Meriadoc Brandybuck to be an actual phonetic transcription of the name in Tolkien's invented language of Westron, which Tolkien said he transliterated to English as follows: The nickname "Merry" represents his actual nickname "Kali" which meant "handsome, happy", and "Meriadoc" serves as a plausible name from which a nickname meaning "happy" could be derived. Alternately, "The Middle-Earth Encyclopedia" writes that Meriadoc means "joyful" or "cheerful," while Merry means "having high spirits." Théoden called Merry "Holdwine", and the Hobbit was thus known as such in the records of Rohan. It most probably derives from the Old English words "hold" and "wine", respectively meaning
Frodo Baggins cousin to Meriadoc's father, Saradoc Brandybuck. Their common ancestors are Gorbadoc Brandybuck and Mirabella Took Brandybuck. Frodo is moreover second (through her paternal grandfather Hildigrim Took) and third (through her paternal grandmother Rosa Baggins) cousin to Meriadoc's mother, Esmeralda Took. Frodo is also related to Peregrin Took, being his second and third cousin once removed (Peregrin's father, Paladin Took is, like his sister Esmeralda, second and third cousin to Frodo, as explained above). Even Fredegar Bolger (through his mother Rosamund Took) is second cousin once removed to Frodo. Frodo also shares a close relationship with his gardener Samwise Gamgee although