Check this out!! There is no instance of the word “older.” I know, right? We have “Elder“, but only a scant few times. There’s only one “oldest”, at 10.036. You’ll find the three instances of “Eldest” at the “Elder” page. How unexpected.

• 1.004 one of the three remarkable daughters of the Old Took,
• 1.005 being about fifty years old or so,
• 1.006 not since his friend the Old Took died,
• 1.007 was an old man with a staff.
• 1.012 pretending to take no more notice of the old man.
• 1.012 But the old man did not move.
• 1.017 that gave Old Took a pair of magic diamond studs
• 1.017 Old Took used to have them on Midsummer’s Eve.
• 1.018 Indeed for your old grandfather Took’s sake,
• 1.037 Balin and Dwalin were talking at the table like old friends
• 1.073 To dungeons deep and caverns old
• 1.077 To dungeons deep and caverns old
• 1.094 even to Old Took’s great-grand-uncle Bullroarer,
• 1.106 Old Smaug has lived there long enough now
• 1.116 the old town
• 1.122 Thrain the Old,
• 1.144 To dungeons deep and caverns old
• 2.028 On some of them were old castles with an evil look,
• 2.038 The old maps are no use:
• 3.035 They are old swords,
• 3.035 very old swords of the High Elves of the West,
• 3.037 or come on the remnants of old robberies
• 3.037 I have heard that there are still forgotten treasures of old
• 5.012 lived old Gollum,
• 5.031 It was rather an old one,
• 5.087 in the old days
• 5.119 in old old tales;
• 5.119 in old old tales;
• 6.030 at Old Took’s midsummer-eve parties,
• 6.052 like old gentlemen gone cracked
• 7.082 in the old days he had known the very part of the mountains
• 7.130 and to the entrance of the old forest road.
• 7.151 the Lonely Mountain where dear old Smaug lives,
• 8.001 too old
• 8.041 and grimed from the old bark of the greater boughs;
• 8.069 Later when the night must have been getting old,
• 8.089 It is poor old Bombur,
• 8.096 Old fat spider spinning in a tree!
• 8.096 Old fat spider can’t see me!
• 8.097 Old Tomnoddy, all big body,
• 8.097 Old Tomnoddy can’t spy me!
• 8.104 only to meet an old slow wicked fat-bodied spider
• 8.108 Poor old Bombur was so exhausted –
• 8.112 round old Bombur
• 8.114 twelve of them counting poor old Bombur,
• 8.127 Good old Bilbo –
• 8.133 since he had not yet as great a treasure as other elf-lords of old.
• 8.133 with the old quarrel I have spoken of.
• 9.040 Where’s old Galion,
• 9.041 I shall be angry if the old slowcoach is late,’
• 9.042 Here’s the old villain with his head on a jug!
• 10.007 but in the great days of old,
• 10.008 though some still sang old songs
• 10.025 who return at last to our own as spoken of old.
• 10.033 spoken of old.
• 10.034 nor did he think much of old songs,
• 10.034 Some began to sing snatches of old songs
• 10.036 in the memory of the oldest grandfather.
• 10.038 Some of the songs were old ones;
• 10.043 of the old kings.
• 10.044 spoken of old.
• 11.004 at the singing of old songs by the lake
• 11.005 On this there had been an old watch-post;
• 11.032 The old thrush,
• 12.004 in the old days’ –
• 12.005 except old Balin,
• 12.019 as if it was an old volcano that had made up its mind
• 12.043 Old Smaug is weary
• 12.072 I laid low the warriors of old
• 12.072 Now I am old
• 12.077 Old fool!
• 12.082 The old thrush was sitting
• 12.084 this is a very old bird indeed,
• 12.089 in the old Worm’s diamond waistcoat.’
• 13.033 as they lifted old treasures from the mound
• 13.036 Cast off your old coat
• 13.042 with their old cloaks
• 13.043 Though all the old adornments
• 13.048 still showing the fragments of old carven work within,
• 13.053 we ought to make for the old look-out post
• 13.055 even if the old steps are still there.’
• 13.064 After going a short way they struck the old road,
• 13.067 in the old days we used always to keep watchmen,
• 14.016 the old songs of mirth to come had been sung
• 14.019 but it was only an old thrush.
• 14.022 and he from of old.
• 14.031 from among the old
• 14.032 We have had enough of the old men
• 14.033 and led us to believe that old songs could come true?
• 14.034 and some of those who had before sung the old songs loudest,
• 14.043 the old
• 14.043 amid the ruined piles of the old town.
• 15.003 There is that old thrush again!’
• 15.004 Sure enough the old thrush was there,
• 15.006 but the old fellow seems very excited.’
• 15.010 old Carc
• 15.011 than the old thrush gave a loud call,
• 15.012 but that old bird understands us,
• 15.013 and with him came a most decrepit old bird.
• 15.014 but we remember still the king that was of old.
• 15.026 and builders of old had used;
• 15.028 above the old bridge,
• 15.041 Come back unto the caverns old’!
• 15.048 which of old Smaug stole.
• 15.049 about which were wound old memories
• 15.056 as his sires had of old,
• 15.059 except perhaps old fat Bombur and Fili and Kili.
• 16.003 in an old bundle
• 16.025 in an old blanket,
• 16.026 in his old jacket
• 16.041 And I promised to wake old Bombur at midnight,
• 16.042 As they passed through the camp an old man,
• 16.047 without listening to the old dwarf’s thanks
• 17.003 before whom an old man wrapped
• 17.008 and at the same moment the old man opened the casket
• 17.016 The old man with the casket
• 17.033 since we learn that the kingdom of old is renewed.
• 17.061 I would rather old Smaug had been left
• 17.061 and poor old Bombur,
• 18.035 though old agreements cannot stand,
• 19.036 to old songs
• 19.040 and said ‘Poor old Baggins!’
• 19.044 The old Master had come to a bad end.
• 19.046 Then the prophecies of the old songs