Linguistic puns, riddles, and jokes in LotR, etc.

[MLD-Grounds-Keeper-Willie]

Hmmm...Interesting thread.

Gimli's name is similar to gimlet, which is apparently a small tool for carving, yet is also used to mean piercing. Perhaps this refers to a dwarf's prediliction for carving and working in stone and piercing the earth with mining.

Here's some more on Gimli. Maybe that piercing quality is shown through his tongue (no, not a tongue ring). His conversations with Galadriel seemed to have pierced her heart, in a good way. Also, Gimli is similar to gimbals, which is a device used on axes, the weapon of choice for Gimli and the dwarves. Also, gimel is the third letter of the Hebrew alphabet, but I don't know what it means or if it fits in.

Here's one, Pippin. 'Pip' can mean the small seed of a fruit. So, Pippin in a way was like a seed in the Shire, but along the journey he grew up and came back strong (not just in a physical sense) and tall, like the seed will grow into a tall strong tree. Also, 'pip' can mean to hatch out of an egg. So, kind of like the first analogy, Pippin hatched out of his eggshell of ignorance, innocence, and immaturity into a life of maturity, knowledge, etc. You get the picture. Pippin also means the seed of a fruit. And slang for pippin is, 'an admired person or thing.' 'Pippin' and 'pip' are similar to pep and pepper. This could indicate the immaturity of Pippin and show his energetic childish qualities.

And Pippin was the son of Paladin. A paladin being a champion (sort of like a knight). And Pippin sort of became a Paladin on his journey.

This has to do with the more recent (some 50 years after LOTR was written) feminist spelling of 'women' as 'wymyn'.

Do you think it's possible that this term spawned from Tolkien?

[ February 27, 2003: Message edited by: MLD-Grounds-Keeper-Willie ]