The Tolkien Dictionary

I recently read The Fellowship of the Ring, the first volume of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien.

My grandmother read the books to me when I was young, and I thoroughly enjoyed The Lord of the Rings movies. But it has been a long time since I interacted with the original books. 

I plan to examine the first volume in a variety of ways, including by discussing several unfamiliar words featured in the epic tale.

Tolkien used many archaic terms that had fallen out of use long ago, and he invented terms of his own to refer to items and creatures in his fictional world. 

I have a rather large vocabulary, and I enjoy examining language. The Fellowship featured many words I didn’t know or was only somewhat familiar with.

Tolkien somewhat confusingly divided his volumes, which are individual printed books, into subsections that he refers to as books. 

This post will define several terms used in the first book of The Fellowship of the Ring, the first volume of the Lord of the Rings.

You can read The Fellowship of the Ring for free online if you don't own a physical copy.

Tolkien Gateway has a list of definitions for additional uncommon words Tolkien uses throughout his books.

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Provender: food fed to farm animals. It can be used jokingly to refer to food eaten by humans. 

“Hobbits were easy-going with their children in the matter of sitting up late, especially when there was a chance of getting them a free meal. Bringing up young hobbits took a lot of provender.” (Chapter 1) 

In this passage, the term provender is used humorously to compare feeding a child to feeding livestock.

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Shapely: something with an attractive or pleasant shape. It is often used to refer to a woman’s appearance or part of a woman’s body. 

After Bilbo left the Shire, he directed Frodo to give several of his possessions as gifts to specific people. Bilbo attached humorous notes to several of his parting gifts.

“For ANGELICA’S use, from Uncle Bilbo; on a round convex mirror. She was a young Baggins, and too obviously considered her face shapely.” (Chapter 1) 

Bilbo gave Angelica a mirror because he believed she was overly concerned with her own beauty. But the specific note Bilbo wrote wasn’t nearly as passive-aggressive as the narration that described his motivation for choosing her to receive the gift.

As far as I’m concerned, there is nothing wrong with wanting to look nice. 

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Mathom is a word Tolkien invented to refer to trinkets. Tolkien created the term from an old English word that referred to treasure or something precious. 

“Bilbo’s residence had got rather cluttered up with things in the course of his long life. It was a tendency of hobbit-holes to get cluttered up: for which the custom of giving so many birthday-presents was largely responsible.

“Not, of course, that the birthday-presents were always new; there were one or two old mathoms of forgotten uses that had circulated all round the district; but Bilbo had usually given new presents and kept those that he received.” (Chapter 1) 

Bilbo had gathered several items during his life as birthday presents, some of which were old trinkets or Knick knacks. But as he usually gave away birthdays presents that were new, he accumulated a sizeable collection of various items.

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Abreast: alongside or even with something. The term is often used to describe people walking side by side.

“A star came out above the trees in the darkening East before them. They went abreast and in step, to keep up their spirits. After a time, as the stars grew thicker and brighter, the feeling of disquiet left them, and they no longer listened for the sound of hoofs.” (Chapter 3) 

The travelers walked together side by side, instead of in a line, one after another.

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Hillock: a small hill.

“Frodo and his companions wrapped themselves in cloaks and blankets, and drowsiness stole over them. The night grew on, and the lights in the valley went out. Pippin fell asleep, pillowed on a green hillock.” (Chapter 3) 

Pippin fell asleep on a small hill.

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Bower: A pleasant shady place

“After a while Pippin fell fast asleep, and was lifted up and borne away to a bower under the trees; there he was laid upon a soft bed and slept the rest of the night away.” (Chapter 3) 

After Pippin fell asleep, his companions carried him to a pleasant shady place under a tree, where he slept the rest of the night.

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Wallow: Indulge in an unrestrained way. The term is sometimes used to describe a pig or another animal happily playing in the mud. This time, however, it describes hobbits enjoying a well-deserved bath.

“Merry and Fatty went into the kitchen on the other side of the passage, and busied themselves with the final preparations for a late supper. 

“Snatches of competing songs came from the bathroom mixed with the sound of splashing and wallowing. The voice of Pippin was suddenly lifted up above the others in one of Bilbo’s favourite bath-songs.” (Chapter 5)

The hobbits thoroughly enjoyed their baths after their long journey.

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Dragonet: a small dragon. The word can also refer to a type of fish, but Tolkien is referring to dragons. 

“Half in a dream he wandered forward to the riverward side of the tree, where great winding roots grew out into the stream, like gnarled dragonets straining down to drink.” (Chapter 6)

The narrator compares tree roots to small dragons bending over to drink from a stream.

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Girdle: A belt or cord used to restrain clothing. 

“A door opened and in came Tom Bombadil. He had now no hat and his thick brown hair was crowned with autumn leaves. He laughed, and going to Goldberry, took her hand.

“‘Here’s my pretty lady!’ he said, bowing to the hobbits. ‘Here’s my Goldberry clothed all in silver green with flowers in her girdle!” (Chapter 7) 

Tom Bombadil introduces his romantic partner Goldberry, to his guests. Goldberry has flowers in her belt.

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Wraith: a ghost. Alternatively, a wraith could refer to someone who is thin or pale, and thus ghost-like.

In the Lord of the Rings, creatures known as Ring Wraiths were men who received rings of power from Sauron. These men used the rings to gain power, wealth, and prestige.

But the rings corrupted them, ultimately reducing them to mere ghosts. The Ring Wraiths are also known as black riders. 

“‘Very odd,’ said Frodo, tightening his belt, ‘considering that there is actually a good deal less of me. I hope the thinning process will not go on indefinitely, or I shall become a wraith.’” (Chapter 11)

In this passage, the term wraith is used in a way that evokes all three meanings. 

Frodo worries that if he becomes any thinner, he could become a ghost, like the Ring Wraiths, who are chasing after him.

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Dell: a small valley.

“In the morning they found, for the first time since they had left the Chetwood, a track plain to see. They turned right and followed it southwards. It ran cunningly, taking a line that seemed chosen so as to keep as much hidden as possible from the view, both of the hill-tops above and of the flats to the west. 

“It dived into dells, and hugged steep banks; and where it passed over flatter and more open ground on either side of it there were lines of large boulders and hewn stones that screened the travellers almost like a hedge.” (Chapter 11)

The travelers took a path that at times wound through small valleys.