J.R.R. Tolkien

4 6.0

A British writer who studied languages and created The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit

proper noun
/ˈdʒeɪˈɑrˈɑrˈtoʊkɪn/

: J.R.R. Tolkien

The works of J.R.R. Tolkien have inspired millions.

Examples

In literature classes, we often study the works of J.R.R. Tolkien for their impact on modern fantasy.
Did you read J.R.R. Tolkien's books?
Many scholars consider J.R.R. Tolkien the father of modern fantasy literature.
My favorite book by J.R.R. Tolkien is 'The Hobbit'.
The imaginary languages created by J.R.R. Tolkien have inspired linguists worldwide.
J.R.R. Tolkien is celebrated for his richly detailed fantasy worlds in 'The Lord of the Rings'.
Many readers find J.R.R. Tolkien's storytelling to be both imaginative and captivating.

Synonyms

Tolkien

vsJ.R.R. Tolkien

27 4.6

A British writer who wrote The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings

uses the initialed form rather than the single family name

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien

vsJ.R.R. Tolkien

1 4.5

A British writer and language expert who wrote the fantasy books The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings

is the initialed form used instead of the full personal name

Surface Forms

J.R.R. Tolkien main

Morphology

J.R.R. + Tolkien

This is a proper name whose meaning is referential (a specific author); the initials 'J.R.R.' and the surname 'Tolkien' do not combine to produce a compositional meaning that a learner can predict. Identifying the person and his works requires encyclopedic/cultural knowledge rather than knowledge of the constituent tokens, so it is not transparently derivable.

Etymology

J.R.R. Tolkien takes its letters from his full name, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, and he was a writer who loved making new languages and stories. Because he wrote 'The Hobbit' and 'The Lord of the Rings' and built whole imaginary worlds, his name now stands for a creator of fantasy stories.