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Re: Tolkien's "hidden" conlang

From:Andreas Johansson <andjo@...>
Date:Tuesday, September 28, 2004, 9:41
Quoting Wesley Parish <wes.parish@...>:

> http://books.fantasticfiction.co.uk/n6/n32941.htm?authorid=8101 > http://www.bowjamesbow.net/2004/01/12-were_back.shtml > "Unfortunately, Ms. Wrightson is not well known in North America. I was very > fortunate to come upon her book, The Nargun and the Stars (published in > 1973), > in a used bookstore in Halifax. In this book, orphaned Simon Brent is sent to > live with an "aunt" and "uncle" (actually, second cousins to his mother) in a > ranch called Wongadilla, at the foot of a mountain. Exploring the place, > Simon > discovers a swamp and a forest, and ancient, playful creatures that lived > before > the aboriginies came. But he also discovers the Nargun, an ancient, dangerous > creature of stone, whose slow progress across the mountain has it on a > collision > course with the ranch." > > I think the translator changed it. Perhaps the translator was a fan of > Tolkien?
Well, if the 'u' is meant to be read as [u] or [U], changing it to 'o' could be a bow to Swedish orthography. Tough luck, tho - I spontaneously read it as [nar\`'go:n]. The "tale-rock" interpretation would force ['nargOn]. _Nargun_ could be taken as Sindarin for "Tale-Prince". Perhaps better Noldorin; I'm not aware that _cund_ "prince" is attested for the LotR period or later (RWTL). Andreas