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Trent Hoy

The Power of Language in Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings”

One of Tolkien’s many impressive feats in The Lord of the Rings is his mastery

of language, specifically his varied use of rhetoric. His dialogue goes beyond merely

recounting the words of a character and adds a level of authenticity to his work. This

authenticity is achieved by the history it creates, the cultures it distinguishes, and the

characters it illuminates.

Tolkien’s Middle-earth is rich and varied. From the detail in character and culture,

landscape and language, Middle-earth is presented as more than just a fantasy land filled

with amazing creatures meant to entertain simple minds. It is real. Or at least that is what

Tolkien endeavors to convince us. Middle-earth is part of our world and its history flows

into our own. This history is in part created by language, its spread and evolution.

Languages are rarely simple and Tolkien’s are no exception. Entire volumes have

been dedicated to the various grammatical, syntactical, and lexical rules surrounding

Elvish, Dwarvish, and other such languages. The incredible amount of detail and

complexity alone adds another layer of richness and authenticity to The Lord of the

Rings.

Tolkien manages to avoid a forced “suspension of disbelief” in regards to

communication by providing an etymological history of Westron, the common tongue. It

was formed from the contact between the Númenoreans and the people of the western

coastlands. As their descendants migrated eastward, the language spread and was adopted

by many peoples until its progress was halted at Mordor.

© Trent Hoy 2006


Language also provides a sense of time and its passage. The writings of Isildur,

dating from the early Third Age, are full of the derivational affix “-eth” on verbs (246).

Readers are familiar with this suffix as it was common throughout Middle English.

However, neither Isildur’s direct descendant, Aragorn, nor other races use this ending. Its

absence denotes the evolution of the language and passage of time.

Another example of Tolkien’s knowledge of linguistic evolution is the language

of Rohan. Always an avid scholar of the Mercian dialect of Anglo-Saxon, Tolkien adapts

words from Old English to make them into their Mercian equivalents. These so-called

“asterisk words” are used to fill empty spaces in the original language. This subsequent

speech he gives to Rohan because of its strong ties to pre-conquest Anglo-Saxon culture,

apart from the horses, of course.

The relation of language to cultural identity is another strong theme that further

contributes to the authenticity of Tolkien’s works. The hobbits are a plain people. They

live off the land and are closely associated with nature. Their ways are simple and

straightforward. Likewise their speech is often plain and uncomplicated.

‘But I reckon it was a nasty shock for those Sackville-Bagginses.


They thought they were going to get Bag End, that time when he
went off and was thought to be dead. And then he comes back and
orders them off; and he goes on living and living, and never
looking a day older, bless him! And suddenly he produces an heir,
and has all the papers made out proper. The Sackville-Bagginses
won’t never see the inside of Bag End now, or it is to be hoped
not.’ (23)

As this example from the Gaffer illustrates, their sentences are often the easiest to

understand because they are not inverted, mostly active, and generally composed of one

or two clauses. The rural-sounding dialect and continual interjection of qualifying or

judgmental phrases further links the hobbits with an agrarian society.

© Trent Hoy 2006


In great contrast to the simple speech of the hobbits, that of the Elves is highly

formal, akin to the language of the aristocracy or well educated.

‘Many things I can command the mirror to reveal… and to some I


can show what they desire to see. But the Mirror will also show
things unbidden, and those are often stranger and more profitable
than things which we wish to behold. What you will see, if you
leave the Mirror free to work, I cannot tell. For it shows things that
were, and things that are, and things that may yet be. But which it
is that he sees, even the wisest cannot always tell.’ (352)

Galadriel, unlike the Gaffer, speaks in long, drawn-out sentences that are often

inverted or passive – a method of speaking that echoes their very long lives. Elvish

diction relies on antiquated terms such as “hither,” “unbidden,” “naught,” and “ere”

instead of colloquialisms, which give it an ancient and prestigious air.

Elvish, specifically Quenya, also seems to have an innate, almost sacred, power,

much like the elves themselves. Twice when Sam and Frodo are passing through Cirith

Ungol, an unknown power takes control of their tongues as they utter phrases in Quenya.

The words grant them hope, courage, and strength and seem temporarily to keep Shelob

and the darkness at bay (704, 712).

Another example of the power of language comes from the Council of Elrond.

Gandalf recites the inscription of the Ring in the tongue of Mordor and his voice becomes

“menacing, powerful, harsh as stone,” and darkness seems to fall upon them (248). Just

as Quenyan brings light and hope, the Black Speech brings darkness and despair.

Cultural differences can also help explain why certain places have many names.

The elves called a great peak in the Misty Mountains Caradhras, or Redhorn, because of

its appearance from afar. The dwarves who had first-hand experience with its treacherous

passes and icy slopes refer to it instead as Baranzibar, the Cruel. Another such

© Trent Hoy 2006


discrepancy occurs with the naming of the subterranean city of Moria. The dwarves, its

original founders, dubbed it Khazad-Dûm, or Mansions of the Dwarves. The elves, once

again in contrast to the dwarves, named it Moria, or Black Pit.

Beyond providing history for and insight into the cultures of Middle-earth,

language also illuminates the qualities of the characters. Beyond the signs of dual

personalities, Gollum’s speech is full of s’s, resulting in slimy, sputtering, slithering

sounds that give him an almost serpent-like quality.

‘Oh no, not if it doesn’t please us. Still he’s a Baggins, my


precious, yes, a Baggins. A Baggins stole it. He found it and he
said nothing, nothing. We hates Bagginses.’ (619)

Tolkien seems to delight in Gollum’s lines, making the most of every opportunity

to express the guile and malice lurking within him in an amusingly alliterative manner.

Sam Gamgee’s inner characteristics are also mirrored in his words, which, though

unrefined, are surprisingly eloquent and reveal his honest and caring heart as well as

insight deeper than he is often given credit for.

‘The brave things in the old tales and songs, Mr. Frodo:
adventures, as I used to call them. I used to think that they were
things the wonderful folk of the stories went out and looked for,
because they wanted them, because they were exciting and life was
a bit dull, a kind of sport, as you might say. But that’s not the way
of it with the tales that really mattered, or the ones that stay in
mind.’ (696)

Despite a lack of a good education, Sam is able to see and reflect on their

situation in a uniquely charming way. His insight into adventures leads to a conversation

in which he further expresses his great devotion to Frodo.

Perhaps the clearest example of the correlation between speech and inner

qualities, Saruman attempts to persuade others with his cunning and beautiful words.

© Trent Hoy 2006


‘O worthy son of Thengel the Thrice-renowned! Why have you /
not come before, and as a friend? Much have I desired to see you,
mightiest king of western lands, and especially in these latter years,
to save you from the unwise and evil counsels that beset you! Is it
yet too late? Despite the injuries that have been done to me, in
which the men of Rohan, alas! have had some part, still I would
save you, and deliver you from the ruin that draws nigh inevitably,
if you ride upon this road which you have taken. Indeed I alone can
aid you now. (564-5)

His modern-style speech is unlike any other in the text, and for good reason.

Tolkien eyed technological progress warily and saw it as a destructive force that

threatened nature. In much the same way, Saruman, whose very name means “cunning

man,” with his mind of metal and wheels is to be distrusted, in spite of all the pleasantries

his voice may bring. It casts a spell upon all who hear it, save those with a strong enough

will to see through the lies.

Language is a powerful tool, especially in the hands of such a literary master as

J.R.R. Tolkien. By giving a background and history to his many languages, he has

enriched the Middle-earth’s history. Additionally, the diversity and uniqueness of each

culture’s language further authenticates their world. The characters themselves are also

more realistic and believable because their speech reflects their personal traits. All of

these factors help provide a certain level of authenticity and realism to Tolkien’s creation.

© Trent Hoy 2006

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