Tengwar: Difference between revisions

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{{font|[http://at.mansbjorkman.net/parmaite.htm Tengwar Parmaite] by [[Måns Björkman]]}}
{{font|[http://at.mansbjorkman.net/parmaite.htm Tengwar Parmaite] by [[Måns Björkman]]}}
{{disambig-more|Fëanorian|[[Fëanorian (disambiguation)]]}}
[[Image:Ryszard Derdzinski - Feanor.jpg|thumb|[[Fëanor]] designs the first Tengwar]]
[[Image:Ryszard Derdzinski - Feanor.jpg|thumb|[[Fëanor]] designs the first Tengwar]]
The '''Tengwar''' ([[Quenya]]. "letters", pron. {{IPA|[ˈteŋʷɡʷar]}}) had been a writing system invented by [[Fëanor]]. It has been used for a variety of languages among the [[Free peoples]] and became perhaps the most prominent writing system of [[Arda]], used by a variety of [[Races]] through the [[Ages]].
The '''''Tengwar''''' ([[Quenya]] "letters", pron. {{IPA|[ˈteŋʷɡʷar]}}; [[Sindarin]] '''''Tîw'''''<ref>{{App|E2}}</ref>) had been a writing system invented by [[Fëanor]] (and was therefore also called the '''Fëanorian alphabet'''<ref>{{L|25}}</ref> or '''script'''<ref>{{L|168}}</ref>). It has been used for a variety of languages among the [[Free peoples]] and became perhaps the most prominent writing system of [[Arda]], used by a variety of [[Races]] through the [[Ages]].


==History==
==History==
===The Classical Quenya mode===
===The Classical Quenya mode===
{{main|Quenya mode}}
{{main|Quenya mode}}
[[Fëanor]] invented the tengwar on the [[Valian Year 1250]] strongly influenced by the [[Sarati]] of [[Rúmil the Loremaster]].<ref>{{HM|WJ}}, [[The Annals of Valinor]]</ref><ref name="ApD">[[Vinyar Tengwar 39]], Appendix D to [[Quendi and Eldar]]</ref> Fëanor constructed the Tengwar both as a general phonetic alphabet, and devised special arrangements to fit the characteristics of all languages of [[Valinor]]<ref>{{HM|TI}}, [[Appendix on Runes]]</ref>
[[Fëanor]] invented the tengwar on the [[Valian Year 1250]] strongly influenced by the [[Sarati]] of [[Rúmil (elf of Tirion)|Rúmil the Loremaster]].{{fact}}<ref name="ApD">{{VT|39a}}</ref> Fëanor both constructed the Tengwar as a general phonetic alphabet, and devised special arrangements to fit the characteristics of all languages of [[Valinor]].<ref>{{HM|Runes}}</ref>


Unlike Rúmil, Fëanor considered vowels as indepedent sounds and not just “colours” of the consonants, so he devised the “full writing” ([[Quanta Sarmë]]).<ref name="ApD"/>
Unlike Rúmil, Fëanor considered vowels as indepedent sounds and not just “colours” of the consonants, so he devised the “full writing” ([[Quanta Sarmë]]).<ref name="ApD"/>
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We know from the inscription on the Western [[Moria Gate]] that in [[Eregion]], a tengwar mode called the [[Mode of Beleriand]] was used. This name allows for the assumption that the same mode was used already in the [[First Age]].
We know from the inscription on the Western [[Moria Gate]] that in [[Eregion]], a tengwar mode called the [[Mode of Beleriand]] was used. This name allows for the assumption that the same mode was used already in the [[First Age]].


At the end of the [[Third Age]], the Elves of [[Rivendell]] probably still used that mode, since a transcription of the Rivendell [[aerlinn]] ''[[A Elbereth Gilthoniel]]'' features it<ref>[[The Road Goes Ever On, A Song Cycle]]</ref>. Frodo, however, even though literate in Sindarin, was appearently unable to read this mode.
At the end of the [[Third Age]], the Elves of [[Rivendell]] probably still used that mode, since a transcription of the Rivendell [[aerlinn]] ''[[A Elbereth Gilthoniel]]'' features it.<ref>{{RGEO|7}}</ref> Frodo, however, even though literate in Sindarin, was appearently unable to read this mode.


===The General Use===
===The General Use===
By the end of the Third Age, there was a ''general use'' that could be used for a variety of languages including Quenya, Sindarin and the Common Speech.<ref>[http://www.sothebys.com/app/live/lot/LotDetail.jsp?lot_id=34NDT Howlett Rivendell Inscription] ([http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/mdtci.html#DTS58 DTS58]</ref> This use could have evolved during the [[Second Age]], in [[Eregion]] or even in [[Númenor]].
By the end of the Third Age, there was a ''general use'' that could be used for a variety of languages including Quenya, Sindarin and the Common Speech.<ref>[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], "[[Letter to Anthony D. Howlett]] (letter); see also [http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/mdtci.html#DTS58 DTS58]</ref> This use could have evolved during the [[Second Age]], in [[Eregion]] or even in [[Númenor]].
[[Image:One ring.png|thumb|left|The [[Ring Verse|inscription]] on [[The One Ring]].]]
[[Image:One ring.png|thumb|left|The [[Ring Verse|inscription]] on [[The One Ring]].]]
What is remarkable is that the same mode appears on the [[Ring-inscription]]<ref>{{HM|FR}}, [[The Shadow of the Past]]</ref>. In his description of it, the Númenorian [[Isildur]] says the Ring Inscription "is fashioned in an elven-script of Eregion".<ref>{{HM|FR}}, [[The Council of Elrond]]</ref> It is not certain how this observation is to be understood. It might mean that either the whole ''mode'' itself was from Eregion or simply just the ''script'' was of an Elvish fashion.
The same mode appears on the [[Ring-inscription]]<ref>{{FR|Shadow}}</ref> which the [[Númenorean]] [[Isildur]] observed it to be "fashioned in an elven-script of Eregion".<ref>{{FR|Council}}</ref>  


If Isildur referred to the script, this leaves room for speculation that the mode was from Númenor since some Adûnaic words use this mode.<ref>{{HM|SD}}, Lowdham's Inscription</ref>. After all, Isildur is perfectly able to read the inscription (though he does not understand the language).  
It is not certain whether the whole ''mode'' itself was from Eregion or simply just the ''script'' was of an Elvish fashion. Some [[Adûnaic]] words use this mode.<ref>{{HM|SD}}, Lowdham's Inscription</ref>.


In the Northern part of the [[Westron]]-speaking regions, another mode was used that was based on the "general use" but used full letters for the representation of vowels, perhaps by influence of the Elves of [[Rivendell]]. This might explain why Frodo was unable to read either the Mode of Beleriand or the Ring Inscription.
In the Northern part of the [[Westron]]-speaking regions, another mode was used that was based on the "general use" but used full letters for the representation of vowels, perhaps by influence of the Elves of [[Rivendell]]. This might explain why Frodo was unable to read either the Mode of Beleriand or the Ring Inscription.
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The most notable characteristic of the tengwar script is that the shapes of the letters correspond to the features of the sounds they represent.
The most notable characteristic of the tengwar script is that the shapes of the letters correspond to the features of the sounds they represent.


The shape of the Tengwar were unirofmely consisted of two elements, the ''[[telco]]'' (stem) to which is attached a ''[[lúva]]'' (bow).  
The shape of the Tengwar were uniformly consisted of two elements, the ''[[telco]]'' (stem) to which is attached a ''[[lúva]]'' (bow).  
It is noticeable that some of the letters of the Sarati resembled the telco/lúva shape seen on the Tengwar, therefore it is possible that those particular letters influenced stylistically the Tengwar.
It is noticeable that some of the letters of the Sarati resembled the telco/lúva shape seen on the Tengwar, therefore it is possible that those particular letters influenced stylistically the Tengwar.


The telco could be normal, raised, shortened or heightened. The lúva would be single or doubled, and these could be open or closed.  
The telco could be normal, raised, shortened or heightened. The lúva would be single or doubled, and these could be open or closed.  


All the above combinations can create 31 different shapes of letters. These shapes mirrored phonological significances: The basic form of a tengwa was used for the [[patakar]], the voiceless fricatives; telcor determined how the sound was articulated, and the lúvar where in the mouth it was made:
All the above combinations can create 32 to 40 different shapes of letters. These shapes mirrored phonological significances: The basic form of a tengwa was used for the [[patakar]], the voiceless fricatives; telcor determined how the sound was articulated, and the lúvar where in the mouth it was made:
* Doubling the bow turns the voiceless consonant into a voiced one.
* Doubling the bow turns the voiceless consonant into a voiced one.
* Raising the stem above the line turns it into the corresponding fricative or a corresponding soft version of it.
* Raising the stem above the line turns it into the corresponding fricative or a corresponding soft version of it.
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According to their shape, the 32 different glyphs could be arranged and presented consistently on a table. The principal letters are divided into series (''témar'') that correspond to the main places of articulation and into six rows (''tyeller'') that correspond to the main manners of articulation. Both vary among modes.
According to their shape, the 32 different glyphs could be arranged and presented consistently on a table. The principal letters are divided into series (''témar'') that correspond to the main places of articulation and into six rows (''tyeller'') that correspond to the main manners of articulation. Both vary among modes.


The table below gives the '''theoretical'''<ref>Observations made by [[Jim Allan]]'s ''[[An Introduction to Elvish]]'', The Evolution of the Tengwar</ref> values of the Tengwar based consistently on the abovementioned rules. Note that no language possessed all these sounds and the following does not represent an actual table of values. In actuality, the languages used modifications or variations of them.
The table below gives the '''theoretical'''<ref>Observations made by [[Jim Allan]]'s ''[[An Introduction to Elvish]]'', The Evolution of the Tengwar</ref> values of the Tengwar based consistently on the abovementioned rules. Note that no language possessed all these sounds and the following does not represent an actual table of values of a particular language. In actuality, the languages used modifications or variations of them.


{| border="1"
{| border="1"
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| [[Ando]]
| [[Ando]]
| {{tg|w}}
| {{tg|w}}
| [[Umbar]]
| [[Umbar (word)|Umbar]]
| {{tg|s}}
| {{tg|s}}
| [[Anga]]
| [[Anga]]
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|Grade III
|Grade III
| {{tg|3}}
| {{tg|3}}
| [[Súle]]
| [[Súlë]]
| {{tg|e}}
| {{tg|e}}
| [[Formen]]
| [[Formen]]
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| [[Óre]]
| [[Óre]]
| {{tg|y}}
| {{tg|y}}
| [[Vala]]
| [[Valar|Vala]]
| {{tg|h}}
| {{tg|h}}
| [[Anna]]
| [[Anna]]
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| [[Silme nuquerna]]
| [[Silme nuquerna]]
| {{tg|k}}
| {{tg|k}}
| [[Esse]]
| [[Essë]]
| {{tg|,}}
| {{tg|,}}
| [[Esse nuquerna]]
| [[Esse nuquerna]]
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| [[Hwesta Sindarinwa]]
| [[Hwesta Sindarinwa]]
| {{tg|.}}
| {{tg|.}}
| [[Úre]]
| [[Úrë]]
|-
|-
|
|
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|}
|}
== Values==
== Values==
As mentioned, the tengwar had a generic mode that covered a wide range of phonemes. This mode perhaps originated in [[Eregion]] and exemplified in the verse of the [[One Ring]] and other Westron tengwar texts. It could be used for both Quenya and Sindarin.
As mentioned, the tengwar had a generic mode that covered a wide range of phonemes. This mode perhaps originated in [[Eregion]] and exemplified in the verse of [[the One Ring]] and other Westron tengwar texts. It could be used for both Quenya and Sindarin.


The following table gives both the formal Quenya and Numenian<ref>[[Jim Allan]]'s ''[[Report from Marquette]]''</ref> names of the tengwar. When two values are given (separated with a '''/''' slash), the first refers to the Elvish variation. The dashes indicate when the letter is used initially or finally and/or as a diphthong element.
The following table gives both the formal Quenya and Numenian<ref>[[Jim Allan]]'s ''[[Report from Marquette]]''</ref> names of the tengwar. When two values are given (separated with a '''/''' slash), the first refers to the Elvish variation and the second to the [[Mannish]] or Westron variation.  
 
Note that the dashes indicate when the letter is used initially or finally and/or as a diphthong element.


{| border="1"
{| border="1"
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|}
|}


The following is a full mode variety, related mainly to the north, and uses tengwar (and carriers) as vowels. It was probably created in [[Arnor]], influenced from the Mode of Beleriand used in [[Rivendell]]. Even the [[Dwarf]] [[Ori]] wrote in this hand in the [[Book of Mazarbul]]<ref>The second page of the Book of Mazarbul ([http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/mdtci.html#DTS13 DTS13]) said to be written by Ori, is categorized to belong to the Northern Variety [http://at.mansbjorkman.net/teng_modes.htm here]</ref>
The following is a full mode variety, related mainly to the north, and uses tengwar (and carriers) as vowels. It was probably created in [[Arnor]], influenced from the Mode of Beleriand used in [[Rivendell]]. Even the [[Dwarves|dwarf]] [[Ori]] wrote in this hand in the [[Book of Mazarbul]]<ref>The second page of the Book of Mazarbul ([http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/mdtci.html#DTS13 DTS13]) said to be written by Ori, is categorized to belong to the Northern Variety [http://at.mansbjorkman.net/teng_modes.htm here]</ref>


{| border="1"
{| border="1"
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The tengwar were probably developed in the late 1920s or in the early 1930s. ''The Lonely Mountain Jar Inscription'', the first published tengwar sample, dates to 1937 (''[[The Hobbit]]'', most editions). The full explanation of the tengwar was published in Appendix E of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' in 1955.
The tengwar were probably developed in the late 1920s or in the early 1930s. ''The Lonely Mountain Jar Inscription'', the first published tengwar sample, dates to 1937 (''[[The Hobbit]]'', most editions). The full explanation of the tengwar was published in Appendix E of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' in 1955.
==Inspiration==
==Inspiration==
[[Jim Allan]] (''[[An Introduction to Elvish]]'', ISBN 0-905220-10-2) compared the tengwar with the ''Universal Alphabet'' of Francis Lodwick of 1686, both on grounds of the correspondance between shape features and sound features, and of the actual letter shapes. A corresponance between shape features and sound features is also found in the Korean Hangul alphabet. It is not known whether Tolkien was aware of these previous scripts. However, considering the sarati and the valmaric script of his youth, it is conceivable that Tolkien developed the idea of a general correspondance between shape features and sound features by himself.
[[Jim Allan]] (''[[An Introduction to Elvish]]'', ISBN 0-905220-10-2) compared the tengwar with the ''Universal Alphabet'' of Francis Lodwick of 1686, both on grounds of the correspondence between shape features and sound features, and of the actual letter shapes. A correspondence between shape features and sound features is also found in the Korean Hangul alphabet.  


==Indexing==
It is not known whether Tolkien was aware of these previous scripts. However, considering the sarati and the valmaric script which he already invented in his youth, it is conceivable that Tolkien developed the idea of a general correspondence between shape features and sound features by himself.
[[Mellonath Daeron]], the linguistic fan society, devised a system to keep track of all the known genuine (=made by Tolkien) samples of the Tengwar and create a reference list.


The ''Mellonath Daeron Index of Tengwar Specimina'' (DTS) lists 67 known sources of tengwar samples and is updated whenever a new sample is published, revealed or discovered.
It is likewise not known whether, but conceivable that the shapes of several tengwar were inspired by the insular minuscule script, used to write Anglo-saxon, and the gothic textura and cursive scripts, used to write Middle English, with which Tolkien was familiar through reading medieval manuscripts in these languages in his professional capacity as a linguist.
==Tengwar study==
===Indexing===
[[Mellonath Daeron]], the linguistic guild of the [[Forodrim]], devised a system to keep track of all the known genuine samples of the Tengwar made by Tolkien and create a reference list.
 
As of [[2010]] the ''[http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/mdtci.html Mellonath Daeron Index of Tengwar Specimina]'' (DTS) lists 80 known sources of tengwar samples and is updated whenever a new sample is published, revealed or discovered.


The DTS is used as a widely accepted standard in Tolkien studies, whenever an essay or article needs to refer to an example or an attested source.  
The DTS is used as a widely accepted standard in Tolkien studies, whenever an essay or article needs to refer to an example or an attested source.  
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* [http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/mdtci.html#DTS50 DTS 50]/[http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/mdtci.html#DTS51 51] - ''Edwin Lowdham's Manuscript'' from [[The Notion Club Papers]] has [[Old English]] language text written in tengwar (with a few [[Adûnaic]] and Quenya words), dating to 1945/6.
* [http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/mdtci.html#DTS50 DTS 50]/[http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/mdtci.html#DTS51 51] - ''Edwin Lowdham's Manuscript'' from [[The Notion Club Papers]] has [[Old English]] language text written in tengwar (with a few [[Adûnaic]] and Quenya words), dating to 1945/6.
* [http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/mdtci.html#DTS10 DTS 10] - The Brogan Tengwa-greetings, appearing in ''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]]'', No. 118, tentatively dated to 1948.
* [http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/mdtci.html#DTS10 DTS 10] - The Brogan Tengwa-greetings, appearing in ''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]]'', No. 118, tentatively dated to 1948.
* The following samples presumably predate the Lord of the Rings, but they were not explicitly dated: [http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/mdtci.html#DTS16 DTS 16], [http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/mdtci.html#DTS17 DTS 17], [http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/mdtci.html#DTS18 DTS 18] - ''Elvish Script Sample I, II, III'', with parts of the English poems ''[[Errantry]]'' and ''[[Bombadil]]'', first published in the ''Silmarillion Calendar 1978'', later in ''[[Pictures by J.R.R. Tolkien]]'', as well as [http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/mdtci.html#DTS23 DTS 23] - ''So Lúthien'', a page of the English ''Lay of Leithan'' text facsimiled in [[The History of Middle-earth#Volume 3|HoME 3]]:299.
* The following samples presumably predate the Lord of the Rings, but they were not explicitly dated: [http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/mdtci.html#DTS16 DTS 16], [http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/mdtci.html#DTS17 DTS 17], [http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/mdtci.html#DTS18 DTS 18] - ''Elvish Script Sample I, II, III'', with parts of the English poems ''[[Errantry]]'' and ''[[The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (poem)|Bombadil]]'', first published in the ''Silmarillion Calendar 1978'', later in ''[[Pictures by J.R.R. Tolkien]]'', as well as [http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/mdtci.html#DTS23 DTS 23] - ''So Lúthien'', a page of the English ''Lay of Leithan'' text facsimiled in [[The History of Middle-earth#Volume 3|HoME 3]]:299.


A few other samples, e.g. a tengwar mode for [[Gothic]] are known to exist, but remain unpublished to date [http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/9902/unpub.html].
A few other samples, e.g. a tengwar mode for [[Gothic]] are known to exist, but remain unpublished to date<ref>http://www.reocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/9902/unpub.html</ref>.
 
===Modes===
== Encoding Schemes ==
As the peoples of Middle-earth used various modes of Tengwar, and as Tolkien wrote English, [[Old English]] and [[Norse]] in Tengwar, [[fandom|fans]] have created Tengwar modes for real languages. There are modes to write French, Swedish, Latin or Spanish.  
=== Non-Unicode ===
=== Encoding Schemes ===
The contemporary de facto standard in the tengwar user community maps the tengwar characters onto the regular English character encoding following the example of the [http://www.gis.net/~dansmith/fonts/font_tengwar/ tengwar typefaces] by [[Dan Smith]]. A drawback of the font solution is that if no corresponding tengwar font is installed, an awful string of nonsense characters appears.
==== Non-Unicode ====
The contemporary de facto standard in the tengwar user community maps the tengwar characters onto the regular English character encoding following the example of the [http://www.gis.net/~dansmith/fonts/font_tengwar/ tengwar typefaces] by [[Dan Smith]]. A drawback of the font solution is that if no corresponding tengwar font is installed, an awful string of [[wikipedia:Mojibake|nonsense characters]] appears.


Since there is not enough place for all the signs, certain signs are included in a "tengwar A" font which also maps its characters on ISO 8859-1, overlapping with the first font.
Since there is not enough place for all the signs, certain signs are included in a "tengwar A" font which also maps its characters on ISO 8859-1, overlapping with the first font.
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{{tg|j#¸ 9t&5# w`Vb%_ 6EO w6Y5 e7~V 2{( zèVj# 5% 2x%51T`Û 2{( 7v%1+º 4hR 7EO 2{$yYO2 y4% 7]F85^ 2{( z5^8i`B5$i( 2{( dyYj2 zE1 1`N ]Fa 4^(6 5% `C 8q7T1T W w74^(69~N2º}}
{{tg|j#¸ 9t&5# w`Vb%_ 6EO w6Y5 e7~V 2{( zèVj# 5% 2x%51T`Û 2{( 7v%1+º 4hR 7EO 2{$yYO2 y4% 7]F85^ 2{( z5^8i`B5$i( 2{( dyYj2 zE1 1`N ]Fa 4^(6 5% `C 8q7T1T W w74^(69~N2º}}
 
<!--
=== Unicode ===
==== Unicode ====
A proposal has been made to include the Tengwar in the Unicode standard so that users won't need to install a particular font to see Tengwar on the screen.
A proposal has been made to include the Tengwar in the Unicode standard so that users won't need to install a particular font to see Tengwar on the screen.


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<blockquote style="font-family: Code2000, Code2001; font-size: 1.2em;">                             </blockquote>
<blockquote style="font-family: Code2000, Code2001; font-size: 1.2em;">                             </blockquote>
-->
===Uses outside the legendarium===
Random (meaningless) Tengwar appear stylistically in a prop of an ancient tome in the [[Wikipedia:Within Temptation|Within Temptation]] music video for "Stand My Ground". Tengwar also appear in the computer game ''[[Wikipedia:Atlantis: The Lost Tales|Atlantis: The Lost Tales]]'' and the ''[[Wikipedia:Alone in the Dar|Alone in the Dark]]'' comic book.
Several linguists such as [[Wikipedia:Eric S. Raymond|Eric S. Raymond]], promote the usage of Tengwar for the constructed language [[Wikipedia:Lojban|Lojban]] as they are culturally neutral and contains some main Lojban morphology rules, making Lojban easier to learn when it is written with Tengwar.<ref>Kena. [http://vodka-pomme.net/projects/tengwar-for-lojban/lojteng#learn  ''Lojban using tengwar - why?''] (accessed August 2007)</ref> (another suggested mode can be seen [http://www.catb.org/~esr/tengwar/lojban-tengwar.html there]).


== See also ==
== See also ==
* [[Sarati]]
* [[Sarati]]
* [[Cirth]]
* [[Cirth]]
{{references}}
* Christopher Tolkien, ''The Tengwar Numerals'', in ''[[Quettar]]'' 13, Feb. 1982, pp. 8-9; a further, untitled, explanation of the Tengwar numerals by Christopher Tolkien appeared in ''Quettar'' 14, May 1982, pp. 6-7.


== External Links ==
== External Links ==
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* [http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/4948/tengwar Tengwar] by Dan Smith
* [http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/4948/tengwar Tengwar] by Dan Smith
* [http://www.geocities.com/tengwar2001/ Tolkien Script Publishing]
* [http://www.geocities.com/tengwar2001/ Tolkien Script Publishing]
* [http://www.geocities.com/therealteng/ Real-life Tengwar samples]
* [http://tengwar.art.pl/tengwar/ott/start.php?l=en Online Tengwar transcriber]
* [http://tengwar.art.pl/tengwar/ott/start.php?l=en Online Tengwar transcriber]


=== Modes ===
=== Modes ===
* [http://www.geocities.com/otsoandor/FTMME.htm Tengwar mode for English]
* [http://at.mansbjorkman.net/teng_general_english.htm Tengwar Mode for English (general use)]
* [http://www.duvendor.com.br/amanye/Downloads/FTMME_Text.pdf Full Tengwar Modes for Modern English]
* [http://catb.org/~esr/tengwar/ ESR's Tengwar modes for Esperanto and Lojban languages]
* [http://catb.org/~esr/tengwar/ ESR's Tengwar modes for Esperanto and Lojban languages]
* [http://lambenor.free.fr/tengwar/espanol.html Tengwar mode for Spanish]
* [http://lambenor.free.fr/tengwar/espanol.html Tengwar mode for Spanish]
* [http://dombach.florian.bei.t-online.de/schrift/deutschloth.htm Tengwar mode(s) for German]
* [http://my.opera.com/tengwarblog/blog/deutscher-tengwar-modus Tengwar mode for German (full writing)]
* [http://my.ort.org.il/tolkien/gandalf/ps/tengwar.ps.gz Tengwar mode for Hebrew] (PostScript format)
* [http://symbolictruth.fateback.com/tengwar-arabic-mode.htm Tengwar mode for Arabic]


=== Software ===
=== Software ===
Line 552: Line 561:
* [http://movies.groups.yahoo.com/group/elfscript/message/30 Critique on the official proposal to encode Tengwar in Unicode]
* [http://movies.groups.yahoo.com/group/elfscript/message/30 Critique on the official proposal to encode Tengwar in Unicode]


[[category:Writing systems]]
{{references}}
<small>
* Christopher Tolkien, ''The Tengwar Numerals'', in ''[[Quettar]]'' 13, Feb. 1982, pp. 8-9; a further, untitled, explanation of the Tengwar numerals by Christopher Tolkien appeared in ''Quettar'' 14, May 1982, pp. 6-7.
</small>
[[Category:Quenya nouns]]
[[Category:Tengwar]]
[[Category:Tengwar]]
[[Category:Quenya words]]
[[Category:Writing systems]]
[[de:Tengwar]]
[[fr:encyclo/langues/tengwar]]
[[fr:encyclo/langues/tengwar]]
[[fi:Tengwar]]

Revision as of 21:56, 28 May 2014

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Tengwar Parmaite by Måns Björkman
The name Fëanorian refers to more than one character, item or concept. For a list of other meanings, see Fëanorian (disambiguation).
Fëanor designs the first Tengwar

The Tengwar (Quenya "letters", pron. [ˈteŋʷɡʷar]; Sindarin Tîw[1]) had been a writing system invented by Fëanor (and was therefore also called the Fëanorian alphabet[2] or script[3]). It has been used for a variety of languages among the Free peoples and became perhaps the most prominent writing system of Arda, used by a variety of Races through the Ages.

History

The Classical Quenya mode

Main article: Quenya mode

Fëanor invented the tengwar on the Valian Year 1250 strongly influenced by the Sarati of Rúmil the Loremaster.[source?][4] Fëanor both constructed the Tengwar as a general phonetic alphabet, and devised special arrangements to fit the characteristics of all languages of Valinor.[5]

Unlike Rúmil, Fëanor considered vowels as indepedent sounds and not just “colours” of the consonants, so he devised the “full writing” (Quanta Sarmë).[4]

However Fëanor also used a more 'conservative' system which seem to have been proved far more popular; he held Rúmil's idea of syllabic analysis of the words by the Sarati, and made also use of tehtar (instead of the full letters).[4].

The classical Quenya mode of the Tengwar may have originated from Fëanor's own arrangement. There is no direct evidence for this hypothesis, but the use of the Quenya names for the individual letters hints to a primate of the Quenya mode. Another hint to a very old age of the classical Quenya mode is that it uses the Calmatéma as a k-series, like the mode of Beleriand which we can assume to have originated in the First Age.

The Mode of Beleriand

Main article: Mode of Beleriand
The Doors of Durin created during the Second Age

When the Noldor rebelled and came to Middle-earth, they adapted their writing for the new languages they learned. Quanta Sarmë was used for languages where the tehtar were not useful[4] which could have been the origin for the Mode of Beleriand.

In Beleriand, it is also possible that the Tengwar influenced the evolution of the Cirth of Daeron, mainly in their shape and arrangement.

We know from the inscription on the Western Moria Gate that in Eregion, a tengwar mode called the Mode of Beleriand was used. This name allows for the assumption that the same mode was used already in the First Age.

At the end of the Third Age, the Elves of Rivendell probably still used that mode, since a transcription of the Rivendell aerlinn A Elbereth Gilthoniel features it.[6] Frodo, however, even though literate in Sindarin, was appearently unable to read this mode.

The General Use

By the end of the Third Age, there was a general use that could be used for a variety of languages including Quenya, Sindarin and the Common Speech.[7] This use could have evolved during the Second Age, in Eregion or even in Númenor.

The same mode appears on the Ring-inscription[8] which the Númenorean Isildur observed it to be "fashioned in an elven-script of Eregion".[9]

It is not certain whether the whole mode itself was from Eregion or simply just the script was of an Elvish fashion. Some Adûnaic words use this mode.[10].

In the Northern part of the Westron-speaking regions, another mode was used that was based on the "general use" but used full letters for the representation of vowels, perhaps by influence of the Elves of Rivendell. This might explain why Frodo was unable to read either the Mode of Beleriand or the Ring Inscription.

Spelling and Pronunciation

Structure

The most notable characteristic of the tengwar script is that the shapes of the letters correspond to the features of the sounds they represent.

The shape of the Tengwar were uniformly consisted of two elements, the telco (stem) to which is attached a lúva (bow). It is noticeable that some of the letters of the Sarati resembled the telco/lúva shape seen on the Tengwar, therefore it is possible that those particular letters influenced stylistically the Tengwar.

The telco could be normal, raised, shortened or heightened. The lúva would be single or doubled, and these could be open or closed.

All the above combinations can create 32 to 40 different shapes of letters. These shapes mirrored phonological significances: The basic form of a tengwa was used for the patakar, the voiceless fricatives; telcor determined how the sound was articulated, and the lúvar where in the mouth it was made:

  • Doubling the bow turns the voiceless consonant into a voiced one.
  • Raising the stem above the line turns it into the corresponding fricative or a corresponding soft version of it.
  • Shortening it (so it is only the height of the bow) indicates the corresponding nasal or, mostly, the approximants.

According to their shape, the 32 different glyphs could be arranged and presented consistently on a table. The principal letters are divided into series (témar) that correspond to the main places of articulation and into six rows (tyeller) that correspond to the main manners of articulation. Both vary among modes.

The table below gives the theoretical[11] values of the Tengwar based consistently on the abovementioned rules. Note that no language possessed all these sounds and the following does not represent an actual table of values of a particular language. In actuality, the languages used modifications or variations of them.

Labial Dental Velar Labiovelar
Voiceless
plosives
q p 1 t a k z kw
Voiced
plosives
w b 2 d s g x gw
Aspirated
voiceless plosives
Q ph ! th A kh Z khw
Aspirated
voiced plosives
W bh @ dh S gh X ghw
Voiceless
fricatives
e f 3 th d ch c chw
Voiced
fricatives
r v 4 dh f gh v ghw
Voiceless
nasals
y hm 6 hn h n hñw
Nasals t m 5 n g ñ b ñw

Arrangement

By the end of the Third Age, the Tengwar were somehow standardized. Their Quenya names became standard for all modes, and less used ones were not included (although still used), such as those of the extended stems and the Tyelpetéma. The table displayed 36 letters: the 24 standard Tengwar, plus 12 of the additional Tengwar.

Also, the Tengwar were assigned numeric values

Tincotéma Parmatéma Calmatéma Quessetéma
Grade I 1 Tinco q Parma a Calma z Quesse
Grade II 2 Ando w Umbar s Anga x Ungwe
Grade III 3 Súlë e Formen d Aha c Hwesta
Grade IV 4 Anto r Ampa f Anca v Unque
Grade V 5 Númen t Malta g Noldo b Nwalme
Grade VI 6 Óre y Vala h Anna n Vilya
Additional Tengwar:
7 Rómen u Arda j Lambe m Alda
8 Silme i Silme nuquerna k Essë , Esse nuquerna
9 Hyarmen l Yanta o Hwesta Sindarinwa . Úrë
½ Halla ` Telco ~ Ára

Values

As mentioned, the tengwar had a generic mode that covered a wide range of phonemes. This mode perhaps originated in Eregion and exemplified in the verse of the One Ring and other Westron tengwar texts. It could be used for both Quenya and Sindarin.

The following table gives both the formal Quenya and Numenian[12] names of the tengwar. When two values are given (separated with a / slash), the first refers to the Elvish variation and the second to the Mannish or Westron variation.

Note that the dashes indicate when the letter is used initially or finally and/or as a diphthong element.

Parmatéma Tincotéma Calmatéma Quessetéma
1 t
Tinco/Tó
q p
Parma/Pí
a ch (as in church)
Calma/Ché
z k
Quesse/Ká
2 d
Ando/Dó
w b
Umbar/Bí
s j
Anga/Jé
x g
Ungwe/Gá
3 th
Súle/Thó
e f
Formen/Fí
d sh
Aha/Shé
c ch/h (as in loch)
Hwesta/Aha (or Oha)
4 dh
Anto/Adhó
r v
Ampa/Ví
f zh
Anca/Izhe
v gh
Unque/Agha
5 n
Númen/Nó
t m
Malta/Mí
g ny
Noldo/Nyé
b ng
Nwalme/Ngá
6 -r/r
Óre/Ar
y w, -u/w
Vala/Wí
h -i/y
Anna/Yé
n ’?
’á
Additional Tengwar:
7 r
Rómen/Aro
u rh
Arda/Rho
j l
Lambe/Alo
m lh
Alda/Lho
8 s
Silme/Só
i s
Silme Nuquerna/Ós
k ss/z
Esse/Azo
, z
Oza
9 h
Hyarmen/Há
l i-, -e
Yanta/Ai
o wh
Hwesta Sindarinwa/Whí
. -u?
Úre/Au

The following is a full mode variety, related mainly to the north, and uses tengwar (and carriers) as vowels. It was probably created in Arnor, influenced from the Mode of Beleriand used in Rivendell. Even the dwarf Ori wrote in this hand in the Book of Mazarbul[13]

Parmatéma Tincotéma Calmatéma Quessetéma
1 t
Tinco/Tó
q p
Parma/Pí
a ch (as in church)
Calma/Ché
z k
Quesse/Ká
2 d
Ando/Dó
w b
Umbar/Bí
s j
AngaJé
x g
Ungwe/Gá
3 th
Súle/Thó
e f
Formen/Fí
d sh
Aha/Shé
c ch/h (as in loch
Hwesta/Aha
4 dh
Anto/Adhó
r v
Ampa/Ví
f zh
Anca/Izhe
v gh
Unque/Agha
5 n
Númen/Nó
t m
Malta/Mí
g ny
Noldo/Nyé
b ng
Nwalme/Ngá
6 -r/r
Óre/Ar
y w, -u/u
Vala/Wí
h o
Anna/Yé
n a
'a
Additional Tengwar:
7 r
Rómen/Aro
u rh
Arda/Rho
j l
Lambe/Alo
m lh
Alda/Lho
8 s
Silme/Só
i s
Silme Nuquerna/Ós
k ss/z
Esse/Azo
, z
Esse Nuquerna/Oza
9 h
Hyarmen/Há
l i-, -e/e
Yanta/Ai
o wh
Hwesta Sindarinwa/Whí
. w
Úre/Au
`B i ~B i-/y- ] a š mh

Other modes

Just as with any alphabetic writing system, every specific language written in tengwar requires a specific orthography, depending on the phonology of that language. These tengwar orthographies are usually called modes. All of them, use as a basis the "theoretical values" table above, corresponding the letters to the phonemes of each language's phonology, and even drop out the characters that would be useless

All the modes can be divided into two large categories:

Furthermore, some modes map the basic consonants to /t/, /p/, /k/, and /kʷ/, while others (generally Mannish) use them to represent /t/, /p/, /tʃ/, and /k/.

External History

The sarati, described in Parma Eldalamberon 13, a script developed by Tolkien in the late 1910s, anticipates many features of the tengwar, especially the vowel representation by diacritics (which is found in many tengwar varieties), different tengwar shapes and a few correspondances between sound features and letter shape features (though inconsistent).

Even closer to the tengwar is the Valmaric script, described in Parma Eldalamberon 14, which Tolkien used from about 1922 to 1925. It features many tengwar shapes, the inherent vowel [a]found in some tengwar varieties, and the tables in the samples V12 and V13 show an arrangement that is very similar to the one of the primary tengwar in the classical Quenya "mode".

The tengwar were probably developed in the late 1920s or in the early 1930s. The Lonely Mountain Jar Inscription, the first published tengwar sample, dates to 1937 (The Hobbit, most editions). The full explanation of the tengwar was published in Appendix E of The Lord of the Rings in 1955.

Inspiration

Jim Allan (An Introduction to Elvish, ISBN 0-905220-10-2) compared the tengwar with the Universal Alphabet of Francis Lodwick of 1686, both on grounds of the correspondence between shape features and sound features, and of the actual letter shapes. A correspondence between shape features and sound features is also found in the Korean Hangul alphabet.

It is not known whether Tolkien was aware of these previous scripts. However, considering the sarati and the valmaric script which he already invented in his youth, it is conceivable that Tolkien developed the idea of a general correspondence between shape features and sound features by himself.

It is likewise not known whether, but conceivable that the shapes of several tengwar were inspired by the insular minuscule script, used to write Anglo-saxon, and the gothic textura and cursive scripts, used to write Middle English, with which Tolkien was familiar through reading medieval manuscripts in these languages in his professional capacity as a linguist.

Tengwar study

Indexing

Mellonath Daeron, the linguistic guild of the Forodrim, devised a system to keep track of all the known genuine samples of the Tengwar made by Tolkien and create a reference list.

As of 2010 the Mellonath Daeron Index of Tengwar Specimina (DTS) lists 80 known sources of tengwar samples and is updated whenever a new sample is published, revealed or discovered.

The DTS is used as a widely accepted standard in Tolkien studies, whenever an essay or article needs to refer to an example or an attested source.

This is a list of few known samples predating publication of The Lord of the Rings (many of them published posthumously):

A few other samples, e.g. a tengwar mode for Gothic are known to exist, but remain unpublished to date[14].

Modes

As the peoples of Middle-earth used various modes of Tengwar, and as Tolkien wrote English, Old English and Norse in Tengwar, fans have created Tengwar modes for real languages. There are modes to write French, Swedish, Latin or Spanish.

Encoding Schemes

Non-Unicode

The contemporary de facto standard in the tengwar user community maps the tengwar characters onto the regular English character encoding following the example of the tengwar typefaces by Dan Smith. A drawback of the font solution is that if no corresponding tengwar font is installed, an awful string of nonsense characters appears.

Since there is not enough place for all the signs, certain signs are included in a "tengwar A" font which also maps its characters on ISO 8859-1, overlapping with the first font.

For each tengwar diacritic, there are four different codepoints that are used depending on the width of the character which bears it.

Other tengwar typefaces with Dan Smith's encoding include Johan Winge's Tengwar Annatar, Måns Björkman's Tengwar Parmaite, Enrique Mombello's Tengwar Élfica or Michal Nowakowski's Tengwar Formal (note that most of these differ in details).

The following sample shows the first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights written in English, according to the traditional English orthography. If no tengwar font is installed, it will look nonsense since the corresponding ISO 8859-1 characters (Roman letters, numbers and signs) will appear instead.

j#¸ 9t&5# w`Vb%_ 6EO w6Y5 e7~V 2{( zèVj# 5% 2x%51T`Û 2{( 7v%1+º 4hR 7EO 2{$yYO2 y4% 7]F85^ 2{( z5^8i`B5$i( 2{( dyYj2 zE1 1`N ]Fa 4^(6 5% `C 8q7T1T W w74^(69~N2º

Uses outside the legendarium

Random (meaningless) Tengwar appear stylistically in a prop of an ancient tome in the Within Temptation music video for "Stand My Ground". Tengwar also appear in the computer game Atlantis: The Lost Tales and the Alone in the Dark comic book.

Several linguists such as Eric S. Raymond, promote the usage of Tengwar for the constructed language Lojban as they are culturally neutral and contains some main Lojban morphology rules, making Lojban easier to learn when it is written with Tengwar.[15] (another suggested mode can be seen there).

See also

External Links

Modes

Software

More of Tengwar software on Tengwar Feanora web-site (in Polish).

Technical

References

  • Christopher Tolkien, The Tengwar Numerals, in Quettar 13, Feb. 1982, pp. 8-9; a further, untitled, explanation of the Tengwar numerals by Christopher Tolkien appeared in Quettar 14, May 1982, pp. 6-7.