What language did Sauron create for his servants in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth?

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Sauron created the Black Speech for his servants in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth.

The Black Speech is the language associated with Sauron and Mordor. Tolkien describes it as having been created by Sauron during the Dark Years to serve as a common language for the servants of his realm. It appears most famously in the inscription on the One Ring.

The inscription begins, “Ash nazg durbatulûk,” translated as “One Ring to rule them all.” Tolkien provided only a limited amount of Black Speech rather than a complete language comparable in documented detail to Quenya or Sindarin.

Quenya and Sindarin are Elvish languages, while Westron is the Common Speech used widely by peoples of Middle-earth. Those languages are therefore common alternatives in quizzes, but they are not Sauron’s designed language for his servants.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Oct. 2026

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