How Do Uruk-Hai Know What A Menu Is?
thegamer.comDid you know that Frodo’s real name is Maura Labingi? Sam’s is Banazîr Galbasi. I’m not kidding, Frodo and Samwise are simply the English translations. You see, in the Lord of the Rings universe, Tolkien was given The Red Book of Westmarch that Bilbo, Frodo, and Sam write, and translated it as best he could from Westron to English. He not only constructed dwarvish and elvish languages, but a language that the men of Middle-earth use, which he subsequently ‘translated’ into English - albeit Olde Timey English.
He didn’t half-arse the translations either, as his in-universe translation included creating naming conventions, and using ancient English and other languages to inform his ‘translated’ names. In Rohirric, the ancient form of Westron that the people of Rohan speak, Théoden is called Tûrac. Théoden, the English translation, comes from the Old English word þeoden, meaning lord, king, and the old Norse word þjóðann, meaning leader of people. He chose this not just because of Théoden’s character in the story, but also because it’s what Tûrac means in the fictional Rohirric language. You can read more about this in The Peoples of Middle-earth, but I’m sure at this point you’re asking what this has to do with Uruk-hai and menus?
Related: The Lord Of The Rings Anime Will Be About The Most Badass Character Tolkien Ever Wrote
“How do Uruk-hai know what a menu is?” is up there with “why didn’t the Eagles take the Ring to Mordor?” as the most common question in Tolkien’s canon. I’ve answered the second one already, so it’s time to move onto orcs’ eating habits. It’s worth noting, however, that this wasn’t a product of Tolkien, it was invented and added in the Jackson/Walsh film trilogy, and has become an iconic part of Rings
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