comparison with the language of Rohan is enlightening. In that language there was an adjective maur-, no longer current at this time, but familiar in verse or higher styles of speech; it meant 'wise, experienced'. I have, therefore, rendered Maura by Frodo, an old Germanic name, that appears to contain the word frod which in ancient English corresponded closely in meaning to Rohan maur.
Meriadoc (Merry). The real name was Chilimanzar [> Cilimanzar], a high-sounding and legendary name. I have chosen Meriadoc for the following reasons. Buckland in many ways occupied a position with regard to the Shire such as Wales does to England; and it is not wholly inappropriate, therefore, to represent its many very peculiar names by names of a Celtic or specifically Welsh character. Among such names I chose Meriadoc, mainly because it gives naturally a shortening 'Merry'; for the abbreviation of Chilimanzar
[> Cilimanzar] by which this character was usually known was Chilic [> Cilic], a C.S. word meaning exactly 'gay or merry'.(34)
before coming south in the days of Eorl. It was thus nearly akin to the language of the lower Anduin, the basis of the C.S., but isolated in the North it had changed far less and had remained little mingled with alien words.
Peregrin (Pippin). The H. name was Razanul [> Razanur].
This was the name of a legendary traveller, and probably contains the C.S. elements raza 'stranger', razan 'foreign'. I therefore chose Peregrin to represent it, though it does not fit quite so well. Of Peregrin, Pippin is I suppose a not impossible
'pet-form'; but it is not so close to its original, as is Razal
[> Razar] (a kind of small red apple) by which abbreviation Razanul Tuca [> Razanur Tuc] was almost inevitably known to his contemporaries.(35)
Sam. His real name was Ban, short for Banzir. In C.S. ba-, ban-occurred in many words with the meaning 'half-, almost', while zir(a) meant 'wise'. I have therefore translated his name by ancient English samwis of similar sense. This was convenient, since Samwise will yield an abbreviation Sam. Now Ban was a common short name in the Shire, but was usually then derived from the more elevated name Bannatha, as Sam is with us usually shortened from Samuel.(36)
The following passage ($$50-1) is a note (a part of the manuscript as originally written) to the name Samuel, but in appearance is a part of the main text, and is most conveniently given so.
$50. It will be observed that I have not [> rarely] used Scriptural names or names of Hebraic origin to represent Hobbit-names. There is nothing in Hobbit lore or history that corresponds [added: closely] to this element in our names.
Bildad, a name occurring among the Bolgers, is an accidental resemblance; it is a genuine Hobbit name which I have left unaltered. Other abbreviations like Tom and Mat I have also often left unchanged. Many such monosyllables were current in the Shire, but were the shortenings of genuine Hobbit names. For instance Tom of Tomacca, Tomburan; Mat of Mattalic; Bill (Bil) of Bildad (Bildat), Bilcuzal, or any of the numerous names ending in -bil, -mil, as Arambil. Farmer Cotton's full name was in fact Tomacca Lothran.(37) [Added: Tobias (Hornblower) is an exception. I have used this name because the resemblance of the real Hobbit-name Tobi was so close, and it seemed inevitable to translate Zara-tobi by 'Old Toby'; no other name could be found to fit so well. This was changed to: Tobias (Hornblower) is not an exception. Tobias was his real name, though accented Tobias. I have retained this name because the resemblance of the real Hobbit-name was so close, &c.]
$51. Barnabas is [added: not] an exception. Barnabas Butterbur was a Man of Bree, not a hobbit. I gave him this name for various reasons. First of all a personal one. On an old grey stone in a quiet churchyard in southern England I once saw in large letters the name Barnabas Butter. That was long ago and before I had seen the Red Book, but the name
Meriadoc (Merry). The real name was Chilimanzar [> Cilimanzar], a high-sounding and legendary name. I have chosen Meriadoc for the following reasons. Buckland in many ways occupied a position with regard to the Shire such as Wales does to England; and it is not wholly inappropriate, therefore, to represent its many very peculiar names by names of a Celtic or specifically Welsh character. Among such names I chose Meriadoc, mainly because it gives naturally a shortening 'Merry'; for the abbreviation of Chilimanzar
[> Cilimanzar] by which this character was usually known was Chilic [> Cilic], a C.S. word meaning exactly 'gay or merry'.(34)
before coming south in the days of Eorl. It was thus nearly akin to the language of the lower Anduin, the basis of the C.S., but isolated in the North it had changed far less and had remained little mingled with alien words.
Peregrin (Pippin). The H. name was Razanul [> Razanur].
This was the name of a legendary traveller, and probably contains the C.S. elements raza 'stranger', razan 'foreign'. I therefore chose Peregrin to represent it, though it does not fit quite so well. Of Peregrin, Pippin is I suppose a not impossible
'pet-form'; but it is not so close to its original, as is Razal
[> Razar] (a kind of small red apple) by which abbreviation Razanul Tuca [> Razanur Tuc] was almost inevitably known to his contemporaries.(35)
Sam. His real name was Ban, short for Banzir. In C.S. ba-, ban-occurred in many words with the meaning 'half-, almost', while zir(a) meant 'wise'. I have therefore translated his name by ancient English samwis of similar sense. This was convenient, since Samwise will yield an abbreviation Sam. Now Ban was a common short name in the Shire, but was usually then derived from the more elevated name Bannatha, as Sam is with us usually shortened from Samuel.(36)
The following passage ($$50-1) is a note (a part of the manuscript as originally written) to the name Samuel, but in appearance is a part of the main text, and is most conveniently given so.
$50. It will be observed that I have not [> rarely] used Scriptural names or names of Hebraic origin to represent Hobbit-names. There is nothing in Hobbit lore or history that corresponds [added: closely] to this element in our names.
Bildad, a name occurring among the Bolgers, is an accidental resemblance; it is a genuine Hobbit name which I have left unaltered. Other abbreviations like Tom and Mat I have also often left unchanged. Many such monosyllables were current in the Shire, but were the shortenings of genuine Hobbit names. For instance Tom of Tomacca, Tomburan; Mat of Mattalic; Bill (Bil) of Bildad (Bildat), Bilcuzal, or any of the numerous names ending in -bil, -mil, as Arambil. Farmer Cotton's full name was in fact Tomacca Lothran.(37) [Added: Tobias (Hornblower) is an exception. I have used this name because the resemblance of the real Hobbit-name Tobi was so close, and it seemed inevitable to translate Zara-tobi by 'Old Toby'; no other name could be found to fit so well. This was changed to: Tobias (Hornblower) is not an exception. Tobias was his real name, though accented Tobias. I have retained this name because the resemblance of the real Hobbit-name was so close, &c.]
$51. Barnabas is [added: not] an exception. Barnabas Butterbur was a Man of Bree, not a hobbit. I gave him this name for various reasons. First of all a personal one. On an old grey stone in a quiet churchyard in southern England I once saw in large letters the name Barnabas Butter. That was long ago and before I had seen the Red Book, but the name
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