Oh geeks and nerds that I know?

[reynardo]

What does the strange script on this say? It's from the Air New Zealand "Middle Earth" safety video.



Video available here.

(Yes, silmaril, I'm looking at you.)

Comments

[darkwing22.livejournal.com]

try
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/tengwar.htm

[michiexile]

First attempt: this might be Tengwar For English.
However, the little c-shaped glyph is not part of that spec.

Second attempt: this might be Sindarin or Quenya mode Tengwar.
This only works if we read the c-shaped glyph as a backwards numeral 0.

However, Beleriand-mode Tengwar actually features that c-glyph. With this assumption, and also expecting the double-strokes to correspond to capital letters and the tilde to introduce, Tengwar For English-style, a pre-consonant nasal, I make it:

Lend na Hnnor

[michiexile]

Not enough. Based on that page, I still had to google until I found a detailed explication of Beleriand Mode Sindarin Tengwar before I could transcribe it.

[michiexile]

The same text is underneath the door in the first few seconds.

[moxie_man]

It's a link to Sauron's Facebook page. Best to ignore it unless you want to attract his attention.

[sly-girl.livejournal.com]

Godsdammit, will someone who knows the answer comment? I wanna know too!

[michiexile]

…so you don't believe in the «Lend na Hnnor» transliteration?

[sly-girl.livejournal.com]

Might be right. Also entirely useless, since I don't speak whatever language it's in. I suspect Rey doesn't either, otherwise why ask? You've answered the question in a way that conveys no useful information whatsoever.

[michiexile]

The original question was What does the strange script on this say? — and I thought I answered at least that. If Rey wanted a different answer, she could've posed a different question. ;-)

Now, using Hiswelókë's Sindarin-English dictionary, it turns out that:
Lend - journey (i.e. from Lembas < Lenn-mbas)
na - with, by, ; to, towards.

aaand Hnnor doesn't exist in Sindarin; but if that letter is not a hyarmen, but a yanta, it would spell
Ennor - Middle Earth.

So: Journey to Middle Earth.

Now that I've answered BOTH Rey's question and yours, have I said anything of value?

[michiexile]

Worth knowing about me, btw. I'm a mathematician by profession. See the classic joke about the hot air balloon and the mathematician for relevance…

[reynardo.livejournal.com]

And on a newspaper later on. I think they're saying it says "Welcome to Middle Earth". What *is* the Tengwar for "Middle Earth"?

[michiexile]

[silmaril.livejournal.com]

Actually, michiexile was here first and I do believe he got it.

Also, Air New Zealand employs enormous geeks, but that we already knew from the livery thing ten years ago :).

[reynardo.livejournal.com]

And thank you both of you!