Letter 168: Difference between revisions

From Tolkien Gateway
m (Bot Message: changing link to The Lord of the Rings Appendices)
mNo edit summary
 
(6 intermediate revisions by 6 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{letter|168}}
{{letter infobox
| #=168
| to=[[Richard Jeffery]]
| date=[[7 September]] [[1955]]
| subject=[[Languages]]
}}{{letter|168}}
==Summary==
==Summary==
This letter, dated [[September 7]], [[1955]], is addressed to Richard Jeffery. Jeffery had some etymological queries. Tolkien replies late, because he was on vacation in Venice, Italy (as described in [[Letter 167]]). Jeffery had also sent a transcription of his name in [[Tengwar]], to which Tolkien replies that because there is no standard for Tengwar and English, he can't technically make mistakes. Tolkien promises more information on Tengwar in [[The Lord of the Rings Appendices|apendices]] to ''[[The Return of the King]]'', but the publishing is delayed because Tolkien tries to include a name-list of etymologies.  
Richard Jeffery, an Oxford student, had some etymological queries. Tolkien replied late, because he was on vacation in Italy (as described in [[Letter 167]]). Jeffery had also sent a transcription of his name in [[Tengwar]], to which Tolkien replied that because there is no standard for Tengwar and English, he can't technically make mistakes. Tolkien promised more information on Tengwar in [[The Lord of the Rings Appendices|appendices]] to ''[[The Return of the King]]'', but the publishing was delayed because Tolkien tried to include a name-list of etymologies.  
As for Jeffery's queries, Tolkien translates ''[[Orofarnë]]'' as "mountain-dwelling", ''[[Lassemista]]'' as "leaf-grey", and ''[[Carnemírië]]'' as "With adornement of red jewels". The plural of ''[[onod]]'' is ''enyd'', class plural ''[[onodrim]]'', but in [[Gondor Sindarin|Gondor]], ''ened'' was used. ''[[Peregrin Took|Peregrin]]'' is a "real modern name", and Tolkien translates it as "traveller in strange countries". ''[[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]]'' is a real name form Germanic tradition. In Old English, it was ''Fróda'', and ''fród'' means "wise by experience".
 
As for Jeffery's queries, Tolkien translated ''[[Orofarnë]]'' as "mountain-dwelling", ''[[Lassemista]]'' as "leaf-grey", and ''[[Carnimírië]]'' as "With adornment of red jewels". The plural of ''[[onod]]'' is ''enyd'', class plural ''[[onodrim]]'', but in [[Númenórean Sindarin|Gondor]], ''ened'' was used. ''[[Peregrin Took|Peregrin]]'' is a "real modern name", and Tolkien translated it as "traveller in strange countries". ''[[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]]'' is a real name form Germanic tradition. In Old English, it was ''Fróda'', and ''fród'' means "wise by experience".


==Notes==
==Notes==
* Jeffery would later write [[Letter 347]], also containing several linguistic and etymological queries and guesses.  
* Jeffery would later receive [[Letter 347]], also containing several linguistic and etymological queries and guesses.  
* Tolkien places an overlay of [[Middle-earth]] on the map of Europe: he refers to Venice as "[[Gondor]]" and England as "[[Arnor|the North Kingdom]]".  
* Tolkien placed an overlay of [[Middle-earth]] on the map of Europe: he referred to Venice as "[[Gondor]]" and England as "[[Arnor|the North Kingdom]]".  
* In a postscript, Tolkien wrote, in [[Quenya]] Tengwar, "nmárie". This word, known as [http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/mdtci.html#DTS_12 DTS 12], is obviously ''[[namárië]]'',  "farewell".   
* In a postscript, Tolkien wrote, in [[Quenya]] Tengwar, "nmárie". This word, known as [http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/mdtci.html#DTS_12 DTS 12], is obviously ''[[namárië]]'',  "farewell".   
{{letters}}
{{letters}}
[[de:Brief 168]]

Latest revision as of 13:35, 15 April 2023

The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
Letter 168
RecipientRichard Jeffery
Date7 September 1955
Subject(s)Languages

Letter 168 is a letter written by J.R.R. Tolkien and published in The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien.

Summary[edit | edit source]

Richard Jeffery, an Oxford student, had some etymological queries. Tolkien replied late, because he was on vacation in Italy (as described in Letter 167). Jeffery had also sent a transcription of his name in Tengwar, to which Tolkien replied that because there is no standard for Tengwar and English, he can't technically make mistakes. Tolkien promised more information on Tengwar in appendices to The Return of the King, but the publishing was delayed because Tolkien tried to include a name-list of etymologies.

As for Jeffery's queries, Tolkien translated Orofarnë as "mountain-dwelling", Lassemista as "leaf-grey", and Carnimírië as "With adornment of red jewels". The plural of onod is enyd, class plural onodrim, but in Gondor, ened was used. Peregrin is a "real modern name", and Tolkien translated it as "traveller in strange countries". Frodo is a real name form Germanic tradition. In Old English, it was Fróda, and fród means "wise by experience".

Notes[edit | edit source]

  • Jeffery would later receive Letter 347, also containing several linguistic and etymological queries and guesses.
  • Tolkien placed an overlay of Middle-earth on the map of Europe: he referred to Venice as "Gondor" and England as "the North Kingdom".
  • In a postscript, Tolkien wrote, in Quenya Tengwar, "nmárie". This word, known as DTS 12, is obviously namárië, "farewell".


The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7* · 8* · 8a · 8b · 8c · 9 · 10 · 11* · 11a · 11b · 11c · 12 · 13 · 14 · 15* · 15a · 15b · 16 · 17* · 18* · 18a · 19* · 20 · 21* · 22* · 23 · 24 · 25 · 26 · 27* · 28 · 29 · 30 · 31 · 32 · 33 · 34 · 35 · 36 · 36a · 36b · 37 · 38 · 38a · 39 · 40 · 40a · 41 · 42 · 42a · 42b · 42c · 43* · 43a · 44* · 45* · 46 · 47 · 48 · 49 · 49a · 49b · 49c · 49d · 49e · 50 · 51 · 51a · 51b · 52* · 53* · 53a · 53b · 54* · 55 · 55a · 56* · 56a · 57 · 58* · 59 · 59a · 60 · 61 · 62 · 63 · 64 · 65 · 66* · 67* · 68 · 69 · 70 · 71 · 72 · 73 · 73a · 74* · 74a · 75 · 76 · 77* · 78 · 79 · 80 · 80a · 80b · 81 · 82 · 83* · 84 · 85 · 86 · 87 · 88 · 88a · 89 · 89a · 90* · 91 · 91a · 91b · 91c · 92* · 93 · 94* · 94a · 94b · 94c · 95 · 96* · 97 · 97a · 97b · 97c · 98 · 98a · 99 · 100

101 · 102 · 102a · 103 · 104 · 105 · 106 · 107 · 107a · 108 · 109 · 110 · 111 · 111a · 112 · 113 · 114 · 115 · 116 · 117 · 118 · 119 · 120 · 121 · 122 · 122a · 123* · 124 · 125 · 126* · 127* · 128 · 128a · 129 · 130 · 130a · 131* · 132 · 132a · 133 · 134 · 134a · 135 · 135a · 135b · 135c · 135d · 136 · 137 · 137a · 137b · 137c · 137d · 137e · 138 · 139 · 140 · 140a · 140b · 140c · 141 · 141a · 141b · 141c · 141d · 142* · 142a · 143 · 143a · 143b · 143c · 143d · 143e · 144 · 144a · 145 · 146 · 146a · 147 · 148* · 148a · 149* · 150 · 151* · 152* · 153 · 154 · 155 · 156 · 157 · 158 · 158a · 159 · 160 · 161 · 162 · 162a · 163 · 164 · 165 · 165a · 165b · 166 · 166a · 166b · 167 · 168 · 168a · 169 · 170 · 171 · 172 · 173 · 174* · 175 · 176 · 177 · 178 · 179 · 179a · 179b · 179c · 180 · 181 · 182 · 183 · 184 · 185 · 186 · 187* · 188 · 188a · 189 · 190 · 191 · 192 · 193 · 194 · 194a · 194b · 195 · 195a · 195b · 196* · 196a · 197 · 198 · 199 · 200 · 200a

201* · 202 · 203 · 204 · 204a · 205 · 205a · 205b · 206 · 207 · 208 · 209 · 210 · 211 · 212 · 212a · 213 · 214 · 214a · 214b · 215 · 215a · 216 · 217 · 218 · 219 · 220 · 220a · 221 · 222 · 222a · 222b · 222c · 222d · 222e · 222f · 223 · 224 · 225 · 226* · 227 · 228 · 228a · 229 · 230 · 231 · 231a · 232 · 233 · 234 · 235 · 236 · 237 · 238* · 239* · 239a · 240 · 241 · 241a · 241b · 242 · 242a · 243 · 244 · 245 · 246 · 247 · 248 · 249 · 249a · 250 · 251 · 252 · 253 · 254 · 254a · 255 · 256 · 257 · 258 · 259 · 260 · 261 · 262 · 263 · 264 · 265 · 266 · 267 · 268 · 269 · 270 · 271 · 272 · 273 · 274 · 274a · 275 · 275a · 276* · 277 · 277a · 278 · 279 · 280 · 281 · 282 · 282a · 283 · 283a · 283b · 284 · 284a · 285 · 286 · 287 · 288 · 289 · 289a · 289b · 289c · 289d · 290 · 290a · 291 · 292 · 293 · 293a · 293b · 294 · 294a · 294b · 295 · 295a · 295b · 296 · 297 · 298 · 298a · 299 · 300

301 · 302 · 303 · 304 · 305 · 305a · 306 · 307 · 307a · 308 · 309 · 309a · 310 · 311 · 312 · 313 · 314 · 315 · 315a · 315b · 316 · 317 · 318 · 319 · 319a · 320 · 321 · 322 · 323 · 324 · 324a · 325 · 326 · 327 · 328 · 329 · 330 · 330a · 331* · 331a · 331b · 332 · 333 · 334 · 334a · 335 · 336 · 337 · 338 · 338a · 339 · 339a · 340 · 341 · 342 · 343 · 343a · 344 · 345 · 346 · 347 · 347a · 347b · 348 · 348a · 349 · 349a · 350 · 351 · 352 · 353 · 354

Unpublished letters

Letters marked with a (*) are updated and expanded in the new edition.