Editing Cirth (section)

== Other runic scripts by Tolkien ==

The Cirth is not the only runic writing system used by Tolkien in [[Tolkien's legendarium|his ''legendarium'']]. In fact, he devised a great number of runic alphabets, of which only a few others have been published. Some of these are included in the "Appendix on Runes" of ''[[The Treason of Isengard]]'' (''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'', vol. VII), edited by [[Christopher Tolkien]].<ref>{{cite journal |last=Hyde |first=Paul Nolan |date=Summer 1990 |title=Quenti Lambardillion: Runing on Empty: Charting a New Course |url= https://dc.swosu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2721&context=mythlore |journal=[[Mythlore]] |volume=16 |issue=4, no. 62}}</ref>

=== Runes from ''The Hobbit'' ===
<!-- [[File:Hobbit cover.JPG|thumb|right|150px|Runes around the edges of the cover of ''The Hobbit'' are a transliteration of English, giving information about the book.]] -->

According to Tolkien himself, those found in ''[[The Hobbit]]'' are a form of "English runes" used in lieu of the Dwarvish runes proper.<ref name="Hobbit">{{cite book |title=[[The Hobbit]]|first=J.R.R. |last=Tolkien |author-link=J.R.R. Tolkien |publisher=London: George Allen & Unwin. |year=1937}}</ref> They can be interpreted as an attempt made by Tolkien to adapt the [[Fuþorc]] (i.e., the [[Old English]] runic alphabet) to the [[Modern English]] language.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.tolkienestate.com/en/learning/languages-and-writing-systems/writing-systems.html |title= Writing Systems |first=Arden R. |last=Smith |author-link=Arden R. Smith |website= The Tolkien Estate |quote= The runic alphabet used on Thror's Map and elsewhere in The Hobbit is not the Angerthas, but is rather the futhorc used by the Anglo-Saxons in England over a thousand years ago, adapted by Tolkien for the representation of modern English. |access-date= December 30, 2020}}</ref>

These runes are basically the same found in Fuþorc, but their sound may change according to their position, just like the letters of the [[Latin script]]: the writing mode used by Tolkien is, in this case, mainly orthographic.<ref name="Lindberg">{{cite web |url= http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/runes-eng.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725065431/http://www.forodrim.org/daeron/runes-eng.pdf |archive-date=2008-07-25 |url-status=live |title= Tolkien English Runes|last= Lindberg|first= Per|date= 2016-11-27|website= forodrim.org|access-date= 2019-03-27}}</ref> This means that the system has one rune for each Latin letter, regardless of pronunciation.<ref name="Lindberg"/> For example, the rune [[File:Certh 13.svg|16px]] {{angbr|c}} can sound {{IPAc-en|k}} in {{angbr|'''c'''over}}, {{IPAc-en|s}} in {{angbr|sin'''c'''ere}}, {{IPAc-en|ʃ}} in {{angbr|spe'''c'''ial}}, and even {{IPAc-en|tʃ}} in the digraph {{nowrap|[[File:Certh 13.svg|16px]][[File:Certh 47.svg|16px]]}} {{angbr|ch}}.<ref>{{cite letter | first = J.R.R. | last = Tolkien | author-link = J.R.R. Tolkien | recipient = Katherine Farrer | subject = Letter 112 | date = November 30, 1947 | url = https://arda.saloon.jp/?plugin=attach&refer=The%20Letters%20of%20J.R.R.Tolkien%2FLetter%20112&openfile=letter112_tolkien.jpg | access-date = December 31, 2020 }}</ref>

A few sounds are instead written with the same rune, without considering the English spelling. For example, the sound {{IPAc-en|ɔː}} is always written with the rune [[File:Certh 24.svg|16px]] whether in English it is spelt {{angbr|o}} as in {{angbr|n'''o'''rth}}, {{angbr|a}} as in {{angbr|f'''a'''ll}}, or {{angbr|oo}} as in {{angbr|d'''oo'''r}}. The only two letters that are subject to this phonemic spelling are {{angbr|a}} and {{angbr|o}}.<ref name="Lindberg"/>

Finally, some runes stand for particular English digraphs and diphthongs.<ref name="Hobbit"/><ref name="Lindberg"/>

Here the runes used in ''The Hobbit'' are displayed along with their Fuþorc counterpart and corresponding English grapheme:

{| class="wikitable"
|- align="center"
!Rune!!Fuþorc!!English grapheme
| rowspan="17"|
!Rune!!Fuþorc!!English grapheme
|- align="center"
|[[File:Tolkien's Futhorc A.svg|20px]]||{{script|Runr|ᚪ}} ||rowspan=2|''phonemic''{{ref|ph|[i]}}
|[[File:Certh 2.svg|20px]]||{{script|Runr|ᚱ}}||{{angbr|r}}
|- align="center"
|[[File:Certh 9.svg|20px]]||{{script|Runr|ᚫ}}
|[[File:Certh 40.svg|20px]]||{{script|Runr|ᛋ}}||{{angbr|s}}
|- align="center"
|[[File:Certh 6.svg|20px]]||{{script|Runr|ᛒ}}||{{angbr|b}}
|[[File:Certh 12.svg|20px]]||{{script|Runr|ᛏ}}||{{angbr|t}}
|- align="center"
|[[File:Certh 13.svg|20px]]||{{script|Runr|ᚳ}}||{{angbr|c}}
|[[File:Certh 48.svg|20px]]||{{script|Runr|ᚢ}}||{{angbr|u}}, {{angbr|v}}
|- align="center"
|[[File:Certh 38.svg|20px]]||{{script|Runr|ᛞ}}||{{angbr|d}}
|[[File:Certh 1.svg|20px]]||{{script|Runr|ᚹ}}||{{angbr|w}}
|- align="center"
|[[File:Tolkien's Futhorc E.svg|20px]]||{{script|Runr|ᛖ}}||{{angbr|e}}
|[[File:Certh 22.svg|20px]]||{{script|Runr|ᛉ}}||{{angbr|x}}
|- align="center"
|[[File:Tolkien's Futhorc F.svg|20px]]||{{script|Runr|ᚠ}}||{{angbr|f}}, {{angbr|ph}}
|[[File:Certh AU.svg|20px]]||{{script|Runr|ᚣ}}||{{angbr|y}}
|- align="center"
|[[File:Certh 36.svg|20px]]||{{script|Runr|ᚷ}}||{{angbr|g}}
|[[File:Certh 17.svg|20px]]||{{script|Runr|ᛣ}}||{{angbr|z}}{{ref|HZ|[iii]}}
|- align="center"
|[[File:Certh 47.svg|20px]]||{{script|Runr|ᚻ}}||{{angbr|h}}
|[[File:Certh 57.svg|20px]]||{{script|Runr|ᚦ}}||{{angbr|th}}
|- align="center"
|[[File:Certh 39.svg|20px]]||{{script|Runr|ᛁ}}||{{angbr|i}}, {{angbr|j}}
|[[File:Certh 27.svg|20px]]||{{script|Runr|ᛠ}}||{{angbr|ea}}
|- align="center"
|[[File:Tolkien's Futhorc K.svg|20px]]||{{script|Runr|ᛱ}} {{ref|H|[ii]}}||{{angbr|k}}
|[[File:Tolkien's Futhorc ST.svg|20px]]||{{script|Runr|ᛥ}}||{{angbr|st}}
|- align="center"
|[[File:Certh 8.svg|20px]]||{{script|Runr|ᛚ}}||{{angbr|l}}
|[[File:Certh 42.svg|20px]]||{{script|Runr|ᛟ}}||{{angbr|ee}}
|- align="center"
|[[File:Tolkien's Futhorc M.svg|20px]]||{{script|Runr|ᛗ}}||{{angbr|m}}
|[[File:Certh 43.svg|20px]]||{{script|Runr|ᛝ}}||{{angbr|ng}}
|- align="center"
|[[File:Certh 32.svg|20px]]||{{script|Runr|ᚾ}}||{{angbr|n}}
|[[File:Tolkien's Futhorc EO.svg|20px]]||{{script|Runr|ᛇ}}||{{angbr|eo}}
|- align="center"
|[[File:Certh 24.svg|20px]]||{{script|Runr|ᚩ}}||''phonemic''{{ref|ph|[i]}}
|[[File:Certh 5.svg|20px]]||{{script|Runr|ᛳ}} {{ref|H|[ii]}}||{{angbr|oo}}
|- align="center"
|[[File:Certh 28.svg|20px]]||{{script|Runr|ᛈ}}||{{angbr|p}}
|[[File:Certh 41.svg|20px]]||{{script|Runr|ᛲ}} {{ref|H|[ii]}}||{{angbr|sh}}
|}

'''Notes:'''
{{ordered list|list-style-type=lower-roman
 | {{note|ph||This table summarises the transcription of English {{angbr|a}} and {{angbr|o}} in runes:<ref name="Lindberg"/>}}
}}
{| class="wikitable"
|- align="center"
! English grapheme
! Sound value<br/><small>([[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]])</small>
! Rune
|- align="center"
| rowspan="3" | {{angbr|a}}
| {{IPAc-en|æ}}
| [[File:Certh 9.svg|20px]]
|- align="center"
| every other sound
| [[File:Tolkien's Futhorc A.svg|20px]]
|- align="center"
| {{IPAc-en|ɔː}}
| rowspan=3 | [[File:Certh 24.svg|20px]]
|- align="center"
| {{angbr|o}}
| every sound
|- align="center"
| rowspan="2" | {{angbr|oo}}
| {{IPAc-en|ɔː}}
|- align="center"
| every other sound
| [[File:Certh 5.svg|21px]]
|}
{{ordered list|start=2|list-style-type=lower-roman
  | {{note|H||The three runes {{nowrap|[[File:Tolkien's Futhorc K.svg|16px]],}} {{nowrap|[[File:Certh 5.svg|16px]],}} and [[File:Certh 41.svg|16px]] were invented by Tolkien and are not attested in real-life Fuþorc.}}
  | {{note|HZ||According to Tolkien, this is a "dwarf-rune" which "may be used if required" as an addendum to the English runes.<ref name="Hobbit"/>}}
  | Tolkien commonly writes the [[Pronunciation of English ⟨wh⟩|English digraph {{angbr|wh}}]] (pronounced {{IPA|en|ʍ||generic=yes}} in some [[Variety (linguistics)|varieties]] of English) as {{nowrap|[[File:Certh 47.svg|16px]][[File:Certh 1.svg|16px]]}} {{angbr|hw}}.
  | There is no rune to transliterate {{angbr|q}}: the digraph {{angbr|qu}} (representing the sound {{IPA|en|kʷw||generic=yes}}, like in {{angbr|'''qu'''een}}) is always written as {{nowrap|[[File:Certh 13.svg|16px]][[File:Certh 1.svg|16px]]}} {{angbr|cw}}, reflecting the [[Old English#Orthography|Anglo-Saxon spelling]] {{angbr|{{Script|Latg|cƿ}}}}.
}}

===Gondolinic runes===
Not all the runes mentioned in ''The Hobbit'' are Dwarf-runes. The swords found in the [[Troll (Middle-earth)|Troll]]s' cave bore runes that [[Gandalf]] could not read. In fact, the swords [[List of Middle-earth weapons and armour#Glamdring|Glamdring]] and [[List of Middle-earth weapons and armour#Orcrist|Orcrist]] (which were forged in the ancient kingdom of [[Gondolin]]) bore a type of letters known as '''''Gondolinic runes'''''. They seem to have become obsolete and been forgotten by the [[Third Age]], and this is supported by the fact that only [[Elrond]] could still read the inscriptions on the swords.<ref name="Hobbit"/>

Tolkien devised this runic alphabet in a very early stage of his shaping of Middle-earth. Nevertheless, they are known to us from a slip of paper that Tolkien wrote; his son [[Christopher Tolkien|Christopher]] sent a photocopy of it to Paul Nolan Hyde in February 1992. Hyde published it, with an extensive analysis, in the 1992 Summer issue of ''[[Mythlore]]'', no. 69.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Hyde |first=Paul Nolan |date=July 1992 |title=Quenti Lambardillion: The 'Gondolinic Runes': Another Picture |url=https://dc.swosu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2370&context=mythlore |journal=[[Mythlore]] |volume=18 |issue=3, no. 69}}</ref> The system was reanalyzed by [[Carl F. Hostetter]], who corrected the reading of the χ̑ rune to an ''[[Voiceless palatal fricative|ich-laut]]'' (voiceless palatal fricative)''.''<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hostetter |first=Carl |last2=Baynes |first2=Pauline |last3=Martsch |first3=Nancy |date=1992-10-15 |title=Letters |url=https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore/vol18/iss4/12/ |journal=Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature |volume=18 |issue=4 |issn=0146-9339}}</ref> Later, in Parma Eldalamberon 15, the original manuscript including a script variety of Gondolinic, the first cursive form of any of Tolkien's runic scripts, was presented.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Tolkien |first=J. R. R. |editor-last1=Gilson |editor-first1=Christopher |editor-last2=Smith |editor-first2=Arden |editor-last3=Wynne |editor-first3=Patrick |editor-last4=Welden |editor-first4=Bill |url=https://archive.org/details/parma-eldalamberon-15 |title=Parma Eldalamberon 15 |date=2004}}</ref>

The system provides sounds not found in any of the known [[Elvish languages (Middle-earth)|Elvish languages]] of the [[History of Arda#First Age|First Age]], but perhaps it was designed for a variety of languages. However, the consonants seem to be, more or less, the same found in [[Welsh phonology]], a theory supported by the fact that Tolkien was heavily influenced by [[Welsh language|Welsh]] when creating Elvish languages.<ref>{{cite news |date=2011-05-21 |title=Study explores JRR Tolkien's Welsh influences |url= https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-13472344 |work=BBC |access-date=2019-03-27}}</ref>

{|class="wikitable"
|+ Consonants
!rowspan=2|
!colspan=3|<small>[[Labial consonant|Labial]]</small>
!colspan=9|<small>[[Dental consonant|Dentals]]</small>
!colspan=3|<small>[[Palatal consonant|Palatal]]</small>
!colspan=3|<small>[[Dorsal consonant|Dorsal]]</small>
!colspan=3|<small>[[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]</small>
|- align="center"
!colspan=2|<small>Rune</small>!!<small>[[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]</small>
!colspan=2|<small>Rune</small>!!<small>[[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]</small>
!colspan=2|<small>Rune</small>!!<small>[[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]</small>
!colspan=2|<small>Rune</small>!!<small>[[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]</small>
!colspan=2|<small>Rune</small>!!<small>[[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]</small>
!colspan=2|<small>Rune</small>!!<small>[[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]</small>
!colspan=2|<small>Rune</small>!!<small>[[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]</small>
|- align="center"
! rowspan=2|<small>[[Stop consonant|Plosive]]</small>
|[[File:Gondolin rune p.svg|20px]]||p||{{IPA|/p/}}
|colspan=3|
|[[File:Certh 8.svg|20px]]||t||{{IPA|/t/}}
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|[[File:Certh 57.svg|20px]]||k (c)||{{IPA|/k/}}
|colspan=3|
|- align="center"
|{{nowrap|[[File:Gondolin rune b.svg|20px]] [[File:Gondolin rune b2.svg|20px]]}}||b||{{IPA|/b/}}
|colspan=3|
|[[File:Certh 12.svg|20px]]||d||{{IPA|/d/}}
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|[[File:Certh 6.svg|20px]]||g||{{IPA|/ɡ/}}
|colspan=3|
|- align="center"
! rowspan=2|<small>[[fricative consonant|Fricative]]</small>
|[[File:Gondolin rune f.svg|20px]]||f||{{IPA|/f/}}
|[[File:Certh 9.svg|20px]]||þ||{{IPA|/θ/}}
|[[File:Certh 35.svg|20px]]||s||{{IPA|/s/}}
|[[File:Gondolin rune sh.svg|20px]]||š||{{IPA|/ʃ/}}
|colspan=3|
|[[File:Certh 40.svg|20px]]||χ||{{IPA|/x/}}
|[[File:Certh 59.svg|20px]]||h||{{IPA|/h/}}
|- align="center"
|{{nowrap|[[File:Certh 27.svg|20px]] [[File:Certh 22.svg|20px]]}}||v||{{IPA|/v/}}
|[[File:Certh 19.svg|20px]]||ð||{{IPA|/ð/}}
|[[File:Gondolin rune z.svg|20px]]||z||{{IPA|/z/}}
|[[File:Gondolin rune zh.svg|20px]]||ž||{{IPA|/ʒ/}}
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|- align="center"
! rowspan=2|<small>[[affricate consonant|Affricate]]</small>
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|[[File:Certh 60.svg|20px]]||tš (ch)||{{IPA|/t͡ʃ/}}
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|- align="center"
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|[[File:Gondolin rune j.svg|20px]]||dž (j)||{{IPA|/d͡ʒ/}}
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|- align="center"
! rowspan=2|<small>[[nasal consonant|Nasal]]</small>
|[[File:Certh 43.svg|20px]]||m||{{IPA|/m/}}
|colspan=3|
|[[File:Certh 54.svg|20px]]||n||{{IPA|/n/}}
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|[[File:Certh 2.svg|20px]]||ŋ||{{IPA|/ŋ/}}
|colspan=3|
|- align="center"
|[[File:Gondolin rune mh.svg|20px]]||(mh)||{{IPA|/m̥/}}
|colspan=3|
| || ||
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|{{nowrap|[[File:Gondolin rune ŋh.svg|20px]] [[File:Gondolin rune ŋh2.svg|20px]]}}||(ŋh)||{{IPA|/ŋ̊/}}
|colspan=3|
|- align="center"
! rowspan=2|<small>[[Trill consonant|Trill]]</small>
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|[[File:Certh 29.svg|20px]]||r||{{IPA|/r/}}
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|- align="center"
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|[[File:Certh 33.svg|20px]]||rh||{{IPA|/r̥/}}
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|- align="center"
! rowspan=2|<small>[[Lateral consonant|Lateral]]</small>
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|[[File:Certh 36.svg|20px]]||l||{{IPA|/l/}}
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|- align="center"
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|{{nowrap|[[File:Gondolin rune lh.svg|20px]] [[File:Gondolin rune lh2.svg|20px]]}}<br/>[[File:Gondolin rune lh3.svg|20px]]||lh||{{IPA|/ɬ/}}
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|- align="center"
! rowspan=2|<small>[[Approximant consonant|Approximant]]</small>
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|{{nowrap|[[File:Certh 13.svg|20px]] [[File:Tolkien's Futhorc K.svg|20px]]}}<br/>[[File:Gondolin rune y3 (consonant).svg|20px]]||j (i̯)||{{IPA|/j/}}
|[[File:Certh 42.svg|20px]]||w (u̯)||{{IPA|/w/}}
|colspan=3|
|- align="center"
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|[[File:Certh 28.svg|20px]]
|χ̑
|{{IPA|/ç/}}<sup>?</sup>
|[[File:Certh 37.svg|20px]]||{{not a typo|ƕ}}||{{IPA|/ʍ/}}
|colspan=3|
|}

{|class="wikitable"
|+ Vowels
|- align="center"
!colspan=2|<small>Rune</small>!!<small>[[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]</small>
!colspan=2|<small>Rune</small>!!<small>[[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]</small>
!colspan=2|<small>Rune</small>!!<small>[[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]</small>
!colspan=2|<small>Rune</small>!!<small>[[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]</small>
!colspan=2|<small>Rune</small>!!<small>[[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]</small>
|- align="center"
|[[File:Gondolin rune a.svg|20px]]||a||{{IPA|/a/}}
|[[File:Gondolin rune e.svg|20px]]||e||{{IPA|/ɛ/}}
|[[File:Certh 39.svg|20px]]||i||{{IPA|/i/}}
|[[File:Certh 48.svg|20px]]||o||{{IPA|/ɔ/}}
|[[File:Gondolin rune u.svg|20px]]||u||{{IPA|/u/}}
|- align="center"
|[[File:Certh 38.svg|20px]]||ā||{{IPA|/aː/}}
|{{nowrap|[[File:Gondolin rune e-.svg|20px]] [[File:Certh 38a.svg|20px]]}}||ē||{{IPA|/eː/}}
|[[File:Certh 31.svg|20px]]||ī||{{IPA|/iː/}}
|{{nowrap|[[File:Certh 49.svg|20px]] [[File:Gondolin rune o-2.svg|20px]]}}||ō||{{IPA|/oː/}}
|{{nowrap|[[File:Gondolin rune u-.svg|20px]] [[File:Gondolin rune u-2.svg|20px]]}}||ū||{{IPA|/uː/}}
|- align="center"
|{{nowrap|[[File:Gondolin rune æ.svg|20px]] [[File:Gondolin rune æ2.svg|20px]]}}||æ||{{IPA|/æ/}}
|colspan="3"|
|colspan="3"|
|[[File:Certh AU.svg|20px]]||œ||{{IPA|/œ/}}
|{{nowrap|[[File:Gondolin rune y.svg|20px]] [[File:Certh 44.svg|20px]]}}||y||{{IPA|/y/}}
|- align="center"
|{{nowrap|[[File:Gondolin rune æ-.svg|20px]] [[File:Gondolin rune æ-2.svg|20px]]}}||ǣ||{{IPA|/æː/}}
|colspan="3"|
|colspan="3"|
|[[File:Gondolin rune œ-.svg|20px]]||œ̄||{{IPA|/œː/}}
|{{nowrap|[[File:Gondolin rune y-.svg|20px]] [[File:Certh 5.svg|20px]]}}<br/>{{nowrap|[[File:Gondolin rune y-3.svg|20px]] [[File:Gondolin rune y-4.svg|20px]]}}||ȳ||{{IPA|/yː/}}
|}