Languages Constructed By J. R. R. Tolkien - Reception and Study

Reception and Study

Like constructed languages in general, the study of Tolkien's languages is not typically undertaken by mainstream linguists. A small number of people have worked on compiling histories and grammars of the Elvish languages.

The first serious book dedicated to the Elvish languages was An Introduction to Elvish edited by Jim Allan (published by Bran's Head Books). It is composed of articles written before the publication of The Silmarillion. David Salo wrote A Gateway to Sindarin: A Grammar of an Elvish Language from J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings (University of Utah Press).

A few fanzines were dedicated to the subject, like Tyalie Tyelellieva published by Lisa Star, and Quettar, the Bulletin of the Linguistic Fellowship of The Tolkien Society, published by Julian C. Bradfield. Tengwestië is an online publication of the Elvish Linguistic Fellowship.

Two journals — Vinyar Tengwar, from issue 39 (July 1998), and Parma Eldalamberon, from issue 11 (1995) — are today exclusively devoted to the editing and publishing of J.R.R. Tolkien's gigantic mass of unpublished linguistic papers. These are published at a pace considered by many to be excessively slow. The editors have not published a comprehensive catalogue of the unpublished linguistic papers they are working on. Even more disturbing for some is the severe restriction of access to the unpublished documents. These papers were not published by Christopher Tolkien in "The History of Middle-earth". Almost each year, new-found words of the Elvish languages are published and the grammar rules of these languages are disclosed.

Internet mailing lists dedicated to Tolkien's constructed languages include Tolklang, Elfling and Lambengolmor.