How to Write in Elvish
Recognize that there’s no one Elvish language to rule them all., Know that you’re likely familiar with Sindarin., Learn the Feanorian letters., Learn the Tengwar alphabet’s supplementary letters.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Recognize that there’s no one Elvish language to rule them all.
The Lord of the Rings series was written in part as an extension of Tolkien’s interest in creating new languages.
You could even say that the characters were literary devices through whom he could use the languages he loved to invent.
And invent he did: there are 15 different dialects of Elvish alone.
However, only two – Quenya and Sindarin – have enough established words and grammar rules to be functionally used.
People study, speak, and write in each of these languages., Sindarin was the Elvish language that Tolkien featured most frequently in the Lord of the Rings series.
The names of many places and characters in the series are Sindarin, and the dialect was the most common Elvish language during the fictional time period of Middle Earth.Sindarin is closely related to Quenya.
The distinctions between the two have to do with specific aspects of the fictional histories Tolkien created.
Quenya, which uses words that mostly end in vowels or r, l, or n, is based on Finnish, a language Tolkien particularly favored.
Sindarin words almost always end in consonants, and consonant clusters are more common.
Sindarin reminds many people of Celtic languages, and was based on Welsh. , Though Tolkien also invented several alphabets, the Feanorian letters – which make up the Tengwar alphabet – were most prominently featured in his work, and are most commonly used today.
Depending on dialect, this alphabet is written in different modes.
The Tengwar alphabet is always written left to right, in horizontal lines.Find an image of the Feanorian letters online.
Note that different modes will affect the appearance of certain letters.
Further, be aware that different renditions of Tolkien’s alphabets are extremely common.
Different renditions may appear differently depending on the fictional historical time period, or specific Tolkien piece, from which they were derived. , Some common two-letter combinations in English – such as “sh”, “nd” and “ld” are replaced by individual letters of the Tengwar alphabet.
These letters should also be included in alphabets that are available online.
The important thing to note is that the Tengwar alphabet has more letters than the English alphabet, for instance. -
Step 2: Know that you’re likely familiar with Sindarin.
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Step 3: Learn the Feanorian letters.
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Step 4: Learn the Tengwar alphabet’s supplementary letters.
Detailed Guide
The Lord of the Rings series was written in part as an extension of Tolkien’s interest in creating new languages.
You could even say that the characters were literary devices through whom he could use the languages he loved to invent.
And invent he did: there are 15 different dialects of Elvish alone.
However, only two – Quenya and Sindarin – have enough established words and grammar rules to be functionally used.
People study, speak, and write in each of these languages., Sindarin was the Elvish language that Tolkien featured most frequently in the Lord of the Rings series.
The names of many places and characters in the series are Sindarin, and the dialect was the most common Elvish language during the fictional time period of Middle Earth.Sindarin is closely related to Quenya.
The distinctions between the two have to do with specific aspects of the fictional histories Tolkien created.
Quenya, which uses words that mostly end in vowels or r, l, or n, is based on Finnish, a language Tolkien particularly favored.
Sindarin words almost always end in consonants, and consonant clusters are more common.
Sindarin reminds many people of Celtic languages, and was based on Welsh. , Though Tolkien also invented several alphabets, the Feanorian letters – which make up the Tengwar alphabet – were most prominently featured in his work, and are most commonly used today.
Depending on dialect, this alphabet is written in different modes.
The Tengwar alphabet is always written left to right, in horizontal lines.Find an image of the Feanorian letters online.
Note that different modes will affect the appearance of certain letters.
Further, be aware that different renditions of Tolkien’s alphabets are extremely common.
Different renditions may appear differently depending on the fictional historical time period, or specific Tolkien piece, from which they were derived. , Some common two-letter combinations in English – such as “sh”, “nd” and “ld” are replaced by individual letters of the Tengwar alphabet.
These letters should also be included in alphabets that are available online.
The important thing to note is that the Tengwar alphabet has more letters than the English alphabet, for instance.
About the Author
Alice Ellis
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow DIY projects tutorials.
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