Tolkein's Language

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how Tolkien's study of philology and creation of languages had a large impact on "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. It looks at how many of the different societies and civilizations of Middle-Earth were shaped by these languages, including the societies of Hobbits, Elves, Men, Dwarves, Ents and Mordor. It discusses how this influence can be seen through a close study of the background and beliefs of J.R.R. Tolkien. Although he believed that language and literature were influential on one another, his love of language and disdain for the term "literature" influenced the way he wrote "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

From the Paper:

"The Black Speech used by the minions of Mordor shaped Tolkien's creation of Mordor as a bleak, ugly, and evil land. There are two forms of the Black Speech; one form representing the more powerful villains and one representing the baser villains. The more powerful evils include Sauron and the Nazguls. The baser evils include the Orcs and other servants of Sauron. The Black Speech is a harsh-sounding, violent language, that Tolkien did not like to write in as much as others. He meant for it to be unpleasant ("Black Speech"). This influenced the society and culture by making noises like grunts and shrieks or body language more common communication than language. Tolkien did give the villains their share of intelligence, however. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• "Adunaic." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 5 Mar 2007, 03:09 UTC. Wikipedia Foundation, Inc. 16 Apr 2007 <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ad%C3%BBnaic&oldid=112721894>.
• Birzer, Bradley J. "Tolkien: man behind the myth: at odds with his age, he created another.(J.R.R. Tolkien) (Biography)." Christian History 22.2 (May 2003): 10(6). Expanded Academic ASAP. Thomson Gale. Western Illinois University Library. 15 Apr. 2007 <http://find.galegroup.com/itx/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T002&prodId=EAIM&docId=A102749383&source=gale&srcprod=EAIM&userGroupName=westerniul&version=1.0>.
• "Black Speech." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 5 Mar 2007, 3:35 UTC. Wikipedia Foundation, Inc. 16 Apr 2007. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Speech>.
• Carter, Lin. Tolkien: A Look Behind the Lord of the Rings. New York: Ballantine Books, 1969.
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More papers on Tolkein's Language:

• Book Review # 147301 : "Grammatical Analysis and Close Reading of J.R.R. Tolkien's, "The Silmarillion"
• Analytical Essay # 50564 : "J.R.R. Tolkien"
• Book Review # 101896 : "The Fellowship of the Ring"

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