[Alassante]

Would an elf be able to tell another elf's race by looking at them? Like would a Noldor know that another elf was Sindar without knowing their family line? (Assuming they were not in their own realm, of course)

In the third age, was there still tension between the elf races? It doesn't appear so but I have read somewhere that Galadriel and Thranduil did not get along before the WOTR. I might be wrong though.

Also, do elves would have difference accents on their speech depending on where they came from?

I have my own opinions on these questions but I am not sure if it is stated anywhere that - Elves cannot tell another's race without knowing their family line due to the fact that so many races had intermingled. Because of the races intermingling so much, the old tension is gone. And their speech might be slightly accented but not glaringly obvious.

Am I wrong?

[SpaceWeavil]

One thing is that elves from different races spoke different forms of elvish, which I would think would give them an accent; for instant the Sylvan elves spoke 'Nandorin' which was slightly different to Sindarin, as well as speaking Sindarin. Cirdan's people spoke a language, probably related to Telerin, that was supposedly only spoken amongst themselves, and was very archaic compared to Sindarin.

As for old grievances, that would depend on the individual I should think. I mean, I don't think elves 'as a race' would dislike other elves on the whole in the Third Age. I'd bemore inclined to look at the character you're dealing with - remembering that some of the elves might have been involved with events in Beleriand (for instance the Noldor in Rivendell, who were refugees from Ost-in-Edhil, and who followed Celebrimbor, or people like Celeborn and especially Galadriel. Thranduil also perhaps if you have him old enough to have lived in Doriath with his father Oropher).

I'm a firm advocate of the 'elvish accent' theory though, just from the fact that Imladris is said to have its own 'dialect' in a couple of sources I've read on Sindarin - their elvish has a lot more influence from Quenya than say that of Lorien. For instance in the dialect of Imladris one would say 'le' for you, which is related to the Quenya ending -lye, for second person. Whereas in other dialects one would, (at least according to the materials I have, which are at home so I can't check on the author unfortunately, but I'm thinking it was David Salo), use 'lin'.

So for that reason I'd say the different races would have distinctive accents.

[inglor]

My Opinion:

It may depend on the area, Lindon and Rivendell were prob mixed but not Mirkwood or Lorien, they were primarily Silvan and Sindar, very little Noldor (Gal was only 1/4 by blood). Ost In Idhil (SP?) was priamrily Noldor but Saruon took care of that.

I know of no specific fued between Thranduil and Galadriel but one might think he might hold a grudge for Gil-Galad (Galadriel's nephew and Noldo) leaving Oropher high and dry at Dagorlad (in his opinion). Oh and he got snubbed for a Ring too.

Different accents, IMHO Definitley. Based on the way all Elven languages evolved from one source, and the way all other spoken languages vary on locale, I think it is a safe assumption for different accents.

Inglor

[Neniel]

Well, as far as the relationships among the different races of the Elves go, I don't really think it was really a problem anymore during the times of the War of the Ring... I mean, the Sindar and Sylvan weren't exactly crazy about the Noldor, but that was mostly due to events that had taken place in the earlier Ages. With the exception of Oropher's death in the War of the Last Alliance, I can't really think of another tension-deriving occurence during the Third Age and, as good as their memories can be, I find it safe to assume that no major grievences were held.

As for the elves recognizing each other, I guess it's pretty much like guessing someone is Mexican, French or Norwegian even when they all converse in english. There are some rather rough external characteristics (colour hair, etc) that may not be absolute but can give a hint. And then there are the dialects and accents, like SpaceWeavil pointed out. But I guess it's a whole cultural thing as well... You know, something like different elven 'civilizations'! (well, yeah, ok, not civilizations per se, but you get the idea!)

[trekqueen]

I found this website helpful when looking up distinguishing physical characteristics of elves:

http://www.mux.net/~bele/elves.html

Here's an excerpt on the Noldor:

[Alassante]

I will look at that site when I get home TQ thanks! My work's firewall is blocking it.

I know that in the First Age and Second Age there was huge very obvious differences between the elves but I was thinking more along the lines of WOTR days. Like stick Legolas, Haldir, and Elrohir in a room together without telling anything to either of them, would they all know - hey, your Noldo from Rivendell. Well since Elrohir is a mutt that would not be very easy but you know what I mean.

[VanatheEverYoung]

Here are some sources that you might look at to draw your own conclusions. I don't know a great deal about the Noldor or Vanyar, but as one of the many resident Sindarin groupies, I can tell you all about the best race of Elves and how superior they are to the Kin-slayers.

About grudges, I'd agree with SpaceWeavil that it's based on the individual. Here's what Legolas says in the chapter "Lothlorien" of FOTR.

"It is long since any of my own folk journeyed hither back to the land whence we wandered in ages long ago, but we hear that Lorien is not yet deserted."

That's quite a statement. To even consider that Lothlorien is deserted means that Mirkwood has had no news at all about Lorien. So something has kept the two realms apart. A grudge between Galadriel and Thranduil perhaps? That's always been my opinion anyway. It could possibly be Dol Guldur, but if Elves can travel from Lothlorien to Rivendell, surely they could find a way to Mirkwood if they really wanted to visit.

I would think that because of their isolation, Elves from Mirkwood would be more prone to grudges. Then of course there is Legolas, who readily accepts Men and Hobbits as friends, and eventually even a Dwarf, isn't openly uncomfortable in the House of Elrond, and agrees to go on a perilous mission to the very mountain where is grandfather was killed.

About accents, I agree with everyone else on this. Here's what Tolkien had to say about it. From FOTR, also the "Lothlorien" chapter, "Frodo could understand little of what was said, for the speech the Silvan folk east of the Misty Mountains used amongst themselves was unlike that of the west."

In Unfinished Tales, in the essay on Galadriel and Celeborn, Tolkien says, "the speech of the Silvan folk that they used amongst themselves was unlike that of the West--is of course now known. It probably differed in little more than what would now probably be called 'accent': mainly differences of vowel sounds and intonations sufficient to mislead one who, as Frodo, was not well aquainted with purerer Sindarin."

Physical characteristics gets tricky. I would say most Elves wouldn't make assumptions based on this.

Hope that helped some.