Although characters certainly tire in The Hobbit, nothing yawns but the secret entrance to the Mountain as Thorin and Company enter Smaug’s… lair. Yes, that’s it. Lair. Certainly not mouth.
- 11.038 a yawning mouth leading
word
Yell
I am fascinated to observe the gap in the uses of “yell” in chapters 9 through 16. Surely, there was a good deal of noise being made in those chapters.
- 04.015 Of course he gave a very loud yell,
- 04.015 as loud a yell as a hobbit can give,
- 04.016 Bilbo’s yell had done that much good.
- 04.036 The yells and yammering,
- 04.038 down more dark passages with the yells of the goblin-hall
- 04.048 and gave one yell before they were killed.
- 04.048 The ones behind yelled still more,
- 05.137 With yells of delight
- 05.138 They yelled twice as loud as before,
- 05.141 This way!’ some yelled.
- 05.141 That way!’ others yelled.
- 06.028 As soon as Gandalf had heard Bilbo’s yell
- 06.071 Then suddenly goblins came running up yelling.
- 06.082 the goblins yelled
- 07.084 They yelled with delight
- 08.073 and though after a while it seemed to him they changed to yells
- 17.050 The yells were deafening.
Yelp
Yelp has some delightful obsolete meanings, but in its current intransitive use is used mostly of animals. Tolkien used it for wolves, goblins, and poor Bombur when he was stuck in a spider web.
- 06.012 and we saw the goblins running back yelping.
- 06.058 yelping all round the tree
- 06.064 and yelping,
- 06.064 and fro yelping horribly.
- 06.067 and yelping come up faint from far beneath him.
- 08.089 There was a muffled yelp inside,
“yelp, v.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 19 May 2015.
Yew
Not only are the trees of the genus Taxus posessed of mightily elastic wood – making them excellent materials for bowyery- but their sprigs are symbolic of sadness. They’re mentioned in the year 985 in the Charter of AEthelred.
06.095 They would shoot at us with their great bows of yew,’
14.018 Now he shot with a great yew bow,
“yew, n.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 19 May 2015.
Yonder
It’s an adverb, adjective, pronoun, and noun? Hardworking word, and I think we should breathe life back into it!
- 09.045 No need to wake the turnkey yonder.
“yonder, adv., adj., pron., and n.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 19 May 2015.
Yore
The OED tells us that “yore” is archaic and I note that Tolkien only used it poetically in the work.
- 01.074 The dwarves of yore made mighty spells,
- 10.035 To songs of yore re-sung.
- 15.038 The dwarves of yore made mighty spells,
“yore, adv. (and adj.).” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 19 May 2015.
Awake
Of all our “a-” words, our very last is one of the mysteries. The “a-” is not likely to be the intensifier preposition 1, but its true root is hard to disentangle from the distinct verb “awaken” or the obscure word of parallel meaning, “awecche.”
- 07.108 It was full morning when he awoke.
- 08.065 and when he was awake he was not pleased at all.
- 14.041 for they thought that war was awakening again,
“awake, v.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 18 May 2015.
“† aˈwecche, v.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 18 May 2015.
Astride
In this example of “a-” preposition 1, Bilbo is definitely not in the position of striding across his barrel.
- 09.056 even if he had managed to get astride his barrel,
“astride, adv., prep., and adj.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 18 May 2015.
Astray
This is mostly likely to be “a-” preposition 1, in the situation of straying. In this case, it is said of good plans.
- 04.003 and of good friends like Elrond go astray sometimes
“astray, adv.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 18 May 2015.
Astir
This use of “a-” preposition 1 describes camp as being in the situation of stirring.
- 17.035 in the camp all was now astir,
“astir, adv.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2015. Web. 18 May 2015.
words that you were saying 