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Dates
First recorded at the Nirnaeth Arnoediad in I 472, but must predate this by some time. Still extant at the time of the War of the Ring at the end of the Third Age
Divisions
Cave-trolls, Hill-trolls, Mountain-trolls, Olog-hai, Snow-trolls, Stone-trolls
Meaning
Obscure1 - Tolkien consistently translates this word as 'Troll'

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About this entry:

  • Updated 28 June 2003
  • This entry is complete

Torog

The Elves’ name for those of Troll-kind

The Sindarin word that Tolkien normally renders as 'troll' in his works. The derivation of this word is uncertain - it may be derived from older Elvish words (see note 1 below) or perhaps imitates olog, which seems to be the comparative term in the Black Speech.


Notes

1

The 'rog' element of torog is reminiscent of the same element in Balrog, and the two may share a derivation from rauko, 'demon'. Following this, and hints from The Etymologies (in volume 5 of The History of Middle-earth), a possible source of the name would be taur rhaug, where taur means 'vast, mighty, overwhelming, awful', and rhaug is the origin of 'rog', 'demon'. Hence - assuming this speculation has any basis in reality - the name 'torog' would mean 'mighty demon'.

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