An Introduction to Phoneticswith Tengwar and Hangeul

Will MonroeSplash! Teaching Program

April 18, 2010

Image credit: user “Eruhildo,” from commons.wikimedia.org

A Disclaimer

The Tengwar

Image credit: (left) Lee, Alan, from tolkienlibrary.com; (right) Tolkien, John Ronald Reuel, The Return of the King, from books.google.com

How Tengwar Are Written

Each of the main consonants has two parts: a stem and a bow.

The stem can be short, extend above the bow, or extend below the bow.

The bow can be single or doubled, face up or down, and be open or closed.

Every main letter is a consonant; vowels are added as small marks (tehtar) above (or below) the letters.

Letters and Sounds of Tengwar

Image credit: Måns Björkman, from ambar-eldaron.com

But Wait: There's More!

Dn't frgt bt th vwls...

A Few More Miscellaneous Rules...

Image credit: Måns Björkman, from at.mansbjorkman.net

Making Sense of the One Ring

Image credit: Tolkien, John Ronald Reuel, The Fellowship of the Ring, from 2lincolns.com

Hangeul(Hangul, Han'gŭl, Chosŏn'gŭl, Jeongeum...)

Image credit: (left) David Hepworth, from commons.wikimedia.org; (right) unknown source, from commons.wikimedia.org

“A wise man can acquaint himself with them before the morning is over; a stupid man can learn them in the space of ten days.”

정인지 / Jeong Inji, 1443

The Consonants of Hangeul

(ㆆ ) ㅈ ㄱ ㄷ ㅂ ㅎ ㅊ ㅋ ㅌ ㅍ

ㅉ ㄲ ㄸ ㅃ ㅇ ㅅ ㄴ ㅁ

ㅆ ㄹ

h ch k t p

j g d b

jj kk tt pp

ss r/l

-/ng s(h) n m

... and (Why Not?) The Vowels

ㅐ ㅔ ㅏ ㅓ

ㅗ ㅜ ㅡ ㅣ

a eo

ae e

o u

eu i

ㅒ ㅖ ㅑ ㅕ

ㅛ ㅠ

ya yeo

yae ye

yo yu

ㅙ ㅞ ㅘ ㅝ

ㅢ ㅟ

wa weo

wae we

ui wi

Putting Syllables Together

ㅣㅅㅁ = 심

ㅘㄱㄴ = 관

ㅛㅇ = 요

The Only Korean I Know

안녕하세요 .

Break time!

The Phonology of EnglishConsonants

Source: Wikipedia (Don't use this for your research, kids.)

IPA in All Its GloryDon't worry, this won't be on the test.

Source: Peter Ladefoged, UCLA Phonetics Lab (phonetics.ucla.edu). Now that's a good source.

The Phonology of EnglishVowels

Source: University of Texas, Department of Linguistics

Vowels of the World

Source: Peter Ladefoged, UCLA Phonetics Lab

Is That It?

Consonants Other places of

articulation Gemination Airstream

clicks and pops ejectives implosives

...

Vowels Diphthongs Length Nasals Voicing Tone ...