Northern
Northern is the language of the Northmen of Rhovanion, including the Beornings and the people of Dale. The language is also called Mannish or Northern Mannish. The language was also spoken by the first Edain who migrated to Beleriand.
These northern peoples maintained close ties with the Longbeards, the Dwarves dwelling in the mountains and hills of Rhovanion. In the Second Age, they shared mutual respect and lasting friendship, with the Longbeards adopting the Northern tongue for dealings with others while keeping their own secret language. Dwarves even fashioned personal names from Northern elements, or created names that merely resembled them; this practice appears to have reached neighboring Moria, as seen in the case of Narfi.
By the Third Age, the Kings of Gondor acknowledged their shared ancestry with the Northmen and the kinship of their languages. Around T.A. 1050, the earliest known home of the Hobbits was in the Vales of Anduin, where they came into contact with the Éothéod. Their own word kuduk (“hobbit”) is believed to derive from the Northern kûd-dûkan (“hole-builders,” cf. Old English holbytlan). During their Wandering Days, the Hobbits preserved some archaic words in their dialect even after adopting Westron.
Among the Northern tongues, the language of Dale was especially prominent, and the Dwarves of Erebor often bore outward-facing names drawn from it, including that of Durin.
Real-world inspiration
Northern is based on the languages of Old Norse, Old English, and Gothic. Old Norse was spoken in modern-day Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden and Denmark), as well as Iceland and the Faroe Islands. The Icelandic and Faroese languages are still closely related to Old Norse, while modern Scandinavian languages have drifted further away due to other Germanic influences. The extinct Gothic language was spoken in northern Germany and parts of the Netherlands and Denmark.
Common Terms
- alf - elf
- as - pillar
- athál - noble
- audag - wealthy
- ava - river
- balk - wall
- bár - enclosure, fence
- bárg - rock, hill, mountain
- beorn - bear
- blóm - bloom, flower
- borg - fort, keep, stronghold
- brek - slope
- brotna - broken
- brygg - bridge, span
- buth - booth
- by - town, city
- dag - day
- dis - woman
- dóm - justice, judgment, doom
- dreng - warrior, squire
- dûkan - builders
- dún - down (hill)
- dverg - dwarf
- dyr - beast, animal
- eg - edge
- eik - oak
- eld - fire
- fast - keep, fort, stronghold
- fell - mountain
- fimbul - might
- fisk - fish
- floga - flying
- foss - waterfall, falls
- frida - peace
- fróst - frost
- gál - mad, insane
- gand - staff, wand, spell, magic
- gard - yard, farm, court
- gát - path
- gate - street
- gel - bright
- gilva - ravine
- gim - fire
- gír - spear
- gird - girdle
- glit - glimmer
- glitten - glitter
- gol - wind
- grá - grey
- gráf - pit, grave
- gren - branch, cleft
- grím - grim
- grind - gate
- grof - pit, depth, deeps
- grót stone
- gryt - stony
- gul - gold
- hag - garden
- haim - home
- hal - rock
- háld - fort, hold
- háll - stone
- hár - hair, high, tall
- hath - scorn, hatred
- hel - hell
- hild - warrior
- hlith - hillside
- hóg - cut, chop, strike
- hól - hill
- holk - ice
- hrau - red
- hreg - storm
- hrigg - ridge
- hrim - rime, frost
- hulg - woods
- hult - wood, holt
- hurn - horn
- hús - house
- hyrst - wood, hurst
- is - ice
- járn - iron
- jotun - giant
- kell - kettle
- klettar - cliffs
- klór - claw, talon, scratch
- korn - grain
- kûd - hole
- lang - long
- leit - road, way, path
- li - shelter
- líf - life
- lim - nook, enclosure
- lók - locked
- maer - noble
- mál - assembly
- máttu - mighty
- mód - courage
- mund - protector
- myr - marsh
- orm - worm
- ot - fear
- reik - smoke
- rik - rich, land, kingdom
- run - secret
- set - post, seat
- sig - victory
- skad - wound
- skar - cleft, ravine, crevasse
- skár - crack, notch, fracture
- skara - warg
- skel - shell, peel
- sker - rock, reef
- skog - forest, woods
- skor - notch
- stad - stead, place
- stán - stone
- stark, sterk - strong
- stath - abode
- stókk - log, pole
- stoll - chair, seat, court
- stram - tight
- strand - shore, beach
- sunder - split, broken
- ta - strength
- theg - warrior
- thok - fog, mist
- thyrs - giant
- tind - peak
- tryg - loyal, safe
- ulf - wolf
- utter - outer
- vang - field, mead
- var - guardian, warden
- varth - ward, guard
- vask - toil, work
- vat - wet
- vát - water
- veg - road, way
- veith - hunting
- vindur - wind
- vís - edge
- vist - lodge
- vít - wide, broad
- wyrm - dragon
- yl - howl
People
- Athálrik - Noble-rich
- Atta - Father
- Beorn - Bear
- Bifur - Beaver
- Bombur - Swollen
- Borin - Borer
- Dagrun - Day-secret
- Dáin - Deadlike
- Dori - Borer
- Durin - King
- Dwalin - Sleeper
- Farin - Traveler
- Fasti - Firm
- Fíli - File
- Fiskvat - Fish-wet
- Frár - Swift
- Frerin - Frozen
- Frór - Swift
- Fundin - Found
- Gandalf - Staff-elf
- Gelfrida - Bright-peace
- Gimli - Fire-shelter
- Gírta - Spear-strength
- Glóin - Glowing
- Golfimbul - Wind-might
- Grímklettar - The Grim-cliffs
- Gróin - Growing
- Grór - Grower
- Grymil - Growler
- Gultheg - Gold-warrior
- Haldis - Rock-woman
- Hállkell - Stone-kettle
- Hannar - Skilled
- Hárskor - High-notch
- Hárveg - High-road
- Hertha - Earth
- Holkorm - Ice-worm
- Holbytlan - Hole-builders
- Hrában - Raven
- Hrathi - Speed
- Hraubrek - Red-slope
- Hregmód - Storm-courage
- Hregvang - Storm-field
- Hrigg Vidukuni - Wood-kin Ridge
- Hrimdyr - Rime-beast
- Hrímil - Rime-touched
- Hunulf - Wolf-cub
- Isgird - Ice-girdle
- Kíli - Wedge
- Langhár - Long-hair
- Loni - Lazy
- Mavi - Bird-call
- Náin - Corpselike
- Náli - Axle
- Nár - Corpse
- Nori - Sliver
- Ofolmóth - Fierce-anger
- Óin - Shy
- Onar - Starer
- Ori - Violent
- Otgand - Fear-being
- Ránnvig - House-fighter
- Ríkmar - Rich-famous
- Runerik - Rune-rich
- Sighild - Victorious-warrior
- Skádda - Wrecker
- Skadhurn - Wound-horn
- Skárhogg - Notch-strike
- Snárfrek - Quick-greedy
- Stafhild - Staff-warrior
- Skalla - Bald
- Sterkist - Strongest
- Thorin - Bold
- Thráin - Stubborn
- Threkmóth - Strength-courage
- Thrór - Boar
- Trygvar - Loyal-guardian
- Tungváka - Heavy-waker
- Varthmath - Ward-man
- Vaskorn - Toil-grain
- Veithhól - Hunting-hill
- Veremund - Cautious-protector
- Vinitharya - East-victor
- Víthog - Wide-cut
Places
- Aslíf - Pillar-life
- Audaghaim - Wealthy-home
- Avabárg - River-rock
- Bárgstad - the Rock-stead
- Beorninghús - Beorning-house
- Blómgard - Bloom-yard
- The Dáinlik - The Likeness of Dáin
- Dómstoll - Court of Justice
- Drenghól - Warrior-hill
- Dúnabrygg - Downs-bridge
- Dvergvát - Dwarf-water
- Egvárth - Edge-watch
- Eikhall Dale - Oak-hall Dale
- Eldby - Fire-town
- Fasthálla - Steadfast-hall
- Fellgát - Mountain-path
- Firien Wood - Mountain Wood
- Flogalith - the Flying-hill
- Frósthel - Frost-hell
- Gálhyrst - Mad-glen
- Gilvamyr - Ravine Marsh
- Glitgróf - Glimmerdeep
- Glittengrof - the Glitter-pit
- Grálin - Greylin
- Grálinvarth - Greylin-watch
- Grárik - Grey Kingdom
- Grytgate - Stony-street
- Grytholm - Stony-island
- Hagbuth - the Garden-booth
- Halifirien - Holy Mountain
- Hlídborg - The Hillside-fort
- Hlithseld - Hillside-camp
- Hrimbarg - Frost-hill
- Hultvís - Woodsedge
- Járnfast - Ironhold
- Jotunstath - Giant-abode
- Klórgren - Claw-cleft
- Leitstáth - the Road-edge
- Limlók - Locked-nook
- Maergrind - the Noble Gate
- Málvang - Assembly-field
- Máttugard - the Mighty Court
- Ormgren - Worm-cleft
- Reikfoss - Smoke-falls
- Skarashulg - the Warg-woods
- Skarháld - Ravine-fort
- Skelstrand - Shell-shore
- Skerabrygg - Rock-bridge
- Skoghús - Forest-house
- Stánbalk - Stone-wall
- Starkhath - Strong-scorn
- Stókkset - The Log-post
- Stramvárth Tight-watch
- Sundergrót - Split-stone
- Thokvist - Fog-lodge
- Thyrstáth - the Giant-stead
- Tind Brotna - the Broken Peak
- Utterby - Outer Town
- Vegbár - Road-enclosure
- Vindurhal - Wind-hall
- Wyrmsgráf - Dragon-pit
- Ylgraf - Howl-grave