A common word by our calculations, yet upon which much relied in our tale. There are dozens and dozens of meaning and uses for Key and it’s got cognate words in Frisian and Old Frisian — but nowhere else! It’s origin is a localized mystery! I shall now imagine an early Frisian child named Ki who could get into anything.

• 1.113 that with the map went a key,
• 1.113 a small and curious key.
• 1.113 and handed to Thorin a key
• 1.134 and the key.’
• 1.136 and use the key.
• 2.019 pushing his keys into Gandalf’s hands,
• 2.112 He held out a largish key,
• 5.040 A box without hinges, key, or lid,
• 9.026 Very soon the chief guard had no keys,
• 9.026 for he could not prevent the keys from making every now
• 9.033 when you managed to get hold of the keys.
• 9.034 but I don’t suppose I shall ever get hold of the keys again,
• 9.035 and kindheartedly put the keys back on his belt.
• 10.040 about keys or barrels while the dwarves stayed
• 11.034 The key!
• 11.034 The key!’
• 11.036 The key!’
• 11.036 The key that went with the map!
• 11.037 and drew the key on its chain from round his neck.
• 13.002 Neither key nor the magic it had once obeyed

It’s only ever a noun in The Hobbit. Box is a good, old-fashioned Old English word, spelled just as it is here and now. It’s not the same word as box the hedge and it might just come from pyx, a container for the Eucharist.

• 5.040 A box without hinges, key, or lid,
• 7.076 that haven’t yet come out of their boxes?’

Have you heard Jamie Stinnet’s presentation on the music of The Lord of the Rings? She posits that silence is a form of music, and we should pay attention to those parts of the books wherein music is silenced. Wise words. I notice the parts of The Hobbit wherein laughter is silenced. See also Laugh.

• 3.013 like laughter
• 4.022 and to the ugly laughter of their ho, ho! my lad!
• 5.038 Ends life, kills laughter.
• 8.038 At times they heard disquieting laughter.
• 8.038 The laughter was the laughter of fair voices
• 8.038 The laughter was the laughter of fair voices
• 8.062 and the laughter quite plainly.
• 10.008 and new laughter.
• 11.004 There was no laughter or song or sound of harps,
• 19.016 they answered with laughter.

Lots of ways to spell it, historically, and of unknown origin!!

• 1.095 and kill the lot of us.
• 1.123 unless they are killed),
• 1.123 with the dwarves flying south or getting killed,
• 1.126 Your grandfather Thror was killed,
• 1.132 with the map after your grandfather was killed;
• 4.025 especially the ingenious devices for killing
• 4.033 It had killed hundreds of goblins
• 4.041 in the killing of the great lord of the cave.
• 4.048 and gave one yell before they were killed.
• 5.038 Ends life, kills laughter.
• 5.128 kill it.
• 5.128 It meant to kill him.
• 5.128 Gollum had not actually threatened to kill him,
• 6.020 But he came at me to kill me,
• 6.028 which killed the goblins that were grabbing him
• 6.032 but they had killed the Great Goblin
• 6.062 all would have been killed
• 6.080 though he would probably have killed many of them
• 7.060 Killed, eaten, gone home?’
• 7.073 I killed a goblin or two with a flash –
• 7.107 and kill them.
• 7.118 and killed!
• 7.123 Killed the Great Goblin,
• 7.123 killed the Great Goblin!’
• 8.075 until he killed it with another stroke;
• 8.076 Somehow the killing of the giant spider,
• 8.085 Kill ’em,
• 8.085 kill ’em now
• 8.112 Half a dozen were killed before the rest drew off
• 8.115 and many of them were killed.
• 9.008 if killing them makes you angry?’
• 10.041 and killing dragons like Smaug,
• 12.023 There they would have all been killed,
• 12.033 Their ponies were lost or killed,
• 12.035 I was not engaged to kill dragons,
• 12.072 I kill where I wish
• 14.027 If only he had not been killed,’

Very few of these and none in the plural, I checked. All of lives are from the verb. I almost did the verb as well in the same entry, but that led to checking OED and going down a rabbit hole of alternate spellings of “lief” which led to sending romantic texts to my wife and now my coffee is cold, so I’d better stop here.

• 1.017 life used to be quite inter –
• 1.123 and it saved my life that day) –
• 2.043 in spite of his sheltered life,
• 5.038 Ends life, kills laughter.
• 8.089 There was life
• 9.013 after a week or two of this sneaking sort of life,
• 13.005 ‘While there’s life there’s hope!’
• 15.050 also robbed him of life or home.

It’s a preposition and I don’t feel obligated to document it, since Richard Blackwelder did not in the original research which I’m following, but it’s a lovely snowy Monday and so I felt up to it. Almost two hundred uses, which seems low for such a useful word. We already have After-Supper (which I thought was a JRRT word in translation from Westron, but OED corrects me) and Afterthought.

• 1.004 (especially after dinner,
• 1.005 after she became Mrs. Bungo Baggins.
• 1.006 and Bilbo Baggins was standing at his door after breakfast
• 1.021 Wizards after all are wizards.
• 1.022 would do him good after his fright.
• 1.023 After a while he stepped up,
• 1.034 he managed to say after taking a deep breath.
• 1.046 It was not four after all,
• 1.046 and saying ‘at your service’ one after another.
• 1.057 there’s a good fellow!’ Gandalf called after him,
• 1.062 And after.
• 1.063 while the hobbit ran after them almost squeaking with fright:
• 1.095 After a while
• 1.103 said Thorin disappointedly after a glance.
• 1.109 certainly not after devouring so many of the dwarves
• 1.114 After that the trouble would begin – .’
• 1.123 After that there were no dwarves left alive inside,
• 1.124 After that we went away,
• 1.132 with the map after your grandfather was killed;
• 1.140 After all there is the Side-door,
• 1.142 After all the others had ordered their breakfasts
• 1.145 It was long after the break of day,
• 2.001 Indeed he was really relieved after all
• 2.024 I didn’t get your note until after 10.45 to be precise.”
• 2.027 So after that the party went along very merrily,
• 2.027 but still he began to feel that adventures were not so bad after all.
• 2.029 It was after tea-time;
• 2.038 “After all there are fourteen of us.”
• 2.039 “After all we have got a burglar with us,” they said;
• 2.047 After hearing all this
• 2.072 and after waiting for some time for Bilbo to come back,
• 2.081 and after a lot of argument they had all agreed to it.
• 2.117 After that they slept,
• 3.001 nor the day after.
• 4.002 Long days after they had climbed
• 4.003 after the battle of the Mines of Moria.
• 4.008 but it is not always quite the something you were after.
• 4.014 that they had brought little Bilbo with them, after all.
• 4.048 knocking over those that were running after them.
• 5.004 After some time he felt for his pipe.
• 5.008 and after all if their holes are nice cheery places
• 5.038 It comes first and follows after,
• 5.042 After some while Bilbo became impatient.
• 5.044 after giving him a long chance,
• 5.048 After a while Gollum began to hiss
• 5.054 and after that the rest was easy.
• 5.077 And after all that last question had not been a genuine riddle
• 5.098 After all,
• 5.111 after all these ages
• 5.112 After a while Gollum stopped weeping
• 5.119 Bilbo hurried after him,
• 5.126 Gollum had brought Bilbo to the way out after all,
• 5.134 and after a while it climbed steeply.
• 5.135 after all that time
• 5.149 Of course they soon came down after him,
• 6.007 After all he is my friend,’
• 6.014 with the dwarves after this.
• 6.019 after they had lost him,
• 6.028 He followed after the drivers
• 6.031 They will guard it doubly after this,’
• 6.032 After all they had lost a good deal,
• 6.033 They will be out after us
• 6.033 after we have passed.
• 6.048 After what seemed ages further
• 6.053 and has a dog after it.
• 6.088 after the dreadful adventures
• 6.094 Bilbo was not going to be eaten after all.
• 6.095 for they would think we were after their sheep.
• 6.099 after doing his part
• 7.001 And after that he had to get ready for a fresh start.
• 7.005 After a good while
• 7.009 in after days the King of All Birds
• 7.011 for after all this is not my adventure.
• 7.014 After that they stopped pleading.
• 7.029 After a while they came to a belt of tall
• 7.030 and when I call or whistle begin to come after me –
• 7.087 and followed immediately after the other two.
• 7.095 and that after the mountains
• 7.115 and none till after supper!
• 7.116 popping out into the air one after another,
• 7.123 I shall think more kindly of dwarves after this.
• 7.129 Soon after midday they ate with Beorn for the last time,
• 7.129 and after the meal they mounted the steeds he was lending them,
• 7.133 that they rode still forward after dusk
• 7.136 if you have not seen each night after dark a great bear going along with us
• 7.140 I will look after that.
• 7.142 This is your expedition after all.
• 7.145 and shambled off quickly after them.
• 7.146 He had gone just inside the forest after breakfast
• 7.149 You have got to look after all these dwarves for me,’
• 8.004 long after they were sick for a sight of the sun
• 8.020 and after a while Bilbo said:
• 8.022 It was tied after all,’
• 8.024 After that Kili and Oin and Gloin and Dori;
• 8.033 and in vain the dwarves shot their arrows after them.
• 8.041 after a dreadful struggle
• 8.042 and they were after the butterflies.
• 8.049 even after weeks of short commons.’
• 8.055 He wanted to rush straight off into the wood after the lights.
• 8.058 After a good deal of creeping
• 8.059 After blundering frantically
• 8.071 After lying
• 8.073 and though after a while it seemed to him they changed to yells
• 8.075 After that it was his turn to attack.
• 8.078 After that he set out to explore.
• 8.087 after a bee-autiful sleep.
• 8.093 After that there was a deal of commotion
• 8.094 and bring them all after him,
• 8.098 in the place came after him:
• 8.103 after the hobbit
• 8.111 though it was not clear what would happen after that.
• 8.125 But after a time the light began to fail,
• 8.125 about himself after all,
• 8.126 and after a while they all fell silent again.
• 8.126 Long after the others had stopped talking
• 8.131 and after the coming of Men they took ever more
• 8.145 and after he had got over his thankfulness for bread
• 9.001 The day after the battle with the spiders
• 9.009 After all the disturbance you have made
• 9.012 day after day,’
• 9.013 after a week or two of this sneaking sort of life,
• 9.013 and after a time he got to know his way about very well.
• 9.013 and after a while he found that his guess was right.
• 9.013 At last after many difficulties he managed to find the place
• 9.030 At last after much blundering
• 9.031 whatever happens after this.
• 9.039 Only a minute or two after Balin’s lid had been fitted on
• 9.050 one after another,
• 10.001 After a while the river rounded a steep shoulder of land
• 10.005 After a while, however,
• 10.010 after they had gone
• 10.011 it’s yours after all
• 10.012 so after a few more groans he got up
• 10.027 after our long road
• 10.039 and even after that his speeches at banquets were limited to
• 10.043 after all really a descendant
• 11.006 after winding a wide loop over the valley of Dale,
• 11.025 And winter comes after autumn,’ said Bifur.
• 11.026 And next year after that,’ said Dwalin,
• 12.008 After a while Balin bade Bilbo ‘Good luck!’
• 12.012 At any rate after a short halt go on he did;
• 12.020 especially after long possession;
• 12.036 After that of course
• 12.078 After he had seen that
• 12.078 after a long start.
• 12.079 for the dragon spouted terrific flames after him,
• 12.085 if that is what he is after,’
• 12.093 and now perhaps because he is waiting till after tonight’s hunt,
• 12.095 about what would happen after the treasure had been won.
• 12.103 After he had let off his rage
• 13.001 At last after days
• 13.017 After a while
• 13.051 After their long time
• 13.064 After going a short way they struck the old road,
• 13.065 After that they went on again;
• 14.036 though after a while I may think again of your words
• 14.039 that now hurried after autumn,
• 14.039 although it was then only the third day after the fall of Smaug.
• 14.042 Only five days after the death of the dragon
• 14.043 for ever after they had a dread of the water
• 15.009 they were calling after us.
• 15.020 after the long desolation;
• 15.033 and the others after gazing for a while at the Gate
• 16.012 and for a soft bed after a good supper!’
• 16.017 and the road after a while,
• 16.021 they asked one after another.
• 16.025 that some two hours after his escape from the Gate,
• 16.041 after all we have gone through together.
• 17.022 That shall follow after,
• 17.035 so after angry words the dwarf-messengers retired
• 17.044 and they hastened night after night through the mountains,
• 17.061 after all one has gone through.
• 17.064 line after line,
• 18.003 After a while as his head cleared a little,
• 18.004 Victory after all,
• 18.008 This invisibility has its drawbacks after all.
• 18.014 Alive after all –
• 18.021 All that had happened after he was stunned,
• 18.031 May it bring good fortune to all his folk that dwell here after!’
• 18.042 and their hearts looked forward after winter to a spring of joy.
• 18.054 So comes snow after fire,
• 19.008 or for many after.’
• 19.018 After a week,
• 19.027 After that their going was slower,
• 19.037 and they were not on friendly terms with Bilbo ever after.
• 19.038 It is true that for ever after he remained an elf-friend,
• 19.039 was ever after more musical than it had been
• 19.046 after a fashion!’
• 19.047 in a wide world after all!’

Apparently the merging of Old English folgian and fylgan, which is just fine because each of those came from the same root in Germanic, rather like one person splitting into two ghosts upon death, neither of whom can resolve until they re-merge. I have no idea where that notion came from, but believe me, it’s going right into my current story.

“Follow, V.” Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford UP, December 2024, https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/3260024005.

• 1.028 When the silence that followed had become uncomfortable,
• 2.111 They followed the tracks up the hill,
• 3.009 Altogether it was a very slow business following the track,
• 3.010 and they followed his lead,
• 3.050 and with a knowledge of the road they must follow
• 4.036 that followed were beyond description.
• 4.038 Follow me quick! said a voice fierce
• 4.044 in the tunnel they were following;
• 5.038 “
It comes first and follows after, “
• 5.108 then very cautiously he followed.
• 5.108 Perhaps if he followed him,
• 6.012 You shouted ‘follow me everybody!’
• 6.012 and everybody ought to have followed.
• 6.020 Then I followed him,
• 6.028 He followed after the drivers
• 6.067 at either hand leaped up to follow him.
• 7.012 which we should have been following,
• 7.045 Following him they found themselves
• 7.075 I followed down into the main hall,
• 7.087 and followed immediately after the other two.
• 7.117 I followed these as far as the Carrock.
• 7.117 By that time it was too late for me to follow them far.
• 7.125 and they followed round the house.
• 7.130 Had they followed the pass,
• 8.007 as days followed days,
• 8.029 was getting ready to follow,
• 8.035 in the following days.
• 8.103 They followed him
• 8.123 and followed them no more,
• 9.013 and following the guards
• 9.025 He followed the two elves,
• 9.028 You just follow me!
• 9.029 until his following had grown to twelve –
• 9.035 So following the hobbit,
• 9.053 “
Follow, follow stars that leap “
• 9.053 “
Follow, follow stars that leap “
• 10.003 which the dwarves had followed
• 10.028 Follow me then,’
• 11.008 They did not dare to follow the river
• 11.012 followed ever by croaking crows above them,
• 11.014 Following these excitedly he
• 13.047 Let us follow it!’
• 13.063 Let us follow Balin’s path!’
• 14.036 and go North with any that will follow me.’
• 14.038 and in the days that followed
• 15.005 but I cannot follow the speech of such birds,
• 15.033 and its defences soon followed them.
• 17.022 That shall follow after,
• 17.055 and his companions followed him.

A Germanic word (to no one’s amazement), the adjective full came first back in the Old Germanic days, and thus fill: to make full.

• 1.001 filled with the ends of worms
• 1.010 and have a fill of mine!
• 1.036 to the cellar to fill a pint beer-mug,
• 1.072 The dark filled all the room,
• 1.142 and filled all his spare-rooms
• 3.034 Their bags were filled with food
• 4.004 and the darkness is filled with overwhelming noise
• 5.038 And empty holes it fills.
• 5.130 filled with hatred
• 6.065 and the commotion they made filled all the forest.
• 6.069 was filled with curiosity
• 7.031 and out filled all the air.
• 7.045 and filled with the light of the westering sun which slanted into it,
• 7.096 with their wooden drinking-bowls filled with mead.
• 7.143 but to fill their water-skins
• 7.154 because they were really filled with dismay
• 8.008 and filled some of their emptied skins at its bank.
• 8.036 was a poor exchange for packs filled with food however heavy.
• 8.039 filled almost entirely with a mighty growth of oaks.
• 8.071 and their songs were filled with mirth.
• 8.072 and the wood was filled again with their clamour
• 9.005 and filled with a cleaner air.
• 9.053 Where the berry swells and fills
• 10.002 filled with the waters of the river which broke up
• 10.006 filled with deep waters
• 10.007 and some were filled with gold
• 10.008 and all that land would be filled with new song
• 10.009 and others they would fill with goods
• 10.028 looking at long tables filled with folk.
• 11.011 all the halls within must be filled with his foul reek.’
• 12.014 and vessels filled with a wealth that could not be guessed.
• 12.015 His heart was filled
• 13.034 The dark hall was filled with a melody
• 14.011 in the town was filled with water,
• 14.035 and filled with golden bells,
• 14.040 The air was filled with circling flocks,
• 16.036 It was as if a globe had been filled with moonlight
• 17.046 and filling them with dread.
• 18.018 Bilbo knelt on one knee filled with sorrow.
• 18.037 one filled with silver,
• 19.043 and the desolation was now filled

Surprisingly few instances of the word hole, a Germanic word related to hollow. (“Hole, N.” Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford UP, December 2024, https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/7802432469.)

Yet, we already have Air-hole: click for a brief discussion of its hyphennatedness or not.

And Hobbit-hole: naturally a JRRT-invented word, complete with hyphen in its translation from Westron, therefore its own separate word.

And Key-hole: click for discussion of its hyphen. Do you see what I see? Did JRRT indeed use keyhole and key-hole as separate words? If you write the paper, send me the link!

There’s Porthole: not hyphenated.

And Rabbit-hole: hyphenated or not, click for discussion and reference.

And finally Smoke-hole, hyphenated just so in OED.

So, were air-hole and key-hole and rabbit-hole hyphenated in The Hobbit to evoke earlier spellings, earlier times? or to indicate translation artifacts?

• 1.001 In a hole
• 1.001 Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole,
• 1.001 nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole
• 1.109 but Smaug could not creep into a hole that size,
• 1.110 It seems a great big hole to me,’
• 2.029 in my nice hole by the fire,
• 2.110 that the trolls must have a cave or a hole
• 4.034 Take them away to dark holes full of snakes,
• 4.036 The sparks were burning holes
• 5.004 would have brought on him out of dark holes
• 5.008 and after all if their holes are nice cheery places
• 5.022 in their holes
• 5.036 in a hole
• 5.038 And empty holes it fills.
• 5.087 in a hole
• 6.050 near Mr. Baggins’ hole at home,
• 6.053 like a rabbit that has lost its hole
• 6.100 in his own little hole at home.
• 7.045 and the hole above it,
• 7.116 and setting them at last chasing one another out of the hole
• 8.001 Soon the light at the gate was like a little bright hole far behind,
• 8.004 who liked holes to make a house
• 9.038 to close holes
• 9.049 roll-roll-rolling down the hole!
• 11.032 A hole appeared suddenly about three feet from the ground.
• 11.037 He put it to the hole.
• 11.038 from the hole
• 12.020 Could there be a draught from that little hole?
• 12.021 in vain at the little hole,
• 13.056 timeless hole?’
• 13.058 Don’t call my palace a nasty hole!
• 15.028 There were holes
• 18.051 and hidden in the deepest holes they could find;

Look at the distribution of this one! Definitely something going on! Digital humanities students, there is definitely something going on here: I wanna see your paper.

• 5.038 And empty holes it fills.
• 6.035 His stomach felt all empty
• 6.046 and my stomach is wagging like an empty sack.’
• 8.008 and filled some of their emptied skins at its bank.
• 8.050 but to tighten the belts round their empty stomachs,
• 8.050 and hoist their empty sacks
• 8.076 in spite of an empty stomach,
• 9.020 When the barrels were empty
• 9.023 clearing the cellars of the empty wood,
• 9.037 get the empty barrels
• 9.046 instead of the empty ones,
• 9.050 Some were barrels really empty,
• 9.055 It was really empty,
• 9.066 some of these are never empty.
• 11.002 and empty.
• 13.064 and the emptiness