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• Brief introduction to J. R. R. Tolkien and Elvish Languages

• Elvish verbs• Elvish adjectives and pronouns• Elvish pronunciation

J. R. R. TolkienJohn Ronald Reuel Tolkien (January 3, 1892 – September 2, 1973) is best known as the author of The Hobbit and its sequel The Lord of the Rings. He was a professor of Anglo-Saxon language at Oxford from 1925 to 1945, and of English language and literature, also at Oxford, from 1945 to 1959. He was a strongly committed Roman Catholic.

Elvish languages Author J. R. R. Tolkien created many languages for Elves to complement his books set in the fictional world of Arda. His interest was primarily philological, and he said his stories grew out of his languages. Indeed, the languages were the first thing Tolkien ever created for his mythos, starting with what he originally called “Qenya“( 古昆雅語 ), the first primitive form of elvish. This was later called Quenya( 昆雅語 ) (High-elven) and, along with Sindarin( 辛達林語 ) (Grey-elven), is one of the two most complete of Tolkien's languages. In addition to these two he also created several other (partially derived) languages.

Sindarin < 辛達林語 >-- 灰精靈的語言

★ Sindarin is an artificial language (or conlang) developed by J. R. R. Tolkien. In Tolkien's mythos, it was the Elvish language most commonly spoken in Middle-earth in the Third Age.

★ Tolkien based the sound and some of the grammar of his Sindarin on Welsh. ( 威爾斯語 )

~Elvish languages are constructed languages used typically by elves in a fantasy setting~

English＆ A verbs＆ I verbs <the third person>Infinitive

English A verbs I verbs

Add “to” before the verbs:to-VEg.1.play>to play2.beget>to beget3.lick>to lick4.keep>to keep5.fly>to fly

Delete the verbs’ suffix “a” and plus “o”Eg.1.telia- (play) > telio (to play)2.onna- (beget) > onno (to beget)

Add “i” to the verbs, but it will cause the vowels change1.a > e 2.e > e 3.i > i 4.o > e 5.u > y 6.y > y Eg.1. lav- ( lick) > levi (to lick) 2. yr- (run) > yri (to run)

Present/present continuous tense<he she it > English A verbs I verbs

Present tense: V+s;esPresent continuous tense: V+ingEg.1.play>plays>playing2.stop>stops>stopping3.keep>keeps>keeping

The present tense and present continuous tense are not change: VEg.1.telia- (play) > telia (plays, be playing)2.dilia- (stop up) > dilia (stops up, be stopping up)

The original vowels in verbs change into long vowels:a > â, e > ê, i > î Eg.1.lav- (lick) > lâv ( licks;be licking)2.heb- (keep) > hêb ( keeps; be keeping)3.tol- (come) > tôl (comes; be coming)4. rib- (fly, rush) > rîb (flies, rushes; be flying, be rushing)

Past tense<he she it> English A verbs I verbs

Normal:V+d;edeg.1.disturb>disturbed2.watch ＞ watchedV-y ： delete y and + -iedeg.1.study ＞ studied2.say ＞ saidunormal ：eg.1.come ＞ came2.get ＞ gotunchangeable:read ＞ readhit ＞ hit ＞ hit

V+ntEg.1.telia- (play) > teliant (played)2.presta- (disturb) > prestant (disturbed)

The past tense will change according to the consonant suffix1.-r > -rn 2.-n > -nn 3.-l > -ll 4.-d > -nt 5.-g > -nc 6.-dh > -dhant (modern), -nd (old) 7.-b > -mp 8.-v > -m (modern), -mp (old) eg.1. tir- ( watch) > tirn (watched)

Future tense <he she it>English A verbs I verbs

1. will+V 2. be going to+Veg.1.I will go to movie tomorrow.2. I am going to leave for America.

V+-tha Eg.1.telia- (play) > teliatha (will play)2.beria- (protect) > beriatha (will protect)

V+-itha , and the vowels in verbs will change.Eg. 1.lav- (lick) > levitha (will lick)2.heb- ( keep) > hebitha (will keep)3.rib- (fly, rush) > ribitha (will fly, will rush)4.tol- (come) > telitha (will come )

Imperative English A verbs I verbs

V It is put in the head of sentences.Eg.1.Open your book.2.Close the door, please.3.Listen!

Delete the vowel suffix “a” and plus “o” (the same as the infinitive) eg. lasta- (listen) > lasto (listen!)The imperative is used in orders, claims,and anticipation.

V+ “o”eg.1.lav- (: lick) > lavo (lick!)2.yr- (: run) > yro (run!)

GerundEnglish A verbs I verbs

V+ingEg.1.fill>filling2.run>running3.come>coming

V+ “d”Eg.1.gweria- (betray) > gweriad (betraying)2.pathra- (fill) > pathrad (filling)

V+ “ed”Eg.1.lav- (lick) > laved (licking)2.yr- (run) > yred (running)

Adjective

• Noun + adjective

• E.g.: A yellow dog. -> Hû valen.

• Plural Noun + Plural Adjective

• E.g.:

"A young and fair woman" adaneth neth a vain -> "Young and fair women" edenith nith a vain.

Indefinite Adjective

• All -> singular-> pân -> plural-> pain

• E.g.: i nen bân (all the water) i nîn bain (all the waters)

Comparative ＆ Superlative • An + Adjective （ Comparative ）

• E.g.:

an- + bain (beautiful) > anvain (more

beautiful)• Adjective + wain （ Superlative ）

• E.g.:

iaur(old) + -wain > iarwain(oldest)

Demonstratives , Cardinal, and Ordinal

Numbers • sen ->this; sin ->these; te,tan ->that; ti, ta

in -> those （ Demonstratives ）

• E.g.: min coron "one ball" （ Cardinal Numbers ）

• E.g.: i ven ganthui "the fourth road" （ Ordinal Numbers ）

• Independent Pronoun （獨立代詞）

1. the Nominative and the Accusative (1) English ： He eats a lambas.

Sinoarin ： E mâd lambas. (2) Aragorn orthor han. (orthor: 征服 , 動詞詞根為 orthor-) “han” accusative form→ san

＊ When the direct objective is after the verb, the sound will be soften.

2. the Possessive Pronoun

• the grammar ： the definite article ＋ noun ＋ possessive case

（ 1 ） Sinoarin ： i arnad lín

English ： the kindom thy

＊ When the nouns are embellished by the pronouns, it

must add the articles “i” or “in.”

3. Pronouns Appended to Nouns

English ： my heart

Sinoarin ：（ 1 ） i 'ûr nín the definite article ＋ noun ＋ possessive case

gûr ＞ 'ûr; heart

（ 2 ） gûr + -n > guren

• three rules ： 1. when the last word of the noun is a

consonant, it must insert “e”

2. it doesn’t need an article before a noun

3. if the noun has only one vowel and it’s

the long vowel, it will be cut down to a

short vowel

Ex. 我的果汁 ： saw + -n ＞ sawn ＞ i haw nín

 

  single plural

the first person -n ( 我 ...) -m ( 我們 ...)

the second person

(the usual form)-ch ( 你 ...) -ch ( 你們 ...)

the second form (the formal form)

-l ( 您 ...) -l ( 您們 ...)

the third person ( 無 ) -r ( 他們 ...)

• Pronouns Appended to Verbs － after the A verbs

＊ the grammar: do not change when it is the present tense or the future present

ex.(1) elia + -m -> teliam (we play)

(telia: telia-( 玩 ) 的三單現在式 )

(2)teliatha + -m -> teliatham (we will play)

(teliatha: telia- 的三單未來式 )

＊ the grammar:

teliant -> telianne + -m -> teliannem (we played)

• the present tense ： the original form ＞ telia • telion (I play, 我在玩 ) • teliam (we play, 我們在玩 ) • teliach (you play, 你在玩 ) • teliar (they play, 他們在玩 )

• the past tense ： the original form ＞ teliant • teliannen (I played, 我玩了 ) • teliannem (we played, 我們玩了 ) • teliannech (you played, 你玩了 ) • telianner (they played, 他們玩了 )

• the future tense ： the original form ＞ teliatha • teliathon (I will play, 我將要玩 ) • teliatham (we will play, 我們將要玩 ) • teliathach (you will play, 你將要玩 ) • teliathar (they will play, 他們將要玩 )

• ☑Six vowels in Sindarin:

• “a” [a] e.g. park: sad, adan☞• “e” [☞ ε] e.g. pet, tell: le, pêd

• “i” [☞ i] e.g. fit, thick: lim, mîr

• “o” [a] e.g. [BE]top: ionn, noro☞• “u” [U] e.g. put, hook: dúnadan☞• “y” e.g. pýd

• ☑Diphthongs: Pronounce clear and complete within a period of a vowel

• “ai” [ai] e.g. tide: edain☞• “ei” [e] e.g. take: meigol☞• “ui” ☞muil, suilad

• “ae” ☞aer

• “oe” ☞foeg, oear

• “au” loud: caun☞

Bilabial

( 雙唇音 )

Labiodental

( 脣齒音 )

Interdental

( 齒間音 )

Alveolar

( 齒齦音 )

Palatal

( 硬顎音 )

Velar

( 軟顎音 )

Glottal

( 聲門音 )

Stop

( 塞音 )

-voiced

+voiced

p

b

t

d

k (c)

g (g)

no/s/

no/ /

Nasal

( 鼻音 )m(m

h)

n (ng)

Fricative

( 擦音 )

-voiced

+voiced

f (ph)

v (bh) (_-f )

th

dh

s

▲z

▲

▲

h(ch )

ㄏ

Affricate

( 塞擦音 )

-voiced

+voiced

▲

▲

Glide

( 介音 )

-voiced

+voiced

M (hw)

w

hw ㄏㄨ j w h

Liquid

( 流音 )d ( ㄌ )

(lh ) --v

l r ( 打舌音 )

(rh) --v

Aragorn and Arwen in Imladris. [The Fellowship of the Ring]Arwen: A si i-Dhúath ú-orthor, Aragorn.(Arwen: The Shadow does not hold sway yet. [Lit.: Till now the Shadow not masters, Aragorn.])Arwen: Ú or le a ú or nin.(Arwen: 'Not over you and not over me.‘)Arwen: Renich i lú i erui govannem?(Arwen: Do you remember the time when we first met?)

Aragorn: Nauthannen i ned ôl reniannen.

(Aragorn: I thought I had strayed into a dream.)Arwen: Gwenwin in enninath...(Arwen: Long years have passed...)Arwen: Ú-'arnech in naeth i si celich.(Arwen: You did not have the cares you carry now.)Arwen: Renich i beth i pennen?(Arwen: Do you remember the word I told you?)

a si   adv. 'as yet' = 'up to the present time'; cf. an 'to, towards' + si 'now'.i-Dhúath   n. 'the Shadow'; lenited form of dúath 'darkness, shadow'.ú-orthor   v. pres. '[it] doesn't conquer'; cf. orthor- 'master, conquer'.ú   adv. 'not'.or   prep. 'above , over'.le   pron. 'you'.a   conj. 'and'nin   pron. 'me'renich   v. pres. 'you remember'; *ren- 'remember‘. i lú   n. 'the time'; cf. lû 'time, occasion'.i  pron. & conj. 'that; here: when'.erui   adj. & adv. 'first'govannem   v. pt. 'we met'; cf. *govad- 'meet'.nauthannen   v. pt. 'I thought'; cf. nautha- 'conceive; *think‘.

Resources

1. Sindarin http://home.kimo.com.tw/michiru_benson/Edhellen/Sindarin/Sindarin.htm

2. Tolkien’s Languages in LOTR http://www.elvish.org/gwaith/movie_elvish.htm#start

3. Ardalambion http://lucifer.fantasy.org.tw/lotr/99_arda/index.htm

4. Elvish Language http://lucifer.fantasy.org.tw/lotr/99_arda/primelv.htm#Heading2