Learn Elvish 101

[Dunedain87]

Greetings, my friends!
Suilaid, mellon nin! (Sindarin)

I am currently working on a thread (this one) that will be a course of study for those who are interested in learning to read and write in Elvish. There is much online and in bookstores about this topic, but the vast diversity of resources seems to justify compiling information in one place here for all you hard core Tolkien fans. Most books written on the topic prior to 1980 are out of date since Christopher Tolkien published JRRT's private notes, most importantly "The Etymologies" contained in "The Lost Road" and various other glossaries and dictionaries in "The Silmarillion", "History of Middle-Earth", etc.

The goal of the course is to eventually have a thread going where just about anyone can post strictly in Elvish. The first course will be that of Sindarin from the Third Age as spoken by Elrond's House and that of the Dúnedain (of course!), of which there is much information available. We will at least make comparisons to Quenya and other Elvish tongues-- and if anyone is interested in other Elvish languages, why, we can just start another thread and pursue the topic to your heart's desire.

We will (hopefully) learn common phrases, usable grammar, numbers and calendars-- and of couse, vocabulary-- in small doses! We will also get into various alternative key strokes to properly place accents and other syntactical modifiers for greater clarity. For example, an "a" or an "â" might change the meaning of a word entirely.

I also hope to get into other languages in time, such as Rohirric, Dwarvish, Adûnaic, Hobbitish, Westron, etc., but that depends upon how deeply interested everyone is.

Further, if anyone wants to get REALLY deep into this, it would be fun to share various rune fonts and post our docs using those fonts.

So, how complex is the history of the Elvish languages, you ask? If you've read anything about the Sundering of the Elves, you may have a good idea about how, according to JRRT, each clan and generation developed their own ways of speaking.

Check out the list below (based on a diversity of notes and Tolkien resources). This list is hardly complete, and none of the languages were ever developed to a "highly" usuable form. However, Tolkien entertained some of his friends and fans (and himself) by writing letters to them in various runes which could be translated!

New lessons will be posted at an interval to be determinined (once a month, twice a month, member interest pending---). Lessons will begin in earnest around mid-August.

Hope you find this enjoyable and enlightening!

Best to all from,
Professor Dune.

Glassen = my pleasure!

++++++++++++
Intro to Elvish, 101
(special thanks to Lisa Star and others for their research)


Before the First Age

Common Elvish is the name used for the language spoken by the Elves when they first awoke in the Great Lands and before they reached Valinor. According to Tolkien, it was taught by Oromë and was probably an offshoot of Valarin.

Valarin is the language of the Valar in Valinor.

Eldarin includes several languages spoken by the Elves in Valinor such as Lindarin, Ingwiqendya, and Valinorean Quenya which differ from standard Quenya in some way.

Quenya was spoken by the Elves of Valinor before the 1st Age and it has remained a language of high speech or a book language almost everywhere since then.

Telerin was spoken before the First Age by the Elves of Alqualondë in Valinor, and may continue to be spoken there and at the Grey Havens. I use this name for the Telerin language spoken in Aman, but the word is also applied to the quite different dialects of Beleriand, as these languages were spoken by Teleri elves.

Old Noldorin was presumably spoken before the First Age, either by the Noldor of Valinor, or by the Ilkorin Elves of Beleriand, and it apparently continued in use in Beleriand, at least during the First Age, since a cursive form of the Certhas Daeron was developed for writing it. It may have been spoken by both groups of elves until the Noldor adopted the language of the Vanyar while still in Aman. A distinction should be maintained between Old Noldorin as it is described by Tolkien in the Etymologies and such forms of Old Sindarin as anyone might wish to reconstruct--a necessary product of the study of the phonological history of Sindarin.

First Age

Quenya was spoken in Beleriand in the First Age, and even though banned by Thingol, remained as a house language of the Noldor, and the first language of some of the Edain. The particular form spoken in the First Age is exemplified by the entries in Etymologies.

The Ilkorin Dialects were spoken by the Ilkorin Elves in Beleriand in the First Age and include:

* Ilkorin, the blanket name for all these dialects
* Doriathrin, specifically that form spoken at Menegroth.
* Danian, also called Ossiriandeb, which was spoken by the Green-elves of Ossiriand. (From an historical standpoint this language may have developed into the Nandorin of the Second Age and the Silvan of the Third Age, but there is no support for this phonologically.)
* Falathren, spoken by the Elves of the Falas (Coast) at Brithombar, Eglorest and possibly at the mouths of Sirion. (Tolkien seems to have thought of this as the ancestor of the Germanic or Indo-european languages, at least for a time.)

The Noldorin Dialects include several languages which are grouped together but may not be all that closely related. Noldorin was spoken by the Noldor of the First Age in Beleriand and is supposed to be closely related to the Ilkorin dialects. There are five dialects with little information to differentiate them phonologically but they are described:

* 1) of Mithrim (of Fingolfin's folk)
* 2) of Nargothrond (of Finrod Felagund's folk)
* 3) of Gondolin (of Turgon's folk)
* 4) of the sons of Feanor and their followers
* 5) mulnoldorin or thrall Gnomish.

Dialects of the Lembi and other Dark Elves in Beleriand and eastwards are named but little attested.

Taliska is the usual language of the Edain in Beleriand in the First Age, but was superseded by Noldorin or Quenya among most of them. Tolkien also developed Mork and Hvendi, probably related to Old English and Old Norse, respectively.

Later, Tolkien developed the idea of Semitic type languages for some of the Edain in Beleriand and so Haladin and Malachian are also attested from the First Age. This may have been an outside tongue used for communication between the Edain and the Dwarves.

Orkish is attested in Beleriand in the First Age, although most Orcs carry Sindarin names, at least among the Elves.

Second Age

Qenya of the Second Age (without the "u") was spoken in Tol Eressëa by the returning Noldor and continues in use. This early form of Quenya (note spelling difference) is exemplified by the Lexicons published in the Books of Lost Tales and in the Qenyaqetsa.

Quenya was used as a high speech of Numenor in the Second Age and the term Numenorean Quenya is used to distinguish it from other varieties of Quenya. Quenya also probably remained in use as a high speech of Gil-galad and other Noldorin Elves on the coast of Middle-earth; of Celebrimbor and of the Noldor of Eregion; of Elrond and his household at Rivendell; and of Galadriel in Lothlorien. This is opposed to and in addition to the common Sindarin they used during the Third Age.

Gnomish or Goldogrin was spoken in the Second Age in Tol Eressëa by the Noldor returning there. From the standpoint of Tolkien's life this was a very early form of Sindarin; from the phonological perspective, this langauge is more closely related to the Ilkorin dialects than to Noldorin or the Sindarin seen in the Lord of the Rings. It is well attested however, in the Lexicons in the Books of Lost Tales and in the Lam na-Ngoldathon (the latter out of print).

Noldorin was spoken in the Second and Third Ages of Middle-earth. It was perhaps the usual language of the Noldor of Eregion, the folk of Elrond's house, and of the Dunedain both in Numenor before its fall and in their kingdoms in exile in the north and south of Middle-earth. Noldorin was also commonly spoken by Dwarves in the Second Age, especially in Moria, and it appears on the original text of Thror's Map, presumably made at Erebor.

Nandorin is the name of the language spoken in the Second Age by the Green-elves east of the Misty Mountains.

Adûnaic was spoken in Numenor during the Second Age, especially among the less educated or the descendants of certain groups. It is the source of the many dialects known as Westron and spoken at Umbar, Tharbad, Gondor and points in between.

Black Speech was spoken by Sauron and *may have* even been invented by him (not sure).

Third Age

Quenya of the Third Age was used as a high speech among Elves along the western coast and in Rivendell and Lorien, and remained in use among the Dunedain, and among certain educated Hobbits.

Entish Quenya, as it is spoken in the Third Age, (and presumably long before) may be considerd a dialect of Quenya, because it has so many words of Quenya in it. The Ents also had a language unique to them--Entish, which no one else could learn. Fangorn also knew Westron, and perhaps Sindarin or Ilkorin.

Sindarin continued to be spoken in the Third Age in Middle-earth. It was the usual speech of the folk of Elrond's house and of the Dunedain in both Gondor and the north of Middle-earth and it may be the house language of Thranduil of Mirkwood.

Silvan Dialects in the Third Age were spoken by the Elves of Lorien and Mirkwood; the speech of the Elves of Mirkwood is called a Woodland dialect. Legolas would be among this group.

Westron is the common speech of mortals in the Third Age and dialects are spoken among the folk of Gondor, Bree, and other places. It has a substantial grammar, not yet published, and a small vocabulary, most of which has been published. Specific dialects (usually given in Germanicized form) are:

* Rohannish and Rohirric of the Rohirrim (with both a current and an older form alluded to)
* Hobbitish or Soval Phare of the Hobbits, of both the Shire and the Stoors; and
* Dalish represented by the single word Tragu, the true name of Smaug.

Westron is also the common language of Dwarves in the Third Age and a particularly "harsh" dialect was spoken by Orcs when necessary. Here again, the (true) Westron, (true) Rohannish and (true) Hobbitish languages replaced the Germanic languages which Tolkien used for mortals in his original conception of Middle-earth. This occurred midway through the writing of the Lord of the Rings, leaving a few anachronisms behind, such as Orthanc.

Additional languages spoken by mortals ascribed to the Third Age which are but poorly attested include:

* Pre-Numenorean, which actually predates the reintroduction of Westron; most examples are from the area around the Ered Nimrais;
* The language of the Dunlendings, east and south of the Misty Mountains;
* The language of the Haradrim, from far south of Gondor; and
* Drûg, which is attested from the First Age as well as the Third Age generally around the area of the Ered Nimrais. As it is also said that there were Drûgs in Numenor, it may be thought to have been spoken there as well.

Dwarvish, also called Khûzdul, is not easy to date, but words are known from the First Age in Beleriand and from the Third Age by Dwarves of the Longbeards at many locations in Middle-earth. Khûzdul is a private language and is not thought to be known by anyone other than Dwarves, except for Gandalf, and amazingly enough, Galadriel.

Orkish or Debased Black Speech is attested from the Third Age among several groups of orcs including those of Moria, Isengard, and Mordor.

[Gothmog]

Excellent start Dune! I can't wait to see where this post goes. I'll try to pop in and learn as much as I can when I can. Thanks for all the hard work, it's much appreciated.

[Fingolfin]

That sounds like fun Dune--and enjoy your stories in the journey continues thread by the way. You're a sharp writer.
I don't know where knowing Elvish will take us, but it sounds like it would be enjoyable. Especially if I can learn how to say: "Whatchu talking about Elrond?" in Elvish

[GandalfTheWise]

Great idea Dune, I would definitely contribute in any way that I can. I have the book "The Languages of Middle Earth" by Ruth S. Noel, and have used it to come up with some things in the "Journey Continues Thread". I will tell you now, I am slow at learning new languages but I think this will be a lot of fun.

GTW

[Dunedain87]

Great guys-- thanks for the feedback! It's really encouraging!!

I have the Noel Book as well. Very good resource, one of the only ones out there that's of good use. There are others, but C. Tolkien has published more detailed notes since those were released.

I have TONS of stuff on Sindarin collected over the years, a half ton of Quenya/Qenya, and not nearly enough on Teleri-- still working on it, though.

Right now, I'm off for a double feature of Spider Man 2 and Harry Potter. (Even the Dune's gotta play some time!)

Cheers,
D.

[Finrod]

This is a great idea Dune.I'm looking forward to learn Elvish from Professor Dune.Even the Elf Lord is attending your class.

[Dunedain87]

Originally Posted by Finrod

This is a great idea Dune.I'm looking forward to learn Elvish from Professor Dune.Even the Elf Lord is attending your class.

LOL! It will be great to have you, Your Majesty. Oh, ... and please bring some lembas. We're going to need it. ; )

The first proper lesson might be ready to go a little sooner than expected.

[AngmarKing]

Cool! I can't wait for class to begin. Should I bring an apple, professor?

[choopie]

I'm in. This is going to be so much fun. Although I don't have any Elvish language books. Dune, what do you recommend as a good starter that I could use for the class?

[elf_of_lorien]

this is going to be awesome i have always wanted to speak this language and learn about the culture!!!

[Garrett]

Whoa! This is great! I’ve always wanted to do this, but unfinished tales and the Silmarillion don’t have stuff to go on. I already know little bits and pieces of sindarin (a very few words) Holy crap this is awesome! Dune you've done it again!

[Dunedain87]

Originally Posted by choopie

I'm in. This is going to be so much fun. Although I don't have any Elvish language books. Dune, what do you recommend as a good starter that I could use for the class?

Gosh-- I am blown away by everyone's enthusiasm after just one day!! You folks are the best! It just inspires me to work harder-- and to keep it fun.

Choop--

The only book I can openly recommend right now is "The Languages of Tolkien's Middle-Earth" by Ruth S. Noel. It's short, and this alone has its pros and cons. For example, within its brief pages it tries to cover ALL of Tolkien's languages. One flaw with it is that while it shows some verb conjugations, it uses different verbs for each tense!! You never get to see he same verb in all its various forms and mutations. I am working right now to build a reasonable verb list (with conjugationss such as can be found) so that we can create our own expressive sentences which sound more like Elrond speaking rather than Ghân-buri-Ghân.

The Ruth Noel Book can be had for less than $12. It is not required for this thread, but it is a decent reference resource to own. The price is right, too.

There is another book called

"Gateway to Sindarin..." by David Salo that has not yet been released. I am very interested in this book since it most likely draws from JRRT's notes on languages which C. Tolkien has released in bits and pieces over the past 20 years. It will be hardcover and about $50!

Anything prior to 1980 on the topic should be avoided. For example, all reports on Jim Allan's "Intro To Elvish and Other Tongues..." claim that while it was great when it was released, being among the ONLY books of its kind, it's quite incomplete, covers too many issues, and doesn't go far enough in any one direction. It goes for about $25.

There are a few books in German and French on the topic, should anyone like to pursue those. My German is much better than my French (which isn't saying a great deal against those who speak these languages natively), but I think that English and Sindarin will keep me QUITE busy for the moment. I may get one or two German references down the pike if they are more thorough than what is now available in English.

For now, I'll just keep the lessons simple but substantive. Frustration over a steep learning curve will be the death of us all!

In the meantime--
Pelo nalú i laiss en-Galadh Guil lín! (May the leaves of your life never wither!).

Dune.

[choopie]

Thanks Dune for the reference book. I'll have to pick it up. I'm also curious about the hardcover book. I look forward to checking that one out as well.

Originally Posted by Dunedain87

Gosh-- I am blown away by everyone's enthusiasm after just one day!! You folks are the best! It just inspires me to work harder-- and to keep it fun.

Choop--

The only book I can openly recommend right now is "The Languages of Tolkien's Middle-Earth" by Ruth S. Noel. It's short, and this alone has its pros and cons. For example, within its brief pages it tries to cover ALL of Tolkien's languages. One flaw with it is that while it shows some verb conjugations, it uses different verbs for each tense!! You never get to see he same verb in all its various forms and mutations. I am working right now to build a reasonable verb list (with conjugationss such as can be found) so that we can create our own expressive sentences which sound more like Elrond speaking rather than Ghân-buri-Ghân.

The Ruth Noel Book can be had for less than $12. It is not required for this thread, but it is a decent reference resource to own. The price is right, too.

There is another book called

"Gateway to Sindarin..." by David Salo that has not yet been released. I am very interested in this book since it most likely draws from JRRT's notes on languages which C. Tolkien has released in bits and pieces over the past 20 years. It will be hardcover and about $50!

Anything prior to 1980 on the topic should be avoided. For example, all reports on Jim Allan's "Intro To Elvish and Other Tongues..." claim that while it was great when it was released, being among the ONLY books of its kind, it's quite incomplete, covers too many issues, and doesn't go far enough in any one direction. It goes for about $25.

There are a few books in German and French on the topic, should anyone like to pursue those. My German is much better than my French (which isn't saying a great deal against those who speak these languages natively), but I think that English and Sindarin will keep me QUITE busy for the moment. I may get one or two German references down the pike if they are more thorough than what is now available in English.

For now, I'll just keep the lessons simple but substantive. Frustration over a steep learning curve will be the death of us all!

In the meantime--
Pelo nalú i laiss en-Galadh Guil lín! (May the leaves of your life never wither!).

Dune.

[AngmarKing]

OK, teach! The students are in the class waiting! Summer school is gonna be fun.

Thanks Dune, for putting forth the effort.

[Dunedain87]

Originally Posted by AngmarKing

OK, teach! The students are in the class waiting! Summer school is gonna be fun.

Thanks Dune, for putting forth the effort.

Gee. I'd better step things up a bit...