Adar

Image Source: Mashable

The Rings of Power Episode 6 was action-packed. The people of the Southlands found themselves in trouble with the Orcs, led by Adar. All was looking lost, until Galadriel and the Númenóreans showed up. Before the Orcs marched on the elven tower of Ostirith, Adar gave a speech about how some of them would fall, but they would die as brothers and sisters. The Orcs then started chanting the word “nampat.”

Sauron designed the Black Speech to be the unifying language of the Orcs and Mordor. After the episode, some fans started to research what “nampat” meant. Some thought it could mean, “take back” or “seize” from the word “nampe” in Quenya, which was spoken by the non-Telerin Elves who reached Valinor. However, the X-Ray feature on Amazon Prime informed us that “nampat” did in fact mean death in Black Speech.

The chant was meant to strike fear into anyone who heard it. Many Orcs were killed in battle, as well as the people who were fighting them. It was also fitting for them to be chanting in the official language of Mordor, which was created at the end of the episode with the eruption of Mount Doom. It was also a parallel to The Return of the King. In the book, the Rohirrim chanted “death” as they prepared to charge the army that is laying siege to Middle-earth.

Another Black Speech word used in this episode was “Uruk.” The translation of the word was simply “Orc,” but during his interrogation with Galadriel, Adar explains that this is what the Orcs preferred to be called. Fans are familiar with the word “Uruk-hai” as we saw the company fight many of these creatures in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. However, the “Uruk-hai” are the result of Saruman crossbreeding men and orcs to create the ultimate fighting force.

The creation of Mordor and Mount Doom in Episode 6 set up the stage for an epic season finale. As Adar and the Orcs grow more powerful, I wouldn’t be surprised if we hear more of the Black Speech in the upcoming episodes.