Adûnaic was the language of Númenor,[1] and after its destruction in the Akallabêth, the "native speech" of the people of Elendil in the kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor in the west of Middle-earth, though they usually spoke Sindarin. By the time of the War of the Ring, it had developed into the common speech or Westron.[2] Tolkien called Adûnaic "the language of the culturally and politically influential Númenóreans."[3]
Concept and creation
Although Tolkien created very few original words in Adûnaic, mostly names, the language serves his concept as the ancestor of a lingua franca for Middle-earth, Westron, a shared language for many different peoples.[3]
Tolkien devised Adûnaic (or Númenórean), the language spoken in Númenor, shortly after World War II, and thus at about the time he completed The Lord of the Rings, but before he wrote the linguistic background information of the Appendices. Adûnaic is intended as the language from which Westron (also called Adûni) is derived. This added a depth of historical development to the Mannish languages. Adûnaic was intended to have a "faintly Semitic flavour".[4] Its development began with his 1945 work The Notion Club Papers. It is there that the most extensive sample of the language is found, revealed to one of the (modern-day) protagonists, Lowdham, in a visionary dream of Atlantis. Its grammar is sketched in the unfinished "Lowdham's Report on the Adunaic Language", included in Sauron Defeated.[4]
Tolkien remained undecided whether the language of the Men of Númenor should be derived from the original Mannish language (as in Adûnaic), or if it should be derived from "the Elvish Noldorin" (i.e. Quenya) instead.[5] In The Lost Road and Other Writings it is implied that the Númenóreans spoke Quenya, and that Sauron, hating all things Elvish, taught the Númenóreans the old Mannish tongue they themselves had forgotten.[6]
1Adûnaic is fundamentally a three-vowel language, with a length distinction; the long eː and oː are derived from diphthongs aj and aw, as is the case in Hebrew and in most Arabic dialects, in line with the Semitic flavour that Tolkien intended for both Adûnaic and Khuzdul, which influenced it.
Grammar
Most information about Adûnaic grammar comes from an incomplete typescript Lowdham's Report on the Adûnaic Language, written by Tolkien to accompany The Notion Club Papers.[4] The report discusses phonology and morphological processes in some detail, and starts to discuss nouns, but breaks off before saying much about verbs, other parts of speech or the grammar as a whole. It appears that Tolkien abandoned work on the language after writing this portion of the Report, and never returned to it.[4]
Nouns
Most nouns are triconsonantal, but there are a number of biconsonantal nouns as well. Nouns can be divided into three declensions, called Strong I, Strong II and Weak. The two strong declensions form their various cases by modifying the last vowel, similarly to English man/men. The weak declension forms its cases by appending a suffix.[4]: 413–440
There are three numbers, singular, plural and dual. Dual is used mainly for "natural pairs", like eyes and shoes. There are three cases, Normal, Subjective and Objective. The Subjective case is used as the subject of a verb. The Objective case is used only in compound expressions and appears only in the singular. The Normal case is used in all other circumstances, such as the object of a verb.[4]
Example declensions:
Strong I
Strong II
Weak
Meaning
house
sea
strength
Singular Normal
zadan
azra
abār
Singular Subjective
zadān
azrā
abārā
Singular Objective
zadun
azru
abāru
Dual Normal
zadnat
azrāt, azrat
abārat
Dual Subjective
zadnāt
azrāt
abārāt
Plural Normal
zadīn
azrī
abārī
Plural Subjective
zadīna
azrīya
abārīya
Sample Text
This Adûnaic text, part of the tale of the Fall of Numenor, appears in The Notion Club Papers. It is fragmentary because it appeared in a dream to the character Lowdham, and is only partially translated by him because he did not know the language. Words in bold are not translated at the point in the text where the translation is first given, but their translation is given later in the story.[4]
Kadō
and so
zigūrun
Sauron
zabathān
humbled
unakkha
he-came
...
...
ēruhīnim
Children of God
Kadō zigūrun zabathān unakkha ... ēruhīnim
{and so} Sauron humbled he-came ... {Children of God}
dubdam
fell
ugru-dalad
shadow-under
...
...
ar-pharazōnun
Ar-Pharazon
azaggara
was warring
dubdam ugru-dalad ... ar-pharazōnun azaggara
fell shadow-under ... Ar-Pharazon {was warring}
avalōiyada
against Powers
...
...
bārim
Lords
an-adūn
of-West
yurahtam
broke
dāira
Earth
avalōiyada ... bārim an-adūn yurahtam dāira
{against Powers} ... Lords of-West broke Earth
sāibēth-mā
assent-with
ēruvō
God-from
...
...
azrīya
seas
du-phursā
so-as-to-gush
akhāsada
into chasm
sāibēth-mā ēruvō ... azrīya du-phursā akhāsada
assent-with God-from ... seas so-as-to-gush {into chasm}
...
...
anadūnē
Numenor
zīrān
beloved
hikallaba
she-fell down
...
...
bawība
winds
dulgī
black
... anadūnē zīrān hikallaba ... bawība dulgī
... Numenor beloved {she-fell down} ... winds black
"Adûnaic – the vernacular of Númenor". Ardalambion. Retrieved 10 January 2006.
Thorsten Renk's Ni-bitha Adûnâyê
Adûnaic from Almavarno in Italian
April 10, 2023
adûnaic, adunaic, language, west, fictional, languages, devised, tolkien, fantasy, works, created, tolkiensetting, usagefantasy, world, middle, earthpurposeconstructed, languages, artistic, languagesfictional, languageslanguages, ardasourcesa, priori, language. Adunaic or Adunaic language of the West is one of the fictional languages devised by J R R Tolkien for his fantasy works AdunaicCreated byJ R R TolkienSetting and usageFantasy world of Middle earthPurposeconstructed languages artistic languagesfictional languageslanguages of ArdaAdunaicSourcesa priori language but related to other languages of ArdaLanguage codesISO 639 3None mis GlottologNoneIETFart x adunaicOne of the languages of Arda in Tolkien s Middle earth legendarium Adunaic was spoken by the Men of Numenor during the Second Age Contents 1 Fictional history 2 Concept and creation 3 Phonology 4 Grammar 4 1 Nouns 5 Sample Text 6 References 7 External linksFictional history EditAdunaic was the language of Numenor 1 and after its destruction in the Akallabeth the native speech of the people of Elendil in the kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor in the west of Middle earth though they usually spoke Sindarin By the time of the War of the Ring it had developed into the common speech or Westron 2 Tolkien called Adunaic the language of the culturally and politically influential Numenoreans 3 Concept and creation EditAlthough Tolkien created very few original words in Adunaic mostly names the language serves his concept as the ancestor of a lingua franca for Middle earth Westron a shared language for many different peoples 3 Tolkien devised Adunaic or Numenorean the language spoken in Numenor shortly after World War II and thus at about the time he completed The Lord of the Rings but before he wrote the linguistic background information of the Appendices Adunaic is intended as the language from which Westron also called Aduni is derived This added a depth of historical development to the Mannish languages Adunaic was intended to have a faintly Semitic flavour 4 Its development began with his 1945 work The Notion Club Papers It is there that the most extensive sample of the language is found revealed to one of the modern day protagonists Lowdham in a visionary dream of Atlantis Its grammar is sketched in the unfinished Lowdham s Report on the Adunaic Language included in Sauron Defeated 4 Tolkien remained undecided whether the language of the Men of Numenor should be derived from the original Mannish language as in Adunaic or if it should be derived from the Elvish Noldorin i e Quenya instead 5 In The Lost Road and Other Writings it is implied that the Numenoreans spoke Quenya and that Sauron hating all things Elvish taught the Numenoreans the old Mannish tongue they themselves had forgotten 6 Phonology EditThe phonology is as follows 4 Labial Dental Alveolar Palatal Velar GlottalOcclusive p b t d k ɡFricative f 8 s z x hNasal m n ŋTrill rApproximant l j wFront BackClose i iː u uːClose mid eː 1 oː 1Open a aː1Adunaic is fundamentally a three vowel language with a length distinction the long eː and oː are derived from diphthongs aj and aw as is the case in Hebrew and in most Arabic dialects in line with the Semitic flavour that Tolkien intended for both Adunaic and Khuzdul which influenced it Grammar EditMost information about Adunaic grammar comes from an incomplete typescript Lowdham s Report on the Adunaic Language written by Tolkien to accompany The Notion Club Papers 4 The report discusses phonology and morphological processes in some detail and starts to discuss nouns but breaks off before saying much about verbs other parts of speech or the grammar as a whole It appears that Tolkien abandoned work on the language after writing this portion of the Report and never returned to it 4 Nouns Edit Most nouns are triconsonantal but there are a number of biconsonantal nouns as well Nouns can be divided into three declensions called Strong I Strong II and Weak The two strong declensions form their various cases by modifying the last vowel similarly to English man men The weak declension forms its cases by appending a suffix 4 413 440 There are three numbers singular plural and dual Dual is used mainly for natural pairs like eyes and shoes There are three cases Normal Subjective and Objective The Subjective case is used as the subject of a verb The Objective case is used only in compound expressions and appears only in the singular The Normal case is used in all other circumstances such as the object of a verb 4 Example declensions Strong I Strong II WeakMeaning house sea strengthSingular Normal zadan azra abarSingular Subjective zadan azra abaraSingular Objective zadun azru abaruDual Normal zadnat azrat azrat abaratDual Subjective zadnat azrat abaratPlural Normal zadin azri abariPlural Subjective zadina azriya abariyaSample Text EditThis Adunaic text part of the tale of the Fall of Numenor appears in The Notion Club Papers It is fragmentary because it appeared in a dream to the character Lowdham and is only partially translated by him because he did not know the language Words in bold are not translated at the point in the text where the translation is first given but their translation is given later in the story 4 Kadōand sozigurunSauronzabathanhumbledunakkhahe came eruhinimChildren of GodKadō zigurun zabathan unakkha eruhinim and so Sauron humbled he came Children of God dubdamfellugru daladshadow under ar pharazōnunAr Pharazonazaggarawas warringdubdam ugru dalad ar pharazōnun azaggarafell shadow under Ar Pharazon was warring avalōiyadaagainst Powers barimLordsan adunof WestyurahtambrokedairaEarthavalōiyada barim an adun yurahtam daira against Powers Lords of West broke Earth saibeth maassent witheruvōGod from azriyaseasdu phursaso as to gushakhasadainto chasmsaibeth ma eruvō azriya du phursa akhasadaassent with God from seas so as to gush into chasm anaduneNumenorziranbelovedhikallabashe fell down bawibawindsdulgiblack anadune ziran hikallaba bawiba dulgi Numenor beloved she fell down winds black balikshipshazadsevenan nimruzirof Elendilazuladaeastward balik hazad an nimruzir azulada ships seven of Elendil eastward AgannalōDeath shadowburōdaheavynenudon us zairalongingnenudon usAgannalō burōda nenud zaira nenudDeath shadow heavy on us longing on us adunwestizindistraightbatanroadtaidōonceayadda wentidōnowkathaallbatinaroadslōkhicrooked adun izindi batan taidō ayadda idō katha batina lōkhi west straight road once went now all roads crooked Ephalakfar awayidōnow is YōzayanLand of GiftEphalak idō Yōzayan far away now is Land of Gift Ephalfarephalakfar awayidōnow is hi AkallabethShe that hath fallenEphal ephalak idō hi Akallabethfar far away now is She that hath fallenReferences Edit Tolkien J R R 1977 Christopher Tolkien ed The Silmarillion Boston Houghton Mifflin p 313 entry for Adunakhor ISBN 978 0 395 25730 2 Hammond Wayne G Scull Christina 2005 The Lord of the Rings A Reader s Companion London HarperCollins pp 16 78 79 686 ISBN 978 0007209071 a b Solopova Elizabeth 2009 Languages Myths and History An Introduction to the Linguistic and Literary Background of J R R Tolkien s Fiction New York City North Landing Books pp 70 84 ISBN 978 0 9816607 1 4 a b c d e f g h Tolkien J R R 1992 Christopher Tolkien ed Sauron Defeated Boston New York amp London Houghton Mifflin pp 241 247 250 413 440 ISBN 0 395 60649 7 Tolkien J R R 1996 Christopher Tolkien ed The Peoples of Middle earth Boston Houghton Mifflin p 63 ISBN 978 0 395 82760 4 Tolkien J R R 1987 Christopher Tolkien ed The Lost Road and Other Writings Boston Houghton Mifflin p 68 and note p 75 ISBN 0 395 45519 7 External links Edit Adunaic the vernacular of Numenor Ardalambion Retrieved 10 January 2006 Andreas Moehn Lalaith s Guide to Adunaic Grammar Thorsten Renk s Ni bitha Adunaye Adunaic from Almavarno in Italian Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Adunaic amp oldid 1139694155, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,