A translation chart from Khuzdûl into Roman letters
Khuzdûl[1][2] was the language of the Dwarves, written in the 50-letter Cirth script (Runes). It appears to be structured, like real-world Semitic languages, around the triconsonantal roots: kh-z-d, b-n-d, z-g-l.
History[]
The language was created by the Vala Aulë, creator of the Seven Fathers of the Dwarves, who taught them "the language he had devised for them" unrelated to the languages of the Elves.[3][4] The language was rarely heard by outsiders and was a secret, and was thus not recorded by Elves or Men. The Dwarves also had a language of silent gesture-signs known as Iglishmêk.[5]
In the early days of Middle-earth, before Men entered Beleriand, they had contact with the Dwarves of the Blue Mountains and further East, and the Taliska language was devised, similar to the Dwarven tongue. Taliska would be the ancestor of Adûnaic, the later tongue of Númenor, and of the Common Speech.
The only Khuzdûl line in J.R.R. Tolkien's primary writings is Gimli's battle-cry "Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu!", meaning, "Axes of the Dwarves! The Dwarves are upon you!".
Conceptual history[]
The Lhammas tells that Khuzdûl was uniquely derived from a separate language family called Aulëan, devised by Aulë the Smith, the Vala who created the Dwarves. Khuzdûl is unique in belonging to Aulëan, unlike the languages of Elves and Men, which are of the Oromëan language family.[6]
Background[]
Khuzdûl was largely inspired by Semitic languages. In fact, Tolkien wanted it to sound much like Hebrew, and noted that both Jews and his Dwarves were "once natives and aliens in their habitations, speaking the languages of the country, but with an accent due to their own private tongue"[7]. Another reason Hebrew was chosen as a basis for Khuzdûl is that it is unlike any European languages, equivalent to the contrast between Dwarven speech and Elvish languages. Although Dwarven symbols were identical to Germanic Runes, the symbols that correlate to specific English letters have been mixed around, and a few runes are inverted.[8]
See also[]
Translations[]
| Foreign Language | Translated name |
| Greek | Κχουζντούλ |
| Hebrew | קהוזדול |
| Japanese | クズドゥール |
| Persian | خوزدول |
| Russian | Кхуздул |
References[]
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. 12: The Peoples of Middle-earth, X: "Of Dwarves and Men", pg. 321 (footnote 19)
- ↑ Vinyar Tengwar, Number 48, "Eldarin Hands, Fingers & Numerals and Related Writings — Part Two", pgs. 6, 24
- ↑ The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion: "Of the Sindar"
- ↑ The Lord of the Rings, Appendix F, "The Languages and Peoples of the Third Age", "Of Other Races"
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. XI: The War of the Jewels, Part Four: "Quendi and Eldar", pgs. 395, 402
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. V: The Lost Road and Other Writings, chapter VII: "The Lhammas"
- ↑ The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, Letter 176
- ↑ The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, Letter ?