The Problem of Rog - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Man-of-the-Wold · 11-02-2003, 10:57 PM

To be clear my suggestion was to be unclear. I'd use Rôg in passing in someway that is not definitively stated or implied one way or another, whether it is the actual, formal name of that personage or some sort of less formal nom de guerre or legendary apellation. Just "gloss" over the nature of "name," since there is obviously no satisfying answer, but not the character or role, which even with a reduced number of Balrog combatants is significant. It isn't necessarily that important.

If a good substitute arises, such as Androg (I'm no Middle-Earth Etymologist), then use it, but Rog is all we got from JRRT, and CRT states the obvious, that JRRT would have changed it. True to form, he would have changed many other names, many times, before he had ever finalized The Quenta Silmarillion.

The goal of this project I might paraphrase as cleanly putting together as much of JRRTs stories and details in one full compendium that provides a satisfying spread of everything. The learned reader might wander about "Rog," as well as other questions that cannot be answered for the sake of avoiding contradiction must remain ambiguous.

Names and words and other productions of language were JRRT's joy and inspiration, and one of the things that bogged down his efforts. I wouldn't attempt to resolve his never-ending constructions of tongues.

11-02-2003, 10:57 PM	#24
Man-of-the-Wold Wight Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: With Tux, dread poodle of Pinnath Galin Posts: 239	To be clear my suggestion was to be unclear. I'd use Rôg in passing in someway that is not definitively stated or implied one way or another, whether it is the actual, formal name of that personage or some sort of less formal nom de guerre or legendary apellation. Just "gloss" over the nature of "name," since there is obviously no satisfying answer, but not the character or role, which even with a reduced number of Balrog combatants is significant. It isn't necessarily that important. If a good substitute arises, such as Androg (I'm no Middle-Earth Etymologist), then use it, but Rog is all we got from JRRT, and CRT states the obvious, that JRRT would have changed it. True to form, he would have changed many other names, many times, before he had ever finalized The Quenta Silmarillion. The goal of this project I might paraphrase as cleanly putting together as much of JRRTs stories and details in one full compendium that provides a satisfying spread of everything. The learned reader might wander about "Rog," as well as other questions that cannot be answered for the sake of avoiding contradiction must remain ambiguous. Names and words and other productions of language were JRRT's joy and inspiration, and one of the things that bogged down his efforts. I wouldn't attempt to resolve his never-ending constructions of tongues. __________________ The hoes unrecked in the fields were flung, __ and fallen ladders in the long grass lay __ of the lush orchards; every tree there turned __ its tangled head and eyed them secretly, __ and the ears listened of the nodding grasses; __ though noontide glowed on land and leaf, __ their limbs were chilled.