LANGUAGE AND ITS ROLE IN FANTASY LITERATURE
The fantasy genre is distinctive due to its freedom of expression – the entirely independent framework of story and its style of writing. It has the ability to take people into an alternate universe via a portal or immerse them in a completely different world. These worlds are characterised as unique and separate from us due to the unfamiliar lands, mystical culture and history of the characters in the story which is brought to us by the use of a different language in it. Since language is inextricably linked to culture, it is a very useful tool to introduce us to new cultures and time periods. When a character speaks in a particular accent or dialect or uses a particular, say, archaic word, we come …show more content…
In LoTR, the languages are used extensively as they are in real life. The Elves speak Quenya and Sindarin, whereas the Dwarves speak Khuzdul. In the Star Trek series, Klingon is a completely developed language that the aliens speak. On the other hand, in A Song of Ice and Fire, George R. R. Martin has created only a few words or phrases of the native languages for example the nine Low Valyrian dialects or Dothraki, the language of the steppe nomads of Essos. Here they are used mostly as plot devices that add a dash of colour to the plot or as plot devices to be revealed at a later point in the story. Therefore in LoTR, language serves a larger purpose. It acts as a springboard into the connotations we derive out of the sounds the words produce. It helps us deduce the nature of the various races described in the book better. Guttural sounds like those of Khuzdul sound impressive in battle cries and curses and depict the sturdiness and aggression of the Dwarves. (Even though words of endearment sound pleasant. For example, when Kili said ‘Amralime!’ meaning ‘My Love!’ to Tauriel in the Hobbit, the words didn’t sound harsh but soft and tender). On the other hand, Sindarin, with its softer sounds and rolling consonants presents a picture of the ethereal grace of the Elves. Black speech sounds nasty due to the hard consonants it uses and projects the vile Orcs and followers of Mordor perfectly. Similarly, Parseltongue in the Harry Potter books sounds like a series of sinister hisses to people other than the Parselmouths which stresses on the fact that it is the language of the snakes and people who communicate with
The fantasy genre is distinctive due to its freedom of expression – the entirely independent framework of story and its style of writing. It has the ability to take people into an alternate universe via a portal or immerse them in a completely different world. These worlds are characterised as unique and separate from us due to the unfamiliar lands, mystical culture and history of the characters in the story which is brought to us by the use of a different language in it. Since language is inextricably linked to culture, it is a very useful tool to introduce us to new cultures and time periods. When a character speaks in a particular accent or dialect or uses a particular, say, archaic word, we come …show more content…
In LoTR, the languages are used extensively as they are in real life. The Elves speak Quenya and Sindarin, whereas the Dwarves speak Khuzdul. In the Star Trek series, Klingon is a completely developed language that the aliens speak. On the other hand, in A Song of Ice and Fire, George R. R. Martin has created only a few words or phrases of the native languages for example the nine Low Valyrian dialects or Dothraki, the language of the steppe nomads of Essos. Here they are used mostly as plot devices that add a dash of colour to the plot or as plot devices to be revealed at a later point in the story. Therefore in LoTR, language serves a larger purpose. It acts as a springboard into the connotations we derive out of the sounds the words produce. It helps us deduce the nature of the various races described in the book better. Guttural sounds like those of Khuzdul sound impressive in battle cries and curses and depict the sturdiness and aggression of the Dwarves. (Even though words of endearment sound pleasant. For example, when Kili said ‘Amralime!’ meaning ‘My Love!’ to Tauriel in the Hobbit, the words didn’t sound harsh but soft and tender). On the other hand, Sindarin, with its softer sounds and rolling consonants presents a picture of the ethereal grace of the Elves. Black speech sounds nasty due to the hard consonants it uses and projects the vile Orcs and followers of Mordor perfectly. Similarly, Parseltongue in the Harry Potter books sounds like a series of sinister hisses to people other than the Parselmouths which stresses on the fact that it is the language of the snakes and people who communicate with