Middle Earth Elvish

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Elvish languages (Middle-earth)From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For Elvish languages in general, seeElvish languages.

J. . . !olkienconstructed many Elvish languages. !hese "ere the languages spoken #y the tri#es ofhis Elves. !olkien "as a philologist#y profession, and spent much time on hisconstructed languages.!he

Elvish languages "ere the first thing he imagined for his secondary "orld. !olkien said that his stories gre"

out of his languages. !olkien also created scripts for his Elvish languages, of "hich the #est kno"n are

the $arati, the !eng"ar, and the%irth.

Contents

[hide]

1 External history

o 1.1 Publication of linguistic papers

2 Internal history

o 2.1 Internal development of the Elvish word for Elves

o 2.2 !ictional philology

" Pronunciation of #uenya and $indarin

% Elvish scripts

o %.1 &ist of 'nown Elvish scripts devised by (ol'ien

o %.2 Internal history of the scripts

) $ee also

* +eferences

, External lin's

E&ternal history'edit

J. . . !olkien #egan to construct his first Elvin tonguec. *+* "hile he "as at the ing Ed"ards

$chool, /irmingham.0e later called it 1enya (c. *2). !olkien "as then already familiar
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languageshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languageshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languageshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._R._R._Tolkienhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructed_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructed_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructed_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secondary_worldhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saratihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tengwarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)#External_historyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)#Publication_of_linguistic_papershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)#Internal_historyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)#Internal_development_of_the_Elvish_word_for_.22Elves.22http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)#Fictional_philologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)#Pronunciation_of_Quenya_and_Sindarinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)#Elvish_scriptshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)#List_of_known_Elvish_scripts_devised_by_Tolkienhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)#Internal_history_of_the_scriptshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)#See_alsohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)#Referenceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)#External_linkshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)&action=edit&section=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Edward's_School,_Birminghamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Edward's_School,_Birminghamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Edward's_School,_Birminghamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._R._R._Tolkienhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructed_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secondary_worldhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saratihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tengwarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)#External_historyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)#Publication_of_linguistic_papershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)#Internal_historyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)#Internal_development_of_the_Elvish_word_for_.22Elves.22http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)#Fictional_philologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)#Pronunciation_of_Quenya_and_Sindarinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)#Elvish_scriptshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)#List_of_known_Elvish_scripts_devised_by_Tolkienhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)#Internal_history_of_the_scriptshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)#See_alsohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)#Referenceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)#External_linkshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)&action=edit&section=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Edward's_School,_Birminghamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Edward's_School,_Birminghamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages


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"ith 3atin,4reek, $panish,and several ancient 4ermanic languages,4othic,5ld 6orseand5ld English.

0e had invented severalcryptographic codes(one called Animalic), and t"o or three constructed

languages (one called Naffarin). /ut then he discovered Finnish, and "as filled "ith 7oy. !olkien "rote,

many years later8 9it "as like discovering a complete "ine-cellar filled "ith #ottles of an ama:ing "ine of a

kind and flavour never tasted #efore. ;t +. !olkien sometimes changed the 9meaning9 of an Elvish "ord,

#ut he almost never disregarded it once invented, and he kept on refining its meaning, and countlessly

forged ne" synonyms. Moreover Elven etymology "as in a constant flu&. !olkien delighted in inventing

ne"etymonsfor his Elvish voca#ulary.

From the onset, !olkien used comparative philologyand thetree modelas his ma7or tools in his

constructed languages. 0e usually started "ith the phonological system of theproto-languageand then

proceeded in inventing for eachdaughter languagesthe many mechanisms of sound change needed.

; find the construction and the interrelation of the languages an aesthetic pleasure in itself,


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oldorin(or F!anorian), oldorin(or "ondolinian),#l$orin(esp. ofGoriath), %anian of Ossiriand, East

%anian,Talis$a, &est Lemberin, orth Lemberin, and East Lemberin.

;n his lifetime J... !olkien never ceased to e&periment on his constructed languages, and they "ere

su#7ected to many revisions. !hey had many grammars "ith su#stantial differences #et"een different

stages of development. Hfter the pu#lication of The Lord of the Rings(*2B*22), the grammar rules of

his ma7or Elvish languages 1uenya, !elerin and $indarin "ent through very fe" changes (this is late

Elvish*2B*?).

Publication of linguistic papers'edit

!"o maga:ines ('inyar Teng(ar,from issue ?* in July of **I, and)arma Eldalamberon, from issue in

**2) are e&clusively devoted to the editing and pu#lishing of J... !olkiens gigantic mass of previously

unpu#lished linguistic papers (even "erent pu#lished #y %hristopher !olkien in 9!he 0istory of Middle-

earth9). Hlmost each year, ne" Elvish "ords are pu#lished and the grammar rules of the Elvish languages

are disclosed. Hccess to the unpu#lished documents is severely limited, and the editors have yet not

pu#lished a comprehensive catalogue of the unpu#lished linguistic papers they are "orking on.

;nternal history'edit

!he Elvish languages are a family(or phylum) of several related languages and dialects. 0ere is set #riefly

the story of the Elvish languages as conceived #y !olkien c. *2. !hey all originated from8

Primitive Quendian, also called Quenderin, the proto-language of all the Elves"ho a"oke together

in the Far-East of Middle-earth, %uivinen,and #egan 9naturally9 to make a language.

Hll the Elvish languages are presumed to #e descendants of this common ancestor.

!olkien invented t"o su#families (su#groups) of the Elvish languages. 9!he language of the 1uendelie

(Elves) "as thus very early sundered into the #ranches Eldarin and Hvarin9.'I

Avarinis the language of various Elves of the $econd and !hird %lans, "ho refused to come

toDalinor.

Hvarin developed into at least si& Avarin languages.

Common Eldarinis the language of the three clans of theEldarduring the 4reat March to

Dalinor. ;t developed into8

Quenya, the language of the Elves in Eldamar#eyond the $ea= it divided into8

Vanyarin Quenya, collo


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Noldorin Quenya(and later Exilic Quenya), collo


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earth5many languages6

Kindi, Cuind, Hwenti, Windan,

Kinn-lai

The First

Age o

the !un

Telerin

(eleriinmanP

endi

!indarinElves of the

(hird -lan in

7eleriand did notuse it8

P.#. *kwende,

*kwenddisappe

ared altogether..[19](he

exiled0oldoruse

d in their

$indarin8Penedh3

pl. Penidh[11]

"andorinElves

of :ssirian

d8sg.Cwenda

[11]

!ilvan[12]

(he ;ood4elves of the /ale

of nduinPenni

!ictional philology'edit

!here is a tradition of philological study of Elvish languages "ithin the fiction. Elven philologists are

referred to #y the 1uenya term Lambengolmor. ;n 1uenya, lambemeans spoken language or ver#al

communication.

!he older stages of 1uenya "ere, and dou#tless still are, kno"n to the loremasters of the

Eldar. ;t appears from these notices that #esides certain ancient songs and compilations of

lore that "ere orally preserved, there e&isted also some #ooks and many ancient inscriptions.

'?

no"n mem#ers of the 3am#engolmor "ere Omil,"ho invented the first Elvish script

(the$arati), FKanor"ho later enhanced and further developed this script into his!eng"ar,"hich later

"as spread to Middle-earth #y the E&iled 6oldorand remained in use ever after, andXengolodh, "ho

is credited "ith many "orks, including the Osan(e-$entaand the Lhammasor 9!he Hccount of

!ongues "hich Xengolodh of 4ondolin "rote in later days in !ol-eressKa9.'B

;ndependently of the 3am#engolmor,Gaeronof Goriathinvented the%irthor Elvish-runes. !hese

"ere mostly used for inscriptions, and later "ere replaced #y the !eng"ar, e&cept among

theG"arves.

Xronunciation of 1uenya and $indarin'edit

$indarin and 1uenya have a very similar pronunciation. !he follo"ing ta#le gives pronunciation for

each letter or cluster in international phonetic script and e&amples8

Vo#els
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle-earthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle-earthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telerinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telerihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sindarinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)#cite_note-10http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noldorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)#cite_note-J.R.R._Tolkien_p._366-11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nandorinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ossiriandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ossiriandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)#cite_note-J.R.R._Tolkien_p._366-11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silvan_Elveshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silvan_Elveshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)#cite_note-12http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anduinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)&action=edit&section=5http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)&action=edit&section=5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)#cite_note-13http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%BAmilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%BAmilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saratihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saratihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saratihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%ABanorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tengwarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tengwarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tengwarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noldorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pengolodhhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pengolodhhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osanwe-kentahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lhammashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)#cite_note-14http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daeronhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daeronhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daeronhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doriathhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doriathhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwarf_(Middle-earth)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwarf_(Middle-earth)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwarf_(Middle-earth)http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)&action=edit&section=6http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)&action=edit&section=6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle-earthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telerinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telerihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sindarinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)#cite_note-10http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noldorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)#cite_note-J.R.R._Tolkien_p._366-11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nandorinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ossiriandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ossiriandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)#cite_note-J.R.R._Tolkien_p._366-11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silvan_Elveshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)#cite_note-12http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anduinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)&action=edit&section=5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)#cite_note-13http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%BAmilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saratihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%ABanorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tengwarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noldorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pengolodhhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osanwe-kentahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lhammashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)#cite_note-14http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daeronhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doriathhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwarf_(Middle-earth)http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)&action=edit&section=6


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Letter # $ig

ra%hPronunciation &PA Further comment

a as in f ather3 but shorter. [ ] never as in cat [ as in f ather [ ] .

?5in $indarin6 as in father3 but even

longer[ ] .

ae5in $indarin6 the vowels described

for aand ein one syllable.[ ] $imilar to ai

aia diphthong3 similar to that in eye3

but with short vowels[ ] never as in rain [


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one syllable

i as in machine3 but short [i] not opened as in f it [< ]

as in machine [i ] .

F5in $indarin6 as in machine3 butespecially lengthened

[i ] .

iu5in #uenya6 iand urun together in

one syllable[i ] later by men often as in English you[Du]

o open as in sauce3 but short [ ] .

Gthe same vowel lengthened 5and in

#uenya more closed@ as in Aerman6

$8 [ ]3

#8 [o ]+ural Bobbit pronunciation allows the sound of

long English cold [o ]

H5in $indarin6 the same vowel

especially lengthened[ ]

+ural Bobbit pronunciation allows the sound of

long English cold [o ]

oi 5in #uenya6 as in English coin [ ] .

oe5in $indarin6 the vowels describedfor oand ein one syllable.

[ ] $imilar to oi. -f. '

J5in early $indarin6 as in Aerman

A(tter[J]

in published writing3 has been incorrectly

spelt oe5two letters63 as inNrnaeth Arnoediad.

&ater became e.

u as in cool3 but shorter [u] not opened as in boo' [< ]

K as in cool [u ] .

L 5in $indarin6 the same vowel as [u ] .


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above3 but especially lengthened

y5in $indarin6 as in !rench lune or

Aerman s)M3 but short

[y] not found in English

N5in $indarin6 as in !rench lune or

Aerman s)M[y ] .

O5in $indarin6 as in !rench lune or

Aerman s)M3 but even longer[y ] not found in English

Consonants(differing from English)

!he letter al"ays denotes 'k, even #efore iand e= for instance,Celebornis

pronounced eleborn, and%irthis pronounced irth= thus, it never denotes the soft 'Ys in ent.

!he letter gal"ays denotes the hard ' , as in give, rather than the soft form 'Y , as ind gem.

!he letter rdenotes an alveolar trill'r, similar to $panishrr.

!he digraphdh, as inCaradhras, denotes 'Z as in English this.

!he digraph h, as in Orh, denotes '& as in 4ermanah, and never like the h'Y tin

English hair.

!he digraph lhdenotes ' as in Welshll, a cross #et"een 9h9 and 9l9.

Elvish scripts'edit

Most samples of the Elvish language done #y !olkien "ere "ritten out "ith the 3atin alpha#et, #ut

"ithin the fiction !olkien imagined many "riting systems for his Elves. !he #est-kno"n are the

9teng"arof FKanor9, #ut the first system he created, c. **, is the 9teng"ar ofOmil9, also called

thesarati.

%ist of &no#n Elvish scripts devised by Tol&ien'edit

;n chronological order 8

. !eng"ar of Omil or $arati
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celebornhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celebornhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alveolar_trillhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digraph_(orthography)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digraph_(orthography)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caradhrashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caradhrashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welsh_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)&action=edit&section=7http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tengwarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%BAmilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%BAmilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saratihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saratihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saratihttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)&action=edit&section=8http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saratihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celebornhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alveolar_trillhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digraph_(orthography)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caradhrashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welsh_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)&action=edit&section=7http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tengwarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%BAmilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saratihttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elvish_languages_(Middle-earth)&action=edit&section=8http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarati


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>. 4ondolinic unes (unes used in the city of4ondolin)

?. Dalmaric script

B. Hndyo

Documents

Middle Earth Elvish