A broad term for the many different dialects used by groupings of Orcs across Middle-earth. It was said that originally Orcs were without any language of their own, and they developed their Orkish tongues out of elements taken from other languages, though debasing and coarsening them in the process. As they spread across Middle-earth, they became divided into separate tribes, each with its own Orkish dialect. This meant that Orcs from different clans were often unable to communicate in their own language, and in these situations the Common Tongue was often employed instead.