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TCG Letter #2241
From
J.R.R. Tolkien
To
Dr. John P. Harrington
Date
13 February 1939
Type
Autograph Letter Signed
Transcript
Complete
A letter was sent to Oxford University about the derivation of the name Washington in relation to the first President of the United States of America, George Washington, from the Smithsonian Institution.
Tolkien replies, even though he does not think he is the best qualified on behalf of the University and states that he does not think that Washington is from the modern English word 'washing' i.e. someone who washes, but derives from the town name of which there are a few in England and the surname is because of family ties to one of these towns.
Tolkien also mentions the setup of the English School at Oxford in the 1930s.
This letter is part of the archive of The Smithsonian Institution in Washington.
Tolkien replies, even though he does not think he is the best qualified on behalf of the University and states that he does not think that Washington is from the modern English word 'washing' i.e. someone who washes, but derives from the town name of which there are a few in England and the surname is because of family ties to one of these towns.
Tolkien also mentions the setup of the English School at Oxford in the 1930s.
This letter is part of the archive of The Smithsonian Institution in Washington.
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