Back in 2001, I wrote Glossopoeia for Fun and Profit (also reprinted in The People’s Guide to J.R.R. Tolkien), for our Green Books department, in which I discussed three examples of invented languages: Esperanto, Elvish, and Klingon. For those who found that necessarily brief article of interest, University of Indiana linguistics professor Michael Adams has now edited a new book, From Elvish to Klingon: Exploring Invented Languages (Oxford University Press, 2011), comprising eight essays (including his a general introductory essay by Adams) about linguistic invention, though not precisely the “invented languages” suggested by the book’s title, as we will see. Each essay is accompanied by an appendix by Adams that extends or clarifies some aspect of the essay.
Adams’s introductory chapter deals with the spectrum of linguistic invention, and considers the motivations for such inventions. He considers whether invented languages are an attempt to re-create “the language of Adam”, i.e., a perfected language as spoken by Adam before the fall (it appears that Adams takes the Biblical texts quite literally here), and considers slang and poetry as examples of human linguistic creativity; Adams is the author of Slang: The People’s Poetry(Oxford Press, 2009).
Continue reading “Michael Adams — From Elvish to Klingon: Exploring Invented Languages”
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Tolkien Forever will hold our annual Reading Day on March 24, from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m., at the Cat and Fiddle, 6530 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles. Since 2012 marks the 75th year since the publication of “The Hobbit” and will also see the release of Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”, it is also not unexpected that the theme of Reading Day 2012 will be “The Hobbit”.
Editors note: The image links to a High-Res version, feel free to print and share with other fans.
Continue reading “Tolkien Reading Day in LA”
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Welcome to our collection of TORn’s hottest topics for the past week. If you’ve fallen behind on what’s happening on the Message Boards, here’s a great way to 
catch the highlights. Or if you’re new to TORn and want to enjoy some great conversations, just follow the links to some of our most popular discussions. Watch this space as every weekend we will spotlight the most popular buzz on TORn’s Message Boards. Everyone is welcome, so come on in and join in the fun! Continue reading “TORn Message Boards Weekly Roundup – March 4 2012”
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Friend and discussion board member, Jason Fisher (a.k.a. ‘visualweasel’ on the boards), is hosting a workshop on J.R.R. Tolkien and source criticism at the Art Center of Corpus Christi this Saturday, March 3, at 1:00 p.m. His presentation will draw on essays from his recently published book “Tolkien and the Study of His Sources: Critical Essays.” The cost of the workshop is $20. He will also be offering his book at a 30% discount at the workshop. South Texas residents and travelers, be sure and check it out!
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Calling all So Cal Ringers, TheOneRing.net will be presenting a panel at Wondercon in Anaheim later this month. We are slated to kick off the weekend by taking to the podium on Friday, March 16 at 12:30pm in room #207. We’ll be talking all things Hobbit, as well as any other Tolkien related news that pops up this month. Barring any internet connectivity issues, the panel will be streamed live for those unable to attend, and there will be constant streaming from the convention floor all day after the panel as well. Come join us as we welcome this rare occurrence of Wondercon south of SFO. You can find all the details on their website at Wondercon, and they just posted the full schedule on Leap Day.
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Welcome to our collection of TORn’s hottest topics for the past week. If you’ve fallen behind on what’s happening on the Message Boards, here’s a great way to catch the highlights. Or if you’re new to TORn and want to enjoy some great conversations, just follow the links to some of our most popular discussions. Watch this space as every weekend we will spotlight the most popular buzz on TORn’s Message Boards. Everyone is welcome, so come on in and join in the fun! Continue reading “TORn Message Boards Weekly Roundup – February 26, 2012”
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