Note: This is one of many Lord of the Rings resource pages by Tinw, a member of the lore forums of The Lord of the Rings Fanatics Plaza. For casual or in-depth discussions of Middle-earth, please drop by!
Tolkien on Elves' Pointed Ears
LAS1-
*lassë leaf: Q lasse, N lhass; Q lasselanta leaf-fall, autumn, N lhasbelin (*lassekwelêne), cf. Q Narquelion [KWEL]. Lhasgalen Greenleaf (Gnome name of Laurelin). (Some think this is related to the next and *lassê ear. The Quendian ears were more pointed and leaf-shaped than Human.)*
J.R.R.Tolkien, The Lost Road, p. 409 paperback edition.
*Note: editor Christopher Tolkien wasn't sure about the word "human", but it was confirmed in Vinyar Tengwar Issue #45.In Letters #27, Tolkien describes how he imagines hobbits. Among other characteristics, he states they have:
"A round, jovial face; ears only slightly pointed and 'elvish'."
And just to give the dead horse one last thump, here's Tolkien's drawing of Mirkwood, home of Legolas, showing the leaf-shape JRRT usually uses in his art.
So there you have it. I doubt Tolkien had ears a foot long in mind, but yes, his Elves' ears were pointed.
Amazon Spotlight: The History of Middle-Earth
The Histories of Middle Earth, Volumes 1-5
Amazon Price: $25.71 (as of 03/10/2010)
Christopher Tolkien has done fans and scholars a tremendous service by collecting, editing, and publishing his father's notes and unfinished work on Middle-earth. These books are dense in places, but if you're willing to browse, you'll learn how Tolkien came to develop his wonderful Middle-earth, its languages, legends and early history. There's some amazing stories, too, fully as vivid as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.. HOME 1-5 covers all Tolkien's writing about Middle-earth before he wrote The Lord of the Rings, and some of it is fascinating! For instance, the precursor to Sauron is a monstrous kitty cat!
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This page is brief; some of my lore essays are longer. Or, if you love to discuss The Lord of the Rings, please stop by the lore forums in The Lord of the Rings Plaza, where I have found fellowship and insight among LOTR fans for nearly six years!-
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