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Walrus
Is it true that the word walrus was first defined for the dictionary by JR Tolkein?
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Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
The Walrus and the Carpenter
Walked on a mile or so,
And then they rested on a rock
Conveniently low:
And all the little Oysters stood
And waited in a row.
"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."
"But wait a bit," the Oysters cried,
"Before we have our chat;
For some of us are out of breath,
And all of us are fat!"
"No hurry!" said the Carpenter.
They thanked him much for that
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
The Walrus and the Carpenter
Walked on a mile or so,
And then they rested on a rock
Conveniently low:
And all the little Oysters stood
And waited in a row.
"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."
"But wait a bit," the Oysters cried,
"Before we have our chat;
For some of us are out of breath,
And all of us are fat!"
"No hurry!" said the Carpenter.
They thanked him much for that
JR Tolkein did work for the OED.
Tolkien was interested in the etymologies of words. He took up a post at Leeds University and is said to to have given a lengthy lecture on the etymology of the world walrus.
He had trouble with words beginning with W apparently.
The Meaning of Everything by Simon Winchester is an excellent book which tells how the OED was compilated and mentions Tolkien..
Tolkien was interested in the etymologies of words. He took up a post at Leeds University and is said to to have given a lengthy lecture on the etymology of the world walrus.
He had trouble with words beginning with W apparently.
The Meaning of Everything by Simon Winchester is an excellent book which tells how the OED was compilated and mentions Tolkien..
According to "The Oxford Library of Words and Phrases" - Volume III Word origins: The word is probably of Dutch origin - Walrus "Whale Horse"
A word meaning the same animal is found in old english [horscwh�l] and old nordic [hrosshvalr] meaning 'Horse Whale'
Those of us who has read C S Lewis's 'Out of the silent planet' regognize the word "Hross" as the name of one of the civilized species inhabiting Mars (the other species are Seroni/Sorn and Pfilltriggi) The Hrossa look more like seals than horses, so dear C S Lewis turn it around a bit ;-)
A word meaning the same animal is found in old english [horscwh�l] and old nordic [hrosshvalr] meaning 'Horse Whale'
Those of us who has read C S Lewis's 'Out of the silent planet' regognize the word "Hross" as the name of one of the civilized species inhabiting Mars (the other species are Seroni/Sorn and Pfilltriggi) The Hrossa look more like seals than horses, so dear C S Lewis turn it around a bit ;-)
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