Isildur spoke Adûnaic, an ancient language similar to but not identical to the Common Speech of Bilbo's time. The Red Book was written in Westron by Bilbo and other Hobbits, and in part translated from other sources originally written in Elvish. This is an in-universe explanation: remember that The Lord of the Rings ("The Downfall of the Lord of the Rings and the Return of the King") and The Hobbit ("There and Back Again") were both derived from The Red Book of Westmarch. In Tolkien's universe, the use of the word "Precious" was an authorial choice, not solely one made by the speakers. Was it somehow part of Sauron's crafting spell? Did Tolkien ever indicate why the Ringbearers would use that word in particular, other than that it sounded good? It wasn't part of the poem that included the inscription. So my question: Why "Precious"? It wasn't part of the inscription.
"Precious, precious, precious!" Gollum cried. I won’t give my precious away, I tell you."Īnd Gollum used it incredibly frequently, almost as if it was the ring's name. "Well, if you want my ring yourself, say so!" cried Bilbo. It is precious to me, though I buy it with great pain."īilbo himself used it at least once, when arguing with Gandalf about leaving it behind when he was leaving Bag End (this exchange and the lines were different in the movie, but the word is still there): "But for my part I will risk no hurt to this thing: of all the works of Sauron the only fair. Many of the Ringbearers (particularly those who carried it longer) used the word "precious" to describe it.
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