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Quiz about Languages of Rohan and Rhovanion

Languages of Rohan and Rhovanion Quiz

This quiz tests your knowledge of Tolkien's Rohirric and the related words from Rhovannion, actually based on Old English and Norse. All of this info is in Ruth S. Noel's book, "The Languages of Tolkien's Middle Earth". NOTE: No accents are used.

A multiple-choice quiz by Mojo69. Estimated time: 8 mins.

Author
Mojo69

Time
8 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
102,879

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
15

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
7 / 15

Plays
564

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 15

1. One of the major Rohirric characters has a name meaning "chief". Which one? Hint

Eomer

Theoden

Eowyn

Grima

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Question 2 of 15

2. "Roch", giving us Rohan, is Elvish for "horse." A common element in Rohirric names means "horse". What is it? Hint

Dern

Wine

Theod

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Question 3 of 15

3. Which character's name means "Horse fame" or "Horse Mare"?

Answer: (One Word)

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Question 4 of 15

4. In the languages of Rhovannion, three dwarves had the same name, meaning "corpse" in Old Norse. Curiously, their name is the word for "dwarf" in a common modern language. What is their name?

Answer: ("Dwarf" in a Romance Language)

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Question 5 of 15

5. One name, having meanings in several languages, one of them Latin, is Gandalf's "in the south." Which one? Hint

Incanus

Mithrandir

Olorin

Lathspell

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Question 6 of 15

6. One king of Rhovannion has the same name as a Gothic god, although Jacob Grimm recorded it with a slightly different spelling. Give Tolkien's spelling. Hint

Scatha

Forn

Vidugavia

Orald

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Question 7 of 15

7. Tolkien employed several old geographic terms in place names. Which one is a Celtic "narrow valley or deep hollow"?

Answer: (One Word)

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Question 8 of 15

8. This word, meaning "giant", appears not only in Tolkien, but also in Beowulf. Hint

Troll

Ent

Gamling

Warg

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Question 9 of 15

9. True or false: Lathspell, the name Grima applies to Gandalf, means "Stormcrow".

True

False

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Question 10 of 15

10. Grima's name means "mask". Ironically, his father's name meant "Light, wanton mood." What was this man's man?

Answer: (One Word)

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Question 11 of 15

11. Which wizard shares his name with the Slavonic god of bliss, good counsel, and honor, who is often associated with wizards and equated with Mercury/Hermes? Hint

Pallando

Saruman

Radagast

Gandalf

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Question 12 of 15

12. One word in a northern dialect is quite similar to both its modern equivalent and a Scottish word for a marker made of piled stones. It is also a favorite spot of Beorn's. What is it?

Answer: (One Word)

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Question 13 of 15

13. Which of these Dwarf names does NOT mean "corpse"? Hint

Nain

Nar

Dain

Trick question! They all do

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Question 14 of 15

14. One of the characters we know the least about has a name meaning "secret" or "unknown", which was also an Old English title applied to Abel. What is his name?

Answer: (Abel WAS the hint!)

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Question 15 of 15

15. "Shelob" simply means "She-Spider". The "lob" element is related to a name Bilbo calls the spiders in The Hobbit. What does he call them?

Answer: (One or two word(s))

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. One of the major Rohirric characters has a name meaning "chief". Which one?

Answer: Theoden

This word appears in the original (untranslated) text of "Beowulf" as a title describing Hrothgar.

2. "Roch", giving us Rohan, is Elvish for "horse." A common element in Rohirric names means "horse". What is it?

Answer: Eo

"Dern" (Dernhelm, Derndingle) means "secret." "Theod" (Theoden, Theodred, Theodwyn) means "people." And "wine" (Freawine, Guthwine, Holdwine) means "friend."

3. Which character's name means "Horse fame" or "Horse Mare"?

Answer: Eomer

Seems odd for a male character.

4. In the languages of Rhovannion, three dwarves had the same name, meaning "corpse" in Old Norse. Curiously, their name is the word for "dwarf" in a common modern language. What is their name?

Answer: Nain

This is French for dwarf, ultimately from Latin "nanus."

5. One name, having meanings in several languages, one of them Latin, is Gandalf's "in the south." Which one?

Answer: Incanus

Though the origin of Gandalf's southern title is unclear, the Latin "quite grey" seems the most probable.

6. One king of Rhovannion has the same name as a Gothic god, although Jacob Grimm recorded it with a slightly different spelling. Give Tolkien's spelling.

Answer: Vidugavia

Tolkien's "Vidugavia" differs from the smith-god Grimm recorded as "Vidugauja" only in the once-interchangeable letters i-j and u-v.

7. Tolkien employed several old geographic terms in place names. Which one is a Celtic "narrow valley or deep hollow"?

Answer: Coomb

In "Deeping Coomb" (below the Hornburg) and "Combe", a village near Bree (which is itself another example of this usage, meaning "hill").

8. This word, meaning "giant", appears not only in Tolkien, but also in Beowulf.

Answer: Ent

Interesting that Tolkien would use "Onod", pl. "Enyd", as Sindarin for "Ent", since Elvish theoretically is not at all related to Old English, the source of "Ent." This oddity also occurs in "orc"/"orch" and the double meaning of "Orthanc". Since Rohirric was not actually Old English, just "translated" as it, it would be very unlikely that "Orthanc" would mean "mechanical art" or "skill" in both the real Old English and the fictional Rohirric.

9. True or false: Lathspell, the name Grima applies to Gandalf, means "Stormcrow".

Answer: False

Not even English has evolved that much! "Lathspell" actually means "ill news", so "Stormcrow" could be used idiomatically in the same sense, but the relationship is not literal.

10. Grima's name means "mask". Ironically, his father's name meant "Light, wanton mood." What was this man's man?

Answer: Galmod

Gandalf addresses Grima as "Grima, son of Galmod", in Meduseld.

11. Which wizard shares his name with the Slavonic god of bliss, good counsel, and honor, who is often associated with wizards and equated with Mercury/Hermes?

Answer: Radagast

The Slavonic name is generally recorded "Radegast" or "Radihost", but shares the same element: "rad", meaning "glad", or "radost", meaning "joy".

12. One word in a northern dialect is quite similar to both its modern equivalent and a Scottish word for a marker made of piled stones. It is also a favorite spot of Beorn's. What is it?

Answer: Carrock

This word means "rock". The Scottish word is "cairn". Interestingly, the more common word in Old English is "carr", but it is the "rock" part that survives to this day.

13. Which of these Dwarf names does NOT mean "corpse"?

Answer: Trick question! They all do

Apparently Old Norse had quite a few terms for the cadaver.

14. One of the characters we know the least about has a name meaning "secret" or "unknown", which was also an Old English title applied to Abel. What is his name?

Answer: Deagol

Deagol's murderer, Smeagol (Gollum), has a name meaning "penetrating" or "creeping", which was also the title for Cain. Just one of the many scholarly jokes that Tolkien hid in his work!

15. "Shelob" simply means "She-Spider". The "lob" element is related to a name Bilbo calls the spiders in The Hobbit. What does he call them?

Answer: Attercop

"Attercop" means "poison spider": compare this to "adder". The common element is "coppe".

Source: Author Mojo69

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bullymom before going online.
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