All Questions
Tagged with names the-lord-of-the-rings
18 questions
23
votes
1
answer
4k
views
How is the name "Took" pronounced?
After hearing someone pronounce "Took" (as in "Fool Of A...") the same as the English word "took", I wondered to myself: Have I been pronouncing it wrong this whole time? ...
- 30.9k
-7
votes
1
answer
471
views
Are there meaningful anagrams in Lord of the Rings character names?
Motivation
I just observed that "Denethor", the human steward who thought himself king has all the same letters as the word "dethrone" which is what he intended to do to Aragorn, ...
- 2,470
56
votes
1
answer
10k
views
Why is Sauron's name similar to the Greek/Latin word for "lizard"?
The name Sauron is spelled like, and sounds very similar to the Greek word σαῦρος, or the corresponding Latin word saurus, which means lizard.
Is this just a coincidence, or is there a (known or ...
- 1,355
3
votes
1
answer
650
views
How did Tolkien and Lewis come to use the similar names "neekerbreeker" and "Nikabrik"?
I noticed today, after being reminded of the episode in The Fellowship of the Ring, when Strider and the hobbits are crossing the Midgewater Marshes, where they hear countless noisy insects,
There ...
- 102k
66
votes
5
answers
17k
views
Why does Sauron not permit his followers to use his name?
From The Two Towers, chapter 1, "The Departure of Boromir":
Upon their shields [the orcs] bore a strange device: a small white hand in the centre of a black field; on the front of their ...
- 136k
47
votes
3
answers
12k
views
How is the name "Gandalf" pronounced?
I've been reading answers to the question asking how "Smaug" should be pronounced and I was wondering, is there an authoritative answer to the pronunciation of "Gandalf"?
I first read The Hobbit ...
- 6,618
50
votes
2
answers
8k
views
Why was Frodo "wise" and Samwise a "half-wit"?
According to the sources I’ve found (for example this one), “Frodo” comes from the Old English “fród”, meaning wise. (Apparently in “Hobbit Language” Frodo’s name is “Maura”, but I don’t know if this ...
- 24.1k
6
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Does Gríma have a "real" surname? [duplicate]
Does Gríma have a surname? Wormtongue was a nickname/epithet and not his actual name - but did he have a genuine one?
- 5,032
32
votes
4
answers
14k
views
Why is the name Strider considered offensive?
To be clear, I am not asking why Aragorn and the Dunedain are treated as suspicious, but why the nickname 'Strider' (and Longshanks) is implied to have an insulting undertone, by Bill Ferny and ...
- 2,384
22
votes
5
answers
8k
views
Does the name "Gollum" actually mean anything?
From other answers on this site, it is clear that within the general story arc, the name Gollum derived from a sound Sméagol was often inadvertently making within his throat, described as a sort of "...
- 3,590
17
votes
3
answers
2k
views
What's the difference between the names Eru & Ilúvatar?
If my Silmarillion memory serves, both are names of the ultimate creator. What's the difference? When should one used over the other?
- 34.2k
12
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Why doesn't Gollum ever use any proper names?
Whenever Gollum references anyone, he always calls them by something other than their proper name. Off the top of my head, we have precious, my love, fat hobbit, master, "him" (Sauron), "her" (Shelob)...
- 2,051
7
votes
1
answer
2k
views
How many Hobbit clans/families have 'feet' in their surnames?
How many hobbit clans or families include feet in their last names?
According to the movies, it seems like every other clan seems to have feet in their last name. Is this typical or is this just in ...
- 66.5k
20
votes
4
answers
9k
views
Is there a list of the names used for Sauron in Lord of the Rings?
In the preface to The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion, authors Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull mention a surprising fact:
Dr. Richard E. Blackwelder once counted in The Lord of the ...
- 70.6k
70
votes
2
answers
31k
views
Why are the names Sauron and Saruman so similar?
The names Sauron and Saruman are very similar in writing and pronunciation.
Is it an accident? or having an a forethought reason?
- 679
8
votes
1
answer
794
views
Who nicknamed Grima 'Wormtongue'?
Who actually gave Grima his nickname, 'Wormtongue'? I doubt his parents did. I would guess it would be either Saruman or the Rohirrim.
- 1,883
54
votes
3
answers
4k
views
Does Gollum know that others call him Gollum?
I don't recall any of the characters in Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit calling Sméagol Gollum in his face. It seems to be more of a private epithet. Is this correct? Does Gollum know that others call ...
- 9,214
36
votes
1
answer
8k
views
Was the original hobbit name of Bilbo and Frodo "Bilba" and "Froda"?
I am reading the appendices of The Lord of the Rings and in particular Appendix F, part II "On translation".
Tolkien writes:
To their man-children they usually gave names that had no meaning at ...
- 4,789