Khuzdul Lessons

[The_Swordmaster]

Since the guild has been inactive for sometime I will be coming up with new threads and and activitys. My goal in this will be to revitalize the guild once more. That is why I'm doing this.

This will be a Khuzdul learning thread. Me and other members in the guild will try to teach the secret language of the dwarves, Khuzdul. If you would like to be a teacher or a student PM me. I will start reaching it if their is any interest. I will use mostly Ardalambion for most of my information.

[Aulë]

Ah, this sounds good.
Although I don't know how you'll do it considering there is such a small amount of known Khuzdul words.
btw, Does anyone know the Dwarvish word for 'Western'?

[The_Swordmaster]

I thought it was Wol. Like your realm's name Wol Khazad. I thought that stood for West Dwarves.

I know their is only a small word list but I think I teach it anyway.

[omnipotent_elf]

lets start, shall we

[The_Swordmaster]

Students: Omnipotent_elf
Aule
Beleg Strongbow

Teachers: The_Swordmaster

To join just Pm me.

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Now let's begin.

In the Silmarillion we learn that after Aule makes the seven fathers of the dwarves. Also he "began to instruct the Dwarves in the tongue that he had devised for them". The name of that language is Khuzdul. Aulë had made Khuzdul for them and had taught it to the Seven Fathers before they were laid to sleep until the time for their awakening should come.

Khuzdul has changed very little since the awakening of the seven fathers. It changed so little that in the third age if a dwarf of Erebor met with a dwarf from the far east they would understand each other easily and have little accents. Though the language remained little change it was very rare that anyone besides a dwarf knew the language. Now can anyone tell me why almost none knew Khuzdul besides the dwarves?

[Beleg]

Now can anyone tell me why almost none knew Khuzdul besides the dwarves?

Because of its inherent difficulty and because of the Dwarves unwillingliness to teach their language to others.
Do you want me to provide a Quote too?

[The_Swordmaster]

No a quote isn't needed. Anyway that is the correct answer.

The dwarves are very reluctant to teach Khuzdul to others than their own kind. Also other races didn't want to learn such a what the elves call an unlovely language and cumbersome to their ears. The Profesor himself said that "Dwarvish was both complicated and cacophonous. Even early elvish philologists avoided it."

I'm sorry I say more now but I have to goto bed. I will post again on Monday. This weekend I am going away and will not ave accses to a computer.

[The_Swordmaster]

Their is only three times that the dwarves tought khuzdul to non-dwarves.

1.In the First Age, when the House of Hador first came into Beleriand from the east and met the Longbeards, a special friendship arose between the two races because these Men, being skilled riders, could offer the Dwarves some protection against Orcs. Then the Dwarves actually 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.

2. In the Second Age, the Dwarves reluctantly allowed a few Elves to learn a little Khuzdul purely in the interest of science. They understood and respected the disinterested desire for knowledge, and some of the later Noldorin loremasters were allowed to learn enough of both Quenya and Khuzdul and their gesture-code to understand their systems."

3. The Petty-Dwarves evidently did not attempt to hide their Khuzdul names. In chapter 21 of the Silmarillion, the Petty-Dwarf Mîm readily tells Túrin not only his own name, but also the names of his sons Khîm and Ibun. Perhaps such shocking indiscretion was one of the things the normal Dwarves hated the Petty-Dwarves for.

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Dwarves however thought that giving the name of places in Khuzdul was acceptable. In LOTR Gimli metoins this to the fellowship.

"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."

Dwarves also werer ok with non-dwarves saying places in Khuzdul. For example Galadreil says this to Gimli.

"Dark is the water of Kheled-zâram, and cold are the springs of Kibil-nâla, and fair were the many-pillared halls of Khazad-dûm in Elder Days before the fall of mighty kings beneath the stone."... the Dwarf, hearing the names given in his own ancient tongue, looked up and met her eyes; and it seemed to him that he looked suddenly into the heart of an enemy and saw there love and understanding. Wonder came into his face, and then he smiled in answer

In LOTR a certain dwarf yells a phrase in Khuzdul. Can anyone tell me who was it and what was the pharse? A quoute would be nice for this answer but not required.

[Beleg]

Baruk Khazad, Khazad ai-Menu.

Atleast two references in LOTR,

One at the Battle of Hornburg,

But a small dark figure that none had observed sprang out of the shadows and gave a hoarse shout: Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu! An axe swung and swept back. Two Orcs fell headless. The rest fled.

The second in Apendix F,

Baruk Khazâd! Khazad ai-manu! 'Axes of the Dwarves! The Dwarves are upon you!'

Oh and can you provide a Quote for your example one?
Or atleast the place It is present in.

[The_Swordmaster]

Well Beleg to actully tell you I got that part of information off another site. They put that statement in quotes and after the quote they put (PM:304). I'm sure what PM stands for. But I do belive it is a quote by Tolkien.

Also can people in this guild start posting in other threads and try to make this an active guild once again.

[Beleg]

PM:304 would refer to People of Middle-Earth page Number three hundred four and that would probably make it a part of Of Dwarves and Men.
Now I remember where I have read it before.

[The_Swordmaster]

I would like someone to take over the teacher position of this thread for the coming week. I won't be able to post for 1 week or more. Since I will be on vaction during that time. So who ever wants to take the position of teacher just start posting lessons.

[The_Swordmaster]

I'm sorry about the lessons being delayed now let's get back into Khuzdul.

Because of this freindship between Dwarves and the House of Hador, Khuzdul has influenced even the basic structure of Adûnaic, a language descended from the tongue of the early Edain. The language of the dwarves had even impacted Sindarin slightly. the Khuzdul word Kheled has been made into Sindarin as heledh, which means glass. Sindarin also influenced Khuzdul, The Sindarin word celeb turned into the the Khuzdul word kibil, which means silver.

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Even though dwarves have taught a few non dwarves Khuzdul, they would not tell any non dwarves their real, inner name. These inner names they kept secert even more than their own language. Only three rimes a dwarves innner name was told or known by non dwarves.

1. Azaghâl, the name of the Dwarf-lord of Belegost. People also belive this could be a nickname rather than his inner name. This is belived because of it's similarity to the Númenorean verb azgarâ which means to wage war.

2. The Petty-Dwarf Mîm readily tells Túrin not only his own name, but also the names of his sons Khîm and Ibun. The petty dwarves do not seem to care about non dwarves learning their inner name.

I have gave you two of the three times dwarven names have been told or known to non dwarves. Who can tell me what the third instance was?