In which countries?/To which languages? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

William Cloud Hicklin · 09-30-2007, 10:32 PM

Here's the list (as of 2005) of languages into which The Lord of the Rings has been translated:

Albanian, Armenian, Basque, Bulgarian, Catalan, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Esperanto, Estonian, Faroese, Finnish, French, Galician, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Portuguese (European), Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish and Ukrainian.

Sadly, the list doesn't include any of the tongues of Southern Asia: Arabic, Farsi, Urdu, Hindi, Tamil etc.

Child of the 7th Age · 10-01-2007, 12:31 AM

I have seen copies of the Hobbit in Farsi (but not LotR or Silm) actually available for sale online but nothing in Hindi, Urdu, etc. Sometimes it's hard to get hold of such copies to buy, even if they exist, if you live outside a particular country.

Harry Potter is easily available in Arabic. We have six volumes in our house belonging to my son. I've also seen at least six of Rowling's books translated into Urdu and Farsi. Anyone know or can venture a guess why those made it into translation before the Hobbit or LotR?

Lal -

I have been collecting "foreign" Hobbits for a while, especially the illustrated ones. If you'd like to buy translations, you might want to try this link: http://www.neko.com/ebayTolkien.html The site is updated every day and lists all the traslations of Tolkien available on ebay. Another helpful link for Tolkien translations is this one: http://multilingualbooks.com/tolkien.html This online bookshop carries a number of titles from across the world. Also, the online Tolkien Shop (from Holland) is very good for European publications: http://www.tolkienshop.com/. If you click on Hobbit or LotR, for example, you'll see there's a special button for translations.

Lalwendë · 10-01-2007, 01:46 AM

Fab! Cheers!

Now that's interesting - why is The Hobbit entitled Der kleine Hobbit in German? In other words, The Little Hobbit?

I see there is no Welsh version which is a shame, given Tolkien's interest in the language. However there is a Breton version, which would be interesting!

Estelyn Telcontar · 10-01-2007, 03:58 AM

Lal, "Der kleine Hobbit" is the older translation, which was obviously geared to a children's audience. The diminutive was apparently thought necessary, as the word "hobbit" in itself is new and strange to readers. The illustration on the cover, which includes a dragon with butterfly wings (rather small, if the scale is true, as the spider beside it is not tiny - unless, of course, it is a descendant of Ungoliath), almost equals the infamous bulbed trees of LotR paperback fame. In 1998, Wolfgang Krege (whose new translation of the LotR is controversial) retranslated it and it was published as "Der Hobbit".

Mithalwen · 10-12-2007, 05:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

I see there is no Welsh version which is a shame, given Tolkien's interest in the language. However there is a Breton version, which would be interesting!

I had a Welsh friend from Uni on the french studies course and he claimed Breton and Welsh were basically the same ... I don't know how reliable that information is since he tended to be stronger than style than substance...

The last time I went to France I bought the first three Harry Potters as a way to encourage myself to read in French again but the way they translated the names annoyed me ... next time I will get LOTR if I dare ...

William Cloud Hicklin · 10-13-2007, 06:49 AM

Historically Welsh and Breton are closely linked, being the modern descendants of the native Brythonic of pre-Saxon Britain: some refugees fled to the Armorican peninsula of Gaul and founded "Little Britain" or Brittany.

Closely related also, for the same reason, is (or was) Cornish; and it is reported that as recently as the 19th century Cornish and Breton fishermen in the Channel could converse with ease, so perhaps it is much the same with Welsh.

09-30-2007, 10:32 PM	#1
William Cloud Hicklin Loremaster of Annúminas Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 2,330	Here's the list (as of 2005) of languages into which The Lord of the Rings has been translated: Albanian, Armenian, Basque, Bulgarian, Catalan, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Esperanto, Estonian, Faroese, Finnish, French, Galician, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Portuguese (European), Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish and Ukrainian. Sadly, the list doesn't include any of the tongues of Southern Asia: Arabic, Farsi, Urdu, Hindi, Tamil etc. __________________ The entire plot of The Lord of the Rings could be said to turn on what Sauron didn’t know, and when he didn’t know it.

10-01-2007, 12:31 AM	#2
Child of the 7th Age Spirit of the Lonely Star Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 5,133	I have seen copies of the Hobbit in Farsi (but not LotR or Silm) actually available for sale online but nothing in Hindi, Urdu, etc. Sometimes it's hard to get hold of such copies to buy, even if they exist, if you live outside a particular country. Harry Potter is easily available in Arabic. We have six volumes in our house belonging to my son. I've also seen at least six of Rowling's books translated into Urdu and Farsi. Anyone know or can venture a guess why those made it into translation before the Hobbit or LotR? Lal - I have been collecting "foreign" Hobbits for a while, especially the illustrated ones. If you'd like to buy translations, you might want to try this link: http://www.neko.com/ebayTolkien.html The site is updated every day and lists all the traslations of Tolkien available on ebay. Another helpful link for Tolkien translations is this one: http://multilingualbooks.com/tolkien.html This online bookshop carries a number of titles from across the world. Also, the online Tolkien Shop (from Holland) is very good for European publications: http://www.tolkienshop.com/. If you click on Hobbit or LotR, for example, you'll see there's a special button for translations. __________________ Multitasking women are never too busy to vote. Last edited by Child of the 7th Age; 10-01-2007 at 01:18 AM.

10-01-2007, 01:46 AM	#3
Lalwendë A Mere Boggart Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: under the bed Posts: 4,737	Fab! Cheers! Now that's interesting - why is The Hobbit entitled Der kleine Hobbit in German? In other words, The Little Hobbit? I see there is no Welsh version which is a shame, given Tolkien's interest in the language. However there is a Breton version, which would be interesting! __________________ Gordon's alive!

10-01-2007, 03:58 AM	#4
Estelyn Telcontar Princess of Skwerlz Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles) Posts: 7,500	Lal, "Der kleine Hobbit" is the older translation, which was obviously geared to a children's audience. The diminutive was apparently thought necessary, as the word "hobbit" in itself is new and strange to readers. The illustration on the cover, which includes a dragon with butterfly wings (rather small, if the scale is true, as the spider beside it is not tiny - unless, of course, it is a descendant of Ungoliath), almost equals the infamous bulbed trees of LotR paperback fame. In 1998, Wolfgang Krege (whose new translation of the LotR is controversial) retranslated it and it was published as "Der Hobbit". __________________ 'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...'

10-13-2007, 06:49 AM	#6
William Cloud Hicklin Loremaster of Annúminas Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 2,330	Historically Welsh and Breton are closely linked, being the modern descendants of the native Brythonic of pre-Saxon Britain: some refugees fled to the Armorican peninsula of Gaul and founded "Little Britain" or Brittany. Closely related also, for the same reason, is (or was) Cornish; and it is reported that as recently as the 19th century Cornish and Breton fishermen in the Channel could converse with ease, so perhaps it is much the same with Welsh. __________________ The entire plot of The Lord of the Rings could be said to turn on what Sauron didn’t know, and when he didn’t know it. Last edited by William Cloud Hicklin; 10-13-2007 at 06:52 AM.