Thangail

Thangail, or shield-fence, was a shield-wall formation invented by the Númenóreans and mostly used by the Dúnedain of Middle-earth. 
It served as a technique for resisting an attacking enemy. Soldiers would form two closely-packed ranks that would act as shield-walls. These ranks of soldiers would be bent backward adjusting for the enemy’s charge, keeping either end from being outflanked, and then becoming a closed ring of unbroken shields that would continue fending off the assault.
In the Disaster of the Gladden Fields, Isildur, realizing that he could not do anything else because the ground didn't work in his favor was forced to use this battle tactic for defense, but was overwhelmed in the end.Unfinished Tales, "The Disaster of the Gladden Fields"
==Etymology==
Thangail is the Sindarin translation of the Quenya sandastan, which was derived from the primitive forms thandā, meaning 'shield', and stama, meaning 'bar'. The Sindarin word c(g)ail meant 'fence'.
==Translations==
Foreign Language 	Translated name
Amharic 	ታንጋይል
Arabic 	ثانغال
Hebrew 	תאנגאיל
Hindi 	तंगाइल
Russian 	Тангайл
Tamil 	தஙைல்
Ukrainian Cyrillic	Тангайл
Yiddish 	טהאַנגאַיל
==References==
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Category:Soldier formations
Category:Sindarin names & words