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'''Animalic''' was a private language invented by [[Mary Incledon]] and [[Marjorie Incledon]], [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]]'s young cousins, in the beginning years of the 1900's It was probably the first introduction of artificial languages to Tolkien.
'''Animalic''' was a private language invented by [[Mary Incledon]] and [[Marjorie Incledon]], [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]]'s young cousins, during the first years of the 1900's.<ref>{{MC|6}}, p. 200; [[J. R. R. Tolkien]], ''[[A Secret Vice (book)|A Secret Vice]]'' (eds. [[Dimitra Fimi]], [[Andrew Higgins]]), p. 8-9, 40 [note 18]; [[Humphrey Carpenter]], ''[[J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography]]'' II.3., "'Private lang.' - and Edith"</ref> It was probably the first introduction of artificial languages to Tolkien.


Tolkien, then about ten years old and already strong in Latin and Anglo-Saxon, found it amusing and learned it. The only surviving fragment of the Animalic is the phrase given by in his lecture ''[[A Secret Vice]]'': '''Dog nightingale woodpecker forty''', meaning "you are a donkey". ''Forty'' was the Animalic word for "donkey" while ''donkey'' was the word for "forty".<ref>{{MC|6}}, p. 200; [[J. R. R. Tolkien]], ''[[A Secret Vice (book)|A Secret Vice]]'' (eds. [[Dimitra Fimi]], [[Andrew Higgins]]), p. 8-9, 40 [note 18]; [[Humphrey Carpenter]], ''[[J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography]]'' II.3., "'Private lang.' - and Edith"</ref>
==Fragment==
Tolkien, then about ten years old, was taught some of the language which his cousins used 'fluently to the dismay of bystanders'. Tolkien says he was 'never fully instructed in it, nor a proper Animalic-speaker', but he cites by memory in his lecture ''[[A Secret Vice]]'' the only surviving fragment of the Animalic: '''Dog nightingale woodpecker forty''', meaning "you are an ass". '''Donkey''' was the Animalic word for numeral "forty", while '''forty''' had the converse meaning. In general, Animalic was almost entirely constructed 'out of English animal, bird, anf fish names'.<ref>{{MC|6}}, p. 200; [[J. R. R. Tolkien]], ''[[A Secret Vice (book)|A Secret Vice]]'' (eds. [[Dimitra Fimi]], [[Andrew Higgins]]), p. 9; [[Humphrey Carpenter]], ''[[J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography]]'' II.3., "'Private lang.' - and Edith"</ref>


It appears that the Animalic was a rather awkward language, Tolkien himself calls it "crude (in some ways) in the extreme" and characterized by "a complete absence of phonematic invention which at least in embryo is usually an element in all such constructions.<ref>{{MC|6}}, p. 200; [[J. R. R. Tolkien]], ''[[A Secret Vice (book)|A Secret Vice]]'' (eds. [[Dimitra Fimi]], [[Andrew Higgins]]), p. 9.</ref> Later on, Tolkien developed another, more sophisticated language, [[Nevbosh]], with Mary Incledon, Marjorie having lost her interest in such activities..<ref>{{MC|6}}, p. 202-3; [[J. R. R. Tolkien]], ''[[A Secret Vice (book)|A Secret Vice]]'' (eds. [[Dimitra Fimi]], [[Andrew Higgins]]), p. 11-12; [[Humphrey Carpenter]], ''[[J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography]]'' II.3., "'Private lang.' - and Edith"</ref> After that Tolkien began constructing languages of his own, the first of these being [[Naffarin]].<ref>{{MC|6}}, p. 208-9; [[J. R. R. Tolkien]], ''[[A Secret Vice (book)|A Secret Vice]]'' (eds. [[Dimitra Fimi]], [[Andrew Higgins]]), p. 18-19; [[Humphrey Carpenter]], ''[[J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography]]'' II.3., "'Private lang.' - and Edith"</ref>
==Otter?==
Fimi and Higgins propose that Tolkien assumed (or was given) an Animalic name '''Otter''' for himself. In the year 1909 he wrote under the title ''[[Book of the Foxrook]]'' of his notebook in Esperanto ''Privata al LUTTRO'' 'Private to OTTER'. According to the editors, "if this was Tolkien's name in Animalic, it is significant given the fact that in ''[[The Book of Lost Tales]]'' &ndash; &ndash; Tolkien's fictional informant is the Anglian mariner [[Eriol]], whose original name was ''[[Ottor]]'', an [[Old English]] form of ''otter''.<ref>[[J. R. R. Tolkien]], ''[[A Secret Vice (book)|A Secret Vice]]'' (eds. [[Dimitra Fimi]], [[Andrew Higgins]]), p. 40-1 [note 19]; [[Arden R. Smith]] &ndash; [[Patrick Wynne]], "Tolkien and Esperanto", [[SEVEN 17|''Seven: An Anglo-American Literary Review'', Vol. 17]] (2000), p. 33.</ref>
 
==Characterization==
It appears that the Animalic was a rather awkward language, Tolkien himself calls it "crude (in some ways) in the extreme" and characterized by "a complete absence of phonematic invention which at least in embryo is usually an element in all such constructions.<ref>{{MC|6}}, p. 200; [[J. R. R. Tolkien]], ''[[A Secret Vice (book)|A Secret Vice]]'' (eds. [[Dimitra Fimi]], [[Andrew Higgins]]), p. 9.</ref>
 
==After Animalic==
Later on, Tolkien developed another, more sophisticated language, [[Nevbosh]], with Mary Incledon, Marjorie having lost her interest in such activities..<ref>{{MC|6}}, p. 202-3; [[J. R. R. Tolkien]], ''[[A Secret Vice (book)|A Secret Vice]]'' (eds. [[Dimitra Fimi]], [[Andrew Higgins]]), p. 11-12; [[Humphrey Carpenter]], ''[[J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography]]'' II.3., "'Private lang.' - and Edith"</ref> After that Tolkien began constructing languages of his own, the first of these being [[Naffarin]].<ref>{{MC|6}}, p. 208-9; [[J. R. R. Tolkien]], ''[[A Secret Vice (book)|A Secret Vice]]'' (eds. [[Dimitra Fimi]], [[Andrew Higgins]]), p. 18-19; [[Humphrey Carpenter]], ''[[J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography]]'' II.3., "'Private lang.' - and Edith"</ref>


==External links==
==External links==

Revision as of 08:55, 17 February 2021

Animalic was a private language invented by Mary Incledon and Marjorie Incledon, Tolkien's young cousins, during the first years of the 1900's.[1] It was probably the first introduction of artificial languages to Tolkien.

Fragment

Tolkien, then about ten years old, was taught some of the language which his cousins used 'fluently to the dismay of bystanders'. Tolkien says he was 'never fully instructed in it, nor a proper Animalic-speaker', but he cites by memory in his lecture A Secret Vice the only surviving fragment of the Animalic: Dog nightingale woodpecker forty, meaning "you are an ass". Donkey was the Animalic word for numeral "forty", while forty had the converse meaning. In general, Animalic was almost entirely constructed 'out of English animal, bird, anf fish names'.[2]

Otter?

Fimi and Higgins propose that Tolkien assumed (or was given) an Animalic name Otter for himself. In the year 1909 he wrote under the title Book of the Foxrook of his notebook in Esperanto Privata al LUTTRO 'Private to OTTER'. According to the editors, "if this was Tolkien's name in Animalic, it is significant given the fact that in The Book of Lost Tales – – Tolkien's fictional informant is the Anglian mariner Eriol, whose original name was Ottor, an Old English form of otter.[3]

Characterization

It appears that the Animalic was a rather awkward language, Tolkien himself calls it "crude (in some ways) in the extreme" and characterized by "a complete absence of phonematic invention which at least in embryo is usually an element in all such constructions.[4]

After Animalic

Later on, Tolkien developed another, more sophisticated language, Nevbosh, with Mary Incledon, Marjorie having lost her interest in such activities..[5] After that Tolkien began constructing languages of his own, the first of these being Naffarin.[6]

External links

References

  1. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Monsters and the Critics and Other Essays, "A Secret Vice", p. 200; J. R. R. Tolkien, A Secret Vice (eds. Dimitra Fimi, Andrew Higgins), p. 8-9, 40 [note 18]; Humphrey Carpenter, J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography II.3., "'Private lang.' - and Edith"
  2. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Monsters and the Critics and Other Essays, "A Secret Vice", p. 200; J. R. R. Tolkien, A Secret Vice (eds. Dimitra Fimi, Andrew Higgins), p. 9; Humphrey Carpenter, J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography II.3., "'Private lang.' - and Edith"
  3. J. R. R. Tolkien, A Secret Vice (eds. Dimitra Fimi, Andrew Higgins), p. 40-1 [note 19]; Arden R. SmithPatrick Wynne, "Tolkien and Esperanto", Seven: An Anglo-American Literary Review, Vol. 17 (2000), p. 33.
  4. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Monsters and the Critics and Other Essays, "A Secret Vice", p. 200; J. R. R. Tolkien, A Secret Vice (eds. Dimitra Fimi, Andrew Higgins), p. 9.
  5. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Monsters and the Critics and Other Essays, "A Secret Vice", p. 202-3; J. R. R. Tolkien, A Secret Vice (eds. Dimitra Fimi, Andrew Higgins), p. 11-12; Humphrey Carpenter, J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography II.3., "'Private lang.' - and Edith"
  6. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Monsters and the Critics and Other Essays, "A Secret Vice", p. 208-9; J. R. R. Tolkien, A Secret Vice (eds. Dimitra Fimi, Andrew Higgins), p. 18-19; Humphrey Carpenter, J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography II.3., "'Private lang.' - and Edith"
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