Gothic: Difference between revisions

From Tolkien Gateway
m (Added that Tolkien used names of Gothic origin for the first-names of old Hobbit families, such as the Tooks and Bolgers)
m (Added that the names of the early kings and Princes of the Northmen are of Gothic origin and provided a reference for that; added a link to an article about Tolkien and the Gothic chronologist Jordanes)
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==Gothic names in Tolkien's legendarium==
==Gothic names in Tolkien's legendarium==
Since in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' Old English represents [[Rohirric]], Tolkien used Gothic to represent the earlier language of the [[Northmen]] of  [[Rhovanion]] in accordance to the similarity between these languages.  
Since in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' Old English represents [[Rohirric]], Tolkien used Gothic to represent the earlier language of the [[Northmen]] of  [[Rhovanion]] in accordance to the similarity between these languages. As a consequence, the names of the early kings and princes of the Northmen are of Gothic origin.<ref>{{UT|8e}}, note 6</ref>


*[[Vidugavia]]
*[[Vidugavia]]
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==External links==
==External links==
*{{WP|Gothic language}}
*{{WP|Gothic language}}
*[https://www.uco.es/ucopress/ojs/index.php/litteraaperta/article/view/10817/10015] Miryam Librán Moreno: Tolkien and Jordanes. Some resemblances in spiritual outlook
*[http://glaemscrafu.jrrvf.com/english/gothic.html Texts and sound samples] at [[Glǽmscrafu]], including some texts by Tolkien
*[http://glaemscrafu.jrrvf.com/english/gothic.html Texts and sound samples] at [[Glǽmscrafu]], including some texts by Tolkien
{{references}}
{{references}}

Revision as of 08:36, 29 March 2021

Gothic was the language of the Goths; the oldest known Germanic language, it is now extinct and left no descendants. As a Germanic language, Gothic was related to Old English and Old Norse.

Gothic was the first language that J.R.R. Tolkien studied for his own pleasure, and it may have given an impulsion in the first development of Qenya. Tolkien even attempted to reconstruct some parts of the language and such elements survived in Taliska, the language he created for the Edain of the First Age. He also composed a full poem, Bagme Bloma "The Flower of the Trees" in Gothic.

According to Lisa Star, Tolkien also devised a tengwar mode for Gothic which is known to exist, but remain unpublished to date.[1]

Gothic names in Tolkien's legendarium

Since in The Lord of the Rings Old English represents Rohirric, Tolkien used Gothic to represent the earlier language of the Northmen of Rhovanion in accordance to the similarity between these languages. As a consequence, the names of the early kings and princes of the Northmen are of Gothic origin.[2]

However, in reality Old English was not directly related to Gothic as the way Rohirric was to Northern; therefore Tolkien's simulation does not reflect exactly the relationship between these languages but rather their similarity.

Tolkien also used names of Gothic and Frankish origin for first-names of old Hobbit families, especially those of Fallowhide origin, such as the Tooks and the Bolgers.[3]

See also

External links

References