Lhammas
Encyclopedia
The Lhammas is a work of fiction
al sociolinguistics
by J. R. R. Tolkien
. It was published in The Lost Road and Other Writings
, volume V of The History of Middle-earth
.
The Lhammas as published presents the theory that all the languages of Middle-earth descend from the language of the gods or Valar, Valarin, and were divided in three branches:
This internal history of the Elvish constructed languages was later revised by Tolkien. The Elves were said by Tolkien to have been able of inventing (constructing) their own language (see Primitive Quendian
). Tolkien never wrote an 'updated' version of the Lhammas that would be coherent with this later internal history of the Elvish languages. The essay as it stands in The Lost Road can be thus seen as an interpolated manuscript
, badly translated by Men in the Fourth Age
or even later: "For many thousands of years have passed since the fall of Gondolin." (The Lhammas, p. 180). No autograph manuscripts of the Lhammas of Pengolodh were left; the three manuscripts we possess come from the original manuscript through an unknown number of intermediate copies. Only the final chapter of the work of Pengolodh, called Ósanwe-kenta
, comes from a much better manuscript and is much less interpolated.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al sociolinguistics
Sociolinguistics
Sociolinguistics is the descriptive study of the effect of any and all aspects of society, including cultural norms, expectations, and context, on the way language is used, and the effects of language use on society...
by J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
. It was published in The Lost Road and Other Writings
The Lost Road and Other Writings
The Lost Road and Other Writings is the fifth volume of The History of Middle-earth, a series of compilations of drafts and essays written by J. R. R. Tolkien...
, volume V of The History of Middle-earth
The History of Middle-earth
The History of Middle-earth is a 12-volume series of books published from 1983 through to 1996 that collect and analyse material relating to the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, compiled and edited by his son, Christopher Tolkien. Some of the content consists of earlier versions of already published...
.
The Lhammas as published presents the theory that all the languages of Middle-earth descend from the language of the gods or Valar, Valarin, and were divided in three branches:
- OromëanOromëanIn an older version of J.R.R. Tolkien's conception of the languages of Middle-earth as expounded in the Lhammas, Oromëan is the language phylum to which all Elvish languages, such as Quenya and Sindarin, belong...
, named after the god or Vala Oromë, who taught the first ElvesElf (Middle-earth)In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Elves are one of the races that inhabit a fictional Earth, often called Middle-earth, and set in the remote past. They appear in The Hobbit and in The Lord of the Rings, but their complex history is described more fully in The Silmarillion...
to speak. All languages of Elves and most languages of MenMan (Middle-earth)The race of Men in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth books, such as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, refers to humanity and does not denote gender...
are Oromëan. - Aulëan, named after the god AulëAulëAulë is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, who is primarily discussed in The Silmarillion, but appears also in Tolkien's other works. In Tolkien's pantheon of Middle-earth, Aulë is a knowledge deity, sometimes worshipped as a god by men, representing skill and craftsmanship,...
, father of the DwarvesDwarf (Middle-earth)In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Dwarves are a race inhabiting the world of Arda, a fictional prehistoric Earth which includes the continent Middle-earth....
, is the origin of the KhuzdulKhuzdulKhuzdul is a constructed language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien. It is one of the many fictional language set in his Secondary world, often called Middle-earth...
language. It has had some influences on the tongues of Men. - Melkian, named after the rebellious god MelkorMorgothMorgoth Bauglir is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth legendarium. He is the main antagonist of The Silmarillion, figures in The Children of Húrin, and is mentioned briefly in The Lord of the Rings.Melkor was the most powerful of the Ainur, but turned to darkness and became...
or Morgoth, is the origin in the First Age of the many tongues used by the OrcsOrc (Middle-earth)In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings, Orcs or Orks are a race of creatures who are used as soldiers and henchmen by both the greater and lesser villains of The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings — Morgoth, Sauron and Saruman...
and other evil beings. (This tongue is unrelated to the Black SpeechBlack SpeechThe Black Speech is a fictional language created by J. R. R. Tolkien.One of the languages of Arda in Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, it was spoken in the realm of Mordor...
of Sauron.)
This internal history of the Elvish constructed languages was later revised by Tolkien. The Elves were said by Tolkien to have been able of inventing (constructing) their own language (see Primitive Quendian
Primitive Quendian
Primitive Quendian is a constructed language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien. It is one of the many fictional language set in his Secondary world, often called Middle-earth....
). Tolkien never wrote an 'updated' version of the Lhammas that would be coherent with this later internal history of the Elvish languages. The essay as it stands in The Lost Road can be thus seen as an interpolated manuscript
Interpolation (manuscripts)
An interpolation, in relation to literature and especially ancient manuscripts, is an entry or passage in a text that was not written by the original author...
, badly translated by Men in the Fourth Age
Fourth Age
In the fictional world of middle earth "'the fourth age'" and the ages that preceded it, are time periods from J. R. R. Tolkien's universe of Middle-earth, described in his fantasy writings...
or even later: "For many thousands of years have passed since the fall of Gondolin." (The Lhammas, p. 180). No autograph manuscripts of the Lhammas of Pengolodh were left; the three manuscripts we possess come from the original manuscript through an unknown number of intermediate copies. Only the final chapter of the work of Pengolodh, called Ósanwe-kenta
Osanwe-kenta
The Ósanwe-kenta or Enquiry into the Communication of Thought is a text by J. R. R. Tolkien, written as a typescript of eight pages, probably in 1960, published in Vinyar Tengwar in 1998....
, comes from a much better manuscript and is much less interpolated.