Black Speech and Orkish

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This page is about the language. For the MP skill, see Black Speech (Skill)


Black Speech and Orkish refer to various languages that are used by creatures in the service of Sauron. These harsh tongues are generally considered very unpleasant to the Free Peoples, and few among them ever learn them.

The Black Speech was devised by Sauron as a common language for all his servants. But this was not to be, for after his defeat in the Second Age this original Black Speech was forgotten by all but the Nazgûl. It survived in a debased form spoken by the Orcs of Mordor, and many Black Speech words remained in the vocabulary of Orcs in the Third Age. Bereft of a Dark Lord's rule, the Orcs splintered into tribes and settlements unfriendly to one another, each with their own variant of Orkish language. Orcs tend to make coarse, rudimentary dialects based on other languages, and despite the common Black Speech origin, these dialects became mutually unintelligible. Thus, Orcs often rely on crudely-spoken Westron for inter-tribal communication.[1]

Some form of Black Speech seems to still be in use in Angmar and Southern Mirkwood, as well as by at least some White Hand Orcs.[2][3][4]

Black Speech and Orkish word list

See External Links for many more definitions and details. Note that little of the true Black Speech is known, and these words have varying degrees of authenticity. Different sources may have few words in common, and sometimes give different definitions to those they do share.

Name Translation
Akul Frost, ice
Áth Dog
Athpukh Dog-speaker
Bálak Half-breed
Balt Marsh, mud
Balt-olog Marsh troll
Banosnákh Farm-hand
Bidroi Revenge
Bishúk Moor
Blog Blood
Blogmal Blood-mountain
Bloz Soot
Bolgstáz Bloodthirsty monster
Bloz Ash, soot
Brogmaush Gnawed Meat
Búbhosh Great
Bugdash Birth name
Bugdatish Name-keeper
Bugud Name
Búrz, bûrz Dark
Bûrzum Darkness
Bûrzum Pushdug Filthy Darkness
Cargûl Red Wraith
Dâg Child
Dalgum Garbage
Dâr House
Dâr Mauzur Cruel-home
Dâr Narbugud Nameless-home
Doraz Gate
Dorr Swine
Dru, drû Timber, wood (material)
Durnákh Large-hand
Durub Ruler
Durkúf Big Ugly
Dush Sorcery
Faltor Fane, temple
Faltor Gâm Temple of Disease
Faltor-shík Fane of Screaming
Fashat Village
Fiklúk Bad-son
Fil Cave, crack
Fra Foot
Frûm Spirit
Frúzglob Lazy-filth
Fushaum Camp
Fushaum Bal Fire-camp
Fushaum Tûm Smoke-camp
Gakhronk Pool Three
Gâm Disease, illness
Gâmûrz-ash Diseased One
Gath Leaf
Gathbúrz Dark-leaf
Gazat Dwarf
Ghâsh Fire, flame
Ghâsh-frûm Fire-spirit
Ghâsh-olog Fire-troll
Gijak Blood
Ghâshfog Bad Fire
Ghâshfra Fire-foot
Ghâsh-hai Fire-folk
Glob Filth
Globsnaga Filth-slave
Goilag City-breaker
Golnauk Steel
Golug Elf, High Elf (Noldo)
Golugthrug Elf-murderer
Gorûrz Tough
Goth Lord, master
Gothbúrz Dark Lord, the Master
Grak Trap
Graug Flock
Grish Blood
Gríshakrum Blood-drinker
Grishbalt Blood-marsh
Gropor Valley
Groth Grey
Gûl Wraith
Gundnákh Stone-hand
Gurz, gúrz Death
Gúrzyul Deathless
Hai Folk
Harna Bonfire
Hatur Hate
Hîsht Ash
Hokarul Laughter
Hon Look, see, watch
Jarn Iron
Jug South
Kala, kála Castle, fortress, stronghold
Kala-gijak Black-fort
Kalus Archer
Kâm Cleft
Kâm Lagúrz The Brokencleft
Karn Red
Kaushar Ceremony
Krah Arm (body part)
Krahjarn Iron-arm
Krampum Duty
Krulronk Pool Two
Lapus Lead (metal)
Lata Under
Lind East
Lagúrz Broken
Laug Dire
Lug, lûg Fortress, prison, tower
Lugbúrz Dark Tower
Mal Mountain
Mokál Rukh Marsh of Horror
Maudhul, maudhúl Camp
Maudhúl Târ High Camp
Maufulug Barracks
Matum Death
Matúrz Dead, mortal
Matúrz-olog Dead-troll
Mau Warrior
Maudhúl Vôr North-camp
Mazaukgrat Warchief
Mokal Marsh
Mor Black
Morfil Black-cave
Mornákh Blackhand
Mukghashan Engraved Commander
Mur Door, room
Murg Drear, grey
Múrgzot Drear-lord
Nakh Hand
Nar No, not
Narbugud Nameless
Narslaug Not-living
Nau End
Nink White
Nûrz Ghâshu Angry Fires
Núrzum Wrath
Olog Troll (used by the Free Peoples to refer to a new breed of Gorthorog-kind)
Olog-hai Troll-folk (used to refer to the new breed of Ologs specifically)
Ong Iron
Ongbúrz Dark-iron
Pampraush Fruit-spoiler
Porandaum West
Praush Spoil
Pugh Arse
Pûlpum Drum
Pushdug Squalid, filthy
Rashat Skull
Ríp Skin
Ronk Pit, pool
Rukh Horror
Sadâuk Attack (of disease)
Sár Bitter
Shakatrog Devastate
Shâpol Cave
Sharkû Old man (Saruman)
Shâtroful Cave
Shakh Lord
Shík Scream
Skai Exclamation of contempt or disbelief
Skoi Fly (insect)
Skoironk Fly-pit
Skûm Smell, odour
Skûmfil Odour-cave
Slaiug, slaug Living
Snaga Slave, weaker Orc
Snagbúrz Weak-dark
Stazg Place
Târ High
Tark, târk Dúnedain, Gondorians, Race of Man, Númenórean (used in the Army of Angmar to refer to Men in general)
Tarkríp Man-flayer
Tau Forest
Tharb Acid
Thol Deep, deeps (noun)
Thordragh Pound
Thrâng Rage
Thrângund Ragestone
Throqûm Hunger
Thrug, thrûg Murderer
Torúglup Danger-nose
Tum, tûm Smoke
to (preposition)
Ufglup Scary-nose
Urkflagít Damned-idiot
Urro Hate, revulsion
Uruk Orc (especially the kind known to the Free Peoples as Uruks)
Uruk-hai Orc-folk (used to refer to Uruks specifically)
Ushtar Army
Utot Town
Vadok Death
Varg Ridge
Vogál Little, upstart
Vor, vôr, voraut North
Yûl Less
Zot Lord
Zûr Wily

Background

J.R.R. Tolkien translated very few Black Speech words. The only known example of pure Black Speech is the One Ring's inscription, and several translations have been given for a phrase of Third Age Mordor Black Speech. These have inspired fans to expand the lexicon with "neo-Black Speech". Some neo-Black Speech definitions and dictionaries match The Lord of the Rings Online's usage of the language better than others. Some of the words that fit LOTRO's usage are listed on this page.

References

  1. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix F, "The Languages and Peoples of the Third Age", "Of Other Races"
  2. Chapter 4: Marching Orders
  3. A Shadow on the Camp
  4. Book 2, Chapter 2: An Orc Messenger