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Ethel Duath
Half-elven
Apr 19 2015, 11:04pm
Post #1 of 4
(279 views)
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Bilbo the Basque?
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Can't Post
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That linguistics course has a Basque speaker among other examples, and it got me looking around the internet for more info. Apparently, Bilbo's family was once acquainted with military service, and may have migrated to Hobbiton from more southerly regions!
This is what I found (from here: http://www.ontariobasqueclub.dantzariak.net/trask.htm).
"Q21. Are there any Basque words in English?
A21. Not many, but there are one or two. One is silhouette, which has a very interesting history. The English word is taken from French, in which it derives from the surname of a certain Etienne de Silhouette, a French politician of the 18th century. This is a French spelling of the Basque surname Zilhueta, a French Basque variant of the surname Zulueta or Zuloeta; this in turn derives from zulo `hole' (zilo in part of the north) plus the very frequent suffix -eta `abundance of'. This surname was doubtless given originally to someone who lived where there were many holes in the ground, or perhaps more likely caves. In Shakespeare's day, there was an English word bilbo for a sword of outstanding quality; this derives from the name of the Basque city of Bilbao (Bilbo in Basque), since the Basque Country was known at the time for its excellent iron and steel goods. The American English word chaparral derives via Spanish from Basque txaparra `scrub'. But the idea that English By jingo! derives from Basque Jinko `God' is probably wrong."
(I put the relevant part in bold.)
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Na Vedui
Rohan
Apr 21 2015, 7:38pm
Post #2 of 4
(229 views)
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And I bet Tolkien knew about Bilbo = sword --- it's the sort of thing he would know. How very appropriate - a name that sounds slightly ridiculous (especially coupled with "Baggins"), but actually means something of high quality and effectiveness. Gandalf and Thorin's "secret weapon"!
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Ethel Duath
Half-elven
Apr 21 2015, 8:13pm
Post #3 of 4
(224 views)
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And Gandalf knew that quality all along . . .
Yes, I'm betting Tolkien did know.
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zarabia
Tol Eressea
Apr 24 2015, 7:13am
Post #4 of 4
(198 views)
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I really do need to check out that class.
You realize that life goes fast
It's hard to make the good things last
You realize the sun doesn't go down
It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning 'round
~Do You Realize?, The Flaming Lips
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