Native Language is not the same as Cradle Language - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

littlemanpoet · 06-24-2012, 04:23 PM

I've been reading the Letters and I came across Tolkien talking about this.

Essentially, he's saying that one's native language isn't necessarily the one first learned from the cradle.

Has anyone experienced this?

As for me, having Dutch ancestry from all four grandparents, I have noticed that when someone starts singing in Dutch, and I understand what's being said, it affects me at a very deep, emotional level. I'm wondering if this might be part of what Tolkien had in mind?

06-24-2012, 04:23 PM	#1
littlemanpoet Itinerant Songster Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Edge of Faerie Posts: 7,066	Native Language is not the same as Cradle Language I've been reading the Letters and I came across Tolkien talking about this. Essentially, he's saying that one's native language isn't necessarily the one first learned from the cradle. Has anyone experienced this? As for me, having Dutch ancestry from all four grandparents, I have noticed that when someone starts singing in Dutch, and I understand what's being said, it affects me at a very deep, emotional level. I'm wondering if this might be part of what Tolkien had in mind?