Northern

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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
beorn - hair
dûkan - builders
gand - staff, wand, spell, magic
hár - hair
kûd - hole
lang - long
sterk - strong

People

Beorn - Bear
Bifur - Beaver
Bombur - Swollen
Borin - Borer
Dáin - Deadlike
Dori - Borer
Durin - King
Dwalin - Sleeper
Farin - Traveler
Fíli - File
Frár - Swift
Frerin - Frozen
Frór - Swift
Fundin - Found
Gandalf - Staff-elf
Gimli - Fire-shelter
Glóin - Glowing
Golfimbul - Wind-might
Gróin - Growing
Grór - Grower
Hannar - Skilled
Kûd-dûkan - Hole-builders
Kíli - Wedge
Langhár - Long-hair
Loni - Lazy
Náin - Corpselike
Náli - Axle
Nár - Corpse
Nori - Sliver
Óin - Shy
Onar - Starer
Ori - Violent
Sterkist - Strongest
Thorin - Bold
Thráin - Stubborn
Thrór - Boar

External Links

Languages Constructed by J.R.R. Tolkien Gateway