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The folkland of the Baggins family was around Hobbiton
Pronunciation
Angelica is pronounced 'anje'lika'
Meaning
Angelica ultimately means 'divine messenger', though the name perhaps refers to the plant of the same name1

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About this entry:

  • Updated 25 January 2024
  • Updates planned: 1

Angelica Baggins

The daughter of Ponto Baggins

The daughter of Ponto Baggins, and thus a distant relation of Bilbo Baggins (though Bilbo referred to himself as Angelica's uncle, she was in fact not his niece, but his second cousin, twice removed). Angelica not only attended Bilbo's famous Birthday Party, but was among those who received special presents: in her case, a round mirror.


Notes

1

The modern name Angelica is the feminine form of Latin angelicus, meaning 'angel' or (etymologically) 'divine messenger'. A Hobbit of the Shire cannot have had a name deriving from Latin, so this must represent a translation of Angelica's true Hobbit-name. Within Tolkien's mythos, the role of an angel would most often be fulfilled by a being known as a Maia, so perhaps Angelica's true name contained a reference to such a being.

It was common for Hobbits to use the names of flowers and plants for their girl-children, and so it is notable that there is a genus of flowering plants known as Angelica. A relation of hemlock and wood parsley, this is a tall plant growing 'umbels' or clusters of flowers. It was common for members of the Baggins family to have names derived from flowers (such as Poppy, Peony, Pansy, Lobelia and so on) so perhaps Angelica Baggins took her name more directly from this flowering plant than from its more esoteric Latin roots.

See also...

Ponto Baggins

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About this entry:

  • Updated 25 January 2024
  • Updates planned: 1

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