Etymograph

English

Tolkien

Tolkien may come from Middle Low German Tolkin.

  1. Middle Low Germanc. 1200–1600Tolkinliterally ‘son of Tolk’uncertain
  2. Englishearliest quotation 2001Tolkien

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Middle Low Germanc. 1200–1600Tolkinliterally ‘son of Tolk’uncertain
  2. Englishearliest quotation 2001Tolkien

Earliest quotation: 2001, Mark Lawson, Never ever mess with a hobbit: “A curious feature of cinema in 2001 was the…”

The story

Likely from Middle Low German Tolkin (literally “son of Tolk”), which is probably also related to Polish Tołkiny and German Tolksdorf, names for a Prussian town; the nickname Tolk is connected to Middle Low German tolk (‘interpreter’), from Proto-Slavic *tъlkъ. Tolkien subscribed to a folk etymology that connected the name with German tollkühn (‘foolhardy’).folk etymology The source marks this as unproven or a folk etymology. Quoted, not asserted.

Every English word from Middle Low German Tolkin

Today it means

name A surname.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Middle Low German Tolkin / Tolkien

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