A Secret Vice: Tolkien on Invented Languages

A Secret Vice contains Tolkien's 1931 essay on invented languages along with previously unpublished notes and materials related to his philological interests. The collection provides insight into Tolkien's process of creating artificial languages and writing systems. The book includes annotations and commentary from linguists Dimitra Fimi and Andrew Higgins that place Tolkien's language creation in historical context. Their analysis connects Tolkien's invented languages to his academic work in philology and his fiction writing. The core essay explores the relationship between language invention and mythology, drawing from Tolkien's personal experience developing Elvish languages. Supporting materials demonstrate his evolving thoughts on the nature of language creation and its role in world-building. This compilation reveals language invention as a crucial foundation of Tolkien's creative process and mythological works. The materials highlight how his linguistic and literary interests merged to influence fantasy literature and constructed languages.

Readers value this book's insights into Tolkien's language creation process and how it shaped Middle-earth. Many note it helps them understand the connection between his academic work and fiction writing. Liked: - Detailed explanations of how Tolkien developed his languages - Inclusion of previously unpublished notes and manuscripts - Historical context about language invention - Commentary from editors that clarifies technical concepts Disliked: - High level of linguistic terminology makes parts hard to follow - Some sections feel repetitive or unpolished - Price point for a relatively short book - Limited appeal beyond serious Tolkien scholars Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (164 ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (46 ratings) "Not for casual readers but invaluable for understanding Tolkien's creative process," notes one Amazon reviewer. A Goodreads review states: "The academic language can be dense, but the insights into his phonetic choices are fascinating."

In the Land of Invented Languages by Arika Okrent The history and development of constructed languages from Esperanto to Klingon reveals the human drive to create new forms of communication.

Language Construction Kit by Mark Rosenfelder A technical guide for creating artificial languages presents the tools and concepts needed to build linguistic systems from scratch.

From Elvish to Klingon: Exploring Invented Languages by Michael Adams An examination of constructed languages in literature, film, and television demonstrates their role in world-building and storytelling.

Languages of Middle-earth by Ruth S. Noel A linguistic analysis of Tolkien's constructed languages explores their grammar, vocabulary, and relationship to real-world languages.

Language Invention in Linguistics Pedagogy by Jeffrey Punske, Nathan Sanders, and Amy V. Fountain A collection of essays connects the practice of language creation to the understanding of linguistic principles and teaching methods.

🗣️ The essay "A Secret Vice" was originally presented by Tolkien as a lecture in 1931 at a gathering of the Johnson Society at Pembroke College, Oxford, revealing his personal passion for creating languages. 🌍 Tolkien began inventing languages as early as his teenage years, creating "Naffarin" with a friend, which later influenced his development of Elvish languages like Quenya and Sindarin. 📚 The book includes previously unpublished notes and drafts by Tolkien about language invention, including fragments of his early constructed languages from the 1910s and 1920s. 🎨 Tolkien viewed language creation as an art form, comparing it to painting or music composition, and believed that invented languages needed a mythology to give them depth and meaning. 🗝️ The publication reveals how Tolkien's professional work as a philologist and his hobby of language invention directly shaped the creation of Middle-earth, making his fictional world's languages historically and linguistically coherent.