22 January 2006

'Initial Variation of Consonants'

In The Lost Road and Other Writings (Volume 5 of The History of Middle-earth), Christopher Tolkien writes:

As I understand the matter, this variation is due to the phenomenon in ‘Exilic Noldorin’ (i.e. the language of the Noldor in Middle-earth, in exile from Valinor) called ‘Initial Variation of Consonants’, whereby a consonant at the beginning of the second element of a compounded word (or of the second word in two words standing in a very close syntactic relation, as noun and and article) underwent the same change as it would when standing in ordinary medial position. [p.298]


Holy Moses. Mr. Tolkien, could you run that by me again?

4 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:47 PM

    eh? what did he say again? please do try to figure that one out and call me x_x i think that one's for REAL tolkien scholars ..you're just a tolkien geek who still cries after reading the Noldor's perilous trip to Helcaraxe.LOL =p

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  2. Uh, I’ve never made pretensions to be a Tolkien scholar in my entries and in my day-to-day life. I’m a Tolkien geek but you’re a Trekkie--and that’s a hundred times worse! Hahahaha! And I don’t see what’s wrong with crying over the Noldor’s crossing of the Helcaraxe, you chauvinist. Men and their ridiculous notions of pride and emotional display. Don’t mess with me, man. I’m in PMS mode right now so I’ve turn into Mr. Hyde-slash-Scar. RRRRAWR.

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  3. Anonymous8:08 PM

    yeah. a trekkie and damn proud of it. hahahaha. err.... wouldv been great tho if Tolkien turns out to be a Vulcan or something... LOL. and you're always on PMS mode lately, what gives?
    btw, i hate bloger's image verification thing-y. it's annoying

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  4. I activated the word verification to prevent comment spam. I really don't want to deal with potential spammers at this point. Sorry if it's a bit of a hassle.

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