

References ✧ PE17/154

Glosses

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

gor-¹ “hard, difficult” is influenced by gor “horror, dread, fear”
dír- “tough” used for lesser efforts than gor- “hard, difficult” ✧ PE17/154
#gaer¹ “awful, fearful”

Element In

ᴺS. !gorchanui “complicated, enigmatic, cryptic, hard to understand”
S. gornod(ui) “hard to count” ✧ PE17/154 (gornod)
S. gorbedui “only to be said with horror or grief, lamentable to tell” ✧ PE17/154

Cognates

Q. ur(u)- “hard, difficult” ✧ PE17/154

Derivations

< √GUR “hard, stiff, difficult, cumbrous, slow” ✧ PE17/154

Phonetic Developments

√GUR > gor-

[gur-] > [gor-]

✧ PE17/154