Now here’s a word which, to our shame, is common. It is used sparingly in The Hobbit, and I notice a fascinating pattern. After Chapter eight, the word disappears from the story – until the Battle of Five Armies. I assume from its use that Bilbo hated all the other battles, but the word is not used until that last one. The battles between those who later became allies are not about hate. The battles are fought for gold, power, envy, jealousy, revenge… but not for hate. I leave the philosophical ramifications of this one as an exercise for the reader.

• 1.067 That’s what Bilbo Baggins hates!
• 3.040 he hated dragons
• 4.025 They did not hate dwarves especially,
• 4.025 no more than they hated everybody
• 4.033 They hated it
• 4.033 and hated worse any one that carried it.
• 4.041 and hated it worse than Biter if possible.
• 5.009 hating to go on,
• 5.131 We hates it,
• 5.131 we hates it,
• 5.131 we hates it for ever!’
• 6.068 The goblins hated the eagles
• 8.004 before they grew to hate the forest
• 8.004 as heartily as they had hated the tunnels of the goblins,
• 17.049 and the one which at the time he hated most –