"The tongues and voices of the Valar are great and stern, and yet also swift and subtle in movement, making sounds that we find hard to counterfeit; and their words are mostly long and rapid, like the glitter of swords, like the rush of leaves in a great wind or the fall of stones in the mountains."
So said Rúmil of Tirion, one of the greatest philologists of the Elves (The History of Middle-Earth 11: The War of the Jewels).
When the Ainur came down to Arda, they created their own language. Actually, they did not need a language, as they could communicate using their thoughts. However, they took incarnate forms on earth, and the creation of a language is a feature of being an incarnate.
When the Elves first arrived in Valinor, the Valar were quick to adopt the Elvish tongues, but still used their own among themselves, most commonly during their debates. Their speech was heard by many of the Elves, who had mixed feelings about it. Rúmil is one who waxed poetic about Valarin. Pengolodh, the Sage of Gondolin, however, was not so kind. He is said to have mentioned, “Plainly the effect of Valarin upon Elvish ears was not pleasing” (War of the Jewels). This results from the fact that Valarin employed many sounds alien to the Elvish tongues.
Nonetheless, Quenya borrowed some words from Valarin. Most often the words were not adopted and adapted, but rather translated into Quenya. Valarin also influenced such tongues as Adûnaic, Khuzdûl and Black Speech, indirectly or directly.
We have no concrete evidence to show that Valarin was spoken outside of Valinor - certainly, Melian the Maia must have known it, but she likely did not have a single chance to use it in Beleriand. Surely the Istari who came to Middle-earth must have known it; however, we have no evidence of them speaking it either, except perhaps in a little passage from The Two Towers, where it is said that Gandalf “moved in his sleep, and muttered some words: they seemed to be in a strange tongue". Could that tongue be Valarin? No one knows for sure. In fact, very little is actually known about Valarin, save a few names scattered here and there.
Just like it's hidden creators, Valarin itself lies hidden from us.
|
<< Fanatics Library
<< Fanatics Plaza
