dwarvish

Dwarvish is a term used in fantasy fiction to describe the languages spoken by dwarves. In many works it denotes a language or a family of languages associated with dwarven culture, typically presented as difficult, consonant-heavy, and capable of forming long compound words. The best-known example is Khuzdul, the secret tongue of Tolkien’s dwarves.

In Tolkien’s legendarium, Khuzdul was created by the Vala Aulë and given to the Dwarves as their speech. It is described as Semitic-inspired, with root-and-pattern morphology, and a large portion of its vocabulary is kept private by the dwarves, who do not readily share it with outsiders. Some proper names and a handful of loanwords are known to scholars, but much remains undisclosed.

The language is historically written with a runic script known as Angerthas, or dwarven runes, originally devised to inscribe Khuzdul on stone and metal. Angerthas was later adapted to other languages within Tolkien’s world, and variations of the script appear in different dwarven cultures, such as those of the Blue Mountains and Moria.

In other fantasy settings, dwarvish languages are often presented as analogous to Tolkien’s Khuzdul, but with their own phonologies and grammars. They frequently feature robust, consonant-heavy phonemes, limited vowel inventories, and a tradition of compound word formation that emphasizes craft and clan identity. Dwarvish scripts in these worlds are often runic and used for inscriptions on weapons, architecture, and monuments.

Overall, dwarvish serves as a vehicle for world-building, signaling secrecy, craftsmanship, and lineage within literature, games, and film.