Models of word formation used by J. R. R. Tolkien when creating onyms

Anna S. Gladysheva
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Anna S. Gladysheva: Samara State University of Social Sciences and Education

Russian Social and Humanitarian Studies, 2026, vol. 18, issue 2, 196-209

Abstract: Background. Onomastics is one of the most frequently studied areas of linguistics. The fantasy genre (and especially the works of J. R. R. Tolkien) is popular among linguists. Purpose. To investigate the models of word formation used by J. R. R. Tolkien when creating onyms. Materials and methods. The methodological framework includes synthesis, deduction, induction, and descriptive, comparative, and structural methods. The author analyzed 64 onyms in the work «The Hobbit, or There and Back», 122 onyms in the work «The Lord of the Rings» and 130 onyms in the work «The Silmarillion». All onyms and works were considered in the original language (English). Results. J. R. R. Tolkien used three models of word formation (morphological, syntactic, and hybrid). Linguistic analysis of examples has shown that the author uses morphological methods of forming onyms in his works: affixation and composition. The syntactic model consists in the use of phrases and stable combinations. Hybrid onyms, as a rule, arise at the junction of morphological and syntactic mechanisms. The author has also examined the sources of the formation of onyms (Anglo-Saxon, Celtic, Germanic, Finnish, Latin, artificial languages). We have come to the conclusion that J. R. R. Tolkien combined natural and artificial languages. He has created more than 20 languages, for example, quenya, Sindarin, «black tongue», etc.

Keywords: onomastic space; word formation; morphological models; syntactic models; interface models; artistic creation; J. R. R. Tolkien; proper names; semantics; nomination (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cxm:russhs:18:2:2026:196-209

DOI: 10.12731/3033-5981-2026-18-2-558

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