Coining Personal Names to Build Connections among Characters: Lexical Creativity in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings

master's thesis

• Title (croatian): Kovanje osobnih imena za izgradnju poveznica između likova: leksička kreativnost u Tolkienovu Gospodaru prstenova
• Author: Ana Čoga Spasovski
• Mentor: Janja Čulig Suknaić (mentor)
• Committee member: Marina Grubišić (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Anda Bukvić Pažin (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; (Department of English language and literature); Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2024-06-10, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: HUMANISTIC SCIENCES; Philology; Anglistics

Abstract

J.R.R. Tolkien’s mastery of language, present in The Lord of the Rings trilogy and all his other works belonging to the fictional universe of Middle-earth, has been the subject of numerous articles, books, research papers, doctorates, etc. The key to such a massive popularity and positive reception is found not only in his complex fictional languages but also in the way he manipulated language boundaries to create an intricate network extending throughout his entire universe. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine how Tolkien, in the process of coining names, used various word formation processes and languages to connect characters that share some type of bond. Moreover, it aims to determine the link between the character’s name and their role in the story, and how that role contributes to building the characters as individual beings while keeping them closely linked with those around them. The analysis is carried out on 48 names and surnames (from The Lord of the Rings trilogy) that have some similarities at the level of form (e.g., contain the same element, rhyming) or meaning (e.g., shared feature or role). It consists of determining the word formation process, language, and possible interpretations to see how Tolkien created multiple levels of interconnections between various groups of characters. The results confirm that Tolkien gave all three factors a central role in constructing names and surnames that link closely related characters on one hand and emphasize the character’s uniqueness on the other. The study's main contribution is to provide an insight into the complex but wondrous nature of creating fictional names and encourage other linguistics and writers to follow in Tolkien’s footsteps and continue to explore the possibilities of human language.

• Keywords: The Lord of the Rings trilogy; characters’ names; word formation processes; languages; interconnection
• Keywords (croatian): Trilogija Gospodara prstenova; imena likova; tvorbe riječi; jezici; povezanost
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:131:710566
• Study programme: Title: English Language and Literature (double major); specializations in: Linguistics, Literature and Culture, Translation; Course: Linguistics; Study programme type: university; Study level: graduate; Academic / professional title: magistar/magistra engleskog jezika i književnosti (magistar/magistra engleskog jezika i književnosti)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2024-06-12 08:49:51