Khuzdul: Difference between revisions
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==History== | ==History== | ||
[[Aulë]], the creator of the first Dwarves, taught them "the language he had devised for them". Not much is known of the language, as the Dwarves kept it to themselves. | [[Aulë]], the creator of the first Dwarves, taught them "the language he had devised for them". Not much is known of the language, as the Dwarves kept it to themselves. Being of secretive nature, they seldomly let aliens to hear it, and they didn't even reveal their true names to them. | ||
Khuzdul is unique among [[languages]] in that it belongs to a separate language phylum, unrelated to the languages of [[Elves]]. On the other hand, there are many similarities between Khuzdul and the native tongues of men, such as [[Taliska]], the language of the first and third houses of the [[Edain]]. This is because in the early days of Middle-earth, before Men crossed into [[Beleriand]], they had contact with the Dwarves of the [[Blue Mountains]] and in areas further East. Taliska was the ancestor of [[Adûnaic]], the tongue of Númenor and the direct ancestor of the [[Westron|Common Speech]]. Both languages displayed Khuzdul influences. | Khuzdul is unique among [[languages]] in that it belongs to a separate language phylum, unrelated to the languages of [[Elves]]. On the other hand, there are many similarities between Khuzdul and the native tongues of men, such as [[Taliska]], the language of the first and third houses of the [[Edain]]. This is because in the early days of Middle-earth, before Men crossed into [[Beleriand]], they had contact with the Dwarves of the [[Blue Mountains]] and in areas further East. Taliska was the ancestor of [[Adûnaic]], the tongue of Númenor and the direct ancestor of the [[Westron|Common Speech]]. Both languages displayed Khuzdul influences. | ||
They used it as a ''lingua franca'' among themselves and other clans, a language of books and lore, and for records not intended for outsiders. It was preserved carefully and even when it wasn't their mother tongue, it was taught to their children at an early age.<ref name=DM>{{PM|Dwarves}}</ref> | |||
One of the only major phrases known to outsiders is their battle-cry: ''[[Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu!]]'' meaning ''Axes of the Dwarves! The Dwarves are upon you!'' | |||
Few of other race have ever succeeded in learning it.<ref>{{S|10}}</ref><ref>{{App|Other}}</ref> | Few of other race have ever succeeded in learning it.<ref>{{S|10}}</ref><ref>{{App|Other}}</ref> | ||
==Writing== | |||
It is said that the Dwarves had developed an ideographic or pictographic writing, until they came close to the [[Eldar]] and realized the usefulness of the alphabetic [[tengwar]] and [[cirth]] systems; this influence came especially the [[Noldor]] of [[Eregion]] during the [[Second Age]]. The Dwarves didn't use written communication much but were fond of inscriptions cut in stone, and thus (even though the [[Gwaith-i-Mirdain]] used runes only as a "matter of lore" mainly for formal writings) they found the cirth more practical.<ref name=DM/> | |||
The Dwarves adopted and modified the cirth at various stages. By the [[Third Age]] the cirth were largely forgotten but by the Dwarves, so there was the misconception that the Dwarves invented them, known as "dwarf-letters".<ref name=DM/> | |||
==Etymology== | ==Etymology== | ||
Revision as of 08:10, 23 January 2019
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- "A fair jaw-cracker dwarf-language must be!"
- ― Samwise Gamgee[1]
Khuzdul, or Dwarvish, was the secret language of the Dwarves.
History
Aulë, the creator of the first Dwarves, taught them "the language he had devised for them". Not much is known of the language, as the Dwarves kept it to themselves. Being of secretive nature, they seldomly let aliens to hear it, and they didn't even reveal their true names to them.
Khuzdul is unique among languages in that it belongs to a separate language phylum, unrelated to the languages of Elves. On the other hand, there are many similarities between Khuzdul and the native tongues of men, such as Taliska, the language of the first and third houses of the Edain. This is because in the early days of Middle-earth, before Men crossed into Beleriand, they had contact with the Dwarves of the Blue Mountains and in areas further East. Taliska was the ancestor of Adûnaic, the tongue of Númenor and the direct ancestor of the Common Speech. Both languages displayed Khuzdul influences.
They used it as a lingua franca among themselves and other clans, a language of books and lore, and for records not intended for outsiders. It was preserved carefully and even when it wasn't their mother tongue, it was taught to their children at an early age.[2]
One of the only major phrases known to outsiders is their battle-cry: Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu! meaning Axes of the Dwarves! The Dwarves are upon you!
Few of other race have ever succeeded in learning it.[3][4]
Writing
It is said that the Dwarves had developed an ideographic or pictographic writing, until they came close to the Eldar and realized the usefulness of the alphabetic tengwar and cirth systems; this influence came especially the Noldor of Eregion during the Second Age. The Dwarves didn't use written communication much but were fond of inscriptions cut in stone, and thus (even though the Gwaith-i-Mirdain used runes only as a "matter of lore" mainly for formal writings) they found the cirth more practical.[2]
The Dwarves adopted and modified the cirth at various stages. By the Third Age the cirth were largely forgotten but by the Dwarves, so there was the misconception that the Dwarves invented them, known as "dwarf-letters".[2]
Etymology
The word Khuzdul (also spelled Khuzdûl in late manuscripts[5][6]) is composed of the stem KH-Z-D, and the adjectival or genitival ending -ul.[7]
Other names
Other names used by Tolkien for the language of the Dwarves include:
Influences
Khuzdul appears to be structured, like the Semitic languages, around triconsonantal roots, such as kh-z-d, b-n-d, and z-g-l.
The Dwarvish language sounds much like Hebrew, and indeed Tolkien noted some similarities between the Dwarves and the Jews: both were "at once natives and aliens in their habitations, speaking the languages of the country, but with an accent due to their own private tongue…".[12]
Portrayal in adaptations
Neo-Khuzdul
- See also: Neo-Elvish
For The Lord of the Rings film series and The Hobbit film series, the linguist David Salo used what little is known of Khuzdul to create enough of a language for use in the movies. This is usually referred to as neo-Khuzdul by Tolkienists. Gimli says the Neo-Khuzdul insult, Ishkhaqwi ai durugnul, (commonly translated "I spit on your grave!") to Haldir in the extended edition of Peter Jackson's Fellowship of the Ring. Salo did not provide this phrase, and it didn't fit easily into his neo-Khuzdul. When the scriptwriter for The Hobbit film series asked him about it with the idea of having Thorin use the same curse, Salo reverse-engineered Gimli's line into a neo-Khuzdul phrase îsh kakhfê ai-‘d-dûr-rugnul meaning "May my excrement be poured upon the naked-jawed (ones)".[13]
External links
- Helge Fauskanger, Khuzdul, Ardalambion
- Magnus Åberg, An analysis of Dwarvish, Mellonath Daeron
- Jay Lawson, Quasi-Khuzdul
- Khuzdul sound samples at Glǽmscrafu
References
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, "The Ring Goes South"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "Of Dwarves and Men"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Sindar"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix F, "The Languages and Peoples of the Third Age", "Of Other Races"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "Of Dwarves and Men", p. 321 (footnote 19)
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, "Eldarin Hands, Fingers & Numerals and Related Writings — Part Two" (edited by Patrick H. Wynne), in Vinyar Tengwar, Number 48, December 2005, pp. 6, 24
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, "Words, Phrases and Passages in Various Tongues in The Lord of the Rings", in Parma Eldalamberon XVII (edited by Christopher Gilson), p. 47
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Sauron Defeated, "Part Three: The Drowning of Anadûnê, with the Third Version of The Fall of Númenor, and Lowdham's Report on the Adunaic Language", p. 414
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, pp. 179, 197
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, pp. 197, 277
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, "Tengwesta Qenderinwa and Pre-Fëanorian Alphabets Part 2", in Parma Eldalamberon XVIII (edited by Christopher Gilson, Arden R. Smith, and Patrick H. Wynne), pp. 28-9, 81
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 176, (dated 8 December 1955)
- ↑ David Salo, "Gimla ok Þorins bǫlvan" dated 20 June 2014, Midgardsmal (accessed 23 January 2017)
