The sign above reads "Something Random To Do" in Tengwar. Doesn't it just look fabulous?
Well what is Tengwar? It is just one of the many scripts used in the beloved Lord of the Rings universe, invented by the Noldor Elf, Fëanor.
However, this isn't the topic of this entry. This entry is about Omniglot.com, an extensive guide to the languages of the world. Whether you're looking for Dzhongkha, Nabataen, Warlpiri, Zentlardy or Asha'fru'kretobi, you can find the relevant article here.
The articles are very user friendly, targeted at absolute beginners - people who probably stumbled upon the entry rather than looked for it purposely. A page typically goes like this:
1) A Brief History
2) Characters of the Language
3) Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, written in the script
4) Useful Links (very exhaustive)
For the linguistic maniacs, there is also a section on undeciphered scripts, with some really intriguing entries!
In any case, this site makes for an interesting and remotely educational rainy afternoon. Start signing your name in Tengwar today! Share your experiences with comments on this thread(:
What You Need:
- Curiosity!
- Patience (practice makes.. you know what I mean)
Resources:
- Omniglot: http://www.omniglot.com/
that's an interesting language. my brothers are big into lord of the rings, so i'm sure they would know tengwar if i mentioned it to them. i'd never heard of it before reading this!
ReplyDeleteyeah! In fact I found this site only because of the Lord of the Rings. Isn't the script just pretty?
ReplyDeleteGreat suggestion for spending some fun time while learning some new things. There are so many things out there that we know nothing about - it's a shame. Thank you for sharing! :)
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