Inside Language
Ross Smith
Cormarë Series No. 12
Tolkien's views on language, though never published as a formalised theory, were in some aspects rather 'heretic' (to use Tom Shippey's term) and seemed to fly into the face of 'established' linguistic theory — most notably his conception of 'native (hereditary) language' and, related to it, the idea of 'linguistic aesthetic' and 'phonetic fitness'. Unfortunately, this aspect of Tolkien's linguistic work has, as yet, not received the attention it deserves. This is remedied by Ross Smith's study that investigates the question of Tolkien's position on language vis-a-vis the then (and even now) dominant tenet(s) in some depth.
145
pages, Walking Tree Publishers 2007, Cormarë No. 12, ISBN: 978-3-905703-06-1.
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