Oh, I remembered a fun tidbit.
When the Nine Walkers first arrive at the western door of Khazad-dum, Gandalf reads the inscription written on the door itself. The inscription reads thus;
Quote:
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The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter.
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Now, this is not particularly extraordinary, except for one thing. The name "Moria" is, I believe, "Black Pit." The dwarves of Khazad-dum would not want their beautiful realm called this demeaning name, so why is it written there? The answer is actually sort of funny, when you think about it. The inscription is in Elvish, carved by Narvi the Elf. Now, the dwarves couldn't read anything but Cirth, so they had no idea what Narvi was really writing there on the western door. In a way, it's a practical joke on the dwarves which struck me as funny, considering it was played right beneath those dwarf noses.