# Elvish/Tengwar script: What does this say? [Edit: Turned out to be Elvish]



## Sgim

Hello, I am wondering what this says. I recently found this written at an apartment and I do not know what it means.

thank you many for you help.


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## ayed

Sgim said:


> View attachment 11403
> 
> Hello, I am wondering what this says. I recently found this written at an apartment and I do not know what it means.
> 
> thank you many for you help.


Welcome, Sgim, to the Arabic forum 

Unfortunately, this is not Arabic at all.
It seems to me to be either Hindi/Gujarati or Bengla script.


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## Abu Talha

ayed said:


> It seems to me to be either Hindi/Gujarati or Bengla script.


Or elvish...
https://www.google.com/search?q=elvish+script


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## fdb

Yes, it is "Elvish", a script/language invented by Tolkien. By the way, the script in your photograph is superimposed (on glass or something) over the background.


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## Treaty

fdb said:


> Yes, it is "Elvish", a script/language invented by Tolkien. By the way, the script in your photograph is superimposed (on glass or something) over the background.



I think it is written directly on the wood by a black marker. You can see the effect of the wood texture on the absorption of the colour. The best example is the middle word in the bottom line. The light reflection is a result of the wood's faint polish. 

Sorry, I think I was just haunted by Sherlock's ghost . _< 2nd question is gone. One topic per thread please.>_


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## luitzen

I'm not a native English speaker, so I might be mistaken, but to me those sounds are clearly distinct and therefore written distinctly.


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## ryba

Hello,





> Apr 11, 2013 10:55:17 GMT  dreamingfifi said:
> 
> The text they are discussing appears to say:
> 
> Cory (spelt "Chory"... spelling error?) Zack
> Jerry Evans
> had joy here





> Apr 28, 2013 15:21:35 GMT  ryba said:
> 
> Thank you, Dreamingfifi!! Is it Sindarin?





> Apr 29, 2013 12:08:43 GMT  dreamingfifi said:
> 
> Nope, it's very much English, not Sindarin.



Courtesy of Merin Essi ar Quenteli. 

So, now everyone knows.


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## ancalimon

fdb said:


> Yes, it is "Elvish", a script/language invented by Tolkien. By the way, the script in your photograph is superimposed (on glass or something) over the background.



The correct word is "Elfish" as Tolkien explained in one of his letters.


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## L'irlandais

Hello,
*Tengwar* is written is a number of different ways known as "modes". For example there is a Quenya mode, a Sindarin mode and even an English mode.  (Source linked.)


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## ryba

ancalimon said:


> The correct word is "Elfish" as Tolkien explained in one of his letters.



Prescriptively, yes, though not exclusively. In pre-Tolkien era modern dictionaries, _elfish_ appears either as the only or as the primary form of the adjective, not all of them featuring the older, "historical" form _elvish_ (< Old English _ælfisc_, whose /f/ was realized as a voiced fricative [v]). But not on Tolkien's (Middle-earth internal) terms. The original question was about the meaning of the inscription, not the name of the language family, but, still, I think I'm not going too far off topic if I throw this link in.


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