I am thrilled to report that the students in my Intro College Comp course here at River Valley Community College are enthralled by my demo of this project! We chose “Sky” as a word to explore. For a work with so many landscape references, I am amazed that the common word “Sky” comes up so infrequently.

• 01.083 in a dark sky above the trees.
• 03.047 in the sky together.
• 03.050 blue sky
• 06.067 in the sky
• 06.078 beneath the sky!
• 06.085 in the sky,
• 08.004 and of the sky,
• 09.061 He could see the paler sky between them.
• 10.018 in the sky
• 11.014 and was open to the sky above;
• 11.037 and evening sprang into the sky.
• 12.007 in a pale sky barred with black
• 14.002 in the sky.
• 14.040 here and there across the sky.
• 16.007 The sky was black
• 17.040 A black cloud hurried over the sky.
• 17.042 and gazed at the sky.
• 17.054 Soon actual darkness was coming into a stormy sky;
• 19.019 the sky darkened

In honor of Professor Verlyn Flieger, we explore the common word “adventure”, which is not so very common for a hobbit to have…

Coming to us from Latin through French and Anglo-Norman, “adventure” meant destiny, fate in the 11th century and the meaning moved to, chance event, accident, chance, fortune, luck by the 12th century. Adventurous activity, especially as undertaken by knights and even marvel, wonder. The sense of a certain type of story full of the deeds of brace knights became part of this word in the 13th and 14th centuries.

• 01.003 but also because they never had any adventures
• 01.003 This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure,
• 01.004 and have adventures.
• 01.005 Not that Belladonna Took ever had any adventures
• 01.006 and adventures sprouted up all over the place wherever he went,
• 01.011 in an adventure that I am arranging,
• 01.012 and have no use for adventures.
• 01.013 We don’t want any adventures here,
• 01.017 and lasses going off into the Blue for mad adventures?
• 01.020 to send you on this adventure.
• 01.021 Sorry! I don’t want any adventures,
• 01.023 and beginning to think that he had escaped adventures very well.
• 01.043 for they sounded much too adventurous –
• 01.058 whether a most wretched adventure
• 01.060 in the least an adventure.
• 01.123 a fine adventurous lad
• 01.132 and lots of adventures of a most unpleasant sort he had,
• 02.027 but still he began to feel that adventures were not so bad after all.
• 02.032 never saying if he was in the adventure
• 02.036 adventures are not all pony-rides
• 03.025 He thought their opinion of his adventure might be interesting.
• 03.033 in the story of Bilbo’s great adventure is only a small one,
• 03.050 with their hearts ready for more adventure,
• 04.003 when you are off on dangerous adventures
• 04.004 that they would pass without fearful adventure
• 06.019 Then they wanted to know all about his adventures
• 06.088 after the dreadful adventures
• 06.100 So ended the adventures of the Misty Mountains.
• 07.011 for after all this is not my adventure.
• 07.128 that the adventure was far more dangerous
• 08.047 their tale of all the many adventures they had had since.
• 08.145 and the beginning of another adventure
• 09.012 tiresome, uncomfortable adventure!
• 09.063 much of his adventures that night,
• 09.063 and greatest adventure,
• 10.002 and through many adventures to see it,
• 10.011 and if you want to go on with this silly adventure –
• 12.006 at the beginning of their adventures
• 12.041 in their adventure.
• 12.058 since you know all about Bilbo’s adventures
• 12.080 You aren’t nearly through this adventure yet,’
• 15.024 In any case he felt that the adventure was,
• 16.016 and ever since the adventure
• 18.018 This is a bitter adventure,
• 18.021 and he was now weary of his adventure.
• 18.051 and adventures before he got back.
• 18.054 and he turned his back on his adventure.
• 19.005 to hear the tale of their adventures.
• 19.024 for their nasty adventure with Tom
• 19.047 that all your adventures

Another common word joins us today denoting a lonely status:

• 14.033 and orphans?’

At the urging of professor Verlyn Flieger, I have been looking for words evoking exile, outcast status, cultural aloneness.

• 1.017 and the unexpected luck of widows’ sons?
• 14.033 and aid for our widows

In order to wrestle properly with the hyphenated directions like North-east, I feel it necessary to first document our four cardinal directions in the work.  The directions are usually capitalized. I have emboldened those cases in which they are not – many of those instances are a direction of movement, we might substitute “northward”, but several are not.  They do cluster interestingly in Chapters 7 and 11.

• 01.097 to the East of East
• 01.105 You see that rune on the West side,
• 01.114 We thought of going East,
• 01.115 if I know anything about the roads East,’
• 01.116 through the great cliff at the South of the Mountain,
• 01.122 our family was driven out of the far North,
• 01.122 who lived to the South,
• 01.122 and the toy market of Dale was the wonder of the North.
• 01.123 in the North in those days,
• 01.123 with the dwarves flying south or getting killed,
• 01.123 and came south.
• 01.123 a noise like a hurricane coming from the North,
• 01.140 Well, I should say that you ought to go East
• 02.030 and mountains in the north.
• 02.117 and jogged along again on the path towards the East.
• 03.003 in the East
• 03.007 to find the Last Homely House west of the Mountains.
• 03.032 in the North.
• 03.032 and heroes of the North for ancestors,
• 03.035 very old swords of the High Elves of the West,
• 04.002 in the West,04.004 when storms come up from East
• 04.004 and West
• 04.031 who live on the East side
• 06.034 we are too far to the North,
• 06.062 bold men had of late been making their way back into it from the South,
• 07.011 Indeed we are now a good deal further east
• 07.012 You are still some miles north of the path
• 07.022 and before the goblins came into the hills out of the North.
• 07.043 we were coming out of the Lands over West into these countries –
• 07.045 It faced south
• 07.055 away east beyond Mirkwood,’ put in Gandalf,
• 07.055 that lies to the south of your country,
• 07.094 in the West
• 07.094 that lay outstretched far to North
• 07.094 and South a day’s ride before them,
• 07.094 barring their way to the East,
• 07.100 The wind went on from West to East;
• 07.100 The wind went on from West to East;
• 07.117 except from the west over the river,
• 07.117 on the east side of the Misty Mountains,
• 07.130 at the east of his fenced lands
• 07.130 they turned north
• 07.130 to the south of his land.
• 07.130 that joined the great river miles south of the Carrock.
• 07.130 been far to the south of the Lonely Mountain,
• 07.130 North of the Carrock
• 07.130 for at a place a few days’ ride due north of the Carrock
• 07.131 for a hundred miles north of the Carrock
• 07.131 they will cross the river to the south
• 07.131 Still you are safer going north,
• 07.132 The sun had only just turned west when they started,
• 07.133 in the East
• 07.142 some pressing business away south;
• 07.151 two hundred miles or so out of your way north,
• 07.151 and twice that south.
• 07.151 in the North
• 07.151 in the South,
• 07.151 high in the East,
• 07.153 and rode down into the West.
• 08.032 going by to the north of the path,
• 08.131 They differed from the High Elves of the West,
• 08.131 in the West.
• 09.011 and in the lands to the East.
• 09.018 and joined the Forest River some way further to the east,
• 09.018 in the South,
• 09.053 South away! and South away!
• 09.061 and tubs away to the north bank,
• 10.003 as the roads out of the East towards Mirkwood vanished
• 10.003 that flowed east;
• 10.003 in the North
• 10.006 with another sweep towards the East
• 10.007 that came up the great river from the South
• 10.007 in the North was rich
• 10.009 Soon men would come up from the South
• 10.023 and Mr. Baggins who has travelled with us out of the West.’
• 10.045 and off they went north up the lake
• 11.006 to spy out the land to the South
• 11.013 in the South
• 11.013 Two of these here thrust forward west
• 11.014 which turned north across the face of the Mountain.
• 11.021 and stare away west through the opening,
• 11.028 or out west through the narrow opening.
• 11.029 As the sun turned west
• 12.029 when Smaug came hurtling from the North,
• 12.102 towards the west of the Mountain,
• 12.104 and went away south
• 13.024 Which is East, South, North, or West?’
• 13.055 The river loops suddenly east
• 13.065 and saw the wintry sun going downwards to the West.
• 13.066 but backed to the North by a rocky face
• 13.066 From that door there was a wide view East
• 13.066 and South
• 13.066 and West.
• 13.071 They looked West
• 13.071 and East there was nothing,
• 13.071 and in the South there was no sign of the dragon,
• 14.002 for the breeze was from the black East
• 14.002 the Running River came down from the North.
• 14.005 It is long since he went North.
• 14.025 and drove it off to the West to scatter
• 14.036 and go North with any that will follow me.’
• 14.038 with which to buy rich things from the South;
• 14.040 the news had passed west
• 14.044 north to the Mountain.
• 15.001 Their companies came flying from the South;
• 15.014 in the South –
• 15.015 and to Dale from South
• 15.015 and East
• 15.015 and West,
• 15.021 in the mountains of the North,
• 15.021 both west from here
• 15.021 and east,
• 15.028 and sent them back riderless to the South.
• 15.029 away south
• 15.033 That day the camp was moved to the east of the river,
• 16.026 in the West
• 17.031 The next day the wind shifted west,
• 17.040 it came from the North,
• 17.041 Bolg of the North is coming,
• 17.044 for they resolved now to win the dominion of the North.
• 17.044 and beneath the great mountain Gundabad of the North,
• 17.044 in time of storm unawares upon the South.
• 17.044 and came thus at last on a sudden from the North
• 17.045 that struck south
• 17.045 and east.
• 17.048 to gain a view to the North.
• 17.062 and a red sunset slashed the West.
• 17.064 from all the eyries of the North.
• 18.019 child of the kindly West.
• 18.024 and such as fled south or west
• 18.024 that three parts of the goblin warriors of the North
• 18.043 to the north of the place where the Forest River ran out.
• 19.006 in the south of Mirkwood.
• 19.007 The North will be freed
• 19.019 in the West before them,
• 19.043 and from South and West,

I dedicate the entry for this common word to Professor Verlyn Flieger, in honor of her gracious inspiration to all scholars.  It’s a noun, a verb, an adjective, an adverb, all of long lineage from Old English to Old Norse, but the OED says, ultimately, “of unknown origin”.

I am particularly enchanted by the use of the word in 07.022 – “In the name of all wonder…”  In Gandalf’s mind, at least, “all wonder” fits nicely into a phrase where we might call upon deity.

• 01.017 Not the fellow who used to tell such wonderful tales at parties,
• 01.046 and wondered what had happened,
• 01.046 while he was wondering
• 01.058 and was beginning to wonder
• 01.122 and the toy market of Dale was the wonder of the North.
• 01.125 I have often wondered about my father’s
• 02.054 and wondering how to make owl-noises
• 02.072 who was wondering where
• 03.020 Most astonishing wonderful!
• 03.036 I wonder?” said Thorin
• 05.001 he wondered if he had;
• 05.008 and recover wonderfully from falls
• 05.013 but he was wondering a lot about Bilbo,
• 05.084 very wonderful.
• 05.105 I wonder?’ he said to himself,
• 05.119 and wonder.
• 06.003 He wondered whether he ought not,
• 06.006 and wondering
• 06.024 and the hobbit wondered if he guessed
• 06.087 and wondered if he could hold on any longer.
• 06.090 He wondered what other nonsense he had been saying,
• 06.092 He had just strength to wonder
• 07.022 and in the name of all wonder don’t mention the word furrier
• 07.046 wondering what their names could be,
• 07.093 for the convenience of the wonderful animals
• 07.107 Bilbo wondered what it was,
• 07.113 waited on by Beorn’s wonderful animals,
• 07.122 nor did they have to wonder long where he had been or why he was so nice to them,
• 08.041 All the time he was wondering whether there were spiders
• 08.078 and he stood a long while wondering
• 08.125 Indeed they really expected him to think of some wonderful plan for helping them,
• 08.129 They wondered what evil fate had befallen him,
• 08.145 he began to wonder what had become of his unfortunate friends.
• 09.021 and wondered if it could be used for the escape of his friends,
• 09.044 Small wonder if I fall asleep from weariness!’
• 09.045 Small wonder,’
• 09.051 He wondered what on earth would happen to them without him;
• 09.057 Bilbo wondered what the dwarves were feeling
• 09.058 and he wondered if he would die of it before the luck turned,
• 10.036 The Wood-elves themselves began to wonder greatly
• 10.043 and he wondered if Thorin was
• 11.031 wondering what on earth was the matter;
• 12.015 in the days when all the world was wonderful.
• 12.020 and wondered why he had never blocked it up.
• 12.068 He had never bothered to wonder
• 12.076 and wonderful, indeed,’
• 12.096 They wondered
• 13.013 Now I wonder what on earth
• 13.039 and he began to wonder nervously
• 13.056 I wonder how many breakfasts,
• 13.071 and wondered;
• 14.020 in wonder
• 15.049 yet he had an eye for many another wonderful thing
• 16.003 wondering what would happen,
• 16.036 whose eyes were used to things of wonder and beauty,
• 16.040 The Elvenking looked at Bilbo with a new wonder.
• 16.040 But I wonder if Thorin Oakenshield will see it so.
• 16.046 and wondered anxiously
• 17.003 Wondering,
• 17.010 But wonder overcame him
• 17.065 Many wondering eyes looked up,
• 18.002 Now I wonder what has happened?’
• 18.014 I began to wonder if even your luck would see you through!
• 19.037 it was a great deal more than a nine days’ wonder.

“wonder, n.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, June 2017. Web. 5 September 2017.