[Jael]

I am looking for a male and a female name for a human couple living in the region of Dale. I am thinking that they would not have Elvish names, but rather the equivalent in Westron. Sadly, I find that the list of Westron words on Ardalambion is short.

I already have two working names for the couple in the fic, but I hate to pull sounds out of thin air. Does anyone have any suggestions?

[SpaceWeavil]

I generally use Ardalambion for Westron, and try to concoct other words from the stems and such they have there, but you're right in saying it's very limited (as I found out when I had to have dialogue in Westron in a story).

Other than using Sindarin (which the Rangers used) or Quenya, which might be more of a Gondorian thing, the only other thing I could say would be Adunaic maybe? I tend to use that for Harad, as the Numenoreans conquered a lot of that in the Second Age, but you could also argue I suppose that the Black Numenoreans had had an influence over Dale. I dunno. Personally I'd be inclined to use either Westron or Sindarin myself.

[Jael]

These are very simple people - a fowler and his wife who live in the marshes east of Mirkwood. They are unlikely to have any kind of hifalutin Numenorean name. People like that are more likely to be named after objects in nature like animals or flowers, or their occupations. I had checked the Westron lists at Ardalambion and come up a blank. Ardalambion is it as far as Westron goes?

I suppose I could try Old English or Scandinavian. Or I could just go with my silly made up names and if, as you say, there is really very little Westron out there, no one would be any the wiser.

Thank you kindly!

[SpaceWeavil]

[Rhapsody]

You know Jael, the appendices of LOTR, especially the line of Aragorn gives you nice ideas on naming.

I had a name discussion with a DM (Dungeon Master), about a LOTR rpg. This is what he said:

There is a certain political stand taken by Dunedain who give their children Elvish names instead of Adunaic names. it shows a willingness to trust, and to some extent, be dependent on the Elves. Given the role of Rivendell in the history of Arthedain, it might have been a fairly common thing.

Also:

In an introduction to Elvish by Jim Allan it says the following:
In the names of the royal houses of Nûmenor, Arnor, and Gondor, there is a repetition of themes, and some repetition of names. Only a few examples show of systematic variation In the nothern line the is Celebrindor son of Celepharn. <snip>
To summarize, it would seem that the Elvish names used by the Dúnedain resemble those of German nomenclature in being composed of two themes, and these themes could be combined into different names. But the German practise of a regular varation on the same themes within a family was only occasionally followed by the royal lines of the north and of Gondor, and by the house of Stewards. Alliteration of names within a family was not followed either. Names were sometimes picked for a reason, as Hyarmendacil "South-victor", Rómendacil "East-victor', Elessar Telcontar 'Elf-stone Strider': but these are all names taken by kings after the have ascended the trone. Arvedui 'Last-King' is a name
bestowed because of the prophecy that he shall be the last King of Arnor. The names of the Stewards and, we are told, of other men and women of the Dúnedain were 'oftebn the names of Elves and Men remembered in the songs and histories of the First Age (as Beren, Húrin) '(III, 406n)

Just one final thing:
I was going through the family trees of the house of men this morning and I noticed for example Halmir -> Haldir (not the marchwarden!) -> Handir -> Brandir

The house of Beör is interesting as well:
Bëor -> Bregor -> Two sons named: Barahir & Bregolas

Bregolas -> Beregund and Baragund
Barahir -> Beren

So you see how Tolkien used the alliteration here.

[SpaceWeavil]

Again Rhaps, I'll apologise for being a dufus and not bothering to think of books. I forgot about the Intro to Elvish again. I should really look things up before I answer questions.

And I'm about to do it again, as this is from memory too. Weren't the Breefolk and the men of Dale kind of similar people and not Dunedain? Therefore not necessarily following the rules of Dunedain naming and maybe more like Rohan (or more properly Dunland, if we knew any Dunlending words other than 'forgoil')?

This was what I was trying to say in the earlier post. I'm sure they weren't Dunedain, but were more like the Northern men who became the Rohirrim.

Though no doubt someone can provide a big long quote that shows I'm wrong on that.

[Rhapsody]

[SpaceWeavil]