Linguistic revision in Middle-earth Role Playing refers to the efforts of Iron Crown Enterprises to correct or provide in-universe rationales for naming inconsistencies in their sourcebooks.
As ICE's writers developed a deeper understanding of J.R.R. Tolkien's invented languages, and responded to fan and editorial feedback, they frequently retrofitted earlier, linguistically inconsistent names with more accurate Sindarin, Quenya, Adûnaic, or external language analogues. Real world analogues were carelessly chosen, or Quenya names were given to colonies of Black Númenóreans, who historically eschewed the Elven tongues in favour of Adûnaic.
When it came to correcting incorrect Quenya or Sindarin, or mixtures thereof, Findegil became the authors' mouthpiece. He was quoted in Hands of the Healer and Southern Gondor: The Land, explaining faulty names for places in Gondor as corrupted forms by locals or overly fancy names by cartographers, while Quenya names for Black Númenórean colonies were contextualized as names used by Gondorians, with new Adûnaic originals being provided.[1][2][3][4] Chris Seeman and Pete Fenlon found that the linguistic commentary made the newly corrected maps feel even more plausible, reflecting historical analogues.[5]
In Arnor: The People, the distinction between Dunael and Blarm was established as each language being represented by Gaelic and Welsh, respectively. Some remaining iconic yet discrepant names were explained as cross-cultural interaction or contamination between Dunlendings and Hillmen.[6]
List of revisions
The Black Númenórean revisions are:[4]
- Mirëdor to Mírenor (Q.) and Zimrathâni (A.)
- Ciryatandor to Ciryatanor (Q.) and Anbalukkhôr (A.)
- Hyarn to Hyarnustar (Q.) and Khâradûne (A.)
The Gondorian revisions include:
- Annogwain (mixed) to Annon Wain[1]
- Aron Úvanimin (Q.) to Eryn-in-Úanhoth[7]
- Cabed Arheledh to Imlad Arheledh[8]
- Eärost (mixed) to Aerost[9]
- Enqui (mixed) to Engui[10]
- Men Iaur (mixed) to Men Galen[2]
- Rast Hwarin (mixed) to Rast Rhaen[3]
- Sárathondost (mixed) to Saerthondost[11]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Jason Beresford, Anders Blixt, Mats Blomqvist, Gunnar Brolin, Jeff Hatch, Tim Innes, Åke Rosenius, Martin Rundkvist, Erik, Rågvik, Chris Seeman, Magnus Seter (1996), Southern Gondor: The Land (#2021), p. 19
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Jason Beresford, Anders Blixt, Mats Blomqvist, Gunnar Brolin, Jeff Hatch, Tim Innes, Åke Rosenius, Martin Rundkvist, Erik, Rågvik, Chris Seeman, Magnus Seter (1996), Southern Gondor: The Land (#2021), p. 76
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Jason Beresford, Anders Blixt, Mats Blomqvist, Gunnar Brolin, Jeff Hatch, Tim Innes, Åke Rosenius, Martin Rundkvist, Erik, Rågvik, Chris Seeman, Magnus Seter (1996), Southern Gondor: The Land (#2021), p. 92
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Mark R. Feil (1997), Hands of the Healer (#2026), p. 74
- ↑ . "Mapping Middle-earth: An Interview with Pete Fenlon". Other Hands 12
- ↑ Wesley J. Frank, et al. (1996), Arnor: The People (#2022), p. 8
- ↑ Jason Beresford, Anders Blixt, Mats Blomqvist, Gunnar Brolin, Jeff Hatch, Tim Innes, Åke Rosenius, Martin Rundkvist, Erik, Rågvik, Chris Seeman, Magnus Seter (1996), Southern Gondor: The Land (#2021), p. 39
- ↑ Jason Beresford, Anders Blixt, Mats Blomqvist, Gunnar Brolin, Jeff Hatch, Tim Innes, Åke Rosenius, Martin Rundkvist, Erik, Rågvik, Chris Seeman, Magnus Seter (1996), Southern Gondor: The Land (#2021), p. 63
- ↑ Jason Beresford, Anders Blixt, Mats Blomqvist, Gunnar Brolin, Jeff Hatch, Tim Innes, Åke Rosenius, Martin Rundkvist, Erik, Rågvik, Chris Seeman, Magnus Seter (1996), Southern Gondor: The Land (#2021), p. 12
- ↑ Jason Beresford, Anders Blixt, Mats Blomqvist, Gunnar Brolin, Jeff Hatch, Tim Innes, Åke Rosenius, Martin Rundkvist, Erik, Rågvik, Chris Seeman, Magnus Seter (1996), Southern Gondor: The Land (#2021), p. 37
- ↑ Jason Beresford, Anders Blixt, Mats Blomqvist, Gunnar Brolin, Jeff Hatch, Tim Innes, Åke Rosenius, Martin Rundkvist, Erik, Rågvik, Chris Seeman, Magnus Seter (1996), Southern Gondor: The Land (#2021), p. 94