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Primitive Quendian or Primitive Quenderin, also known as Primitive Elvish, was the original language of the Elves.

History[]

The Primitive Quendian was spoken by all the Elves soon after their Awakening in the east of Middle-earth.[1] After Oromë discovered them in Cuiviénen, the Valar decided to overthrown Melkor from his fortress of Utumno and to invite the Elves in Aman, in order to protect them from the power of the fallen Vala. The majority of the Elves accepted the invitation and they were called "Eldar" from Oromë. However, some of them refused to take part in the Great Journey and leave Middle-earth and for this reason they were called "Avari". This first sundering caused the separation of Common Eldarin from the many Avarin languages and their original language was forgotten. Since very little is known of the languages spoken by the Avari, it can be difficult to distinguish between the linguistic features developed secondly in Common Eldarin and the original features of Primitive Quendian.[1][2] Later, Common Eldarin split in two languanges, Ancient Quenya and Ancient Telerin, because the Teleri lingered behind while the Vanyar and the Ñoldor quickly reached the shores of the Belegaer. From Ancient Telerin descended Falmarin, Sindarin and Nandorin, while Quenya was divided in two dialects: Vanyarin Quenya and Ñoldorin Quenya.

The etymologies published in The Lost Road and Other Writings among with other, later, etymological essays, would derive terms from the Eldarin languages to the Primitive Quendian base. A Primitive Quendian word list may be found in Quendi and Eldar, an essay found in The War of the Jewels. Material has also been featured in the posthumous series Parma Eldalamberon.

Conceptual history[]

In earlier versions of J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium, were the Vala Oromë that taught to the Elves the language of the Valar and for this reason their language family was collectively called Oromëan. Thus, this stage of development of the common ancestor of every Elvish language is conventionally called Early Primitive Elvish.[3] From the 1930s Tolkien introduced enough changes to conventionally classify this new stage of development as Middle Primitive Elvish.[4] However, the final form of Primitive Elvish was conceived in the period during and after the publication of The Lord of the Rings.

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