Month: March 2016

atariince:

misbehavingmaiar:

you say mistake, i say a beautiful relationship that ended unfortunately in a misunderstanding and an exercise in taxidermy…

*clears throat* Indeed! Did you know before I compiled the complete Lumbut-Hai lexicon (what you refer to crudely as ‘the black speech’), orcs had over 900 separate dialects, half of which were incomprehensible to each other except with aid of pidgin languages and common gestures? A rich tapestry for linguists, but disastrous for an army! 

Did you know, orcs have twelve separate words just for the scents associated with different stages of decaying flesh? It’s fascinating! With such nuance in their language, it would have been a shame not to maintain as many common root words as possible! And indigenous Orcish is highly adaptable– many of the loan words from Sindarin were in use already, I simply had to adapt and standardize them for syntactical clarity. 

Ah– and here we find a most fortuitous segue into another shared interest! Orcs, in their advent as a species, were not a metalworking society; they relied on flintknapping and bone carved tools primarily and, if I may say so, ingeniously. But after the Great Inscription into the service of Melkor and Angband, they acquired basic smelting and forging technology, but lacked the terminology of the craft. Here, I took it upon myself to introduce some words from my native Valarin, of course adapted to Orcish pronunciation and spelling. 

Truly, the construction of a common language was one of the most expansive and satisfying projects I’ve ever undertaken! Sadly I believe it will not be counted as one my great creations… for many centuries my work has been relegated to the mechanics of war. But for myself, I look upon Lumbut-Hai as a work of smithcraft, perhaps one of my best. 

There– now you know something of me that is not merely enemy intelligence. 

*tilts head, ponders speech, calmly*

I have indeed noticed the differences in the dialects that I have
encountered, but my researches barely helped me distinguish a
few different dialects only. Pathetic, I know, but I was not given
the tools for a deeper study, without taking into account the words
which I did not manage to relate to anything I had heard before.

And unfortunately most of my notes on the matter have disappeared
with the loss of Himlad… A tragic event, to say the least, in which
you played a significant part, did you not?

But the Eldar are blessed with an incredible memory, as you must
know. Thus nothing is lost, and every bit of information is careful
kept here. *points at own temple*

Concerning these pidgin termes which they had in common, did they appear naturally
among the orcs? If they did, then there must be a few common roots. 
The dialects themselves seem to be no more than
accidental derivations of the elvish tongues, twisted by the nature of the orcs and their evident

disrespect for them. But did you, or your master, have to decree the use and the preservation of a few pidgin languages, if only for the sake of a general understanding?

It seems to me that the orcs
instinctively turned toward the sounds which they had encountered the
most, and intuitively adapt them to their own needs.
Changes and evolutions must be expected, that is a certainty. Are
they not, after all, at the root of every languages, be they willing
or not? But corruption is a whole different thing, and I would
not define it as an evolution.

This language you devised, is it not an evolution per se? An
evolution of an already corrupt tongue, accompanied by the merging of your own
knowledge with the specifities of your requirements.

And these root words in the orcish dialects, they are not all
coming from a thindarin root, are they? Your master, and his own
knowledge in the different elvish tongues and Valarin, must have had a
certain influence on his servants’ speeches. I cannot believe that
you, and you only, were involved in these designs.

Regarding the forging terms, I must admit that I am not totally surprised either. You
used Valarin as a reference, you said… It is an interesting concept
in itself, if only for its bitter irony. You helped your master in the
elaboration of a species which is nothing but a mockery of the

Eruhíni, and for them you shaped words that happen to be a mockery of
the Valarin tongue. If it was not an act of sheer provocation,
Thauron, I would call it desperate.

I have never seen any of these
creatures at work, and something tells me that their skills in metalworking are
somewhat rudimentary; In addition to the basic artefacts that I
have occasionnally found on their corpses, it does not seem to me
that they are provided with a creative mind, nor with a mind adapted
for the subtlety of such crafts. I daresay their nature is not suited
either for any complex or delicate languages. And the first reason
for it is their lack of respect, of love, for the speech itself. If they treat
metal like they treat their speech – and its roots matter not –
then they will never master any of these arts.

I cannot ignore your filiation with
your first master, and the language he devised for his own children; I was introduced to the Kasari’s languages, the spoken one and
the silent one, long before the loss of my land. Did they somewhat
have any impact on your own production? You speak of Valarin,
or I should say, corrupted Valarin, but do you not have any knowledge
in khuzdul and iglishmêk? I doubt your relationship with the
Kasari was peaceful enough to bring them to teach you their so secret languages, but your
former partnership with Aulë, along with your wisdom, as wicked as
it can be, could have been useful in your attempt to deal with them.

The creation of a Language is an
impressive work, but did you really expect the people of Arda to praise your
for it? You devised a language, indeed, but out of greed and lust for
power. You devised a language for the sole purpose of gaining control
upon your servants’ minds. You devised a tongue through corruption,
through scorn, and this language is but the mere reflection of your
mind. A language must be loved and respected, not despised and drag
through the mud. How could you expect to be remembered for such a
pathetic sacrilege?

You speak of your personal devices for
the creatures who slain my people, and you dare talk of an
intelligence that is not an enemy… You whole speech is a provocation, if not an insult.

Oh, Thauron, I imagined you smarter
than that.

You imagined me? How sweet!

Tssch. It’s like talking to someone using a string and a pair of cups… 

Happily for you, I am entering into this conversation for my own amusement. I realize now that was a foolish gambit, as you are as predictably boorish and narrow-minded as the rest of your ilk. 

I see you believe the Valar’s fairytales about the creation of the Uruk being a mockery of the elves… and I dare you to find a more self-centered ideology in the whole of Arda. 

You use the word “corruption” so freely that I cannot help but think you do not know what it means. One cannot corrupt a language. Language adapts to meet the needs of its speakers. Likewise a free and speaking people different from your kind are not a corruption of your own.  Accidental derivations of elvish? Don’t make me laugh. 

I am a maia of the forge, and if -I- do not hold the workmanship of the Orcs in contempt, then by what measure canst thou? Their work is not elaborate, and it is neither durable nor beautiful– true. But this is due to the necessities of war, not a lack of basic capacity. They produce quantity, and their naturally robust constitution does the rest…. As I am sure you know, from the number of times they have overwhelmed your forces. 

The language I devised was likewise a necessity of war. It was adopted by the Orcs in the service of Angband and ancient Utumno, we did not press it upon their people as a whole. I have not the same disrespect of alterity as you– I merely recognized the need for organization, and a coherent system of communication between our forces. 

As for the Khazad; by your use of a term coined by your people, I gather that your esteem of their languages is somewhat flippant. 
I am indeed familiar with their history and their tongue, for I was present at their creation. I did not leave the service of Aulë until long after. It is true that they have had no dealings with me since, and have refused all of my Master’s parleys. That does not mean I do not respect them. They are Aulë’s children, as was I. 

…For one with as precious little knowledge of either Orcs or the events during the Spring of Arda, you certainly hold a great many opinions on the motivations of myself and my Master– things decidedly beyond your ken as one of the Eruhini. A lust for power? Greed? Scorn? Purity dragged through the mud? Were you spoon-fed by the Valar during your time in Aman? If you are so eager to graze on their fanciful propaganda, why did you bother leaving the comfort of their pastures? 

Fah. 
It is safe to say that the disappointment here is mutual.