How did Tolkien make up languages?

By taking bits of his favourite real-world languages and splicing them together. Around a dozen languages are mentioned in the Lord of the Rings but Tolkien only properly developed two of them – Qenya and Sindarin, the languages used by the elves. …

Did JRR Tolkien create a language?

Tolkien created his first constructed language when he was just a teenager. He was a master of actual languages as well. He knew 35 different tongues, both ancient and modern — everything from Old Norse to Lithuanian. Middle Earth and the “Lord of the Rings” epics were created around his constructed languages.

Did Tolkien create languages?

For Tolkien, the languages came first. Middle Earth and the “Lord of the Rings” epics were created around his constructed languages. Basically, he invented words and needed speakers. He created the 15 different Elvish dialects, along with languages for the Ents, the Orcs, the Dwarves, the men and the Hobbits and more.

How did Tolkien come up with the name Hobbit?

As you may have guessed, hobbits are a fictional race born in Tolkien’s imagination. He even created an etymology for the word, making hobbit derive from holbylta, based on Old English roots meaning “hole-dweller.” Tolkien invented three groups of hobbits.

What languages did Tolkien create for Middle earth?

For Tolkien, the languages came first. Middle Earth and the “Lord of the Rings” epics were created around his constructed languages. Basically, he invented words and needed speakers. He created the 15 different Elvish dialects, along with languages for the Ents, the Orcs, the Dwarves, the men and the Hobbits and more.

What inspired Tolkien to create Quenya?

For him, the stories were inspired by the languages he was creating. One of the first truly expansive languages Tolkien created was Elfin, which he would later rename Quenya. Inspired to create a language after encountering Finnish, he started working on Quenya around 1910.

How did Tolkien use philology in his writing?

To accomplish this, Tolkien had to draw on his large knowledge of philology, which is the study of historical linguistics. He understood what kind of changes have happened in real language — pronunciation changes, grammatical changes, vocabulary changes — and used this to inform his constructed languages.

What if Tolkien had gotten his way?

If Tolkien had gotten his way, the books wouldn’t have even been in English at all. “I should have preferred to write in Elvish,” Tolkien said. Of all the languages Tolkien created, two have enough words and grammar to be considered functional.