Three Tolk-Lang Questions

Two Tolkien Related · Three Tolk-Lang Questions · More Tolkien · Even More Tolkien Related

Q 1

Is it possible to create your own language just by yourself? How would someone go about doing this if it's possible?
https://www.quora.com/Is-it-possible-to-create-your-own-language-just-by-yourself-How-would-someone-go-about-doing-this-if-its-possible/answer/Hans-Georg-Lundahl-1

Hans-Georg Lundahl

amateur linguist

II Lord's Day of Advent, 10.XII.2023

Yes. You are however not likely to get many other speakers of it unless you are also an excellent novelist or get employed by an excellent film maker or TV producer.

Tolkien's Not-So-Secret Vice
https://folk.uib.no/hnohf/vice.htm

David J. Peterson - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_J._Peterson

I think the person who has thought the process through best and given the most useful advice might be:

The Language Construction Kit
https://www.zompist.com/kit.html

… Mark Rosenfelder, as you can see the comment to this resource page of advice is signed.

Q 2

Do Sindarin and Quenya exist outside of J.R.R. Tolkien's works?
https://www.quora.com/Do-Sindarin-and-Quenya-exist-outside-of-J-R-R-Tolkiens-works/answer/Hans-Georg-Lundahl-1

Hans-Georg Lundahl

none/ apprx Masters in Latin (language) & Greek (language), Lund University

St. Lucy, 13.XII.2023

Yes, if you include neo-Sindarin and neo-Quenya.

These sometimes involve words not foreseen by Tolkien in his original.

http://ardalambion.net/nqnt.htm

NQNT = Neo-Quenya New Testament.

Words not found in Tolkien’s works are marked with an asterisk.

Q 3

Before Tolkien, which constructed Elvish languages were used by authors?
https://www.quora.com/Before-Tolkien-which-constructed-Elvish-languages-were-used-by-authors/answer/Hans-Georg-Lundahl-1

Hans-Georg Lundahl

amateur linguist

St. Lucy, 13.XII.2023

I don’t think any constructed language was specifically used by elves.

However, Hergé had (before Lord of the Rings was published) constructed Syldavian, by 1938.

Rice Burroughs even earlier had allowed “the great apes” and the people of Pellucidar and of Pal-Ul-Don their own languages, which he examplifies as constructed languages, the last of these in 1921.

For comparison, the first volume of Lord of the Rings came out in 1954. In The Hobbit, 1937, some version of Sindarin had been used to construct names like Elrond and Esgaroth. None actually involved in conversation or recited poetry, unlike the later book.

Newspeak had appeared in 1984 and Tomanian in The Dictator, 1948 and 1940. I am not sure that Tomanian is not simply German in another name, and Newspeak is English in another sociolect, so not sure if these count.

Extra

Q 4

How did Tolkien's elves become so different from those of traditional mythology?
https://www.quora.com/How-did-Tolkiens-elves-become-so-different-from-those-of-traditional-mythology/answer/Hans-Georg-Lundahl-1

Hans-Georg Lundahl

none/ apprx Masters in Latin (language) & Greek (language), Lund University

Octave of Immaculate Conception

15.XII.2023

They are not that different from Icelandic/Norse Ljósalfar or from Gaelic Daoine Sidhe.