Keywords
Tolkien, invented languages, character names, phonoprint, author identification, fiction, fantasy
Abstract
J. R. R. Tolkien claimed to create names based on sound symbolism and invented languages. Previous studies revealed that Tolkien had his own phonoprint (tendency to use the same phonemes repeatedly for character names) regardless of his claims that they reflected different language origins. However, this research examined phonemes and syllables rather than names as whole units. This study compared 183 names from Tolkien’s works and 100 names from the nineteenth Century Us Census. The name recognition software linked names with known languages or provided a “generic” category when no match was found. Results showed no significant differences between the generic listings when language groups were compared. It seems Tolkien successfully created unique names, but could not escape his own phonoprint among the generic names. When looking at names from non-generic responses, it appears Tolkien was able to differentiate into three language groups, but not with the precision he claimed.
BYU ScholarsArchive Citation
Brown, Bruce L.; Wilcox, Brad; Baker-Smemoe, Wendy; and Morrison, Timothy G., "Tolkien’s Phonoprint in Character Names Throughout His Invented Languages" (2018). Faculty Publications. 5994.
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/facpub/5994
Document Type
Peer-Reviewed Article
Publication Date
2018
Permanent URL
http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/8723
Publisher
American Name Society
Language
English
College
Family, Home, and Social Sciences
Department
Psychology