Glamhoth

Glamhoth is a Sindarin word for Orcs. Literally, it means "the dinhorde, the yelling horde", and is a descriptive term referring to the loud and barbarous speech of the Orcs.

The term glamhoth is only used once in context; Tuor screams "Gurth an Glamhoth!", "Death to the Dinhorde", in Of Tuor and His Coming to Gondolin.

Etymology

The first part, glam, means "barbaric speech", and is an expansion of lam, "tongue, language". An individual within the group is referred to as a glamog, and glam appears in Glamdring. The second element, hoth is a common suffix to denote a collection of people.

Commentary

Throughout history, populations have always considered the languages of other peoples inferior, or uncouth to the ears. The term "Barbarian" originally ment "brabbler". Simlarly, Germany is called "Land of the Mute", "land of those who do not speak our tongue" in some Slavic countries. A similar pattern is found in Adûnaic, where the word for "shout" (rûkh) is related to the words for "Orc", uruk.

References

• The Lost Road and Other Writings, The Etymologies.
• The War of the Jewels, Quendi and Eldar.
• Unfinished Tales, Of Tuor and His Coming to Gondolin.
• Hiswelókë Sindarin Dictionary, by Didier Willis.
• Adûnaic at Ardalambion