LotR --- Appendix F -- The Languages and Peoples of the Third Age

[Estelyn Telcontar]

This appendix is the final chapter of the LotR! The remaining pages of the book are devoted to the indexes - very helpful, but not particularly discussable.

The information concerning the various peoples of Middle-earth pertains mostly to their respective languages. That means the 'translator conceit' is again obvious here. Some geographic information is included in explanations of the boundaries in which the races lived.

The "common speech", Westron, is 'translated' into English. The reason for that is certainly connected with Tolkien's intention of writing an English mythology and the fact that his book is written in English. However, I find it interesting to realize that English has become the "common speech" of our world today.

Though Tolkien uses two Elven languages in his books, he tells us that there are more: the East-elves have other tongues which are not included here. Quenya is the first written language of Middle-earth, but apparently no longer a "living" language, since it is compared to Latin. At least Tolkien says it is "no longer a birth-tongue". Sindarin is related, also an Eldarin language, and the one usually spoken during the Third Age. An interesting, seemingly disconnected sentence closes the section: The Elven Sea-yearning is emphasized.

Westron, a Mannish language, was influenced by the Elven languages and originated from the Elf-friends of Men. The Dúnedain are the only Men who speak Elvish (Sindarin) - what a disappointment to the many writers of fan fictions and RPGs who like to sprinkle their characters' conversations liberally with Quenya! Adûnaic is their original language. The various versions, mostly related to the original, which are spoken by various peoples, are differentiated and explained by Tolkien, as are influences from other languages, down to individual names.

Though the Hobbits use the Common Speech, some of their names are unique, and the names for their race are explained.

The Ents' own language is interestingly described as being unlike others and unknown to other peoples; "they had no need to keep it secret, for no others could learn it."

Tolkien's love of language is shown in his passage on the orcs and their use of language. He uses such words as "perverted", "brutal", "barbarous" to describe their speech. Their language is not Black Speech, which was invented by Sauron and used only in Barad-dûr and by his captains; orcs spoke their own version(s) of Common Speech.

Trolls also spoke a "debased" version of Common Speech - except for Sauron's specially bred Olog-hai, who used Black Speech, though they spoke little.

Of Dwarves little is known, Tolkien says, as the histories which he 'translated' were from the Elven and/or Mannish point-of-view. The enmity of Men is ascribed to their lust for the Dwarves' wealth. The Dwarves' language is a well-kept secret, including their own personal names. For interaction with other races, they use Common Speech and public names.

The second section of this appendix strikes me as being a tongue-in-cheek pseudo-linguistic explanation of translation choices. Though I'm not familiar with similar genuine works, I can imagine that Tolkien had models for these passages!

One explanation involves the distinction between 'familiar' and 'deferential' forms of the second person pronoun. That is a concept strange to those who speak modern English, but not for many other languages (including German, the language I speak daily). I smiled at the idea that Pippin would address Denethor with the familiar form, having grinned over Americans et al struggling with that so foreign concept; one friend addressed strangers with the familiar pronoun, but used the formal address for his dog!

Even within the same language and race, individual speakers used variations of speech - as is the case with our languages today. Skill in matters of speech is a virtue, as far as Tolkien is concerned; and he praises reverence for that which was ancient. Note the contrast provided by his description of the speech of Orcs and Trolls:

...without love of words or things...
...actually more degraded and filthy than ... shown...

He notes that such speech is still in use in our day:

...dreary and repetitive with hatred and contempt, too long removed from good to retain even verbal vigour, save in the ears of those to whom only the squalid sounds strong.

An important detail is Tolkien's comment that Westron names are translated in English. (This is carried over in other language translations, where the names are translated into Dutch, German, French, etc. - with Tolkien's approval, in a number of cases.) His explanation for that decision is to create a sense of nearness in the spirit of the 'original' work. This concerns mostly the names of Hobbit persons and places, though some others are similarly 'changed'.

This is the place to find (nick)names of favourite characters that aren't overused - as our members Kalimac (and Galpsi - remember him?) did, for example.

Tolkien also explains his choice of the unusual plural for Dwarf and for his use of 'Elves', though the meaning of the word has changed nowadays. The appendix closes with details concerning three Hobbit name words.


Congratulations to all who have read my lengthy introductions, especially these to the appendices! I've hoped to draw out enough interest to inspire discussion, and I thank those who have posted faithfully during these past months. The threads remain open, so those who wish may still post. Perhaps a new round of readers will discover topics that have not yet been discussed?!

I invite all of you who have read and/or posted to join in the discussions on The Hobbit, to begin in January.

[davem]

The language represented in this history by English was the Westron or 'Common Speech' of the West-lands of Middle-earth in the Third Age. In the course of that age it had become the native language of nearly all the speaking-peoples (save the Elves) who dwelt within the bounds of the old kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor

Interesting comment, emphasising the Elves’ isolation in a way. The rest of the West-lands have adopted Westron, but the Elves remain apart, stuck in the past, unable to move forward. They have no desire, apparently, to become a part of the ‘modern’ world.

The survival of Quenya as a kind of ‘Elven Latin’ is interesting. In our world Latin has survived principally because of the Catholic church, & I wonder if the survival of Quenya is down to the same reason - it is the language of the West. We see the consequece of Thingol’s forbidding of the use of Quenya in his realm here. Quenya is the language of the Calaquendi, the speakers of the language of ‘light’. Thingol forbids its use because of the Kinslaying, so only the Grey Elven tongue can flourish. A movement from light towards darkness. If the language of Light is restricted in its usage, what about the concepts & experiences it embodies? The native language of those who had dwelt in the West & known the Valar becomes a language of lore & ritual.

If Quenya is the language of ‘Light’ then its extreme opposite is the Black Speech invented by Sauron. Its interesting that this language was never adopted by his servants. Perhaps only Sauron & the Ringwraiths were fully corrupt enough to adopt it? Maybe even the orcs retained enough of their Elvish nature to be unable to commit to absolute darkness.

But orcs & trolls spoke as they would, without love of words or things; & their language was actually more degraded and filthy than I have shown it. I do not suppose that any will wish for a closer rendering, though models are easy to find. Much the same sort of talk can still be heard among the orc-minded; dreary and repetitive with hatred and contempt, too long removed from good to retain even verbal rigour, save in the ears of those to whom only the squalid sounds strong.

This is the voice of Tolkien the man. The foul-mouthed folk he encountered in his daily life are dismissed as ‘orc-minded’. They share a mentality with the orcs of his mythology - yet the orcs of Middle-earth are not shown forgiveness, or seen as being able to repent, to learn the error of their ways. I wonder what Tolkien felt about the ‘orc-minded’? At the very least we see his tendency to project his subcreation & its inhabitants onto the world around him. In many ways he is writing about this world, not simply in an ancient time, but in his own.

Finally, something I found interesting (though maybe it belongs rather in the ‘Changes’ thread I started a while back on alterations made to the new 50th anniversary text of LotR).

In regards to the passage describing the Elves:

They were a race high and beautiful the older Children of the world, and among them the Eldar were as kings, who now are gone: the People of the Great Journey, the People of the Stars. They were tall, fair of skin and grey-eyed, though their locks were dark, save in the golden house of Finarfin; and their voices had more melodies than any mortal voice that now is heard.

In LotR: A Reader’s Companion Hammond & Scull state:

In context, these words seem to apply to the Eldar as a whole. In The Book of Lost Tales, Part One, pp. 43-4 (compare The Peoples of Middle-earth, pp. 76-7), however, Christopher Tolkien quotes a draft for the final paragraph of Appendix F in which it is said that 'the Noldor belonged to a race high and beautiful, the elder Children of the world, who now are gone. Tall they were, fair-skinned and grey-eyed, and their locks were dark, save in the golden house of Finrod’: Christopher explains:

In the edition of 2004 a footnote by the present authors was added to p.1137 ('These words describing characters of face and hair in fact applied only to the Noldor: see The Book of Lost Tales. Part One, p. 44') to explain the distinction, in preference to rewriting Tolkien's words, within a finely cadenced paragraph.

What I find interesting about this is that the editors of the new edition of LotR have inserted a footnote in the main text of the book. That note now becomes part of the ‘official’ text.

Finally, how about everybody repping Esty for her wonderful work in introducing each chapter thread/? Maybe we could get her to the top position (quite frankly being in the top place for so long has gone to Lalwende's head )

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by davem

The survival of Quenya as a kind of ‘Elven Latin’ is interesting. In our world Latin has survived principally because of the Catholic church, & I wonder if the survival of Quenya is down to the same reason - it is the language of the West. We see the consequece of Thingol’s forbidding of the use of Quenya in his realm here. Quenya is the language of the Calaquendi, the speakers of the language of ‘light’. Thingol forbids its use because of the Kinslaying, so only the Grey Elven tongue can flourish. A movement from light towards darkness. If the language of Light is restricted in its usage, what about the concepts & experiences it embodies? The native language of those who had dwelt in the West & known the Valar becomes a language of lore & ritual.

Now for his sarcastic comments I feel free to disagree with davem.

I agree that the Catholic church is one of the establishments which has enabled Latin to survive, but a far bigger influence in the UK is the educational system itself. Latin was until relatively recently an important subject studied in schools, particularly for those in 'top sets' or in Grammar and Public schools, overwhelmingly C of E institutions. Latin was also until recently a major topic of study at universities, particularly Oxbridge (it was a requirement for entrance to Oxford colleges that undergraduates had studied Latin as recently as the 50s or 60s), and the colleges in many (most?) cases did not admit Catholic students until the 19th/20th century. Interestingly, Tolkien draws similarities in the text:

The Dunedain alone of all races of Men knew and spoke an Elvish tongue; for their forefathers had learned the Sindarin tongue, and this they handed on to their children as a matter of lore, changing little with the passing of the years. And their men of wisdom learned also the High-elven Quenya and esteemed it above all other tongues, and in it they made names for many places of fame and reverence, and for many men of royalty and great renown.

Men who were of the 'privileged' set, i.e. the Dunedain, retained a great respect for the study of Elvish languages.

The Grey-elven was in origin akin to Quenya; for it was the language of those Eldar who, coming to the shores of Middle-earth, had not passed over the Sea but had lingered on the coasts in the country of Beleriand. There Thingol Greycloak of Doriath was their king, and in the long twilight their tongue had changed with the changefulness of mortal lands and had become far estranged from the speech of the Eldar from beyond the Sea

I'm not so sure that the move from Quenya to Sindarin was a move from Light to Darkness. I see it more as an inevitability that the people of Doriath would eventually use their own speech as an everyday language, only retaining Quenya as a 'formal' language; this is similar to the situation with English in the medieval period. The aristocracy used French as their everyday language, while religious and legal information was written down in 'formal' Latin, while the ordinary people spoke English despite what their masters used. Eventually, English became dominant, though it has taken some time; as I mentioned above, Latin used to be important, but is rarely studied now.

Maybe the acceptance by Thingol of the everyday language of his people was similar to the eventual acceptance of Welsh and Gaelic by the dominant English speakers?

Of these things in the time of Frodo there were still some traces left in local words and names, many of which closely resembled those found in Dale or in Rohan. Most notable were the names of days, months, and seasons; several other words of the same sort (such as mathom and smial) were also still in common use, while more were preserved in the place-names of Bree and the Shire. The personal names of the Hobbits were also peculiar and many had come down from ancient days.

This is again interesting in relation to the English language, as our own months and days preserve their pagan origins, and place names and personal names in particular are a rich reservoir of history, where the traces of Britain before the Norman conquest have been preserved. Most place names are still either Saxon, Viking or Celtic. Taking York as an example, it can be traced back to Jorvik (Viking) and then back to Roman (Eboracum). As an example of tracing back the origins of place names, places with -thwaite, -kirk or grim- in their names can be pinpointed as Viking. To a lesser extent, some words once only used by ordinary people often retain their older origins, as the ruling Norman class would have little need for words to describe agriculture for example. Seemingly small, unimportant things did not need renaming.

There is no record of any language peculiar to Hobbits. In ancient days they seem always to have used the languages of Men near whom, or among whom, they lived. Thus they quickly adopted the Common Speech after they entered Eriador, and by the time of their settlement at Bree some had already begun to forget their former tongue. This was evidently a Mannish language of the upper Anduin, akin to that of the Rohirrim; though the southern Stoors appear to have adopted a language related to Dunlendish before they came north to the Shire.

Hobbit was the name usually applied by the Shire-folk to all their kind. Men called them Halflings and the Elves Periannath. The origin of the word hobbit was by most forgotten. It seems, however, to have been at first a name given to the Harfoots by the Fallohides and Stoors, and to be a worn-down form of a word preserved more fully in Rohan: holbytla 'hole-builder'.

This fascinates me. Some months ago I had a notion that perhaps the Rohirrim and the Hobbits are somehow related, perhaps they have a common ancestor? I was thinking about the similarity between the names Hama and Hamfast, and how the Rohirrim seem to have a store of old legends about Hobbits. So, they once lived in closer proximity, which would explain how they have some shared linguistic features. This again demonstrates the importance of language and how it can retain history and betray origins; but does this also hint towards the origins of Hobbits? After all, they must have been descended from men in some way, mustn't they?