S. Rohan loc. “Riddermark, (lit.) Horse-country”
The home of the Rohirrim, translated “Riddermark” (LotR/262) or more literally “Horse-country” (RC/241). It is a combination of roch “horse” and -(i)an “-land”, with the [x] (“ch”) softening to [h] in Gondorian pronunciation (LotR/1113).
Conceptual Development: In Lord of the Rings drafts from the 1940s, this land was first named N. Thanador of unclear meaning, which underwent several revisions (Ulthanador, Borthendor, Orothan[ador]) before Tolkien settled on N. Rohan (RS/434). At this earlier stage, Tolkien posited that this name developed from (ON.?) Rochan(dor); Tolkien coined the archaic form †Rochand later, while working on the drafts of the Lord of the Rings appendices (PM/53).
References ✧ Let/178, 382; LotR/262, 1113, 1115; LotRI/Riddermark, Rohan; PM/53; PMI; RC/241; SA/roch; SI; UT/319; UTI; WJI
Glosses
Variations
Related
Elements
| roch | “horse” |
| -ian(d) | “-land, country” |
Cognates
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
| S. Rochann > Rohan | [roxand] > [roxann] > [roxan] | ✧ Let/178 |
| S. Rochand > Rohan | [roxand] > [roxann] > [roxan] | ✧ Let/382 |
| S. †Rochand > Rochann > Rohan | [roxand] > [roxann] > [roxan] | ✧ LotR/1115 |
| ᴸN. †Rochann > Rohan | [roxand] > [roxann] > [roxan] | ✧ PM/53 |
| S. Rochan > Rohan | [roxand] > [roxann] > [roxan] | ✧ RC/241 |
| S. Rochand > Rohan | [roxand] > [roxann] > [roxan] | ✧ UT/319 |
| S. Rochan(d) > Rohan | [roxand] > [roxann] > [roxan] | ✧ WJI/Rohan |
N. Rohan loc. “Horse-land”
References ✧ PE22/68; RS/434; RSI; SDI1/Rohan; TII; WRI
Glosses
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
| ON. Rochan(dor) > Rohan | [roxan] ? [rohan] | ✧ RS/434 |
N. Thanador loc.
References ✧ RS/434; RSI/Rohan
Variations
Changes