A Tolkien English Glossary: A Guide to Old Uncommon and Achaic Words Used in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings (1) Read online

  mince-pies

  19

  A pie filled with minced meat. Mince - to cut up or chop small, or in little pieces.

  And mince-pies and cheese….

  larders

  19

  A room or place where meat or other provisions are kept; a pantry; hence, the store of provisions in a house.

  "Seems to know as much about the inside of my larders as I do myself!" ….

  flummoxed

  19

  To bewilder; confound; bring to confusion.

  ...thought Mr. Baggins, who was feeling positively flummoxed….

  wretched

  19

  Deeply unhappy in mind.

  ...Mr. Baggins…was beginning to wonder whether a most wretched adventure had not come right into his house.

  confusticate

  19

  To confuse, confound, perplex.

  Confusticate and bebother these dwarves!….

  bebother

  19

  To confuse, to give trouble.

  See text above for confusticate.

  lo

  19

  An exclamation of surprise, greeting, etc. Also, look! see! behold!

  Lo and behold! there stood Balin and Dwalin at the door of the kitchen….

  afresh

  19

  Again.

  …they had whisked the trays and a couple of small tables into the parlour and set out everything afresh.

  fender

  21

  A metal guard before an open fire; to keep back falling coals.

  Then they went back, and found Thorin with his feet on the fender….

  viols

  22

  A musical instrument, of various sizes, shapes, etc., having a hollow body, a neck, a finger board, and strings, and played with a bow; esp., an old (medieval and later) type having from five to seven strings, and made in four sizes. A violin.

  They came back with viols as big as themselves….

  ere

  22

  Before.

  We must away ere break of day

  yore

  22

  Of old; years ago; long ago.

  The dwarves of yore made mighty spells,

  fells

  22

  A stretch of elevated waste land or pasture; a down.

  In hollow halls beneath the fells.

  hoard

  22

  Treasure, an accumulation of something laid by for preservation or future use; a stock of store, as of money, treasure.

  There many a gloaming golden hoard

  wrought

  22

  Worked; elaborated.

  They shaped and wrought,….

  delves

  23

  An act of delving; the plunging (of a spade) into the ground.

  And harps of gold; where no man delves

  dale

  23

  A vale or valley.

  The bells were ringing in the dale

  ire

  23

  Anger, wrath.

  Then dragon's ire more fierce than fire

  audacious

  25

  Bold; daring; esp., recklessly or shamelessly bold; impudent.

  We are met together in the house of our friend and fellow conspirator, this most excellent and audacious hobbit….

  policy

  25

  A definite course of action adopted as expedient or from other considerations; also, a specificic course or line of action adopted and pursued by a government or ruler.

  "We are met to discuss our plans, our ways, means, policy and devices.

  devices

  25

  The act of planning; also, a plan or scheme for effecting a purpose.

  See text above for policy.

  Were-worms

  27

  A mythical beast.

  ….if I have to walk from here to the East of East and fight the wild Were-worms….

  scowled

  27

  To draw down or contract the brows in a sullen or angry manner; look with a scowl; to have a gloomy or threatening aspect.

  He scowled so angrily at Gloin that the dwarf huddled back in his chair….

  barrel

  29

  A cylinder or drum. The round part of a key.

  Here it is!" he said, and handed to Thorin a key with a long barrel and intricate wards….

  wards

  29

  Each of the ridges projecting from the inside plate of a lock, serving to prevent the passage of any key the bit of which is not provided with incisions of corresponding form and size. Each of the incisions in the bit of a key, corresponding to the 'wards' of the lock.

  See text above for barrel.

  mock

  30

  Being an imitation or having merely the semblance of something; counterfeit; sham; false; mimic; imitate; ridicule.

  He turned with mock-politeness….

  remuneration

  31

  To requite (repayment), recompense, or reward (a person) for services, work, trouble, etc.; the act of remuneration.

  "Also I should like to know about risks, out-of-pocket expenses, time required and remuneration, and so forth" - by which he meant: "What am I going to get out of it?….

  routed

  32

  To bring or get in poking about, searching, etc.; to fetch or get from a place, by vigorous action.

  Then he went back and crept in through the Front Gate and routed out all the halls….

  Necromancer

  34

  One who practices necromancy. The pretended art of divination through communication with the dead; the black art, hence, magic in general, enchantment, conjuration. A wizard, conjurer.

  ….I found him a prisoner in the dungeons of the Necromancer."

  Chapter 2

  Roast Mutton

  mutton

  37

  The flesh of sheep, used as food; specif. the flesh of the well-grown or more mature sheep, as distinguished from lamb.

  Roast Mutton (chapter title)

  outlandish

  37

  Foreign-looking, strange, or odd; bizarre.

  "Don't be a fool, Bilbo Baggins!" he said to himself, "thinking of dragons and all that outlandish nonsense….

  defrayed

  38

  To pay the charges or expenses of a person.

  ....all traveling expenses guaranteed in any event; funeral expenses to be defrayed by us or our representatives, if occasion arises ….

  repose

  38

  To lay to rest; refresh by rest; to take rest from exertion or toil.

  Thinking it unnecessary to disturb your esteemed repose, we have proceeded in advance to make requisite preparations….

  paraphernalia

  39

  Personal belongings; articles of personal adornment or attire; trappings; equipments; in general, appurtenances (accessory).

  ….each pony was slung about with all kinds of baggages, packages, parcels, and paraphernalia.

  ambling

  40

  Amble. To go at an easy pace.

  ...they had passed through hobbit-lands, a wild respectable country inhabited by decent folk, with good roads, an inn or two, and now and then a dwarf or a farmer ambling by on business.

  track

  40

  The mark, or series of marks, left by anything that has passed along; a wheel-rut; a series of footprintsor other marks left by an animal or person.

  ….he splashed along behind the others in a very muddy track.

  rags

  41

  A fragmentary bit of anything. In this case clouds.

  ...a wandering moon appeared above the hills between the flying rags.

  canny

  43

  Safe to deal or meddle with (chiefly with a negative); quiet or gentle.

  ...find out all about
that light, and what it is for, and if all is perfectly safe and canny," said Thorin….

  cavalcade

  43

  A procession of persons on horseback.

  ....I don't suppose you or I would notice anything at all on a windy night, not if the whole cavalcade had passed….

  toothsome

  43

  Pleasing to the taste; palatable; also, fond of savory food.

  There was a fine toothsome smell.

  blimey

  44

  A vulgar corruption of blind me! or blame me!

  "Mutton yesterday, mutton today, and blimey, if it don't look like mutton again tomorrer,"….

  tomorrer

  44

  A slang pronunciation of tomorrow.

  See text above for blimey.

  ell

  44

  Hell

  "What the 'ell William was a-thinkin' of to bring us into these parts at all, beats me….

  beats me

  44

  To baffle, perplex.

  See text above for ell.

  yer

  44

  Vulgar pronunciation of your.

  "Shut yer mouth!" he said….

  et

  44

  Eat. Preterit of eat.

  "Yer can't expect folk to stop here for ever just to be et by you….

  purloined

  44

  To take dishonestly, steal, of filch; to commit theft.

  ….pinched the very mutton off the spits, purloined the beer, and walked off….

  burglarious

  45

  Pertaining to or involving burglary.

  Of the various burglarious proceedings he had heard of picking the trolls' pockets seemed the least difficult….

  copped

  45

  To catch; lay hold of; also, to steal.

  "Blimey, Bert, look what I've copped!"….

  Lumme

  45

  A corruption of (Lord) love me.

  "Lumme, if I knows!

  throttled

  45

  To stop the breath of by compressing the throat; strangle; sometimes, to choke or suffocate in any way.

  ….said poor Bilbo, shaking all over, and wondering how to make owl-noises before they throttled him.

  blighter

  46

  A person who causes trouble or makes himself obnoxious (slang, Eng.)

  Poor little blighter….

  afore

  46

  Before.

  …."as I've said afore this evening."

  lout

  46

  An awkward, stupid fellow; a clown.

  "And you're a lout!"

  row

  46

  A violent disturbance or commotion; a noisy dispute or quarrel; to assail roughly.

  ...there was a gorgeous row.

  booby

  50

  A stupid person; a dunce.

  "You're a booby," ….

  twitter

  51

  To move tremulously, shake, or tremble.

  ….there was a mighty twitter in the branches.

  incantations

  52

  The chanting or uttering of words purporting to have magical power; a spell or charm; also, in general, magical ceremonies; magic, sorcery.

  ….they all pushed while Gandalf tried various incantations.

  waylaid

  54

  To lie in wait for (a traveler, passer-by, etc.) on the way; fall upon or assail from ambush, as in order to rob, seize, or slay.

  ….they had frightened everyone away from the district, and they waylaid strangers.

  Chapter 3

  A Short Rest

  faggots

  58

  A bundle or sticks, twigs, or small branches of trees bound together, used for fuel.

  The faggots are reeking,

  reeking

  58

  Smoke, vapor or steam emitted or exhaled, issue, rise.

  See text above for faggots.

  bannocks

  58

  A flat cake made of oatmeal, barley-meal, or the like, commonly cooked on a griddle.

  The bannocks are baking!

  hark

  59

  To listen; harken: often used interjectionally, in the imperative (as, Hark!).

  And listen and hark

  parapet

  60

  A protective wall or barrier at the edge of a balcony, roof, bridge, or the like.

  There was only a narrow bridge of stone without a parapet, as narrow as a pony could well walk on…. .

  palpitating

  61

  To pulsate with unnatural rapidity, as the heart, from exertion, emotion; also, to quiver or tremble, as a body, a person or anything else.

  ....while things that are uncomfortable palpitating, and even gruesome, may make a good tale….

  venerable

  61

  Commanding respect by reason of age and dignity of appearance.

  He was...as strong as a warrior, as wise as a wizard, as venerable as a king of dwarves….

  vexed

  63

  To irritate, annoy, make angry. To feel distressed, worried, or annoyed.

  "What do they say?" asked Gandalf and Thorin together, a bit vexed…

  Chapter 4

  Over Hill and Under Hill

  shiver

  66

  To break or split into fragments or splinters; shatter.

  The lightning splinters on the peaks, and rocks shiver, and great crashes split the air….

  whinnying

  68

  Of a horse, to utter its characteristic call or cry; neigh.

  ...some of them were whinnying with fright.

  guffawing

  68

  A loud, coarse burst of laughter; to laugh loudly and boisterously.

  They could hear the giants guffawing and shouting….

  nooks

  69

  A corner, as in a room; any small recess; a secluded or sheltered place.

  …a dry floor and some comfortable nooks.

  champing

  69

  To crush with the teeth and chew vigorously or noisily; munch; also to bite upon, esp. impatiently, as a horse its bit.

  ...there was room for the ponies; and there they stood (mighty glad of the change) steaming, and champing in their nosebags.

  nosebags

  69

  A bag, usually made of strong canvas and leather, which is suspended from a horse's head (the open end covering his nose) so that he may eat the provender contained in it.

  See text above for champing.

  yammer

  72

  Mourn, complain, sad, mournful; to lament, wail, whine, the act of yammering; a loud or persistent talk.