Originally posted by Bombadillodillo
Regarding the "Anglicization" of Uruk-hai theory, I thought the whole of the Lord of the Rings was written in Common Speech. (Though perhaps translated by Tolkien into English, I've always taken it that the Common Speech was English, which is strange since English has changed so much over the years, but I'm sure Tolkien was better aware of this than I.) In any case almost all the orc speech is translated.
Originally posted by aragil
Just for the sake of drawing out old arguments, I'd again like to point out that in our world folk, people, and men all tend to have the same connotation, and usually refer to humans. In Tolkiens world this would not be the case, and it would be important to make a distinction between men and folk. I assume that Tolkien linguists derive their translations from the context with which a word is used. A linguist familiar with our world could confuse the distinction between folk and men, and hence get that Uruk-hai meant 'orc-folk', when it might mean 'orc-men'.
Originally posted by aragil
I am sure that David et al are more familiar with the races (and languages) of Middle-Earth than I am. I wasn't trying to accuse them of an ignorant mistake, but rather a hasty mistake.
Originally posted by Grond
And with that I will retire from this thread viewed as an idiot by some and a hero by others but "I pass the test. I will diminish and go into the West, and remain Grond."
Originally posted by Greenwood
Cian
A quick apology if I seemed at all intemperate or abrupt with you in my last post. I respect your obvious knowledge of Tolkien, even if we sometimes have different opinions. I find Tar-Elenion's style of "snippet" debate annoying and I am afraid I may have let that annoyance spill over on you.
My apologies.
Originally posted by Greenwood
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Quote [Tar-Elenion]
What difference does it make that it was not in the 'LOTR narrative text'?
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Because that is where all but one ambiguous instance of the word are found.
Originally posted by Greenwood
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Quote [Tar-Elenion]
This is conclusively proven in 'Fords of Isen', which does not contradict LotR, is fully compatible with it, and uses JRRT's own words, which give us greater clarity and insight into LotR.
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The usage of uruks is different in 'Fords of Isen' from in LOTR. The usage of uruks vs. Uruk-hai in LOTR was the original question of this thread. Read the first post.
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Quothe Greenwood
Circumstantial material from a secondary source [Morgoth's Ring]? Hardly very convincing.
Quothe Tar-Elenion
In your opinion.
But as with 'Fords of Isen', noncontradictory, compatible, and clarifies what is found in LotR
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Morgoth's Ring (as quoted by Grond) makes no mention of either uruks or Uruk-hai. It is irrelevant to the question under discussion. Read the first post in this thread.
As for the 'Fords of Isen', see above.
Tar-Elenion
In App F. it is written:
"Related, no doubt, was the word uruk of the Black Speech, though this was applied as a rule only to the great soldier-orcs that at this time issued from Mordor and Isengard. The lesser kinds were called, especially by the Uruk-hai, snaga 'slave'."
It seems clear that both Sauron's and Saruman's great soldier-orcs are referred to as 'uruk'.
Please clarify how you find the statement ambiguous.
The 'hybrid orc/man question may not have been part of the original thread but it is part of this thread. The discussion has expanded.
And to clarify my position it is quite possible (if not stated) that Saruman used Men to 'improve' his great-soldier orcs, but his great soldier-orcs are not the 'Man-orcs' or 'Half-orcs' such as are referred to in Morgoth's Ring or Flotsam and Jetsam.
If you found it annoying you should have let me know.
The note of it you made to me was:
"Your style of mixing one line quotes with one line answers is extremely difficult to read but I will do my best to interpret it and answer you points in the order you made them."
You seemed to accept my responce, that I liked to reply to points individually. I have used that 'style' for quite some time now, and have had no complaints in other Forums where I post.
I would make more use of the 'quote function' but I do not know how to 'break up' the 'quoted' post so as to reply to seperate portions in order (my attempts to do that elsewhere have been quite unsuccessful).
Originally posted by Greenwood
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Quote [Tar-Elenion]
In the absence of evidence to the contrary, I choose to believe that CT did not simply make it up.
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He probably didn't. You suggested he copied from Robert Foster.
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Quote[Tar-Elenion]
You can choose to dismiss it, but it does not change the fact that it is evidence. And it clarifies what is in LotR.
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I dismiss it because it is circumstantial and based on circular reasoning. You suggested the possibility CT copied the "Anglicization theory" from Foster, yourself.
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Quote [Tar-Elenion]
I choose to belive that CT is not a plagiarist. I choose to believe that CT did not simply make it up.
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I never accused CT of being a plagiarist. You suggested CT may have adopted Foster's definition.
Your contuoued 'suggestion' that I read the first post in the thread is unnecessary. I have read it, and even responded to it.
The Uruks in Fords of Isen, and the Uruk-hai of Isengard in LotR are the same creatures. That JRRT chose to anglicize the term in Fords of Isen is telling. This shows 'Uruks' being used as an 'anglicization' of Uruk-hai.
That JRRT does not use Uruk-hai in the Morgoth's Ring essay is quite relevant, to the question regarding what Uruk-hai were or were not.
Originally posted by Greenwood
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Quothe Greenwood
I repeat (with slight modifications for emphasis): You have absolutely no evidence that the index entry in UT are JRRT's words and this entry is the origin of the "Anglicized" theory
Quothe Tar-Elenion
Again, here I was referring to (as the quote from me you supplied shows) the 'Fords of Isen' narrative. I was not referring to the UT index.
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But what we were discussing was the "Anglicization theory". You appeared to be confused as to what was being discussed. I attempted to get you back on point. You still appear confused.
My 'suggestion' that CT adopted it was _not_ intended to be taken seriously in any manner.
Let me rephrase it:
The point of the post was to show that two different sources, both with access to the (then) unpublished materials used the same term in the same way. As CT was using his fathers original index for LotR to provide defintions etc. for the UT index,and the explanation of the word in question occurs therein then it IS from JRRT (and initially written for LotR).
Any other explanation would either make CT a plagiarist (since he did not attribute it), or imply that he made it up and thus virtually make him a liar.
Considering his use of JRRT's LotR index there would be no reason for him to make it up, and plagiarism is out of the question, the only thing left is that JRRT said that Uruks is the Anglicized form of Uruk-hai, this is then entirely consistant with the use of Uruks and Uruk-hai in LotR and UT.
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