In the foreword to the second edition, Tolkien affirmed The Lord of the Rings “was primarily linguistic in inspiration and was begun in order to provide the necessary background or ‘history’ for Elvish tongues” (Tolkien 2004:xxii). Without a doubt, language is the foundation upon which Tolkien defines cultures and individuals: Tolkien’s invented languages, particularly those wholly alien to the Westron or ‘Common Speech,’ vividly reveal and reflect cultural differences in Middle-earth, but it is the manner in which an individual utilizes language that sets him apart from his contemporaries. Complicating Tolkien’s process in the fiction of translation is the need to distinguish closely related language groups; nevertheless, Tolkien adeptly weaves his linguistic web by varying the kind of English used.
Assuming his role as ‘translator’ of the Red Book, Tolkien declares, “Only the languages alien to the Common Speech have been left in their original form; but these appear mainly in the names of persons and places” (Tolkien 2004:1133). Considering Tolkien’s statement, is the reader to presume these ‘alien’ languages serve no other role than to lend an aura of authenticity and suspend disbelief? Absolutely not! Instead, utilizing a variety of tongues and maintaining them in their original form, Tolkien crafts a complex mythology composed of unique races and people groups; more importantly, Tolkien’s use of these languages reveal and reflect cultural differences in Middle-earth. By way of illustration, consider the Elves who, besides the Westron, employ two native tongues: Quenya, an ancient tongue or ‘Elven latin’ used for ceremony, lore and song and Sindarin, a tongue for daily use, in origin akin to Quenya (Tolkien: 2004 1127-1128)...
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...ien’s use of non-standard English forms and constructions Johannesson concludes that Hobbit speech reveals “social stratification” and “linguistic accommodation” (Johannesson 2004:55). Without a doubt, “the whole of the linguistic setting has been translated as far as possible” (Tolkien 2004:1133).
In a letter to Houghton Mifflin Tolkien wrote, “The invention of languages is the foundation. The ‘stories’ were made rather to provide a world for the languages than the reverse. To me a name comes first and the story follows … But there is a great deal of linguistic matter (other than actually ‘elvish’ names and words) included or mythologically expressed in the book. It is to me, anyway, largely an essay in ‘linguistic aesthetic’, as I sometimes say to people who ask me ‘what is it all about?’” (Letters #164, pp 219-220).
Works Cited
Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
Bjerre, Thomas Ærvold. “The Natural World Is The Most Universal Of Languages”: An Interview with Ron Rash.” Appalachian Journal 32.2 (2007): 216-227. Literary Reference Center. Web. 16 Nov. 2013.
Tolkien, John Ronald Reuel, Humphrey Carpenter, and Christopher Tolkien. The Letters Of J.R.R. Tolkien. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH), 1981. Web. .
Tolkien's love of language persisted throughout his life from his child hood years till adulthood. When he was a boy he would study Welsh names that would rush by on railway coal cars, a...
Byers, Paula K. Ed. “J.R.R. Tolkien”. Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gake Research, 1998. 259-260
...est of the work, which are accented by the break in narrative that the songs create. The accentuation of these themes increases reader awareness of the Biblical undertones and creates Christian equivalences in the songs themselves and the surrounding text. The use of songs as a religious communication tool was developed by the Anglo-Saxons, and is seen in their work as well as their Old- and Middle-English successors. Tolkien’s practice therefore of using songs is a derivative of his work in Old-English literature and scholarship of Anglo-Saxon language and culture. The historical tie of Tolkien’s work to that of his studies validates the connection and the significance of the songs in The Lord of the Rings, and despite Tolkien’s denial of intentional allegory in his epic, Christianity was an integral part of his life, and its presence in his work is undeniable.
Carpenter, Humphery, Christopher Tolkien and J.R.R. Tolkien. The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000. Print.
Tolkien, J. R. R., and Douglas A. Anderson. The Lord of the Rings. Boston: Houghton Mifflin,
Tolkien, J. R. R. The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien. Ed. Humphrey Carpenter (Boston, New York: Houchton Mifflin 2000).
J.R.R Tolkien was an English writer who was born in South Africa who helped revive fantasy and mythological stories into modern literature. J.R.R. Tolkien was born on January 3, 1892 in Bloemfontein, South Africa to his father, a bank manager, and his wife. At the age of three, Tolkien moved back to England with his mother and brother, and shortly after, his father and mother passed away (“Tolkien, J.R.R.” 1547). Tolkien attended Oxford, where he grew an interest in Ancient mythology, languages, literatures, and philology. Tolkien published famous titles, including The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and each is very complex with separate languages, background stories, and fantasies. What influenced J.R.R. Tolkien to write The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings was his extensive knowledge of northern European languages and literature, the early
· Urang, Gunnar. "J. R. R. Tolkien: Fantasy and the Phenomenology of Hope" Religion and Fantasy in the Writing of C. S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and J. R. R. Tolkien. United Church Press, 1971
J.R.R Tolkien’s work of fiction The Lord of the Rings, have with the advent of Peter Jackson’s film adaptation brought the series to newfound heights of fame. As with many works of it’s kind, The Lord of the Rings depicts a battle between good and evil, with the main characters in the books striving to thwart evil’s plan. In many other works, the author’s personal belief system or worldview drives the narrative, with the message being paramount and the characters the vehicles of conveyance for the point of the story. C.S Lewis, a friend and contemporary of Tolkien’s, is a prime example of this. Lewis’ popular series The Chronicles of Narnia is an allegorical work, teaching Christian principles through the use of fiction. While raised as a Catholic himself, Tolkien does not explicitly promote his religious background, nor does he engage in allegory. However, Tolkien’s views of morality can be found throughout the work, specifically in the way in which evil is portrayed, the use of power and moral freedom of choice. Randel Helms writes in his book, Tolkien’s World, “Tolkien’s particular myth parallels his Christianity, … positioning a malevolent and corrupting outside influence, spiritual and probably eternal, against which man is doomed to fight, but which he has no hope of conquering” (67).
Language is how we express ourselves. There are many different languages in our world. Within those languages there are different dialects. Those dialects are affected by the communities that use them. People add slang or shorten words to make the language their own. This has an immense impact on how authors write. Some authors will attempt to use proper English, but often times will use words common to their community.
Clark, Virginia P., Paul A. Eschholz, and Alfred F. Rosa. Language: Introductory Readings. 7th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2008. Print.
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Urang, Gunnar. "J. R. R. Tolkien: Fantasy and the Phenomenology of Hope" Fantasy in the Writing of J. R. R. Tolkien. United Press, 1971