The Hobbits of the Shire and of Bree had at this time, for probably a thousand years, adopted the Common Speech. They used it in their own manner freely and carelessly; though the more learned among them had still at their command a more formal language when occasion required.
There is no record of any language peculiar to Hobbits. In ancient days they seem always to have used the languages of Men near whom, or among whom, they lived. Thus they quickly adopted the Common Speech after they entered Eriador, and by the time of their settlement at Bree they had already begun to forget their former tongue. This was evidently a Mannish language of the upper Anduin, akin to that of the Rohirrim; though the southern Stoors appear to have adopted a language related to Dunlendish before they came north to the Shire.[83]
Of these things in the time of Frodo there were still some traces left in local words and names, many of which closely resembled those found in Dale or in Rohan. Most notable were the names of days, months, and seasons; several other words of the same sort (such as mathom and smial) were also still in common use, while more were preserved in the place-names of Bree and the Shire. The personal names of the Hobbits were also peculiar and many had come down from ancient days.
Hobbit was the name usually applied by the Shire-folk to all their kind. Men called them Halflings and the Elves Periannath. The origin of the word hobbit was by most forgotten. It seems, however, to have been at first a name given to the Harfoots by the Fallohides and Stoors, and to be a worn-down form of a word preserved more fully in Rohan: holbytla 'hole-builder'.
In other words, T was using Old English words for Shire colloquialisms like mathom, but Bree/Buckland/Marish got a touch of Celtic as well......their former tongue. This was evidently a Mannish language of the upper Anduin, akin to that of the Rohirrim; though the southern Stoors appear to have adopted a language related to Dunlendish before they came north to the Shire.
Sounds like the kind of exceptions one needs to put in real life too.solicitr wrote:In other words, T was using Old English words for Shire colloquialisms like mathom, but Bree/Buckland/Marish got a touch of Celtic as well......their former tongue. This was evidently a Mannish language of the upper Anduin, akin to that of the Rohirrim; though the southern Stoors appear to have adopted a language related to Dunlendish before they came north to the Shire.
But, yes, it's quite true that the Hobbits like everyone else* in Eriador adopted the Adunaic-based Westron.
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* Well, except the Elves. And the Dwarves. And the Dunlendings and the Woses. And the Rohirrim, but they're immigrants. What I love about Tolkien is that there are *always* exceptions.
I have always read the "who" as referring back to the Eldar, rather than to Fëanor and Galadriel.Voronwë_the_Faithful wrote:
I find it very interesting to note that for all of her wisdom and understanding, Galadriel was so motivated by her negative feeling towards Fëanor. Indeed, I believe it was through these negative feelings that “the same evil” fell upon her mind. There is a very interesting--and telling, I think--footnote to this. In the text, Galadriel and Fëanor are described as "the greatest of the Eldar of Valinor" (who were "unfriends forever"). In the footnote, Tolkien added:
What a fascinating statement. A whole dissertation could be written describing how these three characters “are the chief matter of the legends and histories of the Elves,” and explaining why Lúthien was "the greatest of all the Eldar."Who together with the greatest of all the Eldar, Lúthien Tinúviel, daughter of Elu Thingol, are the chief matter of the legends and histories of the Elves
Even among the Eldar she was accounted beautiful, and her hair was held a marvel unmatched. It was golden like the hair of her father and her foremother Indis, but richer and more radiant, for its gold was touched by some memory of the star- like silver of her mother; and the Eldar said that the light of the Two Trees, Laurelin and Telperion, had been snared in her tresses. Many thought that this saying first gave to Fëanor the thought of imprisoning and blending the light of the Trees that later took shape in his hands as the Silmarils. For Fëanor beheld the hair of Galadriel with wonder and delight. He begged three times for a tress, but Galadriel would not give him even one hair. These two kinsfolk, the greatest of the Eldar of Valinor,(14) were unfriends for ever.
It could not be clearer that the "Who" refers to "these two kinsfolk, the greatest of the Eldar of Valinor" (e.g., Fëanor and Galadriel), who are being group with Lúthien, the greatest of all the Eldar (even though she was from Beleriand, not Valinor). I don't really see how any other interpretation is possible.Who together with the greatest of all the Eldar, Lúthien Tinúviel, daughter of Elu Thingol, are the chief matter of the legends and histories of the Elves
