Hillmen language
The developers used the Scottish Gaelic language as the basis for the Hill-men and Angmarim nomenclature in Angmar, and for the Créoth and Corcur.
Tolkien was not very fond of the Gaelic languages. He did not use them as the basis for anything in his legendarium, with one very notable, unintended, exception: the name Nazgûl.
- "...it remains remarkable that nasc is the word for 'ring' in Gaelic (Irish: in Scottish usually written nasg). It also fits well in meaning, since it also means, and prob. originally meant, a bond, and can be used for an 'obligation'. Nonetheless I only became aware, or again aware, of its existence recently in looking for something in a Gaelic dictionary. I have no liking at all for Gaelic from Old Irish downwards, as a language, but it is of course of great historical and philological interest, and I have at various times studied it. (With alas! very little success.) It is thus probable that nazg is actually derived from it, and this short, hard and clear vocable, sticking out from what seems to me (an unloving alien) a mushy language, became lodged in some corner of my linguistic memory." — Letter 297, "The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien", 1981
Note that the Hillmen language in the game is not Scottish Gaelic, only inspired by it. Therefore differences represent choices by the developers not errors. Scottish Gaelic equivalents have been included in this page for general interest, to allow following up, and to show somewhat of the developers' decision making.
In adapting Scottish Gaelic words for the game, the developers made a few consistent changes. The grave accent has been replaced with the acute. Consonant clusters with H (BH, MH, etc.) have mostly been replaced with more familiar English equivalents. Clusters of vowels present to fulfill a characteristic spelling convention have been simplified. All in all, the changes are similar to the way real Scottish Gaelic names have been anglicized.
Places
| Name | Translation | Comments | Scottish Gaelic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agal Dûn | The Fortress of Horror | Agall Dún | |
| Aughaire | Meeting-place | The word is difficult to interpret as "Meeting-place" in S.G., but is close to aoghaire, meaning "herdsman". | Aoghaire |
| Bail Boglakh | Swamp-town | Baile Boglach | |
| Bail Cátharnakh | Town of Soldiers | Baile Ceatharnaich | |
| Bail Dílas | Town of the Faithful | Baile Dìleas | |
| Bail Grundail | Frugal-town | Baile Grunndail | |
| Bail Róva | Promontory-town | Baile Rubha | |
| Bálach Iaran | The Iron Pass | Béalach Iarann | |
| Búth Luikh | Warriors' Tent | Bùth Laoich | |
| Búth Sánkhas | Tent of History | Bùth Seanchas | |
| Caivád Sâr | Great Hollow | Caibh Sàr | |
| Câr Bronach | The Sorrowglen | Car Brònach | |
| Côs Braen | Shadowed Hollow | ||
| Clavanail | The Kite-place | Clamhan-aill | |
| Crágan Bris | Broken Crag | Cràgan Bris | |
| Cútaig | The Hidden-nook | ||
| Donnvail | Brown-town | Donn-bhail | |
| Dûn Bándrath | The Bleak Stronghold (Carn Dûm) | ||
| Dûn Covád | Watch-fort | Dùn Coimhid | |
| Dûn Traikh | Shore-fort | Dùn Tràigh | |
| Duvairë | Gloomy | Dubhar | |
| Eiglinn | The Ice-pool | Eigh-linn | |
| Eiricháv | The High-Cave | Èirich-amh | |
| Fail-á-Khro | Enclosure for Cows | Fàil A' Chrò | |
| Fasach-falroid | Wilderness-road | Fàsach Fàlròid | |
| Fasach-larran | Wilderness-floor or Central Wilderness | Larran is difficult to interpret in S.G. | Fàsach Làr-rann |
| Frith-vailë | Small Village | Frith-bhaile | |
| Grúmachath | The Gloom-field | Grùm-achadh | |
| Grymmclúd | The Grim-piles | Gruam-clùd | |
| Iarandír | Iron-home (Angmar) | ||
| Kêr Bréin | Hill Fortress | Caer Bryn | |
| Krúslë Lannan | Vault of Swords | Crùisle Lannan | |
| Lochan Dúv | Black Lake | Lochan Dubh | |
| Mîn Lorg | Smooth Passage | Mìn Lorg | |
| Min Návaid | The Smooth Core | Mìn Nábh | |
| Mullach Cagar | The Summit of Whispers | Mullach Cagar | |
| Nád Nathair | Serpent Nest | Nead Nathair | |
| Nathból | Serpent-hollow | ||
| Rathad Caul | The Narrow Way | Rathad Caol | |
| Reodh Fuil | Blood-freeze | A name in the Angmarim-controlled part of Forochel | Reòdh Fuil |
| Sálgaitë | Hunting-ground | Sealg Àite | |
| Skáilag | The Shadow-place | Skáil-ag | |
| Tâg Fógarrach | The Desolate Gap | Tág Fógarrach | |
| Tármunn Súrsa | Free Sanctuary | Tèarmunn Saorsa | |
| Toll Oivas | The Dark Hollow | Toll Oíbhis | |
| Tór Gailvin | Crag-tower | Tùr Gail-bheinn | |
| Tûr Ágal | Tower of Dread | Tùr Ágal | |
| Tûr Fúar | The Drearspire | Túr Fùar |
NPCs and Things
| Peoples | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bódraillan | Oath-thralls | |
| Corcur | Crimson | |
| Créoth | Hurt | Creòth |
| Trév Duvárdain | Black Hill Tribe | Treubh Dubhàrdain |
| Trév Gállorg | There are various possibilities of interpretation: Warband Tribe, White Staff Tribe | treubh gal-lorg, treubh geal-lorg |
| Things | ||
| Clúcath | Battle-chosen | Clú Catha |
| Fém | Worth | Feum |
| Gun Ain | Nameless | Gun Ainm |
Individuals often bear the names of ancient monarchs or saints. Some examples are given to show how Turbine chose to adapt the names:
| Hillmen name | Scottish Gaelic |
|---|---|
| Abb | Aebbe |
| Dírdrë | Dèirdre |
| Domongart | Domangart |
| Enan | Énán |
| Guinokh | Guinoch |
| Moridac | Muiredach |
| Muiráthakh | Muiredach |
| Nekhtan | Nechtain |
| Soltakh | Seòltach |
| Temair | Teamhair |