# Ents



## Sulimo (Jul 7, 2011)

I was thinking on Ents earlier today, and it came to me that I think that the very name of these beings is a joke. I find it humorous that you can sum up these creatures into a one syllable "hasty" word. Hoom hom.


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## Prince of Cats (Jul 8, 2011)

Thank you for my laugh of the day, Sulimo :*up

Actually, it was my second laugh. I was reading Pratchett earlier :*D


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## Mouth_Of_Sauron (Aug 8, 2011)

"Let us leave this - did you say what you call it?"
"Hill?" suggested Pippin. "Shelf? Step?" suggested Merry.
Treebeard repeated the words thoughtfully. "_Hill_. Yes, that was it. But it is a hasty word for a thing that has stood here ever since this part of the word was shaped. Never mind. Let us leave it, and go."


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## Imagineer (Oct 19, 2011)

About Ent Wives .. Hoom Hom? Or a more femine version? Terribly hasty to disappear just like that. Gone. Leaving no word behind. Zip and they're off. They got bored perhaps? Or fell under a spell? We can make up whatever; the good Professor doesn't even give us a clue beyond a passing remark about the Old Forest. But how is the Old Forest a better place with no need to get word back? Surely some eagle is passing by? Tom coud tell Gandalf or Radagast.

Radagast wasn't much of a wizard to not be able to put the ent's minds to rest about the entwives. What in the heck was he all about if he couldn't at least do that?

Loose ends to wrap up, or yet another story for the reader to make up. So many characters; so much time.


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## Prince of Cats (Oct 19, 2011)

Imagineer said:


> Radagast wasn't much of a wizard to not be able to put the ent's minds to rest about the entwives. What in the heck was he all about if he couldn't at least do that?



Not that you don't have a good point, but the same could be said of Gandalf


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## Bard the Bowman (Oct 20, 2011)

You are right Sulimo, but isn't that their name in the Common Speech? Because his name is Treebeard, and that is a whole lot shorter than his Entish name. So Ents I'm sure would call themselves something else in their own language, and Ents is just a rendering into the Common Tongue.


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## Black Captain (Dec 6, 2011)

Bard the Bowman said:


> You are right Sulimo, but isn't that their name in the Common Speech? Because his name is Treebeard, and that is a whole lot shorter than his Entish name. So Ents I'm sure would call themselves something else in their own language, and Ents is just a rendering into the Common Tongue.


 
Excellent point. It is possible that whoever rendered the entish word for ent into the common tongue, could have meant it as a joke. (If it was a joke then it was probably the elves. They funny)


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## Sulimo (Feb 14, 2012)

> You are right Sulimo, but isn't that their name in the Common Speech? Because his name is Treebeard, and that is a whole lot shorter than his Entish name. So Ents I'm sure would call themselves something else in their own language, and Ents is just a rendering into the Common Tongue.



I know this is late in coming, but I just saw this, and felt I should clarify. While I technically agree with you Bard, I believe that you are missing the point of the joke. It does not matter what the ents called themselves so much as the author gave them a ridiculously short name in jest of their long-winded nature.


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## Sulimo (Feb 14, 2012)

> Loose ends to wrap up, or yet another story for the reader to make up. So many characters; so much time.



I remember finding in some dusty old discussions on this forum that their were a number of people who believe that there is a clue about the entwives in The Two Towers. I never delved too deep, and they believed it was a private joke between Tolkien, and his group of friends, the inklings, I think they were called. It does become obvious as you see that the ents that represent Tolkien and his buddies esp. CS Lweis and Treebeard. Therefore, the entwives gotta be their wives who are at home while they hang out at the pub. 

Like I said the people who posted were being vague and elitist about the conncection, and I never cared enough to look into it, but if it interests you Imagineer then maybe you could look into it. Sorry, for the late reply, I just saw this.


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