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In ''[[The Silmarillion]]'', it is said that [[Aulë]], the creator of the 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. 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!'' | In ''[[The Silmarillion]]'', it is said that [[Aulë]], the creator of the 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. 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!'' | ||
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. | ||
Revision as of 15:57, 5 May 2016
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Khuzdul, or Dwarvish, was the secret language of the Dwarves.
History
In The Silmarillion, it is said that Aulë, the creator of the 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. 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!
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.
Etymology
The word Khuzdul (also spelled Khuzdûl in late manuscripts[1][2]) is composed of the stem KH-Z-D, and the adjectival ending -ul, which has the meaning similar to "-ish" or "-ian".[source?]
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…".[7] Another reason Hebrew was chosen as a basis for Khuzdul is that it is unlike any European language, and thus sufficiently alien to western ears to show just how different Dwarven speech was from the Elvish languages.[source?]
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 the Khuzdul to create enough of a language for use in the movies. This is usually referred to as neo-Khuzdul by Tolkienists.
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, 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, 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)
