To quote my email to Doug Anderson:
In The Hobbit there are 11 "realize" (Annotated Hobbit 2nd ed. pp.47, 80, 141, 158, 226, 241, 247, 275, 282, 298, 308), and 1 "realise" (AH, p.209 l.10: "then in the silence and stillness of the wood he realised"). It seems to be so since the 1st edition, then 1978 4th edition changed all 12 to "realise", and Annotated Hobbit restored the 11 "realize" and 1 "realise". Meanwhile, History of The Hobbit suggests they are all "realize" in the drafts (2nd phase, VIII.Mirkwood: "and then in the stillness of the wood he suddenly realized").
British English has divided opinions on "-ize/-ise". OED and Macmillan prefer -ize, whereas Times and Cambridge prefer -ise. Tolkien himself seems to be somewhat hesitant on this matter too. In Letters, he used realise in no.5, 25, 38, 77, 125; realize/realization in no. 26, 43, 45, 78, 89, 113, 180, 181, 183, 200, 205, 246, 259, 276, 279, 297, 306, 347. He did seem to consistently use "realize" in later years (though it might rather be his secretary's preference), but in the 1930s it is hard to say which one he preferred.
Spenser used the spelling 'exercize' in The Faerie Queene, the OED citing two such for senses of this word.
Another (no doubt OCR-introduced) error, in both the book and the Kindle version:
L 205, p. 382: For "elen síla lúmenn’ omentieimo" read: "elen síla lúmenn’ omentielmo".
(Those who know the conceptual and bibliographic history of what eventually became "omentielvo" will appreciate the irony of now having yet another variation!)
Carl
L 205, p. 382: For "elen síla lúmenn’ omentieimo" read: "elen síla lúmenn’ omentielmo".
(Those who know the conceptual and bibliographic history of what eventually became "omentielvo" will appreciate the irony of now having yet another variation!)
Carl
I have been advised that the following errors have been corrected in the UK 2nd Impression, which will probably start shipping in the first couple of months of 2024.
#Letter Number
#30: Flindustani > Hindustani [p. 48.]
#46: mediaeval > mediæval [p. 79]
#60: Airlener > Airletter [p. 104.]
mediaeval > mediæval [p. 105]
#61: Beowulf > Béowulf [p. 106]
stem > stern [p. 106]
#63: cliche > cliché [p. 109]
#96: convened > converted [p. 159]
#98: in a spun>spurt [p. 164]
#109: me end > the end [p. 175]
#111: or Chapter II > of Chapter II [p. 178]
#111: Liege > Liège [p. 178]
#122: mediaeval > mediæval [p. 189]
Fafnir > Fáfnir [p. 189]
#131: better and nobler son of Men > sort of Men [p. 214]
#131: Captains of the Black Riders > Captain of the Black Riders [p. 226]
The Men who appear are mainly those of the Three Houses of the Fathers of them>Men ["them" in 1981 _Letters_ too, "Men" in _Silmarillion_] [p. 208]
Book 1 chapter III > Book I chapter II [p. 230]
#135: Barad-dur > Barad-dûr [p. 239]
#136 articule mortis > articulo mortis [p. 242]
#149: chum > churn [p. 277]
#153: Luthien > Lúthien [p. 287]
Numenor > Númenor [p. 289]
Eruhini > Eruhíni [p. 288]
#154: οἰκουμέη > οἰκουμένη [p. 293]
#155: Luthien > Lúthien [p. 296]
#156: Smeagol > Sméagol [p. 297]
#156 ἀγγελος [with acute γ] > ἄγγελος [A typo since 1981 _Letters_] [noted]
or which > of which [fn * p. 302]
creatures. > creatures, [this was possibly corrected for the 1999 paperback to include no comma or full stop. Hammond & Scull may have knowledge of this discrepancy.]
#166 ŋ at the end of (p. 404) line 23 > ng at the end of (p. 404) line 23 [p. 324]
#183: Danes and Gears > Danes and Geats [p. 349]
Justify > justify [p. 349]
#204: slättema > slätterna [fn * p. 379]
#209: it _improbably_ formally related to > it is _probably_ formally related to [I am unsure if this is an intentional change?] [this is in error. p. 388]
#210: contes des fees > contes des fées [p. 394]
#211: or piercing a dazzling > a piercing or dazzling [p. 398]
#212: Iluvatar > Ilúvatar [p. 409]
#213: Juicy > juicy [p. 410]
#230EN: malinomélion > malinornélion [EN2 p. 629]
#250: nomme Domini > nomine Domini [p. 477]
#257: Hurin > Húrin [p. 485]
Amur > Ainur [p. 485]
#272: Dwalakoneis > Dwalakōneis [p. 498]
#272: Frvmins > Frumins ["Frvmin" since 1981 _Letters_. But the facsimile has "Frumins". And this is how this word is usually spelt.] [p. 499. This persists throughout every ed.]
#297: aesthetic > æsthetic [p. 536]
“warrior or king’ > ‘warrior or king’ [fn * p. 537]
#306: Rhone > Rhône [p. 551]
No change was made to #211: or piercing a dazzling > a piercing or dazzling [p. 398] as the original text was deemed to be correct.
It is probably worth creating new Errata for other errors that are found or were not corrected in the list above.
#Letter Number
#30: Flindustani > Hindustani [p. 48.]
#46: mediaeval > mediæval [p. 79]
#60: Airlener > Airletter [p. 104.]
mediaeval > mediæval [p. 105]
#61: Beowulf > Béowulf [p. 106]
stem > stern [p. 106]
#63: cliche > cliché [p. 109]
#96: convened > converted [p. 159]
#98: in a spun>spurt [p. 164]
#109: me end > the end [p. 175]
#111: or Chapter II > of Chapter II [p. 178]
#111: Liege > Liège [p. 178]
#122: mediaeval > mediæval [p. 189]
Fafnir > Fáfnir [p. 189]
#131: better and nobler son of Men > sort of Men [p. 214]
#131: Captains of the Black Riders > Captain of the Black Riders [p. 226]
The Men who appear are mainly those of the Three Houses of the Fathers of them>Men ["them" in 1981 _Letters_ too, "Men" in _Silmarillion_] [p. 208]
Book 1 chapter III > Book I chapter II [p. 230]
#135: Barad-dur > Barad-dûr [p. 239]
#136 articule mortis > articulo mortis [p. 242]
#149: chum > churn [p. 277]
#153: Luthien > Lúthien [p. 287]
Numenor > Númenor [p. 289]
Eruhini > Eruhíni [p. 288]
#154: οἰκουμέη > οἰκουμένη [p. 293]
#155: Luthien > Lúthien [p. 296]
#156: Smeagol > Sméagol [p. 297]
#156 ἀγγελος [with acute γ] > ἄγγελος [A typo since 1981 _Letters_] [noted]
or which > of which [fn * p. 302]
creatures. > creatures, [this was possibly corrected for the 1999 paperback to include no comma or full stop. Hammond & Scull may have knowledge of this discrepancy.]
#166 ŋ at the end of (p. 404) line 23 > ng at the end of (p. 404) line 23 [p. 324]
#183: Danes and Gears > Danes and Geats [p. 349]
Justify > justify [p. 349]
#204: slättema > slätterna [fn * p. 379]
#209: it _improbably_ formally related to > it is _probably_ formally related to [I am unsure if this is an intentional change?] [this is in error. p. 388]
#210: contes des fees > contes des fées [p. 394]
#212: Iluvatar > Ilúvatar [p. 409]
#213: Juicy > juicy [p. 410]
#230EN: malinomélion > malinornélion [EN2 p. 629]
#250: nomme Domini > nomine Domini [p. 477]
#257: Hurin > Húrin [p. 485]
Amur > Ainur [p. 485]
#272: Dwalakoneis > Dwalakōneis [p. 498]
#272: Frvmins > Frumins ["Frvmin" since 1981 _Letters_. But the facsimile has "Frumins". And this is how this word is usually spelt.] [p. 499. This persists throughout every ed.]
#297: aesthetic > æsthetic [p. 536]
“warrior or king’ > ‘warrior or king’ [fn * p. 537]
#306: Rhone > Rhône [p. 551]
No change was made to #211: or piercing a dazzling > a piercing or dazzling [p. 398] as the original text was deemed to be correct.
It is probably worth creating new Errata for other errors that are found or were not corrected in the list above.
Aelfwine wrote:
Another (no doubt OCR-introduced) error, in both the book and the Kindle version:
L 205, p. 382: For "elen síla lúmenn’ omentieimo" read: "elen síla lúmenn’ omentielmo".
(Those who know the conceptual and bibliographic history of what eventually became "omentielvo" will appreciate the irony of now having yet another variation!)
Carl
Many thanks, Carl. I have added a reference to this error on Carpenter #205: Letter from J.R.R. Tolkien to Christopher Tolkien • 21 February 1958 (#579).
14 Dec, 2023
(edited)
2023-12-14 5:39:29 PM UTC
Edited by Aelfwine on 2023-12-14 5:55:37 PM UTC
2023-12-14 5:39:29 PM UTC
[EDIT:] Well, I seem to have spoken too hastily. I now find this among the definitions of "prefer":
"submit (a charge or a piece of information) for consideration: the police will prefer charges"
Not a usage in my vocabulary, nor one I recall ever encountering before, but there's no reason Tolkien would't use it that way.
C
Here's one that although I think it is a typo (or a misreading of the original), in fact entered before the revised edition:
L 113, p. 182, l. 14: For "preferred" ?read: "proffered".
This seems to me to make much more sense in the passage than does "preferred"; sc.:
"It would be wonderful when summoned to judgement, to answer innumerable charges of wrongdoing to one’s brethren, to find unexpectedly that many were not going to be preferred [>> proffered] at all!"
Perhaps Findegil can comment?
Carl
"submit (a charge or a piece of information) for consideration: the police will prefer charges"
Not a usage in my vocabulary, nor one I recall ever encountering before, but there's no reason Tolkien would't use it that way.
C
=====
Here's one that although I think it is a typo (or a misreading of the original), in fact entered before the revised edition:
L 113, p. 182, l. 14: For "preferred" ?read: "proffered".
This seems to me to make much more sense in the passage than does "preferred"; sc.:
"It would be wonderful when summoned to judgement, to answer innumerable charges of wrongdoing to one’s brethren, to find unexpectedly that many were not going to be preferred [>> proffered] at all!"
Perhaps Findegil can comment?
Carl
More:
L 113, p. 183, l. 23: For "coy ness" > "coyness".
L 122, p. 189, l. 10 from bottom: For "Niai" read "Nial".
L 123, p. 191, l. 4: Unitalicize "of".
L 126: In the US Kindle version, the whole letter is left-indented (save for the opening four lines), whereas only the paragraph excerpted from Stanley Unwin's letter should be.
L 127: Again in the US Kindle version the title and first (editorial) paragraph are left-indented more than they should be.
Carl
L 113, p. 183, l. 23: For "coy ness" > "coyness".
L 122, p. 189, l. 10 from bottom: For "Niai" read "Nial".
L 123, p. 191, l. 4: Unitalicize "of".
L 126: In the US Kindle version, the whole letter is left-indented (save for the opening four lines), whereas only the paragraph excerpted from Stanley Unwin's letter should be.
L 127: Again in the US Kindle version the title and first (editorial) paragraph are left-indented more than they should be.
Carl
In the Uk hardback in letter 347a there is a superscript '1' indicating a note, but there is no corresponding note in the endnotes.
Pnjman wrote:
In the Uk hardback in letter 347a there is a superscript '1' indicating a note, but there is no corresponding note in the endnotes.
Many thanks.
See reference to Carpenter #347a: Letter from J.R.R. Tolkien to Miss T.R.C. • Not dated (January 1973) (#1503). I had noted this while working on the page references for the new edition and I believe one of our team passed this to the publisher so hopefully it is rectified in future printings.
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