Elvish Language Resources
I feel like now’s a good time to talk about languages, and my ability to talk about them. Tolkien created several languages to be used in Middle Earth, and some are far more developed than others. The two main elvish languages, Quenya and Sindarin, are in fact so well developed that some people today actually “speak” them. Beyond that, Tengwar, the written form of these elvish languages, is also used by some very dedicated fans (and Tengwar tattoos are, in my opinion, absolutely beautiful.)
Unfortunately, I am not (yet) one of these linguistically gifted fans. I can speak plenty about the languages, but I can’t speak in them. Luckily, there are many online resources that can help you in all sorts of Tolkien language-related needs, a few of which I’ve listed below:
- Elvish lines from the books and movies
- Tolkien’s poems/dialogue/etc. in other languages translated and read outloud (also includes non-elvish languages!)
- Write your name in simple Tengwar in 5 minutes
- Language help specifically designed for writers and rpers, includes help with names
- Active Tengwar translation/transcription requests (see locked threads with past requests as well: x, x, x, x)
There are, of course, many many many other resources out there. There are even a number of websites that will help you learn Quenya or Sindarin yourself, most of which are completely free, so go check them out!
