Dunlendish
Dunlendish, also known as the Dunland tongue, was a Mannish language that was spoken by the Dunlendings of Dunland.
History
The Pre-Númenórean language that was spoken by ancestors of the Dunlendings in the forests south of the Blue Mountains in Minhiriath and Enedwaith during the Second Age was related to the language of the Folk of Haleth of the First Age. The language of the Folk of Haleth was not related to the language of the Folk of Hador and the Folk of Bëor from which Adûnaic, the language of the Númenóreans was descended. Dunlendish was not related to or only remotely akin to Westron, because Westron was descended from Adûnaic mingled with many words of the languages of other Men.
It appears that a language related to Dunlendish was adopted by the southern group of Hobbits of Stoor-kind while they settled between Tharbad and the borders of Dunland between Third Age 1150 until about Third Age 1630, before they migrated north to the Shire, but by the later Third Age their descendants in the Shire and in Bree had long abandoned it for the Common Speech.
The Men of Bree once spoke a language that was related to Dunlendish, because they were descended from the same people as the Dunlendings, but the Men of Bree adopted Westron after they became subjects of the kingdom of Arnor. The odd names of Bucklanders and the name of Bree and the names of locations near Bree were traces of the older language of the southern Stoors and the Men of Bree.
On 3 March Third Age 3019, during the War of the Ring Gamling said that Dunlendish was once spoken in many western valleys in Rohan and was able to understand Dunlendish. It is not recorded if Dunlendish was still spoken by some inhabitants of Rohan as a native language at that time and how Gamling learned Dunlendish.
Apparently Dunlendish was known also beyond the other side of the Misty Mountains; the Great Gates of Moria included Dunlendish inscriptions in Cirth.
To this language belongs the name Forgoil, which was said to mean 'Strawheads' and was given to the Rohirrim, and was used as an insult during the battle of Helm's Deep. The only analysis that can be done with some degree of credibility, is that the final part -il could be the plural marker of the word; then, it would be reminiscent to the Elvish partitive plural -li, and perhaps related.
Translation
J.R.R. Tolkien used Celtic names for many first names of male Hobbits of Buckland and for place names in the region of Bree.
Referencias
1. Esta ficha se ha importado inicialmente de TolkienGateway.net el día 25/05/2026.
