J.R.R. Tolkien’s academic field was philology before his fantasy novels became famous.
Philology is the historical study of languages and written texts. Tolkien trained in English language and literature and became especially interested in the development of languages, their relationships, and the older texts that preserve them. This background influenced both his scholarship and his fictional languages.
His academic work included studies of Old and Middle English. One of his best-known scholarly contributions is the 1936 lecture “Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics,” which helped reshape modern discussion of the poem by arguing that its monsters were central to its artistic design rather than distractions.
Tolkien’s profession is sometimes simplified as “English professor,” which is broadly true but less precise than philologist. He also taught at Oxford and held named academic posts. His invented languages, historical sound changes, and layered myths grew from the same attention to language history that guided his scholarly career.