What was J.R.R. Tolkien’s first published academic article about?

J.R.R. Tolkien’s first published academic article was about “The Devil’s Coach Horses.”

The article, titled “The Devil’s Coach Horses,” appeared in 1920 in The Review of English Studies. It examined a phrase in the English language and reflected Tolkien’s early interest in historical linguistics, word origins, and the way meanings develop over time.

Tolkien later became much better known for scholarship on Old English literature, especially Beowulf. His celebrated 1936 lecture “Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics” was a major later contribution, not his first published academic article.

This early publication shows that Tolkien’s professional identity began in philology rather than fiction. His careful attention to sounds, meanings, and historical language change later informed the invented languages and naming systems of Middle-earth.