Tookish

Tookish refers to the Took family, a prominent hobbit clan in the Shire, and to the associated temperament often described as adventurous or curious. The term derives from the surname Took and is used in Tolkien's legendarium to distinguish hobbits with Took ancestry or Tookish inclinations from other lines, most notably the Bagginses.

The Tooks were influential within the Shire and were known for a lively, restless nature that favored travel and exploration. In the narratives, the Took line produced several well-known adventurers, and Bilbo Baggins is repeatedly described as having a strong Tookish streak, especially in contrast to more cautious Baggins traits. Belladonna Took, Bilbo's mother, is cited in the lore as a source of Bilbo's adventurous spark.

Tookishness is not a separate language or creed but a cultural tendency within hobbit society. It functions as a literary device for Tolkien to illustrate the diversity of hobbits in the Shire and to explain how a single family can yield both measured stability and bold curiosity.

In reception, Tookish is widely understood as shorthand for the adventurous hobbit archetype associated with the Took lineage within Tolkien's works, and it remains a point of reference in discussions of hobbit culture and character.