Drúadan language

From Tolkien Gateway
Revision as of 22:24, 30 July 2011 by Morgan (talk | contribs) (reworded + defaultsort)

The Drúadan language referred to the tongue of the Drúedain.[1]

Characteristics

The voices of the Drúedain are said to have been "deep and guttural",[2] possibly also describing the sound of their language as Ghân-buri-Ghân's accent when using Westron is described with the very same words.[3][4]

Helge Fauskanger has noted that the Drúadan tongue appears to be unrelated to the Common Speech.[4] According to a late manuscript by Tolkien, it had possibly been influenced by Elvish (at least for the word gorgûn).[5]

Wordlist

Names

In a manuscript by Tolkien written in the late 1950s, he uses the name Druadan (also referring to a member of the Drúedain in The Lord of the Rings; amended to Drúadan in the second edition) for the language of the Woses.[1]

This seems to be the only occurrence where Tolkien uses a name for this tongue: since the manuscript was published as late as 2007, fans and scholars have often used the unattested name Drúedainic to refer to the same tongue.[4][6][7]

Portrayal in adaptations

1982-97: Middle-earth Role Playing:

The tongue of the Woses is called Pûkael, said to be "ideally suited to their voices and... alien to that of other Men".[8] Pûkael is nearly impossible for other people to pronounce, and the Woses are not willing to teach it.[9]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, "Words, Phrases and Passages in Various Tongues in The Lord of the Rings", in Parma Eldalamberon XVII (edited by Christopher Gilson), p. 99
  2. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The Drúedain"
  3. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "The Ride of the Rohirrim"
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Helge Fauskanger, "Various Mannish Tongues - the sadness of Mortal Men?" at Ardalambion (accessed 28 December 2010)
  5. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "Part Four. Quendi and Eldar: Appendix C. Elvish names for the Orcs", p. 391
  6. Andreas Moehn, Etymologies of the Atani Languages at Middle-earth Science Pages (accessed 31 July 2011)
  7. Message 15239 (dated 23 May 2002) at [Elfling (mailing list)
  8. S. Coleman Charlton (1993), Middle-earth Role Playing (2nd edition, softcover) (#2001), p. 175
  9. Mark Rabuck (1992), Northwestern Middle-earth Gazetteer (#4002), p. 27