Does the word Human exist in Middle Earth?

Question

By Illuvatar's will, mankind is known as Man, not humans. As the secret history of our world, however, this is in our past. As such, is the word human known to Man during the time period in history written by Tolkien, and what instances of its usage are there, if any?

Answer 1

Sort of?

You have to remember than, in-universe, these texts weren't originally written in English; they were written in Westron, some (The Silmarillion and associated works) originally in Elvish (probably Quenya), and translated into English by Tolkien. So the word "human" necessarily didn't exist; "human" is derived from Latin and Old French, neither of which existed in during the periods where the Legendarium is set.

There are, however, words that Tolkien translated into "human", though he rarely uses that particular word; a couple of examples (by no means an exhaustive list):

• Figures stood there at its head, carven with cunning in forms human and bestial, but all corrupt and loathsome. The water flowing beneath was silent, and it steamed, but the vapour that rose from it, curling and twisting about the bridge, was deadly cold.

  ^{The Two Towers Book IV Chapter 6: "The Stairs of Cirith Ungol"}

• Likewise within the lands the birds of Númenor were beyond count, from the kirinki that were no bigger than wrens, but all scarlet, with piping voices on the edge of human hearing, to the great eagles that were held sacred to Manwë, and never af­flicted, until the days of evil and the hatred of the Valar began.

  ^{Unfinished Tales Part Two: "The Second Age" Chapter 1: "Description of the Island of Númenor"}

• [I]n Rohan the identity of the statues of Dunharrow called "Púkel-men" with the "Wild Men" of the Drúadan Forest was not recognized, neither was their "humanity"

  ^{Unfinished Tales Part Four Chapter 1: "The Drúedain"}

• Still is the world full of these in the days of light, lingering alone in shadowy hearts of primeval forests, calling secret things across a starry waste, and haunting caverns in the hills that few have found: -- but the pinewoods are yet too full of these old unelfin and inhuman spirits for the quietude of Eldar or of Men.

  ^{History of Middle-earth I The Book of Lost Tales Part One Chapter IV: "The Chaining of Melko"}

• The horsemen were all clad and muffled in black, and rode high black horses. Some of the same sort had been seen in Bree two days before and wild stories were going about. Some said they were not human, and even the dogs were afeared of them.

  ^{History of Middle-earth VI The Return of the Shadow Chapter XX: "The Third Phase (2): At the Sign of the Prancing Pony"}