On Dwarven Names
Before embarking on the long, and potentially confusing journey that is the lineage of the Seven Dwarven Clans, or tribes, I shall give a very short description of Dwarven names, for the reader shall encounter plenty of those in the pages to come.
Dwarvens in fact have four different names, some known to others, some kept secret, some given to them by birth and some earned through deeds.
First of all, there is the outer name of a Dwarf. This name is the one under which a Dwarf becomes known among the people of Middle-Earth, and its language is Dalish. So, in fact the famous names of Dwarven heroes, such as Balin or Dwalin, are all only their outer names.
Furthermore, there is the inner name of a Dwarf, only known to him, and probably the most well-kept secret of any dwarf. In fact the secrecy of Dwarven inner names is so great, I shall not even go further into detail about their origin.
Thirdly, there is the descriptive name, and just like the outer name, this name would not be secretive, as in fact it is the name of great deeds or particular distinctiveness of the dwarf himself. These names are primarily in Khuzdul, yet outside of our halls, we normally translate them into Westron. An example for this would be the great and mighty Thorin Oakenshield.
Finally, we have the patronymic name, indicating our lineage. This only refers to the male parent. The patronymic name is also in Khuzdul, yet using the outer name of the parent, with a mere indication of being the son by adding an –ul at the end. Due to its simplicity it is therefore not further translated into Westron. An example for this would be Balin Fundinul, or Balin Son of Fundin.
Now this explanation will hopefully help to understand the following names and outlines of the various Clans. It should also be noted at this point that a dwarf most commonly also indicates his clan lineage, although this is not considered a name itself. However, noting “of the Stonefoots” or “of the Iron Fists”, is very often used similar to a title, such as myself Balgolin of Thelor’s Folk.
