"was chosen to fit the fact that this character's shortened name, Kali, meant
in the Westron 'jolly, gay', though it was actually an abbreviation of the now
unmeaning Buckland name Kalimac." (From Appendix F.)
Meriadoc itself is a Welsh name, I believe. I don't know its
etymology.
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It was luxuries like air conditioning that brought down the Roman Empire. With air conditioning their windows were shut, they couldn’t hear the barbarians coming.
- Lake Wobegon Days
