Remembering J. R. R. Tolkien:
January 3, 1892–September 2, 1973

8 comments

1. M says:

   January 3, 2022 at 7:36 am

   Just like we’ll never experience the siege of Minas Tirith, nor come to the rescue with the blinding light of the White mage, the horror producing author of the trilogy has given us sth very special. I prefer it to dickens and rewatch it if time allows. Movies obv novels seem like childs play these days.
2. Richard Chance says:

   January 7, 2022 at 1:40 pm

   I’ll never forget reading LOTR for the first time when I was 19.  A truly awesome and memorable literary experience.  What really sucks about it all is that I suspect I am too hardened and cynical to enjoy it if I were to be introduced to it now in my advanced decrepitude.
3. Kök Böri says:

   January 9, 2022 at 4:59 am

   Tolkien  is a name of Türkic origin. The word tolqyn means “wave”.  His orcs are based on ancient Türks. Not on real historical Türks, of course, but on ancient European impressions and stereotypes about Türks – Huns, Avars, Cumans and Tatars.

   1. Muhammad Aryan says:

      January 9, 2022 at 8:30 am

      Salam,

      I have a question not related to the subject at hand.

      How do you see the imposition of Cyrillic and Roman scripts on the Turkic family of languages? Has it been beneficial or damaging?

      I look forward to your reply.

      1. Kök Böri says:

         January 9, 2022 at 10:38 am

         Salam,

         You know the first Türkic alphabet was Orhun/Orkhon script or Köktürk Runes (written from right to left). But some Türkic peoples used after it some other script systems. For example the Uyghurs used so-called Brahmi Script 1, then Brahmi-Script-2, than Sogdean and Manichean Script. And only later on the base of Arabian script (with Persian modification) they invented middle-aged Uyghur-Chaghatay script.

         In the Russian Empire the Türkic peoples used Arabian scripts, and after the Bolshevik Revolution there was Yanalif, a new alphabet, based on Roman script, like in Türkey of Atatürk. Yanalif was introduced officially in the Soviet Türkic Republics in 1928. (The language reform of Atatürk was in 1928 too.) Ten years later Yanalif was replaced by Cyrillic script. Now Yanalif is not used.

         I would say Arabian letters are not quite good for Türkic sounds. Cyrillic has its faults, because not for all sounds exist Cyrlillic letters. So for some vocals one need to use diphtongs оь/уь, and not only this. Now almost all former Türkic Republics of the USSR use Roman scripts, not Cyrillic. The Türkics in Russia still use Cyrillic. Personally I would prefer the introduction of Roman/Atatürk´s  script for all them.  Any possible return to the Arabian/Persian script would be wrong, as I think.

         1. Muhammad Aryan says:

            January 10, 2022 at 2:42 am

            I see. That’s a helpful summary. Thanks.

             

            I would say Arabian letters are not quite good for Türkic sounds.

            Do you hold this true for every member of the Turkic language family?

            Muhammad-Hossein Shahriar Tabrizi’s poetic work in Azeri flows quite beautifully in the Arab-Persian script.

            But that’s how I see it. I am still a beginner. I don’t claim any authority on the subject.

            1. Kök Böri says:

               January 10, 2022 at 10:13 pm

               Eastern Türkic peoples, for example, in Siberia or on Altai Mountains have never used Arabian/Persian scripts. Well, they have never been Muslsms too. They hold either ancient beliefs, based on Tengrism/Tengricilik, or are Buddhists.

               Azeri Türkler were more under Persian influence, more than Anatolians themselves, and more than Uzbeks. It is quite clear than Azeris and Uzbeks and their poets used Persian scripts (and Persian language too,  for example Babur, an Uzbek from Fargana, wrote his poems and memoirs both in Čaġatay and – less – in Persian). So when I say that the Arabian letters are not quite good for Türkic sounds, I do not mean that they are bad for poets and writers. They simply are someway difficult for practical use for the peoples which have abandoned Arabian scripts in 1920´s – i.e. the Türks from the former USSR and the Türks from Türkey. When some peoples still use Arabian/Persian/Čaġatāy letters, as Uyghurs do, it´s OK. But I do not think that Tatars, Qazaqs, Nogays, Uzbeks, Azeris, Alan-Karaçaylar, Qumyqs etc. and Anatolian Türks, who use Roman and Cyrillic scripts since almost 100 years would want to return to Arabian letters.
            2. Muhammad Aryan says:

               January 11, 2022 at 2:08 am

               This is an interesting perspective.

               Once again teşekkürler for taking the time and sharing your views.

Comments are closed.