Language of the Elves

Elves and their language

What was the language of the Elves? It was created by Tolkien and contained elements of Finnish and Welsh and I think ancient old Norse. The primal Elf language was Quenya and Sindarin. Tolkien being a fan of philological studies was able to create a grammar and structure that people actually learned. I know a few people that were really into the Lord of the ring books and learned the language of the Elves.
The first “new” work by Tolkien in 30 years is now in bookstores. The book, “The Children of Hurin,” is an incomplete manuscript edited by Tolkien’s son Christopher. And the release of a multiplayer Internet game, “The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar,” has got reasonable reviews. Naturally, the Tolkien faithful organize Tolkien-themed events. Game players, medievalists, linguists and other scholars all have reasons to become lost in the heroic fantasy of “Rings” and can find gatherings to match their sensibilities.

At the most rarefied level, Tolkienism is a field of academic study, and conference participants leave their fur-tufted Hobbit feet behind. Tolkien’s vast created world of invented languages, legends, maps, poetry and creatures invites explication — and debate. The Tolkien Conference at the University of Vermont in mid-April will offer a keynote speaker, the presentation of papers, a reading and films. “A geek fest,” said Chris Vaccaro, the conference co-founder and an adjunct lecturer at the university.The undergraduate Elvish Club will put on a 10-minute performance entirely in Elvish, a language developed by Tolkien.

Invented languages are always interesting. Most are based on some ancient human language. Elf language is similar to the Old Norse language for example. If people can create a language and learn the vocabulary, then speak it, learning a language that is spoken by millions, such as a modern European language is can be done.

To learn the Elf language do the same as any language:

• I would create language flashcards to develop vocabulary with pronunciation on the cards until I understood how to read the letters phonetically.
• Focusing on verbs at first are the hardest but allows you to express ideas
• Build the basic vocabulary of about 2,500 words
• Practice by reading Elfin text and try to at least communicate with someone else who is learning it.
• Also take a lot of clues from Scandinavian languages in terms of structure and pronunciation.

Can you imagine if there was actually a community of people who spoke this language? I think it would be interesting.

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