S. naur n. “fire” (Category: Fire)
The basic Sindarin word for “fire”, derived from the root √NAR of the same meaning (LotR/942; PE17/38) and very well attested. It is derived from primitive *nār- since primitive long ā became au in Sindarin. It appeared as N. naur “flame” in The Etymologies of the 1930s with the same derivation (Ety/NAR). As a suffix it usually reduces to -nor, since au usually becomes o in polysyllables. As a prefix, though, it is often Nar- before consonant clusters, no doubt because the ancient long ā was shortened before it could become au.
Conceptual Development: In the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s, the word for “fire” was G. sâ with archaic form †sai (GL/66) clearly based on the early root ᴱ√SAH(Y)A “be hot” as suggested by Christopher Tolkien (LT1A/Sári; QL/81). In Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s, the word for “fire” was ᴱN. byr or buir from primitive ᴱ✶mburye: [mburyē] (PE13/139). Tolkien introduced naur in The Etymologies of the 1930s and stuck with it thereafter.
References ✧ LotR/290, 299, 942; PE17/38, 101; PM/363; SA/nár
Glosses
Variations
Inflections
| -nor | suffix | ✧ SA/nár |
Element In
Cognates
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
| √(A)NAR > naur | [nār] > [nǭr] > [naur] | ✧ PE17/38 |
N. naur n. “flame” (Category: Fire)
References ✧ Ety/EK, NAR¹; PE22/34; TI/187
Glosses
Variations
Inflections
| -nor | suffix | ✧ Ety/EK |
Element In
Cognates
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
| ᴹ√NAR¹ > naur | [nār] > [nǭr] > [nour] > [naur] | ✧ Ety/NAR¹ |
ᴱN. byr n. “fire” (Category: Fire)
References ✧ PE13/139
Glosses
Variations
Derivations