Speak Elvish

Elvish is a fictional language originally created by J. R. R. Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. There are two major Elvish dialects—Quenya and Sindarin—and you'll have to figure out which one you want to learn before you begin. Either way, learning Elvish can be a challenging process, but it can also be fun and rewarding. Keep reading to learn more.

Steps

The Basics of Speaking Quenya[1]

  1. Learn a bit about Quenya Elvish. Quenya is one of two major languages spoken by the Elves. In particular, it is the language of the High Elves.
    • Quenya has gone through a few changes since its creation. Early Quenya, also called "Classical Quenya" or "First Age Quenya," was the earliest form of the language.
    • Most Quenya you will learn online or in books will be "Modern Quenya" or "Third Age Quenya." This version is a blend of vocabulary and grammar original to Tolkien with a bit of reconstruction from contemporary fans.
  2. Know how to pronounce the vowels. Quenya vowels have distinct pronunciations that do not vary based upon position or placement within words. Long and short vowels differ in terms of length, not quality or formation, and long vowels are distinguished with an accent mark.
    • á = long “aaaah”
    • a = short “ah”
    • é = long “eeeh”
    • e = short “eh”
    • í = long “ee”
    • i = short “ih”
    • ó = long “oooh”
    • o = short “o” (almost like a short "ah")
    • ú = long “uuuh” (almost like a long "ooo")
    • u = short “uh”
  3. Note then Quenya diphthongs. A diphthong refers to a set of two vowels that form a single sound. There are only six in Quenya, and other vowels, when combined side-by-side, should be pronounced separately. The diphthongs are:
    • ai ("aisle")
    • au ("house")
    • eu (British "so")
    • iu ("yule")
    • oi ("oil")
    • ui ("ruin")
  4. Keep certain consonant peculiarities in mind. Most consonants are pronounced in the same way as they are in English, but there are a few particular rules you should be aware of.
    • c = always pronounced as “k”
    • h = pronounced as “h” when placed at the beginning of a word and and as “ch” or "k" when placed between consonants; silent in the combinations: hw, hy, hl, hr
    • ng = both sounds are always heard, as in “finger”, not as in “singer”
    • r = most be rolled or trilled
    • s = always unvoiced
    • y = always a hard consonant, no matter where in a word it is placed
    • qu = “kw”; the “u” in this combination does not act as a vowel
  5. Understand the rules of stress. Knowing which syllables to stress will impact the way that Elvish sounds.
    • When there are two syllables, stress the first.
    • When there are three or more syllables, stress the one that falls third to last. This is true unless the second to last syllable contains a long vowel, diphthong, or short vowel followed by a consonant cluster (multiple consonants side by side), in which case, the second to last is stressed.

A Few Useful Quenya Phrases[2]

  1. Know how to greet someone. There are multiple ways to greet someone using Quenya, and some are simpler than others.
    • Aiya (/'aj.ja/) means "Hail!" when calling for help or attention.
    • Alla (/'al.la/) means "Hail!" when issuing a blessing in greeting.
    • Alatulya (/a.ˈla.tu.lʲa/) means "Welcome."
    • Elen síla lúmenn' omentielvo (/ˈɛ.lɛn ˈsi:.la lu:.ˈmɛn nɔ.mɛn.ti.ˈɛl.vɔ/) means "A star shines on the hour of our meeting."
  2. Know how to say goodbye. Just like there are many ways to say hello in Quenya Elvish, there are many ways to say goodbye or farewell.
    • Namárië (/na.ˈma:.ri.ɛ/) means "be well!"
    • Márienna (/ma:.ri.ˈɛn.na/) means "farewell" or "towards happiness."
    • Alámenë (/a.ˈla:.mɛ.nɛ/) means "Go with our blessings."
    • Mauya nin avánië (/ˈmau.ja ˈnin a.ˈva:.ni.ɛ/) means "I must go."
  3. Ask someone if he or she speaks Elvish. Whether you want to practice your Quenya or want to show off what you do know, you might need to ask someone if she or he speaks Elvish. Asking in Quenya will imply that you mean Quenya Elvish, specifically.
    • Ask Ma istal quet' Eldarin? (/ˈma ˈis.tal ˈkʷɛ ˈtɛl.da.rin/).
    • If someone asks you this question, you can tell him or her that you speak Elvish with Istan quet' Eldarin (/ˈis.tan ˈkʷɛ ˈtɛl.da.rin/).
  4. Issue an Elvish insult. If you want to teasingly dish out a unique insult, try a creative Quenya option.
    • Wish someone bad luck with Aica umbar! (/ˈaj.ka ˈum.bar/).
    • Tell someone "wind pours from your mouth" with Súrë túla cendeletyallo (/ˈsu:.rɛ ˈtu:.la kɛn.dɛ.lɛ.ˈtʲal.lɔ/).
    • Say "Go French kiss an orc" with Eca, a mitta lambetya cendelessë orcova (/ˈɛ.ka ˌa ˈmit.ta ˈlam.bɛ.tʲa kɛn.dɛ.ˈlɛs.sɛ ˈɔr.kɔ.va/).
  5. Issue an Elvish compliment. Balance out your knowledge of Elvish insults with a stockpile of Elvish compliments to give to those you appreciate.
    • Melin tirië hendutya sílalë yá lalat (/ˈmɛ.lin ˈti.ri.ɛ ˈhɛn.du.tʲa ˈsi:.la.lɛ ˈja: ˈla.lat/) means "I love to see your eyes shine when you laugh."
    • To say "I love you," say Melin (/ˈmɛ.lin/) followed by that listener's name.
  6. Say thanks. In keeping with the polite spirit of the Elves, you should know how to lend a well-deserved word of thanks.
    • Tell someone a simple "thank you" with Hantanyel (/ˈhan.ta.nʲɛl/).

The Basics of Speaking Sindarin[3]

  1. Learn about Sindarin Elvish. Sindarin is the other major language spoken by the Elves. In particular, it is the language of the Grey Elves.
    • As with Quenya, Sindarin went through a few changes of its own from the First Age of Middle Earth to the Third Age.
    • While you can find resources on First Age Sindarin, most of what you'll find online or in print is Third Age Sindarin, which is considered to be Sindarin in its modern form.
  2. Know how to pronounce the vowels. All Sindarin vowels are short except for the "í" vowel. The duration of these short vowel sounds increases when an accent mark is used, however. Vowels are almost always pronounced the same way no matter where they appear in a word, even if they appear at the end.
    • a = pronounced like "ay"
    • e = pronounced like "eh"
    • i = pronounced like "ih"; if placed at the beginning of a word and in front of another vowel, though, it has a hard "y" sound
    • í and î = pronounced like “ee”
    • o = pronounced like a short "o," similar to the "ah" noise but more rounded
    • u = pronounced like "uh"
    • y = always treated as a vowel, and pronounced "ooo" or "uuu"
  3. Note then Sindarin diphthongs. When one of the six Sindarin diphthongs appears, it has a single sound. Otherwise, vowels appearing in clusters or side by side should be pronounced separately. For diphthongs, the stress is always on the first element.
    • ai = pronounced like "aye" ("rye")
    • ei = pronounced like "ay" (“grey”)
    • ui = pronounced like the "eeoo" (“pursuing”)
    • au (sometimes aw) = pronounced like "ouw" (“loud”)
    • ae = also similar to "aye" (“rye”)
    • oe = pronounced like "oy" ("boy")
  4. Keep certain consonant peculiarities in mind. Most consonants are pronounced as they are in English, but there are a few specifics you should take note of. Some consonants are voiced, meaning they require you to vibrate your vocal cords, while others do not and are unvoiced. Additionally, al double consonants have a longer sound than single consonants.
    • c = always sounds like "k"
    • ch = always sounds like "k," never the English "ch"; considered a single consonant
    • dh = represents the voiced "th"; considered a single consonant.
    • f = at the end of words, it is used to represent the "v" sound
    • g = always a hard "g," never the "j" sound
    • l = voice "l" sound
    • lh = voiceless "l" sound
    • "ng" = not very pronounced at the end or start of a word, but more pronounced in the middle of words
    • ph = "f" sound
    • r = always rolled or trilled
    • rh = voiceless "r" sound
    • s = voiceless "s"
    • th = voiceless "th"; considered a single consonant.
    • v = silent when it appears at the end of a word
    • hw = voiceless W
  5. Learn how to stress Sindarin words correctly. There are three basic rules to remember when learning how to place stress on the right part of a Sindarin word.
    • When a word has two syllables, the stress goes on the first.
    • When a word has three or more syllables, the stress goes on the second to last syllable if it contains a long vowel, diphthong, or vowel followed by a string of multiple consonants.
    • When a word has three or more syllables, and the second to last syllable has a short vowel followed by only one or no consonants, the stress falls on the syllable before it.

A Few Useful Sindarin Phrases

  1. Know how to greet someone. There are a variety of Sindarin phrases you can use to say hello, ranging from simple to elaborate.
    • Ai! (/ˈaj/) means "Hail!"
    • Êl síla erin lû e-govaned vîn (/ˈɛ:l̡ ˈsiˑ.la ˈɛ.rin ˈlu: ɛ ˈgɔ.va.nɛd ˈvi:n/) means "A star shines on the hour of our meeting."
    • Mae g'ovannen! (/ˈmaɛ gɔ.ˈvan.nɛn/) means "You are well met" in a familiar/casual sense.
    • Mae l'ovannen! (/ˈmaɛ lɔ.ˈvan.nɛn/) means "You are well met" in a formal sense.
    • Gi nathlam hí (/gi ˈnaθ.lam ˈhiˑ/) means "You are welcome here" in a familiar sense.
    • Le nathlam hí (/lɛ ˈnaθ.lam ˈhiˑ/) means "You are welcome here" in a formal sense.
  2. Know how to say goodbye. As with greetings, there are a number of different farewells you can issue in Sindarin Elvish, including simple and complex versions.
    • No veren (/nɔ ˈvɛ.rɛn/) means "Be joyous."
    • Novaer (/ˈnɔ.vaɛr/) means "Farewell."
    • Galu (/'ga.lu/) means "Good luck."
    • Boe i 'waen (/ˈbɔɛ i ˈwaɛn/) means "I must go."
    • Guren *níniatha n'i lû n'i a-govenitham (/ˈgu.rɛn niˑ.ˈni.a.θa ni ˈlu: ni a.gɔ.ˈvɛ.ni.θam/) means "My heart shall weep until I see you again."
    • Losto vae (/ˈlɔs.tɔ ˈvaɛ/) means "Sleep well."
  3. Ask someone if he or she speaks Elvish. If you want to practice or show off your Elvish and want to know if the person in front of you is another student of the language, you can ask them in Sindarin Elvish.
    • Ask Pedig edhellen? (/ˈpɛ.dig ɛ.ˈðɛl̡.lɛn/) when speaking in familiar terms, or Pedil edhellen? (/ˈpɛ.dil̡ ɛ.ˈðɛl̡.lɛn/) when speaking formally.
    • If someone asks you this question, tell that person you speak Elvish by saying Pedin edhellen (/ˈpɛ.din ɛ.ˈðɛl̡.lɛn/).
  4. Issue an Elvish insult. There are times when an insult in your native language just doesn't cut it. For these times, use a creative insult in Sindarin.
    • Say "you smell like a monster" with Sevig thû úan (/ˈsɛ.vig ˈθu: ˈuˑ.an/).
    • State "your head is empty" with Dôl gîn lost (/ˈdɔ:l ˈgi:n ˈlɔst/).
    • Tell someone "go kiss an orc" with Ego, mibo orch (/ˈɛ.gɔ ˈmi.bɔ ˈɔrx/).
  5. Issue an Elvish compliment. Just as there are various Sindarin insults, there are also a range of common Sindarin compliments to select from.
    • Tell someone, "I love to see your eyes shine when you laugh" by saying Gellon ned i galar i chent gîn ned i gladhog (/ˈgɛl̡.lɔn ˈnɛd i ˈga.lar i ˈxɛnt ˈgi:n ˈnɛd i ˈgla.ðɔg/).
    • Say "I love you" by saying Gi melin (/gi ˈmɛ.lin/).
  6. Say thanks. Elves are a polite race, so keeping in Elvish spirit, you should know how to thank someone after he or she does something kind.
    • Say a simple "thank you" with Ni 'lassui (/ˈni ˈlas.suj/).

Further Study and Practice

  1. Look for guides online or in print. There are a surprising number of websites and books available that will help you learn either Quenya or Sindarin Elvish in even greater detail. Many online guides are free, and most of the books currently out in the market are pretty affordable, as well.
  2. Practice by yourself.[5] Workbooks are great tools, but once you get a basic understanding of Elvish, the next thing you need to do to really make the language stick is to start translating things on your own.
    • You can translate anything you want: poems, short stories, names, articles, or text messages. Start small before working your way up to longer passages.
  3. Practice with other Elvish enthusiasts. Once you think that you have a pretty solid understanding of Elvish, you should find others who speak Elvish and practice with them.
    • The easiest, cheapest way to go about this is by searching for Elvish communities online. Most of these forums and boards are free.
    • You could also search for conventions or local fan groups that have something to do with Elves, since many hardcore fans will have learned a bit of Elvish here and there.

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Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.councilofelrond.com/reading/01-pronunciation/
  2. ↑ http://www.arwen-undomiel.com/elvish/phrases.html
  3. ↑ http://www.councilofelrond.com/reading/01-phon-stress/
  4. ↑ http://www.councilofelrond.com/dictionary/
  5. ↑ http://www.councilofelrond.com/content/guide-to-learning-elvish/

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