Khuzdul is the Dwarvish language created by J.R.R. Tolkien.
In Tolkien’s fictional history, the Dwarves call their own language Khuzdul. It is presented as secretive and closely guarded, unlike the languages that Dwarves use when communicating with other peoples. Tolkien gave Khuzdul distinctive words and phrases, including khazâd, meaning Dwarves, and baruk khazâd, a battle cry associated with the Dwarves.
Tolkien modeled aspects of Khuzdul on Semitic languages, especially in the use of consonantal patterns. This differs from his treatment of Quenya, which was strongly influenced by Finnish, and Sindarin, whose sound was influenced by Welsh. The language appears only in limited quantities in the published narratives, but its cultural role is important.
Khuzdul is sometimes mistaken for the name of a Dwarven place or kingdom. Khazad-dûm is the Dwarven name for the underground city later called Moria, whereas Khuzdul is the language itself. Tolkien’s notes contain more linguistic material than the novels reveal.