Fantasy, the English language and Tolkien

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Reading time: 6 minutes

A large number of well-known writers have often created or coined words that are used in everyday English. When you think of authors, prominent figures like Shakespeare may come to mind. He enriched the English language with words like "amazement," "bedazzled," and "fashionable." Charles Dickens introduced "boredom," showcasing his talent for capturing profound human emotions and societal issues in a single word. Lewis Carroll added whimsical words to our lexicon, including "chortle," a delightful mix of 'chuckle' and 'snort.'

But Tolkien is another one of those authors who has added to the English language's colorful dictionary. Tolkien did not just create worlds; he also enriched our language, adding a lexicon that elicits the smell of mead in crowded halls and the sight of smoky mountains veiled in mystery. Language enthusiasts and fantasy fans alike join us on this philological adventure as we uncover the words that J.R.R. Tolkien, the mastermind behind Middle-earth, either coined or brought into the limelight.

Words Tolkien invented or popularized
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So what English words did he invent/popularize?

Hobbit - A humble beginning

The word 'Hobbit' has become so synonymous with Tolkien's loveable, halfling creatures that it's easy to forget that prior to the publication of his book '' in 1937, this word was non-existent. While there has been some discussion over whether Tolkien may have unconsciously borrowed from other sources, he is widely credited with coining the term. These small, unassuming beings have secured their place in our world, much like they have in their home of the Shire.

Orc - An ancient word revived

Orcs, the vile creatures that often symbolize the corrupt and evil forces in Tolkien's works, have become a staple word in the lexicon of fantasy literature.

Although the term 'Orc' existed in English before, Tolkien's use and interpretation popularized it to signify a brutish monster. Its actual origin can be traced back to Old English and Latin, where it had a variety of meanings, including 'demon' and 'hell'.

Ent - Guardians of the forest

The term 'Ent,' used to describe the ancient tree-herders in 'The Lord of the Rings', is another linguistic gift from Tolkien. Drawing inspiration from the Old English wordÌýeoten, meaning 'giant', Tolkien reimagined these beings as the sentient guardians of the forest, embodying the spirit and wisdom of trees. With their slow, deliberate manner and deep connection to the natural, Ents have come to represent environmental stewardship and the age-old battle against deforestation and environmental damage in popular culture.

Mithril - A precious creation

The fabled metal 'mithril', said to be stronger than steel yet lighter than a feather, is a testament to Tolkien's attention to detail in his world-building.

He could have easily opted for a metal that actually exists, but instead, he manufactured an entirely new material, replete with its unique properties and lore. Mithril has since transcended the borders of Middle-earth, being adopted by various fantasy franchises as a precious and magical metal.

Eucatastrophe - A linguistic turn

Those unexpected turns toward a positive resolution of stories in literature have a name thanks to Tolkien, the term 'eucatastrophe'. In his essay '', Tolkien discusses eucatastrophe as the sudden joyous turn in a story that pierces you with a joy that brings tears. This concept has been embraced by literary critics and readers alike to describe that moment of salvation when all hope seems lost.

Palantír - Far-seeing stones

The 'palantír' (pronounced pæˈlænˌtɪər) or the seeing stones in Tolkien's novels allowed characters to communicate across vast distances, a fantastical predecessor to the technologies of today.

This invented term comes from an adapted form of Elvish, a language Tolkien crafted with its own set of linguistic rules. The concept of a 'palantír' has often been metaphorically used to describe any medium that allows one to perceive events at a distance.

Dwarves – Storied origins Ìý

Tolkien was also responsible for the pluralization of the existing word "dwarf" into "dwarves.". Prior to Tolkien's influence," dwarf" was the standard plural form used in English. With his groundbreaking work in 'The Hobbit'Ìýand 'The Lord of the Rings', Tolkien opted for "dwarves" to better fit the old English and mythological aesthetic he was aiming for. Tolkien's deliberate deviation from the norm has since been widely adopted, influencing not only subsequent fantasy literature but also the way we engage with these mythical beings in popular culture.

His invented languages and inspiration

In his quest to build a comprehensive mythology, J.R.R. Tolkien invented, coined, or revived many English words specifically for his Middle-earth saga. His skill as a philologist not only allowed him to create new words but also to revive old ones that had fallen out of use, blending them seamlessly into the narratives of his epic tales.

Tolkien extended beyond merely coining new words; he ventured into the realm of constructing entire languages, an effort that set Middle-earth apart as an exemplar of literary and linguistic depth. Among the most notable of these languages are Quenya and Sindarin, both of which are elvish tongues, each with its own detailed grammar, syntax, and rich vocabulary.

Quenya, inspired by Finnish and Latin, is often considered the high-elven language, used in lore and formal occasions, whereas Sindarin, influenced by Welsh, serves as the common language among the elves of Middle-earth.

Additionally, Tolkien developed other languages, including the guttural Black Speech of Mordor, the dwarvish Khuzdul, and the various Mannish tongues, thereby enriching the authenticity and immersive experience of his fantasy universe. Tolkien'sÌýinspiration for writing his unique lexicon was as vast and varied as the universes he created. A linguist at heart and by profession, he drew heavily from ancient and medieval sources, including Old English, Old Norse, and other Germanic languages, as well as from Latin, Greek, and Welsh.

A lasting linguistic legacy

Tolkien's impact reminds us that language is a living, breathing entity. It is shaped by the realms we construct in our thoughts and shared tales. In this light, Tolkien's inventiveness with language inspires us to look at words as not just mere tools for communication but as magic incantations capable of transforming the mundane into the extraordinary.

Whether you're a lifelong fan of Middle-earth or a language enthusiast intrigued by the origins of words, his contributions remain legendary; some even now sit in the English dictionary. He shows us that with a bit of creativity and a love for language, we too can leave our mark on the lexicon for generations to come. Now, in the spirit of Tolkien, may your words always be as rich as a dragon's hoard and as heartfelt as a hobbit's supper.

If you're feeling inspired to read, make sure to check out our readers; we have a wide range of English readers to suit everyone. Or if you're looking for some novel inspiration, make sure to check out our blog post: Novels to help improve your English.

Or, if you want to expand your English vocabulary even more to match that of even the greatest writers, make sure to download the language learning app .

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  • A teacher sat with a student at his desk, the student is writing and the teacher is looking at him doing this smiling.

    7 ways to individualize your teaching

    By Andrew Walkley
    Reading time: 4 minutes

    There's no denying that tailoring your teaching to individual students is an effective strategy. However, many teachers struggle with finding the time to include teaching moments which address an individual learner's specific needs. So, what's the best way to create an individualized classroom? Andrew Walkley, co-author of Roadmap, explains the benefits of this approach and shares some techniques to ensure that every student gets the most out of your lessons.Ìý

    The best of both worlds?

    First of all, what does individualized teaching mean? It's the concept that students will learn most effectively when the activity is specific to their needs and the language they are using is appropriate for their level. This concept is sometimes seen in opposition to coursebooks and class-based learning, where students are all expected to follow the same syllabus. However, class syllabuses and coursebooks have the following benefits:

    • Providing students with common goalsÌý
    • Encouraging learners to follow an unfamiliar topic that then opens new doors of learning
    • The learning opportunities in peer-to-peer explanationÌý

    When we talk about individualized teaching in the classroom, we want to exploit the benefits of learning together while also providing opportunities for more individualized development. So, how can you, as a teacher, combine the two approaches?

    1. Involve students in choosing your route

    All classroom groups are different and made up of people from different age groups with distinct needs and interests. Roadmap can help in two ways:

    1. There is a fast and slow track. The fast track focuses on language input and speaking. The slow track has additional skills lessons at the back of the book that are thematically linked to the corresponding fast track lesson.Ìý
    2. Each lesson has a clear goal and final task. For shorter courses, get each student to choose three tasks they would definitely like to do. Based on the results, you can prioritize those lessons.

    At the start of the course, make a point of asking about students' learning priorities and then plan accordingly. Once you've completed an input and speaking lesson, you can ask the students if they want to further explore the topic through the skills lesson.

    2. Make use of tasks

    Open tasks, where students exchange their own ideas in a meaningful way, are a key part of individualized lessons. In essence, they are self-differentiating because each student will attempt to complete the task using whatever language they are able to use. In Roadmap, each of the main lessons ends with a clear task connected to a Global Scale of English (GSE) can-do statement. However, there are also lots of other speaking opportunities without a 'speaking' label (under vocabulary or reading, etc.), as well as the conversation that typically occurs in any lesson, all of which can be treated as open tasks.

    3. Give individualized feedback and then share it

    In a group setting, it's impossible to give individual feedback on every single task. However, you can give individual attention to different people throughout the lesson. Make yourself available to give students the language they need as it arises during an activity. Then, when they've completed the task, write some of these examples on the board, but leave a gap for the keywords. Elicit these keywords from other members of the class. If they can't get it, ask the student(s) you helped to explain the missing language. You might then repeat the task, but this time, pay attention to a new group.Ìý

    4. Check what vocabulary students know

    All coursebook writers and teachers make choices about what vocabulary to introduce to students. In the case of Roadmap we are guided by the GSE and teachers might like to experiment themselves using the GSE Teacher Toolkit. However, all students will have their own lexicons. You can individualize learning better by asking students to rate the words you aim to cover in a unit according to whether they know them or not. For example, 1 = it's completely new, 2 = the meaning is familiar but I don't use it, 3 = this is part of my productive vocabulary.Ìý

    5. Get students to create their own word lists and cards

    This knowledge will enable you to encourage students to focus on their individual vocabulary needs. They can reinforce learning by developing a word list or making flashcards using a web tool such as Quizlet. For new words they may have a word/collocation with an L1 translation.

    With familiar vocabulary, they could have cards with a keyword on one side and varied collocations or common examples on the other (also in English). It's worth setting aside some time in class to do this at the start of a course. If your students are engaged and motivated, it can become a regular discipline for learning new vocabulary.Ìý

    6. Ask more open questions about usage, not just meaning

    When we do vocabulary tasks from the course material in class, we can use open questions to individualize learning with the following two techniques. Firstly, as you go through the answers, rather than going in order 1 to 8, you can nominate people to give the answer that they're most unsure of and want to check. Secondly, we can ask the rest of the class open questions which focus on how words are used. For example, take these questions from different vocabulary exercises in Roadmap B1+:

    • What (other) things might you spill?
    • Why might a character in a series be killed off?
    • What (else) can you describe as reliable?
    • What can someone do to stay calm?Ìý

    You could also ask questions such as, "What's the opposite of staying calm?" or "What might you say if you spilled something?"

    When you ask these questions, you are checking meaning, but more importantly, you are also pushing students to reveal how well they know a word. Do they know the collocations of spill and reliable? Do they have the other language they might need to talk about the aspects of a TV series or help someone who is in a panic? You can then encourage students to choose how much of this potentially new language they want to add to their word lists.

    7. Provide open homework tasks and make time to share the results

    Homework is another opportunity to individualize learning. Give students a wide choice of tasks based on the material of the course or beyond, for example:

    • Choose any number of exercises they want to do from workbook materialÌý
    • Find and read one article they are interested in (in L1 or L2)
    • Write five things they want to learn how to say in English (perhaps using Google Translate)
    • Write up an interesting conversation they had in English (the conversation could be originally in L1 or L2)

    Whatever task they choose, the key is to dedicate some classroom time to discussing which homework task they did and why. Encourage them to explain their answers and what they learned through the task, and whether or not they would choose to do a similar task again.ÌýÌý

    For a more detailed introduction on how you can individualize your teaching, check out Andrew's webinar:Ìý