Eldamo : Primitive Elvish : MOR

√MOR root. “black, dark, darkness”

√MOR root. “black, dark, darkness”

This root was connected to “black” and “darkness” for all of Tolkien’s life. It first appeared as unglossed ᴱ√MORO in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. móre “night” and ᴱQ. morna “black” (QL/62). In the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon it had derivatives like G. morn “dark, black” and G. morth “darkness” (GL/58). It appeared as ᴹ√MOR in The Etymologies of the 1930s with a similar set of derivatives (Ety/MOR) and √MOR was mentioned regularly in Tolkien’s later writings with glosses like “black, dark, darkness” (Let/308, 382; PE17/73).

References ✧ Let/308, 382, 384; PE17/36, 73, 165; SA/mor

Glosses

“black” ✧ PE17/36; PE17/73; PE17/165
“dark” ✧ SA/mor
“dark, black” ✧ Let/382
“darkness” ✧ Let/308

Derivatives

⇒ ᴺQ. !mortavar “ebony, ⚠️ivory”
> ✶mori “black” ✧ Let/382
- ⇒ ᴺS. !merifind “Black-haired”
- ⇒ #✶morikwende “*Dark-elf”
  - > Q. Moriquendi “Elves of the Darkness, (lit.) Dark Elves” ✧ WJ/373
- ⇒ ✶Moriñgotho “Black Foe” ✧ PE19/81
  - > Q. Morikotto “*Dark Enemy” ✧ PE19/81
  - > S. Morgoth “Black Foe, Dark Foe, Black Enemy, Dark Tyrant” ✧ MR/194; MR/294
- > Q. morë “dark, black; darkness, night” ✧ Let/382
  - ⇒ 14 compounds
- > S. môr “dark(ness); †night” ✧ Let/382; NM/279
  - ⇒ S. Dagmor “?Slayer of Darkness”
> ✶mornā “dark” ✧ Let/382
- > Q. morna “black, dark; black of hair” ✧ Let/382
  - ⇒ 6 compounds
- > S. morn “black, dark; night” ✧ Let/382; WJ/362
  - ⇒ 17 compounds
⇒ Q. Moriquendi “Elves of the Darkness, (lit.) Dark Elves” ✧ SA/mor
⇒ Q. Mormacil “Black Sword”
> Q. morna “black, dark; black of hair” ✧ PE17/73
- ⇒ 6 compounds
> Q. mornië “darkness, blackness” ✧ PE17/73
⇒ Q. Morwë
⇒ S. Morannon “Black Gate” ✧ Let/382; PE17/73
⇒ S. Moravar
⇒ S. Morbenedh “*Dark-elf”
⇒ S. Mordor “Black Land” ✧ Let/382; PE17/73; SA/mor
⇒ S. Morgoth “Black Foe, Dark Foe, Black Enemy, Dark Tyrant” ✧ Let/382; PE17/73; SA/mor
⇒ S. morgul “black arts, sorcery, necromancy” ✧ Let/382; PE17/36
- ⇒ S. Imlad Morgul “Morgul Vale” ✧ RC/482
- ⇒ S. Minas Morgul “Tower of Sorcery” ✧ MR/350; PE17/31
- ⇒ S. Morgulduin
⇒ S. Moria “Black Chasm, Black Pit” ✧ Let/382; Let/384; SA/mor
- ⇒ S. Angerthas Moria “Angerthas of Moria”
⇒ S. Mormegil “Black Sword” ✧ SA/mor
⇒ S. Morwen “Dark Maiden” ✧ SA/mor
- ⇒ S. Tol Morwen “*Island of Morwen”

ᴹ√MOR root. “*black, dark”

See √MOR for discussion.

References ✧ Ety/KHYEL(ES), MOR, TIN; EtyAC/LOƷ, MAK

Derivatives

> Ilk. myrilind “nightingale” ✧ Ety/TIN
- > N. merilin(n) “nightingale” ✧ Ety/TIN; EtyAC/TIN
> ᴹ✶mori “black” ✧ Ety/MOR
- ⇒ ᴹ✶morikwende “Dark-elf”
  - > ᴹQ. Moriqendi “Dark-elves” ✧ PE19/57; PE19/59; PE21/69
- > ᴹQ. more “black, dark” ✧ Ety/MOR
  - ⇒ 5 compounds
- > N. †môr “black” ✧ Ety/MOR
> ᴹ✶mǭri “blackness, dark, night” ✧ EtyAC/MOR
- > Ilk. môr “night” ✧ Ety/MOR
  - ⇒ Ilk. myrilind “nightingale” ✧ Ety/MOR
    - ⇒ [see above]
- > ᴹQ. móre “blackness, dark, night” ✧ Ety/MOR
  - ⇒ ᴹQ. morilinde “nightingale” ✧ Ety/MOR
- > N. maur “gloom” ✧ Ety/MOR
> ᴹQ. mordo “[dark] stain, smear; obscurity, dimness, shadow” ✧ Ety/MOR
⇒ ᴹQ. Morimando “Dark Mando” ✧ Ety/MOR
⇒ ᴹQ. Mormakil “Black Sword”
> ᴹQ. morna “gloomy, sombre” ✧ Ety/MOR
⇒ N. Helevorn “Black Glass” ✧ Ety/KHYEL(ES)
⇒ N. †môr “black” ✧ EtyAC/LOƷ
⇒ N. Morannon “Black Gate”
⇒ N. Morbenn “Dark Elf” ✧ EtyAC/MOR
⇒ N. Morgoth “Black Foe” ✧ Ety/MOR
> N. morn “black” ✧ Ety/MOR
- ⇒ 18 compounds

ᴱ√MORO root. “*black, dark”

See √MOR for discussion.

References ✧ LT1A/Mornië, Morwinyon; QL/62

Derivatives

> ᴱQ. móre “night, darkness; black, dark” ✧ LT1A/Mornië; QL/62; QL/62
- ⇒ 12 compounds
> ᴱQ. Morion “Son of the Dark” ✧ LT1A/Mornië; QL/62
⇒ ᴱQ. Mormakil “Black Sword” ✧ LT2A/Mormagli
> ᴱQ. morna “black” ✧ LT1A/Mornië; QL/62
⇒ ᴱQ. Mornie “Black Grief” ✧ LT1A/Mornië
- ⇒ ᴱQ. Mornielta
- ⇒ ᴱQ. Morniento ✧ LT1I/Amnos
> ᴱQ. móro “ink”
- ⇒ ᴱQ. saramór “*writing-ink” ✧ PE16/133
> ᴱQ. Móru “Primeval Night”
> ᴱQ. moru- “to hide, conceal, lurk” ✧ LT1A/Mornië; QL/62
> ᴱQ. morwa “unclear, secret” ✧ QL/62
> ᴱQ. Morwen “Daughter of the Dark” ✧ LT1A/Mornië; QL/62
> ᴱQ. Morwinyon “Glint at Dusk, Glint in the Dark; Arcturus” ✧ LT1A/Morwinyon; QL/62
> G. morc “stain, smut, black mark; dirty”
> G. morn “dark, black” ✧ LT1A/Mornië
- ⇒ 4 compounds
> G. morth “darkness” ✧ LT1A/Mornië
- ⇒ G. mortha “dim” ✧ GL/58
> G. mortha “dim” ✧ LT1A/Mornië
⇒ G. Morwinthi “Arcturus” ✧ LT1A/Morwinyon
> G. mûri “darkness, †night”
> G. Muru “Primeval Night”