Falathrin

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This article describes a concept which is mentioned in J.R.R. Tolkien's works, but was never given a definite name.

Falathrin was the Sindarin dialect of the Falathrim.[1] It is told that the dialect "was in many ways different" from other forms of Sindarin, but not enough "to interfere with intercourse".[2]

History[edit | edit source]

During the Elder Days, the host of the Teleri Elves was split after King Elwë became lost in the woods of Beleriand. Some remained behind to search for their missing lord, while others followed his brother Olwë to the western shores of Middle-earth. There they were befriended by the Maia Ossë, who convinced some of them to forsake the journey to Valinor. These Elves fell in love with the shore-lands of the Falas and wished to remain there. As such, they became known as the Falathrim.

Both the Falathrim and the other Teleri of Beleriand (who became known as the Sindar) spoke a language descended from Common Telerin. It had no name, nor did it need one, for it was the only language they had ever heard. However, now that the Falathrim were separated from their inland kin, their tongue began to diverge in subtle ways. The exiled Noldor Elves (who spoke Quenya) designated the language of Beleriand as Sindarin. They considered the Falathrin variant to be a dialect of Sindarin. The two branches of the language had many differences but were mutually intelligible.

Following the tumultuous Battles of Beleriand in the First Age, the Havens of the Falas were destroyed. The surviving Falathrim fled to the Mouths of Sirion and established secret havens there. As Doriath and other Elvish kingdoms were decimated by the wars, refugees from these lands also fled to the Havens of Sirion and the Isle of Balar. There they mingled with the Falathrim and the various Sindarin dialects began to merge. A new dialect developed, largely based on Falathrin, which allowed for better communication between the various peoples of the Havens.

In the Second and Third Ages, this new version of Sindarin became the common tongue for all Elves. Falathrin Sindarin, as it had existed in the First Age, was no longer spoken.

Etymology[edit | edit source]

The language of the Falathrim was never given a definite name by Tolkien. Fans and Tolkienists often use the term Falathrin, which combines the Sindarin word falas, meaning "surfline, sea-shore" with the suffix -in, used in the names of other Elvish languages (e.g. Sindarin, Telerin, etc.).

References

Languages and scripts in Tolkien's works
Elvish Angerthas (Angerthas Daeron) · Avarin · Cirth (Certhas Daeron) · Common Eldarin · Mátengwië · Moon-letters · Nandorin · Primitive Quendian · Quenya (Exilic · Valinorean · Vanyarin) · Sarati · Silvan Elvish · Sindarin (Doriathrin · Falathrin · Númenórean · Mithrimin · Old) · Telerin (Common) · Tengwar
Mannish Adûnaic · Dalish · Drúadan · Dunlendish · Halethian · Northern Mannish · Pre-Númenórean · Rohanese · Taliska · Westron (Bucklandish · Hobbitish · Stoorish)
Dwarvish Angerthas (Erebor · Moria) · Aulëan · Iglishmêk · Khuzdul
Other Black Speech · Old Entish · Orkish · Valarin · Warg-language
Earlier legendarium Gnomish · Gnomic Letters · Gondolinic Runes · Ilkorin · Keladian · Noldorin (Kornoldorin) · Melkian · Oromëan · Qenya · Valmaric script
Outside the legendarium Animalic · Arktik · Goblin Alphabet · Mágol · Naffarin · New English Alphabet · Nevbosh · Privata Kodo Skauta
Real-world Celtic · English (Old · Middle · AB) · Finnish · Germanic · Gothic · Hebrew · Runic alphabet · Welsh
"A Secret Vice" (book) · "The Lhammas" · "The Tree of Tongues" · Sub-creation