From: ??? (cmk3001@yahoo.com)
Date: Fri Apr 25 2003 - 04:33:07 EST
I recently came up with an interesting idea for a romancelang. I am a
big fan of anything in Tolkien linguistics. Quenya, for those who
don't know, is his most developed language. It's status historically
in Middle Earth is similar to what Latin is in Europe. It has even
been called the Elvish Latin. After seeing that phrase, I thought of
an idea to re-work Latin according to Elvish phonological rules. In
case you don't know, Quenya has very restrictive phonology. To give a
short run down, there are no voiced frictives initially or finally;
very few consonant clusters, which are only allowed medially and only
one allowed finally(nt); only vowels and n, s, t, r, and l are
allowed finally, but with numerous palatalized consonants medially
and some initially. I haven't done much work on it yet, but I did
take the Babel Text and tryed it out. In the end, it'll probably look
something like this.
Latin:
1. Erat autem terra labii unius, et sermonum eorundem.
2. Cumque profiscerentur de oriente, invenerunt campum in terra
Senaar, et habitaverunt in eo.
3. Dixitque alter ad proximum suum: Venite, faciemus lateres, et
coquamus eos igni. Habueruntque lateres pro saxis, et bitumen pro
caemento;
4. et dixerunt: Venite. faciamus nobis civitatem et turrim, cuius
culmen pertingat ad caelum et celebremus nomen nostrum antequam
dividamus in universas terras.
5. Descendit autem Dominus ut videret civitatem et turrim, quam
aedificabant filii Adam,
6. et dixit: Ecce, unus est populus, et unum labium omnibus:
coeperuntque hoc facere, nec desistent a cogitationibus suis, donec
eas opere compleant.
7. Venite igitur, descendamus, et confundamus ibi linguam eorum, ut
non audiat unusquisque vocem proximi sui.
8. Atque ita divisit eos Dominus ex illo loco in universas terras, et
cessaverunt aedificare civitatem.
9. Et idcirco vocatum est nomen eius Babel, quia ibi confusum est
labium universae terrae: et inde dispersit eos Dominus super faciem
cunctarum regionum.
Quenyized Latin
1. Era auten terra lambi unios, et sermonon yorunden
2. Cunque hrofisserentor te oriente, inveneron campon in terra Sinar,
e' hambitanweron in yo.
3. Tixique alter at 'oximon sun: Venite, faciemos lateres, e'
coquamos yos inye. Hamberonque lateres hro saxis, e' pitumen hro
caimento;
4. E' tixeron: Venite. Faciamos nombis civitaten e' turrin, cuyus
culmen pertinga at 'ailon e' celembiremos nomen noston antequan
tivindamos in unwerisas terras.
5. Tessendi auten Tominos ut vindere civitaten e' turrin, quan
andificamban fili Andan.
6. E' tixi: Ecce, unos es pompulos, et unon labion omnimbos:
coiperonque hoca facere, neca tesisten a congitatyunimbos suis, tonca
yas opere compean.
7. Venite ingitur, tessendamos, e' conyundamos imbi lingwan yorun,
ut 'on ondia unosquisque vocen hroximi sui
8. Anque ita tivissi yos Tominos exo illo loco in unwerisas terras,
e' cessaveron andificare civitaten
9. Et incirco vocaton es nomen eius Pambel, quia imbi conyuson es
lambion unwerisai terrai: et inde tipseressi yos Tominos super facien
cuncaron rengionon
My next experiment is to try to impose Elvish noun declensions and
verb endings on Latin roots. I welcome any comments or suggestions.
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