Pleased to meet you, Frodo... Reppuli? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Macalaure · 09-14-2007, 12:06 PM

Great thread, Lommy!

Let me add my share of German names (far from complete, just the ones I found interesting):

The Fellowship

Frodo Baggins (Underhill) ~ Frodo Beutlin (Unterberg) (Beutel=bag. Just like in English, one would expect there to be a 'g' after the 'n', which is also omitted in the German translation)
Samwise Gamgee ~ Samweis Gamdschie
Meriadoc (Merry) Brandybuck ~ Meriadoc (Merry) Brandybock
Peregrin (Pippin) Took ~ Peregrin (Pippin) Tuk
Gandalf
Aragorn (Strider) ~ Aragorn (Streicher) (Streicher doesn't mean much, but it reminds one of Landstreicher=vagabond, which I think is slightly disrespectful

)
Legolas Greenleaf ~ Legolas Grünblatt
Gimli son of Glóin ~ Gimli Glóinssohn (not sure why they changed this, it makes it sound Scandinavian)
Boromir

Other people

Barliman Butterbur ~ Gerstenmann Butterblüm
Barrow-wight ~ Grabwicht
Bill Ferny ~ Lutz Farnrich (the pony Bill is also called Lutz)
Goldberry ~ Goldbeere
Gríma Wormtongue ~ Gríma Schlangenzunge (like in Finnish, Gríma has the tongue of a snake over here)
Grishnákh ~ Grischnách
Lobelia Sackville-Baggins ~ Lobelia Sackheim-Beutlin
Old Man Willow ~ Alter Weidenmann
Quickbeam ~ Flinkbaum
Rose Cotton ~ Rosie Kattun
Shadowfax ~ Schattenfell
Sharkey ~ Scharker
Shelob ~ Kankra (a Kanker is a sort of spider and the 'ra' makes it sound feminine. I think this is not a good translation of the name. The sounds of the two are just too different)
Ted Sandyman ~ Timm Sandigmann
Thórin Oakenshield ~ Thórin Eichenschild
Treebeard ~ Baumbart
Witch King ~ Hexenkönig

Geographic names

Bag End ~ Beutelsend
Bagshot Row ~ Beutelhaldenweg
Barrow-downs ~ Hügelgräberhöhen
Buckland ~ Bockland
Dead Marshes ~ Totensümpfe
Dunharrow ~ Dunharg
Grey Havens ~ Graue Anfurten
Helm's Deep ~ Helms Klamm
Hobbiton ~ Hobbingen
Lonely Mountain ~ Einsamer Berg
Middle-earth ~ Mittelerde
Mirkwood ~ Düsterwald
Misty Mountains ~ Nebelgebirge
Mount Doom ~ Schicksalsberg
Rivendell ~ Bruchtal
Shire ~ Auenland
Weathertop ~ Wetterspitze
Westernesse ~ Westernis

Various geographic names

Ashen Mountains ~ Aschengebirge
Brandy Hall ~ Brandyschloss (which makes it Brandy Castle)
Brandywine ~ Brandywein
Brown Lands ~ Braune Lande
Bucklebury ~ Bockenburg
Bywater ~ Wasserau
Crickhollow ~ Krickloch
Dale ~ Thal
Deadmen's Dike ~ Totendeich
Dimrill Dale ~ Schattenbachtal
Entwash ~ Entwasser
Ettenmoors ~ Ettenöden
Gap of Rohan ~ Pforte von Rohan
Gladden Fields ~ Schwertelfelder
Glittering Caves ~ Glitzernde Grotten
Hollin ~ Hulsten
Isenmouthe ~ Isenmaul
Lake Evendim ~ Abendrotsee
Loudwater ~ Lautwasser
Michel Delving ~ Michelbinge
Midgewater Marshes ~ Mückenwassermoore
Mirrormere ~ Spiegelsee
Old Forest ~ Alter Wald
Redhorn ~ Rothorn
Stonewain Valley ~ Steinkarrental
Wellinghall ~ Quellhall

Things that don't fit elsewhere

Dwarf ~ Zwerg
Easterling ~ Ostling
Elf ~ Elb (this is interesting, since the word "Elf" exists in German as well. As far as I know, Tolkien himself suggested this change, so that, at least in German, people wouldn't be reminded of fairy-tale Elves)
Fallohides ~ Fahlhäute
Harfoots ~ Harfüße
Neeker-breeker ~ Niiikerzriiiker (now, this one is just terrible

)
Oliphaunt ~ Olifant
Ringwraith ~ Ringgeist
Southron ~ Südländer
Stoors ~ Starre
Wizard ~ Zauberer

All these names are from the second translation, which is said to be the worse one (but how could I have known back then?). Maybe there are differences to the old one.

Legate of Amon Lanc · 09-14-2007, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Volo

Бикорик/Bykoryk - Bullroarer (byk - bull)

I got that one

It's pretty good. By the way, in Czech he is named Bučivoj ("bučet" means "to 'moo' " and "voj" is a "host", also often an ancient prefix or suffix for proto-Slavic names).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Volo

Могильники/Mogylniki - Barrow-Downs (mogyla - tomb)

Exactly, Mohylové vrchy

Do you know how are the Barrow-wights called?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Volo

Грайливий Поні/Grailivij Poni - Prancing Pony (playful pony)

That is a nice name. I would like to visit Grailivij Poni. Sounds more like a hobbit inn, though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Volo

Барил Барбарис/Baril Barbaras - Barliman Butterbur

No, that one does not fit. Baril Barbaras is the name of Barliman's grand-uncle, who owned the "Pony" in times long ago, after the Fell Winter, who defended his inn and fought the wolves and goblins.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Volo

About Shelob being Odula: Does "odula" mean something or is there some mythological spider-creature of a similar name as in Hobb's newest trilogy there is a spider-shaped god called Orandula.

That is probably just a coincidence. Odula is... well, it's very close to the word "odulá", which is a... hmm... feminine participle in past tense... or an adjective... meaning "swollen".

Quote:

Originally Posted by Macalaure

Aragorn (Strider) ~ Aragorn (Streicher) (Streicher doesn't mean much, but it reminds one of Landstreicher=vagabond, which I think is slightly disrespectful)

Concerning Streicher, it indeed sounds to me like some sort of vagabond. However, that's good, because that shows the side of him as the Breelanders saw it.

However, sadly, I am not capable to make the German words fit to Middle-Earth - given by the geographical and cultural circumstances, I just know it's German, so any further attempts to imagine a "German Middle-Earth" as some different world are lost

09-14-2007, 12:06 PM	#1
Macalaure Fading Fëanorion Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: into the flood again Posts: 2,911	Great thread, Lommy! Let me add my share of German names (far from complete, just the ones I found interesting): The Fellowship Frodo Baggins (Underhill) ~ Frodo Beutlin (Unterberg) (Beutel=bag. Just like in English, one would expect there to be a 'g' after the 'n', which is also omitted in the German translation) Samwise Gamgee ~ Samweis Gamdschie Meriadoc (Merry) Brandybuck ~ Meriadoc (Merry) Brandybock Peregrin (Pippin) Took ~ Peregrin (Pippin) Tuk Gandalf Aragorn (Strider) ~ Aragorn (Streicher) (Streicher doesn't mean much, but it reminds one of Landstreicher=vagabond, which I think is slightly disrespectful ) Legolas Greenleaf ~ Legolas Grünblatt Gimli son of Glóin ~ Gimli Glóinssohn (not sure why they changed this, it makes it sound Scandinavian) Boromir Other people Barliman Butterbur ~ Gerstenmann Butterblüm Barrow-wight ~ Grabwicht Bill Ferny ~ Lutz Farnrich (the pony Bill is also called Lutz) Goldberry ~ Goldbeere Gríma Wormtongue ~ Gríma Schlangenzunge (like in Finnish, Gríma has the tongue of a snake over here) Grishnákh ~ Grischnách Lobelia Sackville-Baggins ~ Lobelia Sackheim-Beutlin Old Man Willow ~ Alter Weidenmann Quickbeam ~ Flinkbaum Rose Cotton ~ Rosie Kattun Shadowfax ~ Schattenfell Sharkey ~ Scharker Shelob ~ Kankra (a Kanker is a sort of spider and the 'ra' makes it sound feminine. I think this is not a good translation of the name. The sounds of the two are just too different) Ted Sandyman ~ Timm Sandigmann Thórin Oakenshield ~ Thórin Eichenschild Treebeard ~ Baumbart Witch King ~ Hexenkönig Geographic names Bag End ~ Beutelsend Bagshot Row ~ Beutelhaldenweg Barrow-downs ~ Hügelgräberhöhen Buckland ~ Bockland Dead Marshes ~ Totensümpfe Dunharrow ~ Dunharg Grey Havens ~ Graue Anfurten Helm's Deep ~ Helms Klamm Hobbiton ~ Hobbingen Lonely Mountain ~ Einsamer Berg Middle-earth ~ Mittelerde Mirkwood ~ Düsterwald Misty Mountains ~ Nebelgebirge Mount Doom ~ Schicksalsberg Rivendell ~ Bruchtal Shire ~ Auenland Weathertop ~ Wetterspitze Westernesse ~ Westernis Various geographic names Ashen Mountains ~ Aschengebirge Brandy Hall ~ Brandyschloss (which makes it Brandy Castle) Brandywine ~ Brandywein Brown Lands ~ Braune Lande Bucklebury ~ Bockenburg Bywater ~ Wasserau Crickhollow ~ Krickloch Dale ~ Thal Deadmen's Dike ~ Totendeich Dimrill Dale ~ Schattenbachtal Entwash ~ Entwasser Ettenmoors ~ Ettenöden Gap of Rohan ~ Pforte von Rohan Gladden Fields ~ Schwertelfelder Glittering Caves ~ Glitzernde Grotten Hollin ~ Hulsten Isenmouthe ~ Isenmaul Lake Evendim ~ Abendrotsee Loudwater ~ Lautwasser Michel Delving ~ Michelbinge Midgewater Marshes ~ Mückenwassermoore Mirrormere ~ Spiegelsee Old Forest ~ Alter Wald Redhorn ~ Rothorn Stonewain Valley ~ Steinkarrental Wellinghall ~ Quellhall Things that don't fit elsewhere Dwarf ~ Zwerg Easterling ~ Ostling Elf ~ Elb (this is interesting, since the word "Elf" exists in German as well. As far as I know, Tolkien himself suggested this change, so that, at least in German, people wouldn't be reminded of fairy-tale Elves) Fallohides ~ Fahlhäute Harfoots ~ Harfüße Neeker-breeker ~ Niiikerzriiiker (now, this one is just terrible ) Oliphaunt ~ Olifant Ringwraith ~ Ringgeist Southron ~ Südländer Stoors ~ Starre Wizard ~ Zauberer All these names are from the second translation, which is said to be the worse one (but how could I have known back then?). Maybe there are differences to the old one.