Appendix D to Quendi and Eldar by J. R. R. Tolkien

Author:J. R. R. Tolkien [Tolkien, J. R. R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2011-12-20T03:21:10+00:00

Appendix: Noldorin words for Language

This text, the germ of App. D, arose as a long note to a sentence on the recto of a manuscript page, originally numbered 6 (but renumbered 18 following the addition of twelve pages at the front), in the fìrst bundle of manuscript materials for Quendi and Eldar. That sentence reads: "It is, therefore, diffìcult to see how [the word Quenya] could acquire its exclusively linguistic sense, unless the stem *kwen- from which it was formed (probably anciently, being in fact the oldest Elvish word for "language") had once had a linguistic reference". Against the word "language", Tolkien inserted an asterisk, and added a corresponding footnote to the page reading: "See over 'Appendix'". On the verso, numbered 7, preceded by another asterisk, Tolkien began development of what would become the text given below. This fìrst effort, however, was abortive, succumbing to deletions, increasingly rapid and rapidly devolving handwriting, and more-or-less legible notes crowded into all four margins; and the whole was eventually struck through several times.

The note, again preceded by an asterisk, was then begun anew, and this time completed, on four manuscript sides originally numbered 7 through 10 (subsequently renumbered "18(a)" through "18(d)"). In the top margin of the fìrst side, Tolkien wrote, and subsequently deleted, the words "Notes to follow p. 6". To the right of this he wrote "Appendix", and below this "Noldorin words for Language". Above all of these he wrote "Appendix to Quendi". The text of the completed note is given here, with citations of interesting variants from the abortive fìrst attempt given in the editorial notes. As before, Tolkien's own notes are collected at the end of his text, after which a glossary of Elvish forms with linguistic cross-references and commentary has been provided.

In Q. and S. the word *lambē (Q. lambe, S. lam(m)) was used for the language or dialect of a particular country or people. This was simply the word for the physical tongue (derived from √lab 'lick, move tongue'), and not in origin connected with √lam 'sound',21 though it was associated with it. This use of lambe 'tongue' no doubt referred to the speech-habits of different languages,22 which made the tongues of their speakers more adept in producing sounds and combinations familiar to them: lambe was thus never used for 'language' in general, but only for particular forms of speech, and was always joined with a defìning adjective or genitive, as "their tongue; Elvish tongues; the tongue of the Ñoldor, etc."

For "language" in general the later Ñoldorin loremasters, having then23 knowledge not only of various Elvish languages and dialects, but also of several languages of other Incarnates (such as Men and Dwarves),24 used the terms: teñgwele, teñgwesta, and lambele. Teñgwele was the most general term, used to embrace Language in all its aspects. Teñgwesta was applied more particularly to structure, including what we should call morphology and grammar. Lambele was concerned with "phonetic" aspects.

Teñgwele was a derivative from the base √TEÑ "represent, betoken, indicate (by sign), etc."

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.