high

Chuckle

lfsaldenbirch , , , ,

In Chapter 4, goblins chuckle who have taken Thorin & Company prisoner.  In Chapter 12, it is Smaug who chuckles at Bilbo’s riddling titles for himself.  The rest of the time, we have beneficent chuckles.  I think we must tag this one both “low” (as in comfortable, homey chuckling) and “high” (as in dangerous, adventurous).  OED tells us it’s an echoic word; other words are called imitative and still others are onomatopoetic.  For now I am calling them all onomatopoeia, and perhaps my understanding will grow; I will share the difference with you as soon as I know it, Word Fans!

  • 04.017 and chuckled
  • 06.015 that he just chuckled inside
  • 07.069 and burst into a chuckling laugh:
  • 07.121 he chuckled.
  • 07.123 he chuckled fiercely to himself.
  • 08.126 and chuckling to himself.
  • 12.058 and he chuckled

“chuckle, v.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 22 May 2015.

Hiss

lfsaldenbirch , , , ,

Gollum hisses – definitely low.  Spiders hiss – definitely low.  Dwarves hiss in a stumbling about scene, also tagged “low”.  In Chapter 14, however, the hisses are of dragon-fired arrows and bits of building falling into the lake.  Same word, much more weighty feeling.  I shall have to find a way to tag those two instances as “high”.

  • 05.014 and hissed:
  • 05.016 when the hiss came
  • 05.022 Sssss’ said Gollum,
  • 05.025 So Gollum hissed:
  • 05.032 he hissed.
  • 05.036 Ss, ss, ss,’ said Gollum.
  • 05.036 Ss, ss, ss,’ said Gollum.
  • 05.036 Ss, ss, ss,’ said Gollum.
  • 05.036 Sss, sss, my preciouss,
  • 05.036 Sss, sss, my preciouss,
  • 05.041 He hissed to himself,
  • 05.043 my preciouss – ss – ss.’
  • 05.043 my preciouss – ss – ss.’
  • 05.045 teaching his grandmother to suck – ‘Eggses!’ he hissed.
  • 05.048 After a while Gollum began to hiss
  • 05.064 not fair!’ he hissed.
  • 05.066 S-s-s-s-s,’ hissed Gollum.
  • 05.066 S-s-s-s-s,’ hissed Gollum.
  • 05.070 S-s-s-s-s,’ said Gollum
  • 05.073 He hissed
  • 05.082 hissed Gollum.
  • 05.097 Then suddenly out of the gloom came a sharp hiss.
  • 05.101 The sound came hissing louder
  • 05.105 he heard the hiss loud behind him,
  • 05.106 The hiss was close behind him.
  • 05.109 curse it!’ hissed Gollum.
  • 05.117 Ssss, sss, gollum!
  • 05.117 Ssss, sss, gollum!
  • 05.120 hissing
  • 05.124 Ssss!’
  • 05.127 He hissed softly but menacingly.
  • 05.130 There was a hissing
  • 07.101 The grasses hissed, their tassels bent,
  • 08.081 and hissing,
  • 08.085 hissed a fourth;
  • 08.091 hissed the angry spider climbing back onto the branch.
  • 08.109 and hiss:
  • 08.123 and hissed out horrible curses;
  • 13.016 Sh! sh!’ they hissed,
  • 14.013 and hissing into the lake.
  • 14.024 There was a hiss,

What do we think?  Is “sss” a different word from “hiss”?  Probably.  We will have to revisit this word.

Comely

lfsaldenbirch , , ,

The first meaning of “comely” applies to objects, and is archaic – but in reference to persons, “comely” is in current use.  However, the meaning has moved a bit over the centuries.  In the 1400s, “comely” was applied to kings and Christ and God and to ladies belied with false compare.  Samples from the 1700s use “comely” as a homelier word – pleasing but not remarkable.  Symmetrical with good teeth.  Thranduil is clearly using the earlier meaning of “comely” when he compliments Bilbo worthiness to wear the mithril mail shirt compared to visible attractiveness.

  • 16.040 than many that have looked more comely

“comely, adj.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 20 May 2015.

Elder, Eldest

lfsaldenbirch , , ,

These are the still-used comparative and superlative of “old”, but the OED calls them superseded by “older, oldest” and restricted in use, so I’m awarding an “archaic” tag.  Those restrictions include formulaic language, such as in legal terminology, earning these words the “high” tag.

  • 03.045 “He was the father of the fathers of the eldest race of Dwarves,
  • 06.050 One of his elder cousins
  • 09.008 who was the eldest left.
  • 12.096 of his eldest son
  • 18.032 for he was their mother’s elder brother.
  • 19.038 in their friendship by their elders.

“elder, adj. and n.3.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 20 May 2015.

“eldest, adj.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 20 May 2015.

Glede

lfsaldenbirch , , , , ,

A live coal or ember.  Tolkien spelled it here as “glede”, a Middle English form of the word and also a dialectical word for a kite – a bird of prey.  Was he helping our imaginations to picture the coals and embers flying everywhere with deadly result?

  • 14.024 to sparks and gledes.

“glede | gled, n.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 20 May 2015.

“gleed, n.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 20 May 2015.

Lust

lfsaldenbirch , , , ,

This word’s obsolete meaning of desire descends from earlier meanings such as pleasure and delight, spotted in King Alfred’s translation of Boethius around the year 888.  The parallel and interlocked meaning of sexual desire is attested from about the year 1000, and seems to be locked with the descriptor “fleshly” in theological writings for a few centuries.

  • 12.015 but the splendour, the lust,
  • 15.049 and the lust of it was heavy on him.

“lust, n.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 20 May 2015.