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== Internal history ==
== Internal history ==


In the fictional setting of Middle-earth, little is known of Khuzdul (once written ''Khuzdûl''), the Dwarves kept it secret, except for place names and a few phrases such as their battle-cry and [[Balin (Middle-earth)|Balin]]'s tomb inscription in [[Moria (Middle-earth)|Moria]], which read respectively:
In the fictional setting of Middle-earth, little is known of Khuzdul (once written ''Khuzdûl''), the Dwarves kept it secret, except for place names and a few phrases such as their battle-cry and [[Balin (Middle-earth)|Balin]]'s tomb inscription in [[Moria (Middle-earth)|Moria]], which read respectively:{{sfn|Fauskanger}}


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| '''{{transl|art|Balin Fundinul uzbad Khazad-dûmu}}''' || "Balin son of Fundin, lord of Moria"
| '''{{transl|art|Balin Fundinul uzbad Khazad-dûmu}}''' || "Balin son of Fundin, lord of Moria"
|}
|}

The highest level of secrecy applied to Dwarves' "inner-names", their personal names, with the possible exception of the [[Petty-dwarves]]. The names of all Dwarves are "outer-names" either from another language ([[Dale (Middle-earth)|Dalish]]) or nicknames/titles, sometimes in Khuzdul: e.g. {{transl|art|Azaghâl}}, {{transl|art|Gamil Zirak}}.{{Cn|date=December 2020}}


According to the ''[[Lhammas]]'', Khuzdul is a [[language isolate]], the sole member of the '''Aulëan''' language family, not related to the [[Oromëan]] languages spoken by [[Elf (Middle-earth)|Elves]]. Aulëan was named from the Dwarvish tradition that it had been devised by [[Aulë]] the Smith, the [[Vala (Middle-earth)|Vala]] who created the Dwarves. Later, Tolkien dropped the origins of Elvish being taught by [[Oromë]], but kept the origins of Khuzdul the same. It is said in ''[[The Silmarillion]]'' that Aulë created the dwarves, and taught them "the language he had devised for them", making Khuzdul both in fiction and reality, a [[conlang|constructed language]].<ref name="Lhammas">{{harvnb|Tolkien|1987|loc=Part 2, ch. 5, "The [[Lhammas]]"}}</ref>
According to the ''[[Lhammas]]'', Khuzdul is a [[language isolate]], the sole member of the '''Aulëan''' language family, not related to the [[Oromëan]] languages spoken by [[Elf (Middle-earth)|Elves]]. Aulëan was named from the Dwarvish tradition that it had been devised by [[Aulë]] the Smith, the [[Vala (Middle-earth)|Vala]] who created the Dwarves. Later, Tolkien dropped the origins of Elvish being taught by [[Oromë]], but kept the origins of Khuzdul the same. It is said in ''[[The Silmarillion]]'' that Aulë created the dwarves, and taught them "the language he had devised for them", making Khuzdul both in fiction and reality, a [[conlang|constructed language]].<ref name="Lhammas">{{harvnb|Tolkien|1987|loc=Part 2, ch. 5, "The [[Lhammas]]"}}</ref>

The Dwarves had a great reverence for Aulë. Because of this, Khuzdul [[conservative (language)|remained unchanged]]. As a result, all Dwarven clans could speak with each other without difficulty despite the great distances that separated them and the more than 12,000-year history of the language. Khuzdul was to the dwarves “a tongue of lore rather than a cradle-speech”, and was carefully learned through reverent study as they matured, to make sure Khuzdul was passed down unaltered from one generation to the next. The changeability of Khuzdul versus other languages was compared to "the weathering of hard rock and the melting of snow".{{Cn|date=December 2020}}


Dwarves were unwilling to teach outsiders Khuzdul, even to their non-dwarf friends. Dwarves would speak the languages of the region "but with an accent due to their own private tongue...",<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Carpenter|1981|loc=#176}}</ref> and being careful not to even speak Khuzdul around non-dwarves. Only a few non-Dwarves are recorded as having learnt Khuzdul, most notably the Elves Eöl, Fëanor's son Curufin, and reluctantly the Noldor loremasters of the Second Age:
Dwarves were unwilling to teach outsiders Khuzdul, even to their non-dwarf friends. Dwarves would speak the languages of the region "but with an accent due to their own private tongue...",<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Carpenter|1981|loc=#176}}</ref> and being careful not to even speak Khuzdul around non-dwarves. Only a few non-Dwarves are recorded as having learnt Khuzdul, most notably the Elves Eöl, Fëanor's son Curufin, and reluctantly the Noldor loremasters of the Second Age:
:"They understood and respected the disinterested desire for knowledge, and some of the later Ñoldorin loremasters were allowed to learn enough of both their "{{transl|art|aglâb}}" (tongue) and their "{{transl|art|iglishmêk}}" (gesture-code) to understand their systems."{{Cn|date=December 2020}}
:"They understood and respected the disinterested desire for knowledge, and some of the later Ñoldorin loremasters were allowed to learn enough of both their "{{transl|art|aglâb}}" (tongue) and their "{{transl|art|iglishmêk}}" (gesture-code) to understand their systems."{{Cn|date=December 2020}}


⚫
Dwarves were however willing to reveal the names of places in Khuzdul, such as the names of the landmarks of Moria: "I know them and their names, for under them lies {{transl|art|Khazad-dûm}}, the Dwarrowdelf... Yonder stands {{transl|art|Barazinbar}}, the Redhorn...and beyond him are Silvertine and Cloudyhead:...that we call {{transl|art|Zirakzigil}} and {{transl|art|Bundushathûr}}."<ref name="Bridge of Khazad-dûm" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a|loc=book 2, ch. 5 "The Bridge of Khazad-dûm"}}</ref>
There were many similarities between Khuzdul and the native tongues of Men of the Far-East of Middle-earth. This is because in the early days of Middle-earth, Men of these regions had friendly contact with the Dwarves, who "were not unwilling to teach their own tongue to Men with whom they had special friendship, but Men found it difficult and were slow to learn more than isolated words, many of which they adapted and took into their own language". [[Adûnaic]], the language of [[Númenor]], retained some Khuzdul influences and was said to have been influenced by Khuzdul's basic structure.{{Cn|date=December 2020}}

⚫
Dwarves were however, willing to reveal the names of places in Khuzdul, with Gimli revealing the names of the landmarks of Moria: "I know them and their names, for under them lies {{transl|art|Khazad-dûm}}, the Dwarrowdelf... Yonder stands {{transl|art|Barazinbar}}, the Redhorn...and beyond him are Silvertine and Cloudyhead:...that we call {{transl|art|Zirakzigil}} and {{transl|art|Bundushathûr}}."<ref name="Bridge of Khazad-dûm" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a|loc=book 2, ch. 5 "The Bridge of Khazad-dûm"}}</ref>


=== Iglishmêk ===
=== Iglishmêk ===

Revision as of 10:31, 30 October 2023

Khuzdul
Created byJ. R. R. Tolkien
Datec. 1935
Setting and usageMiddle-earth, the setting of the novel The Lord of the Rings, the secret and private language of the Dwarves.
Purpose
Cirth
SourcesInfluenced primarily by Hebrew in phonology and morphology and other Semitic Languages
Language codes
ISO 639-3None (mis)
GlottologNone
This article contains special characters. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols.

Khuzdul (pronounced [kʰuzˈdul]) is a fictional language created by J. R. R. Tolkien, one of the languages of Middle-earth, specifically the secret and private language of the Dwarves.

External history

Tolkien began developing Khuzdul before the publication in 1936 of The Hobbit, with some names appearing in the early versions of The Silmarillion. Tolkien based Khuzdul on Semitic languages, primarily Hebrew, featuring triconsonantal roots and similarities to Hebrew's phonology and morphology.[1][2] Tolkien noted some similarities between Dwarves and 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…".[T 1] Tolkien also commented of the Dwarves that "their words are Semitic obviously, constructed to be Semitic."[3]

Although a very limited vocabulary is known, Tolkien mentioned he had developed the language to a certain extent. A small amount of material on Khuzdul phonology and root modifications has survived which is yet to be published.[4]

Internal history

In the fictional setting of Middle-earth, little is known of Khuzdul (once written Khuzdûl), the Dwarves kept it secret, except for place names and a few phrases such as their battle-cry and Balin's tomb inscription in Moria, which read respectively:[1]

The very small corpus of Khuzdul phrases[1]
Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu! "Axes of the Dwarves! The Dwarves are upon you!"
Balin Fundinul uzbad Khazad-dûmu "Balin son of Fundin, lord of Moria"

According to the Lhammas, Khuzdul is a language isolate, the sole member of the Aulëan language family, not related to the Oromëan languages spoken by Elves. Aulëan was named from the Dwarvish tradition that it had been devised by Aulë the Smith, the Vala who created the Dwarves. Later, Tolkien dropped the origins of Elvish being taught by Oromë, but kept the origins of Khuzdul the same. It is said in The Silmarillion that Aulë created the dwarves, and taught them "the language he had devised for them", making Khuzdul both in fiction and reality, a constructed language.[5]

Dwarves were unwilling to teach outsiders Khuzdul, even to their non-dwarf friends. Dwarves would speak the languages of the region "but with an accent due to their own private tongue...",[T 2] and being careful not to even speak Khuzdul around non-dwarves. Only a few non-Dwarves are recorded as having learnt Khuzdul, most notably the Elves Eöl, Fëanor's son Curufin, and reluctantly the Noldor loremasters of the Second Age:

"They understood and respected the disinterested desire for knowledge, and some of the later Ñoldorin loremasters were allowed to learn enough of both their "aglâb" (tongue) and their "iglishmêk" (gesture-code) to understand their systems."[citation needed]

Dwarves were however willing to reveal the names of places in Khuzdul, such as the names of the landmarks of Moria: "I know them and their names, for under them lies Khazad-dûm, the Dwarrowdelf... Yonder stands Barazinbar, the Redhorn...and beyond him are Silvertine and Cloudyhead:...that we call Zirakzigil and Bundushathûr."[T 3]

Iglishmêk

Besides their aglâb, spoken tongue, the Dwarves used a sign language, or iglishmêk,[T 4] which was also just as secretive as Khuzdul. According to The War of the Jewels, it was learned simultaneously with the aglâb from childhood. The Dwarvish sign language was much more varied between communities than Khuzdul, which remained "astonishingly uniform and unchanged both in time and in locality".[T 4] Tolkien described its structure and use: "The component sign-elements of any such code were often so slight and so swift that they could hardly be detected, still less interpreted by uninitiated onlookers. As the Eldar eventually discovered in their dealings with the Naugrim, they could speak with their voices but at the same time by ‘gesture’ convey to their own folk modifications of what was being said. Or they could stand silent considering some proposition, and yet confer among themselves meanwhile."[T 4]

Tolkien only gave a few examples of the Iglishmêk sign language in his unpublished notes. The command to "Listen!" involved a slight raising of both forefingers simultaneously. The acknowledgment "I am listening" involved a slight raising of the right-hand forefinger, followed by a similar raising of the left-hand forefinger.[T 5]

Phonology

The following phonemes are attested in Tolkien's Khuzdul vocabulary.

  Labial Alveolar Postalveolar Palatal Velar Uvular Glottal
Plosive b t d k ɡ ʔ1
Aspirated Plosive tʰ kʰ (ɡʰ)2
Fricative f s z ʃ (ɣ)2 h
Nasal m n
Trill (r) 3 ʀ 3
Approximant l j
Front Central Back
Close i iː   u uː
Close-mid e eː ə4 o oː
Open-mid     ʌ4
Open   a aː  

Only one diphthong is attested in Khuzdul: ai [ai], as seen in ai-mênu.

1 Often at the start of words that begin with a vowel, often not written in the Latin alphabet, but has its own rune in Angerthas Moria.
2 Supposedly in Azaghâl, 'gh' [ɣ] is used to represent this sound in Black Speech and Orcish, but wasn't said of Khuzdul. Could also be [ɡh] or [ɡʰ].
3 Alveolar trill [r] a later variant in pronunciation, the uvular trill [ʀ] being the original Khuzdul pronunciation.
4 No examples found, Tolkien explicitly states these were frequent in Khuzdul, and have their own Cirth runes. Possibly in between incompatible consonant formations or current vowels in known corpus.

Khuzdul features a CV(C(C)) syllable structure. Words that begin with a vowel or diphthong have a glottal stop at the beginning to fill the place of an initial consonant.[1] Words can not start with a consonant cluster, but these are found in medial or final positions in a word.[1] The language was said to be "cumbrous and unlovely" to the elves;[T 6] Tolkien described it as having a cacophonous quality.[T 7]

Writing

Further information: Cirth

Tolkien wrote most of Khuzdul in the Latin alphabet, and in Cirth within Middle-earth. The dwarves had adopted the Cirth from the elves by the end of the first age, and made changes to their liking to represent the sounds of Khuzdul. There were two methods known of writing Khuzdul, Angerthas Moria when the dwarves still lived in Khazad-dûm before its fall, and Angerthas Erebor once they fled and further developed the Cirth when they settled at Erebor, The Lonely Mountain.[T 8]

Grammar

Too little is known of Khuzdul grammar to even construct a sentence, but the language was known to have its morphology based mainly on Hebrew, and other Semitic languages. Tolkien states that Khuzdul was complicated and unlike the other languages of Middle-earth at the time in its phonology and grammar. It has been said the grammar of Khuzdul influenced the basic grammar of Adûnaic, but little material is given to show these influences other than the mention of where Adûnaic's grammar differs from Quenya.[1]

Nouns and adjectives

Nouns and adjectives had singular and plural forms and, like the Semitic languages, can be in the absolute or construct state. The construct state indicates a connection with the following noun, being a quality, belonging or part of that noun. The construct comes before the absolute noun e.g.: Baruk Khazâd! 'Axes + Dwarves' "Axes of the Dwarves" the axes belong to the dwarves, Khazad-dûm 'Dwarves + Delving' "Dwarrowdelf", a Dwarvish delving.[1]

Khuzdul appears to have case endings similar to Arabic, having nominative, accusative/genitive cases, and an adjectival suffix akin to the nisba in Arabic.[citation needed]

Title
Nominative Accusative/Genitive Nisba
-ø -u -ul
Khuzd Khuzdu Khuzdul
Khazad-dûm Khazad-dûmu

Nouns and adjectives appear to share different declensions for formation and number. How many declensions there might be in Khuzdul is currently unknown. Tolkien stated plural formations were said to be similar to Arabic's broken plurals, which would make for many irregular plurals; two examples are known: baruk, the plural of bark "axe", and Khazâd, the plural of Khuzdul.[citation needed]

1st Declension
Template Sg. Pl.
Abs. &
Const.		 Abs. Const.
Root Meaning CuCC CaCâC CaCaC
√KhZD Dwarf Khuzd Khazâd Khazad
√RKhS Orc Rukhs Rakhâs Rakhas
√ʔZN Shadow ‘uzn ‘azân ‘azan
√BND Head Bund Banâd Banad
√HND Hill Hund Hanâd Hanad
√GND Cave, Cave Hall Gund Ganâd Ganad
√TRG Beard Turg Tarâg Tarag

Note that only Khuzd "Dwarf" and Rukhs "Orc" are the only nouns fully attested in this table. As the other roots are based on the attested forms of "Dwarf" and "Orc", they could differ from declension and/or broken plural patterns.[citation needed]

Other noun declension types likely exist, but little detail is provided to show any full declensions or identify any broken plurals. Of these, the only hints that point to their existence is in compounded attested words and single words:

Known Noun & Adjective Forms
Absolute Construct / Composition
Singular
Root Pattern Word Root Pattern Word
√BRK Axe CaCC Bark √NRG Black CaCC Narg-
√NLʔ River-course CâCaC Nâla’ √ThRK Staff Thark-
√ZRM Pool, Lake Zâram √BRZ Red CaCaC Baraz
√NRG Black CaCâC Narâg √NRG Black Narag
√GThL Fortress CaCoC Gathol √ZHR Hollow Zahar
√FLK Hewer CeCaC Felak √GBL Great in size CaCiC Gabil
√ZRK Spike, Tine, Peak CiCaC Zirak √KhLD Glass, Mirror CeCeC Kheled
√NBR Horn ‘iCCaC ‘inbar √KBL Silver (metal) CiCiC Kibil
√KhZD Dwarf CuCC Khuzd √DBN Valley CuCaC Duban
√TM(M) / √DM(M) Hall CûC Tûm / Dûm √ZBD Lord, Ruler ‘uCCaC ‘uzbad
Plural
Root Pattern Word Root Pattern Word
√RKhS Orc, Goblin CaCâC Rakhâs √ʔZN Shadow / Dim CaCaC ‘azan
√BRK Axe CaCuC Baruk √KhZD Dwarf Khazad
√ShThR Cloud CaCûC Shathûr √BRK Axe CaCuC Baruk
√ShMK Gesture ‘iCCêC ‘ishmêk √SGN Long CiCiC Sigin

The word baruk is both the absolute and construct plural form of bark, likely the result of being a broken plural.[citation needed]

Some patterns can be seen that hint at some details of what state and/or number a noun is in:

  • A CVCVC pattern with matching vowels, are common for construct patterns:
Singular: Baraz, Kheled, Zigil.
Plural: Sigin.
  • A VCCVC pattern, seen in ‘iCCaC and ‘uCCaC for a common singular pattern:
Absolute: ‘inbar
Construct: ‘uzbad
  • Vowel orders of "i-a" and "u-a" seem to apply for absolute and construct nouns respectively:
Absolute: Zirak, ‘inbar
Construct: Duban, ‘uzbad.
  • Long vowels seem to appear only in the absolute state:
Singular: Nâla’, Zâram, Narâg, Dûm/Tûm.
Plural: Khazâd, Tarâg, Shathûr, ‘ishmêk.

Another possible declension based from Nâla’ and Nulukkhizdîn, construct likely singular, but uncertain:

Possible Declension
Sg. Absolute Sg. (Pl.?) Construct
Pattern CâCaC CuCuC
River-course √NLʔ Nâla’ Nulu’1
Pool, Lake √ZRM Zâram Zurum*

1 Possible assimilation of (’kh) → (kkh): Nulu’khizdîn → Nulukkhizdîn

Another noun form that may exist is the collective numbers, along with the singulative form. This is from observation of the names Buzundush and Tumunzahar, with roots of √BZ(Z) and √TM(M) / √DM(M) and the suffixes of "-n-, ân-, -în-, -ûn-" meaning a person / place; as seen in Gabilân, Nargûn, Nulukkhizdîn, Tharkûn are applied. Thus making a singular instance of what makes the collective, e.g. a single hall, out of a group of halls. Although being "absolute" in state within names, it's shortened to "-un-" as in the composition form, due to long vowels possibly being shortened before a consonant cluster.[citation needed]

Collective Nouns
Root Template Root: √BZ(Z) Hall: √TM(M)
Number Collective Singulative Collective Singulative Collective Singulative
Absolute CûC CuCûn Bûz* Buzûn* Tûm1* Tumûn*
Construct CuC CuCun Buz* Buzun Tum1* Tumun

1 Possible assimilation of (dt) → (dd): Khazad-tûm → Khazad-dûm.

Most compounded words feature an Adjective-Noun pattern, with Noun-Adjective pattern observed. This could hint at a flexible pattern, allowing both forms of Adjective-Noun and Noun-Adjective patterns. This could be done to stress the first element or for artistic purposes. Also to note is the role of verbal noun in a compound name, followed by a noun that the verbal noun applies to.[citation needed]

Compounded Nouns
Adj. + Noun Barazinbar
Redhorn		 Baraz
Red		 Inbar
Horn
Kibil-nâla
Silverlode		 Kibil
Silver (metal)		 Nâla
River-course
Kheled-zâram
Mirrormere		 Kheled
Mirror		 Zâram
Lake
Sigin-tarâg
Longbeards		 Sigin
Long		 Tarâg
Beards
Noun + Adj. Zirakzigil
Silvertine		 Zirak
Spike, Tine		 Zigil
Silver (colour)
Noun-Prep./Acc.
+ Adj. 		Bundushathûr
Cloudyhead		 Bund-u
Head (in/of/Acc.)		 Shathûr
Clouds
Verbal Noun Felak-gundu
Cave-hewer		 Felak
Hewer		 Gund-u
Cave-Acc.

Verbs

Only four verb words are known.[1] The exact tense or use of these verbs are unknown:

Felak : to use a tool like a broad-bladed chisel, or small axe-head without haft.[T 9]
Felek: to hew rock.[T 9]
Gunud : to delve underground, excavate, tunnel.[T 9]
√S-L-N, Sulûn, Salôn : to fall or descend swiftly.[T 9]

Lexicon

Placenames & Names

Khuzdul proper names analysed by Helge Fauskanger[1]
Khuzdul Names Translation Khuzdul Names Translation
Azaghâl A lord of the Belegost Dwarves in The Silmarillion, ch. 20 Mahal Aulë, known to the dwarves as the Maker.
Azanulbizar 'Dimrill Dale' lit: "Shadows of streams/rills" or "Dark stream dale". Mîm A Petty-Dwarf, possibly an 'inner name'.
Barazinbar 'Redhorn' (Caradhras), also shortened to Baraz 'Red'. Narag-zâram 'Black-lake', early name, Mirrormere?
Bundushathûr 'Cloudyhead', also shortened to Shathûr 'Clouds'. Nargûn Mordor, and Sauron, lit: "Black one/place".
Buzundush 'Blackroot', earlier name of the Silverlode. Nar(u)kuthûn Nargothrond, possible later name.
Felakgundu Cave-hewer; epessë of Finrod. Origin of Felagund. Nulukkhizdîn Nargothrond, the Petty-Dwarvish name
Gabilân 'Great River'. a portion of the river Gelion Sigin-tarâg The Longbeards, the house of Durin.
Gabilgathol 'Great Fortress' (Belegost). Sharbhund Amon Rûdh, possibly meaning 'Bald Hill' as is in Sindarin.
Gamil Zirak 'Old Spike', Nickname of a Firebeard smith. Tharkûn Gandalf, said to mean 'Staff-man'.
Gundabad Mount Gundabad. Tumunzahar 'Hollowbold' (Nogrod).
Ibun A Petty-Dwarf, possibly an 'inner name'. Udushinbar Earlier name of Bundushathûr.
Kibil-nâla The name of the Silverlode. Uruktharbun Earlier name of Khazad-dûm or Azanulbizar, meaning unknown.
Khazad-dûm Dwarf-mansion, Dwarrowdelf' (later known as Moria). Zigil-nâd earlier name of the Silverlode.
Kheled-zâram 'glass-lake', i.e. Mirrormere. Zirakinbar 'Silverhorn', earlier name of Zirakzigil.
Khîm A Petty-Dwarf, possibly an 'inner name'. Zirakzigil 'Silvertine' (Celebdil), also shortened to Zirak 'Spike'.

Words

Khuzdul words analysed by Helge Fauskanger[1]
Khuzdul Meaning Khuzdul Meaning
-âb / -b abstract collective? kheled glass, mirror
‘aglâb spoken language Khuzd / Khazâd Dwarf / Dwarves
‘aya, ‘ai- upon Khuzdul Dwarvish language, lit. "Dwarf-of(gen.)"
‘azan dark, dim kibil silver, the metal
‘iglishmêk sign-language of the Dwarves ma- passive participle?
‘inbar horn mazarb written documents, records
‘ûl streams mazarbul records (the Chamber of Mazarbul, Book of Mazarbul)
‘uzbad lord mên* / mênu 2nd person plural, "you" - Nom.* / Acc.
‘uzn dimness, shadow -n / -ân / -în / -ûn one, person or place.
baraz red nâla’ path, course, river-course or bed
bark / baruk axe / axes narâg black
bizar / bizâr? dale or valley Rukhs / Rakhâs Orc / Orcs
bund head sigin long
buz / bûz root? sulûn / salôn fall, descend swiftly
duban valley sharb bald?
dûm / tûm1 delving, subterranean mansion, hall shathûr clouds
dush / dûsh? black, dark? tum / tûm hall / delving1
felak tool for cutting stone thark / tharuk* staff / staffs*
felek hew rock turg* / tarâg beard / beards
gabil great -u of / accusative marker
gamil old? -ul of, patronymic genitive ending
gathol fortress zahar hollow?
gund underground hall zâram pool, lake
gunud delve underground, excavate, tunnel zigil silver, the colour
hund hill? zirak spike

1 Seen in Tumunzahar in 'Hollowbold', with 'bold' as an obsolete term for dwelling. Assimilates to 'D' when precedes one, e.g. d-t = d-d : Khazad-dûm

Consonantal Roots

Khuzdul's word stems are as in the Semitic languages not full words but groups of consonants, most often in threes.[1]

Biconsonant Roots
Khuzdul Root Translation Khuzdul Root Translation
√ʔL streams √HL ??? - Azaghâl
√DM excavation, hall, mansion √ND see √NLʔ - Zigil-nâd
√DSh dark, darkness √TM excavation, hall, mansion
Triconsonant Roots
√ʔBD ??? - Gundabad √MHL Create, Maker?
√ʔGL speech, language, dialect √NBR horn
√ʔRK ??? - Uruktharbun √NDD see √NLʔ - Zigil-nâd
√ʔZG ??? - Azaghâl √NLʔ path, course, river-course or bed
√ʔZN dimness, shadow √NRG black
√BND head √RKhS Orc, Goblin
√BRK axe √SGN long
√BRZ red √SLN fall, descend swiftly
√BZR dale, valley √ShMK gesture, hand, sign?
√BZZ root (of a plant) √ShRB bald?
√DBN valley √ShThR cloud
√DMM excavation, hall, mansion √TMM excavation, hall, mansion
√FLK hew, hewer √TRG beard
√GBL great in size √ThRB ??? - Uruktharbun
√GML old, great in age? √ThRK staff (rod)
√GND cave, tunnel √ZBD lord
√GThL fortress √ZGL silver (colour)
√HND hill? √ZHR hollow?
√KBL silver (metal) √ZRB write, inscribe
√KhLD glass, mirror √ZRK spike
√KhZD Dwarf √ZRM pool, lake

References

Primary

  1. ^ Carpenter 1981, #176
  2. ^ Carpenter 1981, #176
  3. ^ Tolkien 1954a, book 2, ch. 5 "The Bridge of Khazad-dûm"
  4. ^ a b c Tolkien 1994, part 4, appendix D
  5. ^ Tolkien, J.R.R. (July 1998). Hostetter, Carl F. (ed.). "From Quendi and Eldar, Appendix D". Vinyar Tengwar (39): 5, 10.
  6. ^ Tolkien 1977, ch. 10 "Of the Sindar"
  7. ^ Carpenter 1981, #31
  8. ^ Tolkien 1955, Appendix E
  9. ^ a b c d Tolkien, J.R.R. (December 2005). Hostetter, Carl F. (ed.). "Eldarin Hands, Fingers & Numerals and Related Writings, Part two". Vinyar Tengwar (48): 24.

Secondary

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Fauskanger.
  2. ^ Åberg, Magnus (2007). "An Analysis of Dwarvish". In Stenström, Anders (ed.). Arda Philology 1. First International Conference on J. R. R. Tolkien's Invented Languages. Stockholm, 4–8 August 2005. pp. 42–65. ISBN 9789197350013.
  3. ^ "An Interview with J.R.R. Tolkien". BBC Four. January 1971. Archived from the original on 19 October 2009.
  4. ^ Hostetter, Carl F. (26 November 2004). "reply to: Khuzdul - mostly to Aelfwine/Carl Hostetter". Lord of the Rings Fanatics Forum. Archived from the original on 22 April 2017. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  5. ^ Tolkien 1987, Part 2, ch. 5, "The Lhammas"

Sources

Further reading

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