Tolkien

[Isilgol]

Do any of you know what Tolkien majored in?

[Eledhwen]

You'll find all you need to know here: http://www.tolkiensociety.org/tolkien/biography.html

The relevant bit is: "He went up to Exeter College, Oxford in 1911, where he stayed, immersing himself in the Classics, Old English, the Germanic languages (especially Gothic), Welsh and Finnish, until 1913, when he swiftly though not without difficulty picked up the threads of his relationship with Edith. He then obtained a disappointing second class degree in Honour Moderations, the "midway" stage of a 4-year Oxford "Greats" (i.e. Classics) course, although with an "alpha plus" in philology. As a result of this he changed his school from Classics to the more congenial English Language and Literature. "

Basically, he botched Classics because he found Old English too interesting, and did the sensible thing - he changed his studies to something he liked.

[lamariaevenstar]

Eledhwen, what is Gothic exactly? i've heard it many times in english class in passing references and then listening to things about Tolkien but i never really understood whether that was a language or a culture or something. When i here the word gothic i think of people wearing all black, so I know it's not that;-)

[Greenwood]

Eledhwen, what is Gothic exactly? i've heard it many times in english class in passing references and then listening to things about Tolkien but i never really understood whether that was a language or a culture or something. When i here the word gothic i think of people wearing all black, so I know it's not that;-)

In its broadest (and popular) sense, it refers to the European Middle Ages (approximately the 12th to 16th Centuries). In narrower, more restricted, technical cases, it may refer to a style of architecture common in that period in Europe and emulated at times since, or to a specific tribe of people known as the Goths that came into Europe from northern Europe and were powerful during the 3rd - 6th Centuries, or to the dead language of the Germanic languages, or to a type of romantic novel popular in England in the late 18th and early 19th Centuries. As you see, the word Gothic may have many different specific meanings and you will have to look at the context of its usage to be sure which one applies.

[Eledhwen]

As you see, the word Gothic may have many different specific meanings and you will have to look at the context of its usage to be sure which one applies.lamariaevenstar is probably hearing the word as associated with the East Germanic language of the Goths, or perhaps from the phrase 'gothic novel' - an English genre of mystery and horror popular in the late 18th-early 19th centuries (which may be where the fashion/music subculture gets its ideas). It comes from the word Gutthiuda - which is what the Gothic people called themselves - through Greek as Gothoi (Latin Gothi), hence Gothic.

[Barliman Butterbur]

In its broadest (and popular) sense, it refers to the European Middle Ages (approximately the 12th to 16th Centuries). In narrower, more restricted, technical cases, it may refer to a style of architecture common in that period in Europe and emulated at times since, or to a specific tribe of people known as the Goths that came into Europe from northern Europe and were powerful during the 3rd - 6th Centuries, or to the dead language of the Germanic languages, or to a type of romantic novel popular in England in the late 18th and early 19th Centuries. As you see, the word Gothic may have many different specific meanings and you will have to look at the context of its usage to be sure which one applies.


This is one of the reasons I love this forum so much: it attracts truly erudite people! I seriously doubt if one can find a more similarly informed (and motley) crowd of characters on any other forum! :)

Barley

[lamariaevenstar]

haha, thanks you guys:D

[Valandil]

... It comes from the word Gutthiuda - which is what the Gothic people called themselves - through Greek as Gothoi (Latin Gothi), hence Gothic.

Not certain this is accurate, but I think I heard it... did these early Gothic peoples originate from the island of Gottland, which we call Juttland? Sort of a major population explosion and rapid expansion in the early part of the first millenium AD. :)

EDIT: Now I'm not certain at all... and think I may be confusing two different places. :o Can anyone who knows the geography better straighten me out?

[Eledhwen]

Not certain this is accurate, but I think I heard it... did these early Gothic peoples originate from the island of Gottland, which we call Juttland? Sort of a major population explosion and rapid expansion in the early part of the first millenium AD. :)

EDIT: Now I'm not certain at all... and think I may be confusing two different places. :o Can anyone who knows the geography better straighten me out?

This is an international forum. If anyone reading is, or knows, anyone from that neck of the woods, please PM them so we can have an answer to this. It could well be, as the Swedish 'G' has a soft sound which could easily merge into the Germanic 'J'