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{{quote|There's a great fighter about, one of those bloody-handed Elves, or one of the filthy '''tarks'''.|[[Snaga (Orc of Mordor)|Snaga]], [[The Return of the King]], [[The Tower of Cirith Ungol]]}}   
{{quote|There's a great fighter about, one of those bloody-handed Elves, or one of the filthy '''tarks'''.|[[Snaga (orc of Mordor)|Snaga]], [[The Return of the King]], [[The Tower of Cirith Ungol]]}}   
 
'''Tark''' is an [[Orkish]] word that was often used by the [[Orcs]] of the later [[Third Age]] to describe a [[Men|Man]] of [[Númenóreans|Númenórean]] heritage (such as the [[Gondorians]]). Considering the enmity between the Orcs and the Men of [[Gondor]], the word ''tark'' tended to be used in an insulting way.<ref>{{RK|VI1}}</ref><ref name=PE17/>


'''Tarks''' was a name used among the [[Orcs]] to describe the [[Gondorians|Men of Gondor]]. It was used in the [[Westron|Common Speech]] to describe [[Men]] of [[Númenóreans|Númenórean]] heritage. To the Orcs of the later [[Third Age]], such Men would always be enemies, and so the word ''tark'' tended to be used in an insulting way, as in [[Snaga (Orc of Mordor)|Snaga]]'s comments quoted above.
==Etymology==
==Etymology==
''Tark'' was a corrupted version of [[Tarkil]], a [[Westron]] borrowing from [[Quenya]] that literally meant "[[High Man]]"
 
==Portrayal in Adaptations ==  
There exists at least two, only slightly different, etymological explanations of ''tark'':
 
#a corrupted version of ''[[tarkil]]'', a [[Westron]] borrowing from [[Quenya]] that literally meant "[[High Man]]".<ref>{{App|F1}}</ref><ref>{{HM|RC}}, p. 603</ref>
#unknown etymology, but "possibly a mere abbreviation of ''[[tarkil]]''".<ref name=PE17>{{PE|17}}, p. 101</ref>
 
==Portrayal in adaptations==  
'''2007: ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]'':'''
'''2007: ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]'':'''
:Whenever a keep is flipped in favor of the Servants of the Eye, an orc calls out "look at the feeble târks run!"
:Whenever a keep is flipped in favor of the Servants of the Eye, an orc calls out "look at the feeble târks run!"


'''2011: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: War in the North]]'':'''
:Tharzog mentions Tarks in Fornost.
'''2014: ''[[Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor]]'':'''
:Orcs and Orc Captains refer to Talion, a ranger of the Black Gates as "the Tark".
'''2017: ''[[Middle-earth: Shadow of War]]'':'''
:As in the previous installment, Orcs and Orc Captains continue to refer to Talion as a "Tark".
{{references}}
[[Category:Orkish words]]
[[Category:Orkish words]]
[[Category:Gondorians]]
[[de:Dúnedain#Namen]]
[[fi:Tarkki]]

Latest revision as of 07:06, 16 June 2020

"There's a great fighter about, one of those bloody-handed Elves, or one of the filthy tarks."
Snaga, The Return of the King, The Tower of Cirith Ungol

Tark is an Orkish word that was often used by the Orcs of the later Third Age to describe a Man of Númenórean heritage (such as the Gondorians). Considering the enmity between the Orcs and the Men of Gondor, the word tark tended to be used in an insulting way.[1][2]

Etymology[edit | edit source]

There exists at least two, only slightly different, etymological explanations of tark:

  1. a corrupted version of tarkil, a Westron borrowing from Quenya that literally meant "High Man".[3][4]
  2. unknown etymology, but "possibly a mere abbreviation of tarkil".[2]

Portrayal in adaptations[edit | edit source]

2007: The Lord of the Rings Online:

Whenever a keep is flipped in favor of the Servants of the Eye, an orc calls out "look at the feeble târks run!"

2011: The Lord of the Rings: War in the North:

Tharzog mentions Tarks in Fornost.

2014: Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor:

Orcs and Orc Captains refer to Talion, a ranger of the Black Gates as "the Tark".

2017: Middle-earth: Shadow of War:

As in the previous installment, Orcs and Orc Captains continue to refer to Talion as a "Tark".

References

  1. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "The Tower of Cirith Ungol"
  2. 2.0 2.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, "Words, Phrases and Passages in Various Tongues in The Lord of the Rings", in Parma Eldalamberon XVII (edited by Christopher Gilson), p. 101
  3. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix F, "The Languages and Peoples of the Third Age"
  4. Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull (eds), The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion, p. 603