Use of a Constructed Language- Quenya, in "The Lord of the Rings": A Linguistic Study
Abstract
“Constructed Language” is a language that has a phonology, morphology, syntax, and
sometimes alphabet attributed to an individual human inventor. (Adelman, 2014) Language creation or
“conlanging” is the process of inventing a new language. Though the extent to which a language is created
varies, creators might include sound systems, grammars, and writing systems for their languages. Some
creators are also interested in cosmogenesis: the creation of cultures and worlds in which their languages are
used. (http://conlang.org/press.php, 2015)
The person who coined term “Constructed Language” was a Danish linguist Otto Jespersen in
1928. Novial was mainly based on Germanic and Romance languages and its grammar was influenced by
English language. According to some linguists the term “artificial language” is a close synonym, some
linguists believe that the term “artificial” has a derogatory connotation and thus should be avoided, while the
other linguists prefer the terms “invented language” or “planned language”. Most of the linguists do not
accept the core term and thus, constructed languages are best defined by their opposites: natural or ethnic
languages.
There are a number of reasons for the people who create languages. Artlangs-
“Elvish”language was created by J.R.R. Tolkien in The Lord of the Rings, Klingon in Star Trek, or Navi in
Avatar. To prevent one being elevated over others or to make learning easier, International auxiliary
languages are intended for communication between people of different native languages.
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References
Tikka, Petri (2007). "The Finnicization of Quenya". Arda Philology: Proceedings of the First International
Conference on J. R. R. Tolkien's Invented Languages, Omientielva Minya, Stockholm 2005. Arda Philology
(Arda Society): 1–20.
J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix F: "Of the Elves".
J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix E, part I.
Tolkien, Lord of the Rings, Return of the King ch. 1
J. R. R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion, chapter 20.