Thread: I need a very small amount of info, just for a journal entry..

Im sorry, I havent read the sim.. thingy book, or any of them bar the 3 main Lord of the Rings books, and even them, audiotape, so it is quite easy that I might have missed something..

But, Do Elves give their 'love' A pet name? or.. do anyone in Lord of the Ring's in general? Im assumnig it is based on the medieval style in which case, I wouldnt think so, But I just need to make sure.

Thanks. <3

I don't think that was specified anywhere, but I'm hardly an expert.
I don't recall ever seeing any "pet name" given to one's lover in Tolkien's books though.

Originally Posted by Dofan

Im sorry, I havent read the sim.. thingy book, or any of them bar the 3 main Lord of the Rings books, and even them, audiotape, so it is quite easy that I might have missed something..

But, Do Elves give their 'love' A pet name? or.. do anyone in Lord of the Ring's in general? Im assumnig it is based on the medieval style in which case, I wouldnt think so, But I just need to make sure.

Thanks. <3

Agree with the other poster on this subject, but other than that why would you assume Medieval? If you look at the languages Tolkien bases those in his books on go back a lot, lot further - eg Anglo Saxon.

Originally Posted by Lucanthanas

I don't think that was specified anywhere, but I'm hardly an expert.
I don't recall ever seeing any "pet name" given to one's lover in Tolkien's books though.

Beren called Luthien 'Tinuviel' if that counts

Originally Posted by Aelfwulf

Beren called Luthien 'Tinuviel' if that counts

I believe it does! Well pointed.

Originally Posted by Aelfwulf

Beren called Luthien 'Tinuviel' if that counts

Well that's not really the same thing, I'd argue, as I recall it he didn't know her name at the time he first saw her, so he chose one that he thought fitting.

There are many examples of descriptive names, such as this, Luthien itself being one, but I can't recall any in a 'love' context between two individuals that the OP is asking about.

I'm pretty sure elves don't do that.

There is no recorded use of pet names among Tolkien's Elves per se, but the Noldor had a variety of names - mother-name, father-name, self-name - and names given to/about them by others, which might conceivably include nicknames, pet-names or something similar in sentiment. Mahtan, for example, was called Rusco (Fox) for his copper hair, Maedhros was called Russandol (Copper-Top) for the same reason, Gwindor called Finduilas Faelivrin (Glitter of the Sun on the Pools of Ivrin), and lore does state that he loved her, so that is probably closest to a pet name that you can get. Other than that there are abbreviations of their ordinary names (though the only attested ones are in Quenya): Nelyafinwë - Nelyo, Kanafinwë - Kano, Turkafinwë - Turko, etc.

But as long as there is nothing in the lore that contradicts it, why not go for it? Though I'm pretty sure they wouldn't go around calling their beloved "honey" or something similarly trite. They'd be a lot more poetic.

I agree with the posters above - no pet names in the texts. For what it is worth, the situation in which a pet name would be indicated just doesn't arise in Tolkien's works. The Hobbit and LotR don't include love interests as part of the story in any meaningful way (the Arwen material being extraordinarily sparse in the actual text), and the Silmarillion reads as a history with very little dialogue between the characters.

Maybe not pertinent, but I've always thought it poignant that when Aragorn dies, Arwen calls him "Estel" -- while not her personal pet name for him, it is his childhood, incognito name, also used by his mother long after he adopts his true name.

Arwen was introduced to him as Aragorn, so it's not like she called him Estel a long time before learning his true identity. She might be using the name as a kind of nickname for its meaning ("hope") much like Beren stuck with Tinuviel even after learning Luthien's real name (and actually it became her surname in legend).

I think there's some room for creativity based on these anecdotes.

Originally Posted by EllisIstarnie

But as long as there is nothing in the lore that contradicts it, why not go for it? Though I'm pretty sure they wouldn't go around calling their beloved "honey" or something similarly trite. They'd be a lot more poetic.

I don't know... wouldn't "Glî" (Sindarin for honey) be a good nickname for a beloved?

'Faelivrin' is a word and descriptor I still love hearing/reading. Something along its lines would be a good idea, yeah. Definitely poetical.

Tolkien Gateway has this to say on the matter of elven nicknames:

Originally Posted by Tolkien Gateway

Epessë, Quenya for after-name, is a nickname or honorific chosen by an elf as his or her public name later in life. It is part of the essë, or naming, of High Elves, along with the essi ("father-name") and amilessë ("mother-name").[1]

An example is Gil-galad ("Star of Radiance"), which was the mother-name of the last High King of the Noldor. His father-name was Rodnor.[2] Upon becoming king he was given the epessë Ereinion ("Scion of Kings") and called Ereinion Gil-galad.

There are often literal descriptions tagged on as names in Elvish, like people have said, Maedhros Russandol

Even Arwen Undomiel can be thought of as a "nickname". Many names are literal descriptions of the person themselves, as was common in the cultures and times Tolkien based his works on, Fëanáro Curufinwë meaning Spirit of Fire Skilful Son of Finwe. Varda had about five hundered and sixty names. Most of which, Elbereth, Gilthoniel etc are descriptions of her beauty and light.

So in short I don't think it's out of the question for someone to give someone else a name like that. Describing some feature or trait that they found particularly impressive.

I guess Morgoth was sort of a pet name...

Elves could be frivolous and petty in flinging epithets around, remember "dont dip your beard in the foam father" etc, or Saeros calling Turin a wood wose, Saeros's own name translates roughly as "bitter rain", few mothers would name their child thus and few people would self ascribe such an apellation making it likely Saeros was an epithet too.