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The word “Hobbit” in The Oxford English Dictionary
06.04.10 | Permalink | Comment?

I have fulfilled a lifelong dream, and acquired my very own (digital) copy of the complete Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd Ed. Of course, the very first word I looked up was “hobbit,” which is famously included in this edition. I hereby reproduce the pertinent parts of the entry…
Language, News
Oxford Dictionary’s 2009 Word of the Year: ‘Unfriend’
11.18.09 | Permalink | 2 Comments

The editors of the New Oxford American Dictionary have chosen “unfriend” as its “2009 Word of the Year,” beating out other Internet-oriented neologisms such as “hashtag,” “netbook,” “paywall” and “sexting.”

Tolkien aficionados may remember the word from The Silmarillion, where it is used twice (once in the form “unfriendship”).
Features, Language
Tolkien word of the day: ‘dwarves’
09.02.09 | Permalink | 2 Comments

Tolkien did not invent the word dwarf, but he did invent the plural form dwarves. Some sources give examples of the use of dwarves as far back as 1818, but these uses are mistakes. Tolkien was well aware that the traditional modern plural form of dwarf is dwarfs, but decided to use dwarves anyway.
Language
Tolkien word of the day: ‘mathom’
08.11.09 | Permalink | Comment?

A mathom is an item, usually received as a gift, which has no genuine use, but cannot be thrown away because it is too valuable, or because the gift-giver will be offended.