On the History of the English Present Inflections | 1922, first edition, from J.R.R. Tolkien’s own library - signed by Tolkien

A rare philological study from the personal library of J. R. R. Tolkien, signed by him in the top right corner of the front cover. Books from Tolkien’s own library are highly sought after, especially those connected to his working life and to the languages and dialects that ultimately informed the creation of the linguistic systems of Middle-earth.

Published in Heidelberg in 1922 by Carl Winter’s Universitätsbuchhandlung, this edition represents the earliest printing of Holmqvist’s monograph, cited throughout twentieth-century scholarship. The work examines the evolution of English present-tense inflections, particularly the competition between the -th and -s endings, an area central to Tolkien’s own academic interests in early English dialects and Germanic morphology.

For Tolkien, the early 1920s were years of intense linguistic study, shaping both his professional scholarship and the linguistic foundations of his fiction. His ownership of this volume is entirely consistent with his reading and teaching during his time at Leeds and later Oxford. Signed directly on the green printed wrapper, this was almost certainly a working copy from his active teaching library rather than a presentation or later-signed item.

In the original green printed wrappers. A very good example with expected toning and light wear to the extremities. Mild rubbing to the wrapper and occasional foxing to the text block. Tolkien’s signature is clear, clean, and in his characteristic upper-right placement. A scarce academic publication made especially desirable through this direct provenance.

This exact book is listed in documented inventories of Tolkien’s library, including TolkienGateway and TolkienLibrary, where it appears with a note that Tolkien’s copy was signed on the cover as here.