It’s not really a valid complaint. If we follow the entomology of “menu” from the French root, it basically means “detailed list,” and then evolved to “a detailed list of whatbis served.” Menus are in use many places- from computer programs and games, to brothels and other service providers, and of course reffering to food. A “fixed menu” is one where there isn’t a selection, the menu merely exists to tell you what will be served for a meal, or a period like the day or week. If your parent was making you dinner, they might say: “the menu for this evening is mashed potatoes and garlic roasted chicken, served with blah blah blah.” Likewise an orc cook may tell the army: “today we have old boot and scrap wood stew, with a side of bugs I found, washed down with putrid much water.” If one must ask how a French loan word found its way to orc vocabulary, one must question why so many in middle earth speak English as well.
Tl:dr- menu is a French word that mostly just refers to a breakdown of what there is to eat. It doesn’t have to be in writing or even Realtek to resatraunts and can be used by any service provider. While it is a French root, if we start asking how the people of middle earth came upon a French root we must ask why so many speak English, and why so many loan words and roots in middle earth can be traced to Latin, German, etc. in conclusion this is not even remotely a valid complaint as much as it is a misunderstanding of the meaning and entomology of a word.
I see your point but raise you this: "meat's back on the menu" sounds very much like an english colloquialism, more specifically an american one. the phrase was most likely coined by members and consumers of the restaurant culture in the US
I've literally never heard of "meat's back on the menu" anywhere used for anything except as a reference to this. Im pretty sure PJ just randomly came up with that shit
In addition to the comments earlier that "menu" is just a list/a list of the food available to eat, a menu could easily be orally communicated rather than just read. A waiter telling you "the special" that isn't included in the printed menu, doesn't make that item any less included.
However on the 'can they read' portion, in Tolkein's writing (The Simarillion) he leads us to believe that Orcs are just the decedents of elves (the eastern Elves, Avari) who have been corrupted. Corrupted or not knowledge is passed from parent to offspring, so it stands to reason that at least rudimentary literacy is there for some.
However on the 'can they read' portion, in Tolkein's writing (The Simarillion) he leads us to believe that Orcs are just the decedents of elves (the eastern Elves, Avari) who have been corrupted. Corrupted or not knowledge is passed from parent to offspring, so it stands to reason that at least rudimentary literacy is there for some.