Mordor en · PROPN
Pronunciation
- /ˈmoːdoː(ɹ)/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
- /ˈmɔɹdɔɹ/ (General-American)
- /ˈmɔːdɔː(ɹ)/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
From Mordor, a bleak realm ruled by the dark lord Sauron, in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth. Tolkien created the name in his constructed language Sindarin, from morn (“dark, black”) and dôr (“land”). Compare with Old English morþor (“murder”), murder, Greek μαυρός (mavrós, “dim”) and Latin mors (“death”). Sense 2 is a semantic loan from Ukrainian Мо́рдор (Mórdor) or Russian Мо́рдор (Mórdor), both of those from English Mordor, alluding to it being the land of orcs.
Meanings
-
An area of peril, darkness, or evil, which people fear to visit or explore.
Nevertheless, this book is about the truth, the good and the bad, so I will tread into the forbidden territory, the Mordor of motherhood.
2007, B. Erin Wylde, Where Did I Go?, →ISBN, page 100:They are out in nature for hours a day – despite the fact that the weather’s terrible (we’re talking Mordor from October to March).
2024 February 25, Helen Russell, “Play outside and sing together: what living in Denmark taught me about raising ‘Viking’ children”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 29 Mar 2024:It is a “Mordor” sort of anthropology, dark rather than light, swampland rather than solid ground.
2007, Paul F. M. Zahl, Grace in Practice: A Theology of Everyday Life, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., published 2007, →ISBN, page 94:“I fled from Moscow, which has turned into Mordor.[…]”
2022 April 17, Pjotr Sauer, Andrew Roth, quoting Antonina Baever, “Empty galleries and fleeing artists: Russia’s cultural uncoupling from the west”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 08 Aug 2022:It’s impossible to find harmony in an outfit when you have to schlep five kilos of kit with you in order to manage the post-workout transformation. Of course, I could change at work. But this would entail using the office showers. And I would sooner venture into Mordor.
2017 November 16, Jo Ellison, “Help: the gym has turned us into slobs”, in Financial Times, archived from the original on 10 Mar 2025:“OK, can we go back now?” asked their guide and expert on the underground, whose restless eyes implied that he was on the edge of panic. “I for one am not venturing a step further into this Mordor.”
2012, Zygmunt Miłoszewski, A Grain of Truth: A Second Case for State Prosecutor Teodor Szacki, Bitter Lemon Press (2012; original Polish book published 2011), page 290
- (derogatory, slang) Russia.
Descendants
Мо́рдор · 魔多 · Mordor · Мо́рдор
Synonyms
wikipedia: Mordor · wikipedia: J. R. R. Tolkien · wikipedia: Middle-earth · wikipedia: Sauron