Re: Tolkien's "hidden" conlang

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