11-07-2003, 07:02 AM
Just a note on Samwise saying "God":
Samwise's name is not Samwise. That's just the english translation from hobbitish; Tolkien is being clever with most of his hobbitish names, especially making them mean stuff in norse, IIRC. Similarly, Sam was probably saying whatever on middle-earth the name for the hobbitish deity(ies) (or possibly Illuvatar, Manwe, or some other powerful entity, although it is unlikely the hobbits knew anything of the Valar or their origins), and it was translated as God, since all other things are also translated into christian English.
Most of the elvish and dwarvish he left untranslated, since it would sound foreign to the hobbits. He translated the hobbitish, since it would have sounded "normal" to hobbits. Otherwise, the names "Bilbo" and "Frodo" would have to refer to women.
:)
Jester
Samwise's name is not Samwise. That's just the english translation from hobbitish; Tolkien is being clever with most of his hobbitish names, especially making them mean stuff in norse, IIRC. Similarly, Sam was probably saying whatever on middle-earth the name for the hobbitish deity(ies) (or possibly Illuvatar, Manwe, or some other powerful entity, although it is unlikely the hobbits knew anything of the Valar or their origins), and it was translated as God, since all other things are also translated into christian English.
Most of the elvish and dwarvish he left untranslated, since it would sound foreign to the hobbits. He translated the hobbitish, since it would have sounded "normal" to hobbits. Otherwise, the names "Bilbo" and "Frodo" would have to refer to women.
:)
Jester