Hawks

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Hawks were the swiftest birds of prey, smaller than Eagles, but just as sharp-eyed.

History

Hawks were the servants of Manwë Súlimo, flying in his halls together with Eagles.[1] They would continually fly over Middle-earth to gather information for their master. Above many flocks of crebain, Aragorn noticed hawks, flying high in the sky, during the War of the Ring.[2]

Etymology

Christopher Tolkien noted that one of two possible readings for the unintelligible entry PHI in The Etymologies could be "hawk" (the other being "haste").[3] Carl F. Hostetter and Patrick H. Wynne argue that "hawk" is the more likely reading, especially given the onomatopoeic suitability of the form of the base to the cry of a hawk, and the possible relation to the root PHILIK, "small bird".[4] The Quenya word for "hawk" would then be fion, plural fiondi.[3]

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