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[en] The Prancing Pony => The Lord of the Rings => Thema gestartet von: WarOfTheRingVeteran am 17. Okt 2015, 04:11

Titel: Languages of Arda
Beitrag von: WarOfTheRingVeteran am 17. Okt 2015, 04:11
QUENYA - an extinct Elvish language, considered a noble language which can be compared to Latin. Quenya is based on Finnish.

SINDARIN - "modern" Elvish language, separated into dialects. It is based on Welsh.

MANNISH LANGUAGES - spoken by men of Rhovanion. Those languages are based on Germanic languages like Old English, Old Norse etc.

ADUNAIC - the language of men of Númenor in the Second Age. Westron was developed from Adunaic.

KHUZDUL - language used and kept in secret by Dwarves. It is based on Hebrew.

BLACK SPEECH - created by Sauron, on mockery of Free Peoples' languages. It is meant to be used by his servants.
Titel: Re: Your favourite language of Arda
Beitrag von: ThorinsNemesis am 17. Okt 2015, 18:39
I chose Mannish Languages, because Dale and Laketown are my favorite settlements of Men in Middle-earth  :).
Titel: Re: Your favourite language of Arda
Beitrag von: aminetude am 17. Okt 2015, 20:54
i chose quenya since it was the language used by the noldor, also all the spells that the istari casted were in quenya ( i remember saruman in lotr when was casting a spell on the mountain, also gandalf when he came to search in dol'guldur used a lifting spell in quenya). Amd since sauron in the hobbit and his servant spoke only in black speech, i was quite sad that galadriel didn't speak in quenya to banish him :(
Titel: Re: Your favourite language of Arda
Beitrag von: hoho96 am 17. Okt 2015, 23:06
BLLLAAAACKKK SSSSPPEAAACHHHH  [ugly]
Titel: Re: Your favourite language of Arda
Beitrag von: Walküre am 17. Okt 2015, 23:22
Quenya, of course, the ancient and sacred language of the Eldar of Aman (later learnt and used by the Valar and the Maiar too)  ;)
Titel: Re: Your favourite language of Arda
Beitrag von: WarOfTheRingVeteran am 17. Okt 2015, 23:45
Quenya, of course, the ancient and sacred language of the Eldar of Aman (later learnt and used by the Valar and the Maiar too)  ;)

I didn't expect different from you :)
Titel: Re: Your favourite language of Arda
Beitrag von: Walküre am 17. Okt 2015, 23:58

Really? How could you have ever known?  :o
*Looking in the meantime at my Signature's picture*  :P
Titel: Re: Your favourite language of Arda
Beitrag von: CragLord am 18. Okt 2015, 00:16
Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu!  :D

Titel: Re: Your favourite language of Arda
Beitrag von: VectorMaximus am 26. Jan 2016, 03:20
While I myself chose Quenya, language of the Noldor, I'm surprised. No Valarin, language of the Powers themselves? Though I suppose if the poll is just on the Languages of Arda, and I'm not sure a language solely of Aman (as Valarin is) would be acceptable.
Titel: Re: Languages of Arda
Beitrag von: Walküre am 3. Feb 2016, 13:36
Valarin is a bit of a mystery, I would reckon  :)
But, what would Arda be without a bit of dark and mysterious aspects in its own lore?

As far as I know, Valarin is the real and original language of the Ainur (with high probabilities, firstly created by the Valar themselves), even though these angelic beings wouldn't need theoretically any kind of verbal communication, due to their telepathic abilities.
But, when the Ainur decided to take a physical appearance (Elf-like, mostly), they consequently established their own language, which they still used at times in Valinor at the presence of the Eldar, albeit having chosen to use mainly Quenya in order to 'adapt' to their Elven citizens' culture, and make them feel more comfortable.

The most interesting and fascinating facts are probably the characteristics of the language itself.
In fact, although one might expect, this language has not at all any of the harmonious, musical and poetic qualities of Quenya and Sindarin, to the point that the very Elves often feel sort of displeased and puzzled everytime they hear it.
Tolkien tells us that Valarin has a very rare and unknown sound, almost unnatural, combined with a very extremely complex structure, so that it's not clear if even the Eldar closest to the Valar and the Maiar (the Vanyar, in particular) ever learnt it; and the Ainur themselves don't probably use it in front of them.

But, let's have an insightful view of it.
For example, do you know how 'Telperion' (the name of the silver Tree of Valinor) is translated in Valarin (or, more correctly, the Tree's original and true name, since it was created even before the awakening of the Elves in the World)?
Its real name in the Archangels' language is Ibrīniðilpathānezel  :P
Tolkien Gateway suggests the hypothesis of it being derived from ancient Babylonian, exactly giving the language that ancestral taste.
There are other words that we can have knowledge have.


Probably, there are other few words, even though Tolkien obviously didn't mention all of them, to keep an aura of mystery on all these archaic matters.
Though, we can clearly see that the very Quenya names of Manwë, Ulmo, Máhanaxar and Ezellohar are almost perfect adaptations of their Valarin original counterparts.
Furthermore, it's said that the Vanyar must have probably adapted more other words in their own dialect, given their prominent vicinity to the Lords of the Blessed Realm.

Eventually, I would say that I enjoy this language as much as I do about Quenya (the one I voted), since everything related to Valinor has a place in my Heart  ;)
And, I personally think that it's exactly the 'alien' and mysterious nature of Valarin that makes this language special.
Something like: a language so pure and angelic (which doesn't really belong to the physical and material dimension) that it sounds so distant and unpleasant to the Arda's inhabitants  8-)

P.S. Veteran, I modified the title of this thread a bit, widening its topic and making it more general.
I hope to have done something pleasant  :)
Titel: Re: Languages of Arda
Beitrag von: The_Necromancer0 am 3. Feb 2016, 14:14
"...for the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the West!"
I'll let you guys guess :P
Titel: Re: Languages of Arda
Beitrag von: Walküre am 3. Feb 2016, 17:14
UPDATE: I added also Valarin as an option.
I can't change my vote anymore, but I definitely like Quenya as well.

In case someone wanted to choose the language of the Valar, it's now possible  :)

"...for the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the West!"
I'll let you guys guess :P


I have the slight suspect that Valarin would make the Black Speech sound more like a lullaby  :D
With all the respect I don't have I have for Mordor, of course  xD