elvin language?

[writeshiek33]

ok i have idea for short story what mighht end up as book later time and i am thinking adding elf or two to the piece but need them to speak elvisgh what you use as basisis for elvish langauge i am no liguagist liker tgolkien so cant really make up the laguage blindely also names for most too include inthis

[Saigonnus]

I would think it would depend on the story whether or not I would create an "elvish" or "dwarvish" language etc... in most cases the races intermingle so much that most elves and dwarves probably speak the common tongue anyway. I don't think you will necessarily NEED to add Elvish language into the mix if you make it plain in the story that his voice sounds different from regular humans when he speaks in the common tongue. Perhaps you could also make it "challenging" for him to speak in the common tongue (his vocabulary isn't that good) and since there aren't any other elves around to translate, he has to rely on what he does know... and "charades" (acting out what he wants to say)

I would think since the readers won't understand elvish, it would probably be better to just have everyone speak in the common tongue and if you DO have elvish in there, make a way for the readers to know what is happening.

[Reaver]

Nevrast: Elvish Dictionary

Elvish :: English to Elvish Dictionary ::



Hope this helps.

[SeverinR]

Nevrast: Elvish Dictionary

Elvish :: English to Elvish Dictionary ::



Hope this helps.

"Please take into consideration copyright when using"
I'm not sure how much Tolkien Elvish is allowable.


I've heard Tolkien's people guard his property to the extreme.

[Reaver]

"Please take into consideration copyright when using"
I'm not sure how much Tolkien Elvish is allowable.


I've heard Tolkien's people guard his property to the extreme.

I wasnt suggesting that writesheik plagarize or use Tolkien's Elfin verbatim...just kind of a good place to start off.

[Ireth]

You could always just use Tolkien's technique without going off of his actual language -- just think of a language you like the sounds of and make something up based on that. Tolkien did that with Finnish (Quenya) and Welsh (Sindarin).

[Chime85]

Instead of trying to invent a language, consider how it would sound in your head and describe it to the reader. For example:

"As they spoke, the words of their tongue jutted with each sylable they uttered. It seemed to *insert observer name* that the language consisted mostly of K's and D's. As the conversation hissed, *Insert observer name* noticed their tongue had alot of phlem like sounds to the words"

A rather clumsey example i know, but I'm sure it gives you an idea what I'm on about

x

[SeverinR]

I wasnt suggesting that writesheik plagarize or use Tolkien's Elfin verbatim...just kind of a good place to start off.

Wasn't accusing.
I was admitting my mistake.
I used Tolkien elvish in many of my first works, until I learned my warning.
A few words might be allowed, to many would cause a problem that a beginning writer does not need.
Like Spanish and Italian, similar language is not the same.

My thoughts were all these websites have Tolkien languages on them... but they aren't profiting.

So no accusations, just a warning.

[Steerpike]

A copyright claim doesn't require that the infringer profit. I would like to see how much copyright protection a made up language has, however.

[Reaver]

Wasn't accusing.
I was admitting my mistake.
I used Tolkien elvish in many of my first works, until I learned my warning.
A few words might be allowed, to many would cause a problem that a beginning writer does not need.
Like Spanish and Italian, similar language is not the same.

My thoughts were all these websites have Tolkien languages on them... but they aren't profiting.

So no accusations, just a warning.

No worries! I was simply clarifying. When I write, I rarely use any fictional language at all. For example:

"He spoke three words in High Elfish."

I leave it up to the reader to imagine what was spoken and how.