Re: Tolkien and the OED


Donna Richoux wrote:
Raymond S. Wise <mplsray@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Robert Bannister wrote:
Father Ignatius wrote:

Three senior OED editors have written a book about J. R. R. Tolkien's
involvement with the Oxford English Dictionary. Tolkien and the Ring
of Words describes Tolkien's work as a member of the OED's staff, and
examines how his lexicographical experiences influenced the way he
revived, remodelled, and invented English words.


http://www.askoxford.com/worldofwords/wordfrom/tolkien/?view=uk&WT..mc_i
d=ASKONEWS

I was surprised at "Faërie". Wasn't it used by Spencer or Shakespeare or
somesuch?

*The Century Dictionary* ( www.century-dictionary.com ) has an entry,
"faerie, faery," in which those words are defined as "Archaic forms of
_fairy :_ as, Spenser's _Faery_ (or _Faerie_) _Queene._" It doesn't
show a variant with a diaresis, however.

Note that the article doesn't identify what exactly was the
relationship between Tolkien and the words listed. It may be that he
invented the diaeresis version of "faërie," or it may simply be that
Tolkien's coming across examples of archaic spellings such as "faerie"
and "faërie"--if indeed the latter was an existing archaic
spelling--influenced the linguistic aspects of his fictional works.

Tolkien wrote an essay entitled "Faerie" about the role of fantasy and
magic in our imaginations, or some such -- I read it around age 16 and
it didn't stick with me.

I'm quite sure that list is not words *created* by Tolkien, nor did he
necessarily work on the OED entry -- I think they're just words
associated with him in different ways.

What a shame! I was talking to one of the authors last night, and could
have asked. AIUI, "Faerie" was originally a place, or a sphere of
existence: the place where fays lived. One of the ballads (Tam
o'Shanter?) uses the expression "fairy elf-land": "See you yonder
bonnie road..? That's the way to fairy elf-land..." Spenser means "the
Queen of Faerie" rather than "the queen who is a faerie", though ISTR
he uses the word for the creature too; but in any case the word and the
sense predate him by a long time.

--
Mike.

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Tolkien and the OED
    ... of Words describes Tolkien's work as a member of the OED's staff, ... revived, remodelled, and invented English words. ... Tolkien's coming across examples of archaic spellings such as "faerie" ...
    (alt.usage.english)
  • Re: Tolkien and the OED
    ... Robert Bannister wrote: ... remodelled, and invented English words. ... Tolkien's coming across examples of archaic spellings such as "faerie" ...
    (alt.usage.english)
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