“Of course, there was that time that mum forgot me. I didn’t mind at first, but then it got dark, and I got scared. I started crying. It only took me a half hour to remember that she couldn’t hear me. Then I felt the air running out. I pressed my face against the smooth base of the dome, trying to find one of the spots where a crack between the floorboards let the air in, but it was dark, and still, and I couldn’t feel the breeze. My head grew heavy, and I pounded against the glass. Finally, my dad got home, and kicked me out so that he could have his ‘special video’ time in peace.”

But what about Thorin, Fili, Kili, Dwalin, Ori, Nori, Dori, Gloin, Oin, Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur?

I would tend to agree that it’s likely an aspect of the reasoning for the double circle; a visual pun. I don’t know enough to dispute the Wikipedia article with evidence, however.

If that is the reasoning, I wish they would’ve done something less ambiguous, like -/c or over-lined 100.

Um actually…

Latin: per centum

Italian per cento

Abbreviated to p. cento

Then just pc with a loop for the o in cento

Then the fraction bar came around to sub for per, the c became a circle, and % was born.

(Most of this after the adoption of Arabic numerals)