Meldarion
Posts: 511
Joined: 08/30/2005
Credibility: 3623 pts
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According to Tolkien, when the Elves came back to Middle Earth from Valinor, the Quenya language diminished and was virtually lost with the exception of it's use in Elvish ceremony. The offshoot of Quenya which became the spoken language of the Elves was Sindarin, which many experts agree is the more complex of the two. Add to that, the fact that Tolkien left behind far fewer examples of Sindarin in his writing than Quenya, and the choice becomes clear that the preferred Elvish language to learn is Quenya.
One of the foremost minds of Tolkien's languages is Helge K. Fauskanger, a Norwegian who has the equivelent of a Master's Degree in Nordic Languages. Much of what I've read in the process of trying to learn "Elvish" points to Helge as the best source of translation. David Salo, the man who had the task of interpreting the languages in the LotR movies, says that Helge is the best source to learn from.
So, with all that in mind, we come to the good part. Helge Fauskanger created a website that is dedicated to the created languages of J.R.R. Tolkien. Some of the info you find there will be interesting and some will not. However, he has some files on this website that you can download. They are text files (quite extensive text files) that teach the basics of the Quenya language.
Helge will be the first to let you know that it can be quite a daunting task, and is not for the weak willed "I only wanted to learn Elvish so I can impress chicks/dudes" kind of people. It is an in depth study of the language, which includes, but is not limited to, grammar and syntax. If knowing all of this has not yet put you off the idea, then by all means continue.....
you can get these files by clicking here
You can get to know more aout Tolkien's linguistic works and other misc information by clicking here
No galu govad gen
May blessings go with you
***THIS POST HAS BEEN EDITED***
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| 01/11/06 16:04 |
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