"Philological Inquiries"

[Gwaihir the Windlord]

<font face="Verdana"><table><TR><TD><FONT SIZE="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Irksome Hobgoblin
Posts: 0</TD><TD></TD></TR></TABLE>
<img src="http://www.barrowdowns.com/images/posticons/bluepal.jpg" align=absmiddle> Re: &quot;Philological Inquiries&quot;

I have often wondered about your first question too, Sharku.
Regarding the name Melkor, Mighty Rebel, Iluvitar chose this name for him and as he (Melkor) was created by Eru personally, the name could have been given with foresight easily. As for Feanor, Fire-Spirit, remember what Miriel the mother of Feanor said after she had given birth: 'Never again shall I bear child; for the strength that would have nourished the life of many has gone forth into Feanor.' Knowing this, she could have named him adequately. Tar-Palantir's name was originally Inzilduin, he changed it himself 'for he was far-sighted both of eye and of mind'. And Rohan: although the Prof was undoubtedly possesed of an ingenius mind, I don't think he could completely make up everything in his works. Either that, or the other theory that the world of Tolkien's creation eventually developed into this world. He said that himself. So the language that Rohan was named in might have been the foundation for the Anglo-Saxxon tounge. (Impossible, of course, but then so is the whole idea of Tolkien's world.)
However for Earendil and Arvedui I have no explanation. Probably Tolkien never gave the matter any thought, he just named them as he designed their lives to turn out. He also mentioned in one of his works that there were many mistakes in his books, great and small, but most of them only he would be able to find. Maybe this is one of the 'mistakes' he saw afterwards.

</p>