Barber, Charles. The English Language a Historical Introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2000. Print.
This has been an extremely useful source. Charles Barber’s The English Language: a Historical Introduction is just that: an introduction. Excluding my research on the Great vowel Shift, this book as been my primary introduction into the history and formation of the English language as well as linguistics. This book starts by introducing an academic interpretation of what language is and goes on to cover the history of English’s development to the present day. In particular I’ve made use of its chapters on Germanic and Norse languages and their influence on ours, as well as it’s easy to understand guide to the basics of linguistics and phonics.
Over all I think this source has been most useful for dissecting how history affects language and has helped me begin to form a better understanding of how Tolkien structured his narrative to better accommodate these patterns. I have only been able to read a few passages so far and so I hope I will find more information on how language affects history. At the moment this source makes the relationship seem a little more one sided - an option I’m also trying to stay open to.
Peterson, David. "TED Blog." TED Blog Meet David Peterson Who Developed Dothraki for Game Of Thrones. Thu-Huong Ha, 29 Mar. 2013. Web. 13 Feb. 2014.
This is a charming and insightful six minute talk by David Peterson who has a masters in linguistics from UC San Diego. He is credited with creating Dothraki, a language made to represent its namesake nation in HBO’s series “Game of Thrones” (based on the novels by George R.R. Martin). Peterson outlines two ways of creating an original language: the first being to keep the grammar structure of one's native language but apply it to original words, and the second being to try and imitate the natural development of a language with an organic system of speech and grammar.
Peterson then goes on to describe how the meanings of words shift over time with use. Again we see the affect of history on language and I think this starts to show the reverse as well.
Tolkien, J. R. R. The Silmarillion. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1977. Print.
This is the true base from which my subject is derived. A compilation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s notes and narratives that relays the ancient history of the Elvish race and their language. The appendixes contain the roots that compose Tolkien’s Elvish languages, Quenya and Sindarin. The story begins with the creation of Beleriand and all its surrounding realms by Iluvatar and chronicles the legends of Elves and Men (among other events of historical significance). This is Tolkien’s “Master Piece” in many ways. It is the culmination of all of his research and poetry and the base of his entire Secondary Reality. This is an example of a text that could be examined by a class as an exercise in source analysis and would also provide students with the closest possible relation to a primary source for the history of Middle-Earth.
Snyder, Christopher A. The Making of Middle-earth: A New Look inside the World of J.R.R. Tolkien. New York: Sterling, 2013. Print.
This book was the first I came across that approached Tolkien’s mythology from an academic perspective. Snyder dissects Tolkien’s narrative through his understanding of myth, literature, and history. Nearly every passage offers consice historical information that is then connected by Snyder to it’s influence in the Secondary Reality. Large amounts of information are summarized and made easier to swallow admittedly sometimes at the cost of their considerable complexity. In short this is a source to seek out an overview of the vast majority of Tolkien’s influences, a map if you will. This is a good place to start and can send the attentive reader to many more in depth sources.
Fonstad, Karen Wynn. The Atlas of Middle-earth. Boston, Ma.: Houghton Mifflin, 1991. Print.
An indispensable resource for understanding the works of Tolkien from a historical point of view. Wynn has combined beautiful cartography with in depth historical commentary. In order to accurately understand the course of events it is extremely important to understand the landscape on which they take place. Geography often determines the outcome of historical events - particularly battles, something found in abundance in the works of Tolkien. If used in combination with passages from the Silmarillion this could be a valuable resource for an academic course. Much like most current history textbooks, a textbook on the history of Middle-Earth would require maps so that students can appreciate the scale of these events. Overall this atlas provides another layer of legitimacy to understanding Tolkien’s History.
Kocher, Paul Harold. Master of Middle-earth; the Fiction of J.R.R. Tolkien. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1972. Print.
This could potentially be a “base-text” for the course I am trying to create. Kocher examines Tolkien's work with extraordinary depth and attention to detail. Through his analysis it is easy to compile key evidence surrounding the nature of the conception and existence of Tolkien’s Secondary Reality. The real value of this book is the personal perspective it provides into the thought behind Tolkien’s creation. This source covers everything from the geological connection of Earth and Middle-Earth to Tolkien’s higher philosophies that he embedded in his writing. Examining not only the theory of fantasy worlds but their practical use as well my research has benefited greatly from this addition.