The Encyclopedia of Arda - Kuduk (original) (raw)

Dates First recorded in III 1050 Race Divisions Cultures Pronunciation koo'dook Meaning Derived from kûd-dûkan, 'hole-dweller' Other names Indexes: Alphabetical: K Hobbits About this entry: Updated 29 October 2013 This entry is complete

The Westron word for those of Hobbit-kind A word from the Westron language, used by the people of the Shire and Bree to refer to those of Halfling kind (it was, therefore, the word that Hobbits would have used to refer to themselves). It seems to have derived from an older compound, kûd-dûkan, which was still in use in Rohan and meant 'hole-dweller'. In his 'translation' of the histories of Middle-earth, Tolkien used Old English to represent the language of the Rohirrim, and thus their kûd-dûkan became the Old English equivalent holbytla, giving rise to the more current and popular form used farther to the north: Hobbit. (It should be noted that this etymology was invented after the fact: the word 'Hobbit' came to Tolkien's imagination first, and then he devised this elaborate origin to explain it.) Indexes: Alphabetical: K Hobbits About this entry: Updated 29 October 2013 This entry is complete For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page. Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 1998, 2001, 2013. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ. Website services kindly sponsored by Discus from Axiom Software Ltd.Discus DISC Candidate Matching helps find the optimum personalities for any role in moments.