Elvish Linguistic Fellowship
Encyclopedia
The Elvish Linguistic Fellowship (E. L. F.) is a "Special Interest Group" of the Mythopoeic Society
devoted to the study of the constructed languages of J. R. R. Tolkien
, today headed by Carl F. Hostetter. It was founded by Jorge Quiñónez in 1988. The E. L. F. publishes two journals, Vinyar Tengwar, edited by Hostetter, and Parma Eldalamberon, edited by Christopher Gilson. There is also an online journal, Tengwestië, edited by Hostetter and Patrick H. Wynne; and it also sponsors the Lambengolmor mailing list.
In 1992, Christopher Tolkien
appointed the editors of the E.L.F. to order, edit, and then publish his father's writings concerning his constructed languages. They have worked from photocopies of the materials sent to them and from notes taken by the group's members in the Bodleian and Marquette University
Tolkien manuscript archives. It was agreed by all parties that the best way to do this was chronologically, as Tolkien's writings are often fully explicable only in light of his earlier writings, and often are dependent on those earlier writings for their context (both in internal and external terms). This main course of publication is being carried out in the journal Parma Eldalamberon. There are, however, some writings that are largely independent, and/or whose context has been sufficiently established by Christopher Tolkien's own chronological publication efforts in The History of Middle-earth
, and so do not have to be presented in the normal chronological flow of the larger project. Such materials are being published in the journal Vinyar Tengwar. Members include: Christopher Gilson, Carl F. Hostetter, Arden R. Smith, Bill Welden, and Patrick H. Wynne.
for 'The Book of Elven-tongues') was founded in 1971 as a fanzine devoted to a variety of invented literary languages, published under the auspices of the Mythopoeic Society
. Today it is an irregular publication dedicated to the editing of Tolkien's manuscripts describing his Elvish Languages. It is edited by Christopher Gilson. It has no ISSN or ISBN number. Parma Eldalamberon is sold on a per-issue basis only, it is not found in bookstores.
In 1995, with the support of Christopher Tolkien and permission of the Tolkien Estate
, Parma was reinvented as a series of standalone volumes publishing in full material from Tolkien's manuscripts relating to languages and scripts. Much of this material was previously unpublished or published only in heavily edited form (for example, selections from the "Gnomish Lexicon" published in full in Parma Eldalamberon #11 were published in the Appendices to The Book of Lost Tales
.).
For a list of material by Tolkien published in Parma Eldalamberon 1995 to date, see Tolkien research.
The latest issue of the journal is number 19, published in November 2010.
.
"Vinyar Tengwar" is Broken Quenya for News Letters. The latest issue of the journal is number 49, published in June 2007.
, edited by Christopher Tolkien, but not published in that series owing to their specialist nature.
Back issues of the journal are published in collections of ten issues on a per-order basis; issues 1-10, the last to be converted to this format, became available in March 2007.
Mythopoeic Society
The Mythopoeic Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to the study of mythopoeia, fantasy and mythic literature. The group focuses primarily, but not exclusively, on works written by J. R. R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, and C. S. Lewis. These authors were members of The Inklings, an...
devoted to the study of the constructed languages of J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
, today headed by Carl F. Hostetter. It was founded by Jorge Quiñónez in 1988. The E. L. F. publishes two journals, Vinyar Tengwar, edited by Hostetter, and Parma Eldalamberon, edited by Christopher Gilson. There is also an online journal, Tengwestië, edited by Hostetter and Patrick H. Wynne; and it also sponsors the Lambengolmor mailing list.
In 1992, Christopher Tolkien
Christopher Tolkien
Christopher Reuel Tolkien is the third and youngest son of the author J. R. R. Tolkien , and is best known as the editor of much of his father's posthumously published work. He drew the original maps for his father's The Lord of the Rings, which he signed C. J. R. T. The J...
appointed the editors of the E.L.F. to order, edit, and then publish his father's writings concerning his constructed languages. They have worked from photocopies of the materials sent to them and from notes taken by the group's members in the Bodleian and Marquette University
Marquette University
Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
Tolkien manuscript archives. It was agreed by all parties that the best way to do this was chronologically, as Tolkien's writings are often fully explicable only in light of his earlier writings, and often are dependent on those earlier writings for their context (both in internal and external terms). This main course of publication is being carried out in the journal Parma Eldalamberon. There are, however, some writings that are largely independent, and/or whose context has been sufficiently established by Christopher Tolkien's own chronological publication efforts in The History of Middle-earth
The History of Middle-earth
The History of Middle-earth is a 12-volume series of books published from 1983 through to 1996 that collect and analyse material relating to the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, compiled and edited by his son, Christopher Tolkien. Some of the content consists of earlier versions of already published...
, and so do not have to be presented in the normal chronological flow of the larger project. Such materials are being published in the journal Vinyar Tengwar. Members include: Christopher Gilson, Carl F. Hostetter, Arden R. Smith, Bill Welden, and Patrick H. Wynne.
Parma Eldalamberon
Parma Eldalamberon (Broken QuenyaQuenya
Quenya is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his Secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Quenya is one of the many Elvish languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called Quendi in Quenya. The tongue actually called Quenya was in origin the speech of two clans of Elves...
for 'The Book of Elven-tongues') was founded in 1971 as a fanzine devoted to a variety of invented literary languages, published under the auspices of the Mythopoeic Society
Mythopoeic Society
The Mythopoeic Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to the study of mythopoeia, fantasy and mythic literature. The group focuses primarily, but not exclusively, on works written by J. R. R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, and C. S. Lewis. These authors were members of The Inklings, an...
. Today it is an irregular publication dedicated to the editing of Tolkien's manuscripts describing his Elvish Languages. It is edited by Christopher Gilson. It has no ISSN or ISBN number. Parma Eldalamberon is sold on a per-issue basis only, it is not found in bookstores.
In 1995, with the support of Christopher Tolkien and permission of the Tolkien Estate
Tolkien Estate
The Tolkien Estate is the legal body which manages the property of the late J. R. R. Tolkien, including the copyright in his works. The individual copyrights have for the most part been assigned by the Estate to subsidiary entities such as the J.R.R. Tolkien Discretionary Settlement and the...
, Parma was reinvented as a series of standalone volumes publishing in full material from Tolkien's manuscripts relating to languages and scripts. Much of this material was previously unpublished or published only in heavily edited form (for example, selections from the "Gnomish Lexicon" published in full in Parma Eldalamberon #11 were published in the Appendices to The Book of Lost Tales
The Book of Lost Tales
The Book of Lost Tales is the title of a collection of early stories by J. R. R. Tolkien, and of the first two volumes of Christopher Tolkien's 12-volume series The History of Middle-earth, in which he presents and analyses the manuscripts of those stories, which were the earliest form of the...
.).
For a list of material by Tolkien published in Parma Eldalamberon 1995 to date, see Tolkien research.
The latest issue of the journal is number 19, published in November 2010.
Vinyar Tengwar
Vinyar Tengwar is a journal published by the Elvish Linguistic Fellowship, dedicated to the study of the invented languages of J. R. R. Tolkien. The publication is indexed by the Modern Language AssociationModern Language Association
The Modern Language Association of America is the principal professional association in the United States for scholars of language and literature...
.
"Vinyar Tengwar" is Broken Quenya for News Letters. The latest issue of the journal is number 49, published in June 2007.
Issues
Vinyar Tengwar first appeared in 1988, at first edited by Jorge Quinonez and later taken over by Carl F. Hostetter. It appeared in bimonthly intervals at first, but after July, 1994, issues appeared more irregularly, roughly once a year, and has stopped after June 2007 (49). The journal is dedicated primarily to the editing of Tolkien's linguistic texts, some of which were mentioned in volumes of The History of Middle-earthThe History of Middle-earth
The History of Middle-earth is a 12-volume series of books published from 1983 through to 1996 that collect and analyse material relating to the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, compiled and edited by his son, Christopher Tolkien. Some of the content consists of earlier versions of already published...
, edited by Christopher Tolkien, but not published in that series owing to their specialist nature.
Back issues of the journal are published in collections of ten issues on a per-order basis; issues 1-10, the last to be converted to this format, became available in March 2007.