What's a tark?

[KayQy]

You know, what Shagrat or whoever says about Sam, "There's an elf running around, or one of those filthy tarks."
Was this a reference to Gondorians or something else? I can't remember (if indeed I ever knew).

[Lostgaeriel]

Hi again Kay Qy!

Your remembered absolutely correctly. For other newcomers....

"Tark" is Black Speech for "man of Gondor". It is from the Quenya word "tarkil", which was used in Westron to indicate one of Numenorean descent. (Orcs pervert other languages as they have none of their own.)

Appendix F, Of Other Races, Orcs and the Black Speech

[ November 11, 2001: Message edited by: Lostgaeriel ]