# The Richness of Pronunciation: The Languages of Middle-earth and How they sound



## CirdanLinweilin (Aug 16, 2017)

Hi All!

I was just reading the Silmarillion, and I realized, I _really _love pronouncing such things as _Tol -in- Gaurhoth and Taur -nu- Fuin. 
_
My favorite word to pronounce just so happens to be _Sauron, _believe it or not.

So, are there any special words in Quenya, Sindarin, Khuzdul, Mannish, and or Black Speech that just give you a feeling of richness in the world of Arda? Sound off below!


CL


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## EcthelionL (Aug 17, 2017)

Hi Cirdan - I'm currently re-reading the Silmarillion, probably for the 20th or so time! It's a wonderful piece of literature for its story, the way it's told and the names in invented languages. I take great delight in many of the words used which, I agree, all add to the richness of Arda and make it more believable/real.

The Silmarillion is, in my opinion, by far the best of Tolkien's works.


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## CirdanLinweilin (Aug 18, 2017)

EcthelionL said:


> Hi Cirdan - I'm currently re-reading the Silmarillion, probably for the 20th or so time! It's a wonderful piece of literature for its story, the way it's told and the names in invented languages. I take great delight in many of the words used which, I agree, all add to the richness of Arda and make it more believable/real.
> 
> The Silmarillion is, in my opinion, by far the best of Tolkien's works.


Hi EcthelionL!

I wholeheartedly agree! I just finished "_Beren and Luthien_". I absolutely adored that chapter! Such a heart-wrenching and inspiring love story!

I am about to read "_Nirnaeth Arnoediad", _which I am excited to read. I love the battles!

CL


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## Azrubêl (Aug 19, 2017)

I will be watching/responding to this a lot, as one of the most spiritually inspirational forces in my life is Tolkien's notion of discovery of "lost language" through what I describe as "conscious phonetics", where the words are not arbitrary like most modern language.

One of my favorites is in Valarin, pronounced "inithil" with a soft "th".
*iniðil *"lily, or other large single flower" (the source of Quenya _indil_, and evidently also Adûnaic _inzil_) (WJ:399)


Sauron is an interesting word, it was to my knowledge one of the first words that "came to" Tolkien that he began to form his stories around.


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## CirdanLinweilin (Aug 19, 2017)

Azrubêl said:


> I will be watching/responding to this a lot, as one of the most spiritually inspirational forces in my life is Tolkien's notion of discovery of "lost language" through what I describe as "conscious phonetics", where the words are not arbitrary like most modern language.
> 
> One of my favorites is in Valarin, pronounced "inithil" with a soft "th".
> *iniðil *"lily, or other large single flower" (the source of Quenya _indil_, and evidently also Adûnaic _inzil_) (WJ:399)
> ...



No kidding, really? So, Sauron was around from the near beginning. Or at least, his name was.

Thanks for the info!

CL


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## Azrubêl (Aug 19, 2017)

CirdanLinweilin said:


> No kidding, really? So, Sauron was around from the near beginning. Or at least, his name was.
> 
> Thanks for the info!
> 
> CL



Yep! Check out this for a quick snapshot 
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Sauron#Other_versions_of_the_Legendarium


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## CirdanLinweilin (Aug 19, 2017)

Azrubêl said:


> Yep! Check out this for a quick snapshot
> http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Sauron#Other_versions_of_the_Legendarium


Ah, yes....Tevildo, Prince of Cats.

How far, The Lord of the Rings has come. 

CL


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## Azrubêl (Aug 20, 2017)

CirdanLinweilin said:


> Ah, yes....Tevildo, Prince of Cats.
> 
> How far, The Lord of the Rings has come.
> 
> CL



 Indeed. I love looking at the changes in each manifestation of Tolkien's stories and seeing how they grow


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## CirdanLinweilin (Aug 20, 2017)

Azrubêl said:


> Indeed. I love looking at the changes in each manifestation of Tolkien's stories and seeing how they grow



Aragorn, believe it or not, was once a wooden-footed hobbit named Trotter. He has wooden feet because he was tortured in Mordor.

I know, crazy.

From a hobbit to the King of the Reunited Kingdom.

CL


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## The Elvish Minstrel (Aug 21, 2017)

Tolkien was a genius for creating all those languages, maps, and lore... this may sound silly, but I honestly feel he sort of left a gift for us all, I mean it's so endearing to immerse oneself in a fictional world...


CirdanLinweilin said:


> Aragorn, believe it or not, was once a wooden-footed hobbit named Trotter. He has wooden feet because he was tortured in Mordor.
> 
> I know, crazy.
> 
> ...


Oh wow, this is hilarious LOL! And I thought the REAL Aragorn went through a heck of a life journey!


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## CirdanLinweilin (Aug 21, 2017)

The Elvish Minstrel said:


> Tolkien was a genius for creating all those languages, maps, and lore... this may sound silly, but I honestly feel he sort of left a gift for us all, I mean it's so endearing to immerse oneself in a fictional world...
> 
> Oh wow, this is hilarious LOL! And I thought the REAL Aragorn went through a heck of a life journey!



I know right? The Professor can get DARK! A Wooden-footed Hobbit?? OUCH! In Mordor, no less?? Double OUCH.

And originally before Aragorn, imagine how dark _The Lord of the Rings _was going to be originally if Trotter was apart of it?

CL


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## The Elvish Minstrel (Aug 21, 2017)

CirdanLinweilin said:


> I know right? The Professor can get DARK! A Wooden-footed Hobbit?? OUCH! In Mordor, no less?? Double OUCH.
> 
> And originally before Aragorn, imagine how dark _The Lord of the Rings _was going to be originally if Trotter was apart of it?
> 
> CL


Lol I didn't even think of that... a lot of parents read The Hobbit and the LOTR to their young children, that might've be a bit much for the poor things! xD I mean I thought Gollum had it bad, but at least he didn't have to get wooden feet!


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## CirdanLinweilin (Aug 21, 2017)

The Elvish Minstrel said:


> Lol I didn't even think of that... a lot of parents read The Hobbit and the LOTR to their young children, that might've be a bit much for the poor things! xD I mean I thought Gollum had it bad, but at least he didn't have to get wooden feet!



Thankfully, Tolkien kept the grim realities of (fantasy) life in _The Silmarillion. 
_
CL


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## The Elvish Minstrel (Aug 21, 2017)

CirdanLinweilin said:


> Thankfully, Tolkien kept the grim realities of (fantasy) life in _The Silmarillion.
> _
> CL


This is definitely true lol. _The Silmarillion_ is much darker and grimmer than LoTR and ESPECIALLY _The Hobbit_.


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