Linguistic divergence in Elvish - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Gilbo · 10-27-2003, 02:31 PM

I think that I agree with Scott on this. Their language suited the diferences in their environment, and in their work. I read somewhere that the Aleuts have an unusual number of words for snow. I believe that it was 23, but I can't recall for sure. My Gran was Irish. She had more ways to say Intoxicated than you could shake a stick at. It depended on the degree of intoxication and wether she liked the person, or not. You could be looped, snockered, fizzled, blotto,drunk, dead drunk, knee-walking drunk, toilet-hugging drunk, p*ssed, tipsy, tinkly, babboon-faced, sh*tfaced, monkey drunk, 1,2,or 3 sheets to the wind, freight train drunk, sidelined, or under a full head of steam. There were others. My Lutheran aunt had two. "You've been drinking!" and "You're drunk!"
Also, unless the Elves behaved like the damnable French, improper usage, slang, and foreign words WILL slip in to the language, no matter how far your memory stretches. I remember , in my lifetime, when one was ORIENTED at orientation. Now , everyone insists that they have been orienTATED. Same with commentaters CommentATING. Substandard and non-traditional usages eventually become part of the spoken language, and sometimes, the written. [img]smilies/evil.gif[/img]
I think that the Noldor would eventually have developped a language full of references to manufacturing and seige and war, with ways to describe the nuances which would be peculiar to that race only. Especially since they would most want to be rid of any vestiges of "slavery" to the Valar. [img]smilies/evil.gif[/img]

10-27-2003, 02:31 PM	#5
Gilbo Animated Skeleton Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: maryland Posts: 34	I think that I agree with Scott on this. Their language suited the diferences in their environment, and in their work. I read somewhere that the Aleuts have an unusual number of words for snow. I believe that it was 23, but I can't recall for sure. My Gran was Irish. She had more ways to say Intoxicated than you could shake a stick at. It depended on the degree of intoxication and wether she liked the person, or not. You could be looped, snockered, fizzled, blotto,drunk, dead drunk, knee-walking drunk, toilet-hugging drunk, pssed, tipsy, tinkly, babboon-faced, shtfaced, monkey drunk, 1,2,or 3 sheets to the wind, freight train drunk, sidelined, or under a full head of steam. There were others. My Lutheran aunt had two. "You've been drinking!" and "You're drunk!" Also, unless the Elves behaved like the damnable French, improper usage, slang, and foreign words WILL slip in to the language, no matter how far your memory stretches. I remember , in my lifetime, when one was ORIENTED at orientation. Now , everyone insists that they have been orienTATED. Same with commentaters CommentATING. Substandard and non-traditional usages eventually become part of the spoken language, and sometimes, the written. [img]smilies/evil.gif[/img] I think that the Noldor would eventually have developped a language full of references to manufacturing and seige and war, with ways to describe the nuances which would be peculiar to that race only. Especially since they would most want to be rid of any vestiges of "slavery" to the Valar. [img]smilies/evil.gif[/img]