It afterwards became clear that Saruman had then begun to desire to possess the One Ring himself, and he hoped that it might reveal itself, seeking its master, if Sauron were let be for a time.
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56
Months and days are given according to the Shire Calendar.
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57
She became known as 'the Fair' because of her beauty; many said that she looked more like an elf-maid than a hobbit. She had golden hair, which had been very rare in the Shire; but two others of Samwise's daughters were also golden-haired, and so were many of the children born at this time.
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58
I, 11; III, 54, note 24.
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59
Fourth Age (Gondor) 120
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60
365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, 46 seconds.
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61
In the Shire, in which Year 1 corresponded with T.A. 1601. In Bree in which Year 1 corresponded with T.A. 1300 it was the first year of the century.
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62
It will be noted if one glances at a Shire Calendar, that the only weekday on which no month began was Friday. It thus became a jesting idiom in the Shire to speak of 'on Friday the first' when referring to a day that did not exist. or to a day on which very unlikely events such as the flying of pigs or (in the Shire) the walking of trees might occur. In full the expression was 'on Friday the first of Summerfilth'.
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63
It was a jest in Bree to speak of 'Winterfilth in the (muddy) Shire'. but according to the Shire-folk Wintrìng was a Bree alteration of the older name, which had originally referred to the filling or completion of the year before Winter, and descended from times before the full adoption of Kings' Reckoning when their new year began after harvest.
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64
Recording births. marriages and deaths in the Took families, as well as other matters. such as land-sales, and various Shire events.
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65
I have therefore in Bilbo's song (I, 54-54) used Saturday and Sunday instead of Thursday and Friday.
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66
Though actually the yestarë of New Reckoning occurred earlier than in the Calendar of Imladris, in which it corresponded more or less with Shire April 6.
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67
Anniversary of its first blowing in the Shire in 3019.
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68
Usually called in Sindarin Menelvagor (I, 54), Q. Menelmacar.
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69
As in galadhremmin ennorath (I, 54) 'tree-woven lands of Middle-earth'. Remmirath (I, 54) contains rem 'mesh', Q. rembe, + mîr 'jewel'.
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70
A fairly widespread pronunciation of long é and ó as ei and ou, more or less as in English say no, both in Westron and in the rendering of Quenya names by Westron speakers, is shown by spellings such as ei, ou (or their equivalents in the contemporary scripts). But such pronunciations were regarded as incorrect or rustic. They were naturally usual in the Shire. Those therefore who pronounce yéni únótime 'long-years innumerable', as is natural in English (sc. more or less as yainy oonoatimy) will err little more than Bilbo, Meriadoc, or Peregrin. Frodo is said to have shown great 'skill with foreign sounds'.
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71
So also in Annûn 'sunset', Amrûn 'sunrise', under the influence of the related dûn 'west', and rhûn 'east'.
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72
Originally. But iu in Quenya was in the Third Age usually pronounced as a rising diphthong as yu in English yule.