The Hobbit
by J.R.R. Tolkien
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The Hobbit: Dialect 1 key example

Key Examples in The Hobbit

Chapter 5: Riddles in the Dark
Explanation and Analysis—Gollum:

Tolkien frequently uses dialect to help characterize different kinds of people in the novel. In Chapter 5, he creates a unique dialect for Gollum:

Suddenly up came Gollum and whispered and hissed:

“Bless us and splash us, my precioussss! I guess it’s a choice feast; at least a tasty morsel it’d make us, gollum!” And when he said gollum he made a horrible swallowing noise in his throat. That is how he got his name, though he always called himself ‘my precious’.