[Silvae]

Humour me, please; this is for a good cause!

[SpaceWeavil]

I can't decide how to vote on this, as I believe it depends on the context. I find things like saying "'Mae govannen' [welcome]" in fics a bit annoying, but I understand some people find that easiest.

I don't mind having the translation as a footnote, as at the back of my mind I think that this is how it would be done were this a professional fic. But I can see how people could find that irritating as well.

What I tend to do is have the translation at the bottom if it is a short phrase, like saying "I am going home, adar", and putting that adar equates to father in a footnote.

If I have a longer passage, I tend to put the translation in brackets and italics beneath the elvish.

I especially use this for song or poem quotes, so for instance;

Mas tirathach, hi erin haered?
(What can you see, on the horizon?)

Manen en mae nallar?
(Why do the white gulls call?)

Athran i aear, ithil eria
(Across the sea, a pale moon rises)

En cair tellir tegi le na var
(The ships have come to carry you home)

Translation there might be a tad off as I just scribbled it down as an example, but that is what I mean. That's how I do it more often than not.

[Thuriniel]

With the translation, please! I'm familiar with Sindarin, and I can usually get the gist of the meaning, but if I'm in the middle of the reading and don't understand everything, I don't like needing to go to the bottom (I tend to lose my place), or even less, getting my dictionary out because there is no translation!

With simple expressions, such as "hannon le" or "mellon nin" or "mae govannen" that most of us have learned by watching the movies (and I hope reading the books), I don't have a problem if translation is not provided, or if the translation is found at the bottom/beginning of the chapter.

... and don't get me started on Grey Elven ... or whatever they like to call it ...

[ellisk]

I don't think I'm going to say anything new here. I agree with Space and Thu that if it's something simple and just a few words, putting the translation at the bottom is good enough. That is especially true if the word isn't vital to understanding the plot.

Ex. I'm going out, adar.--It isn't going to make me unable to understand/enjoy the plot if I don't know what adar means.

But if characters are having a dialogue in Elvish, then I want the translation right there in parenthesis.

And as Thu says--make sure it's really Tolkien's Sindarin or Quenyan and not some role-playing game's version of Elvish.

Those are my thoughts.

[Robbie]

This poll has been done before: http://www.openscrolls.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1548&postdays=0&postorder=asc&vote=viewresult

[ellisk]

[Alassante]

If I am using a term of affection like my love, my beloved, love of my life, etc. I will put that at the top. If it is a phrase or sentence, I like it to be close to it so I don't have to scroll up or down to figure it out.


I was a user of Grey Elven. I am now in recovery thanks to Space and Thu.

[Silvae]

Thank you Robbie - I didn't notice that poll, but it was very helpful!
Thanks also to all the people who have taken the time to post an answer on this thread : their answers will be put to good use!
Oh yes, and I'll stay away from Grey-elven...

[ZeeDrippyVessel]

I really prefer the translation at the bottom. To me, to put it WITH the 'quote' is distracting.

For that reason, tons and paragraphs of Elvish, with the translaton immeditately following REALLY put me off.

Don't mind me. Relapsing and back on steriods...