Sindarin nouns serve the same function as they do in English (and most languages): they name specific objects or sets of objects, such as a person, animal, place, word, thing, phenomenon, substance, quality, or idea.
aewn. “bird”
arann. “king”
adann. “Man (as a species)”
bâr [mb-]n. “house”
edheln. “elf”
gil [ng]n. “star”
hothronn. “captain”
orchn. “orc”
megiln. “sword”
hadhodn. “dwarf”
carasn. “city”
taurn. “forest”
Note ¹: ᴺS. hothronn. “captain” is derived from hoth “host” + -ron “agental suffix”. Note ²:adan means “man” as a member of the species of Men (male or female), in other words a human being. Note ³:gil has varying etymologies, and its singular form is variously attested as gil or gail. The plural gîl likely corresponds to gail, and would be regular (cf. cair > cîr). However, if you use gil as singular, it should remain unchanged in plural.
1.2.1.1 Noun Plurals
Sindarin, the language created by J.R.R. Tolkien, employs a unique approach to pluralization, employing
vowel mutations over the addition of suffixes, as seen in English with “-(e)s”. This method, known as i-affection, originates from an
ancient plural suffix “ī”. While this suffix no longer exists, its legacy continues in the form of vowel changes within words. For example, the
singular word adan transforms into the plural edain, and orch changes to yrch. This characteristic of Sindarin reflects a concept Tolkien thoroughly explored in his writings, and it bears resemblance to certain irregular English plurals, such as “man”
changing to “men”, as well as some German plural forms where vowel alterations indicate plurality.
Below is how the phonetic development happened because of the ancient plural suffix “ī”:
✶atanī → atani → edeni → edein → edain
✶urkī → urki → urkʰi → urxi → orxi → urxi → yrxi → yrx
1.2.1.2 i-affection
The historical origins of i-affection are explored in detail in the section on vowel mutations, but here’s a summary of outcomes and types (internal, final, final intrusion):
Internal i-affection (non-final syllables):
Non-final a → e: adan “man” → edain “men”.
Non-final o → e: onod “Ent” → enyd “Ents”.
Non-final u → y: [N.] tulus “poplar” → tylys “poplars”.
Other vowels (e, i, y), and long vowels in non-final syllables do not mutate.
Archaically o → œ: golodh “Gnome” → gœlydh “Gnomes”.
Final i-affection (final syllables):
Final a → e: narn “tale” → nern “tales”.
Final e → i: edhel “elf” → edhil “elves”.
Final ê → î: hên “child” → hîn “children”.
Final o → y: orch “orc” → yrch “orcs”.
Final u → y: [N.] tulus “poplar” → tylys “poplars”.
Other short vowels (i, y) do not mutate.
Final i-intrusion (last syllable ends in single consonant):
Intruded a → ai: adan “man” → edain “men”.
Intruded â → ai: bâr “home” → bair “homes”.
Intruded ô → ui: thôn “pine” → thuin “pines”.
Intruded û → ui: dûr “dark” → duir “dark (pl)”.
Intruded au → oe: naug “dwarf” → noeg “dwarves”.
Other long vowels in final syllables (î, ŷ) do not mutate.
With the exception of au, diphthongs (ae, oe, ei, ai, ui) do not mutate.
Sindarin also employs a second plural form that utilizes suffixes such as -ath, -hoth, or -rim. This can be illustrated through the following comparisons:
J.R.R. Tolkien commonly referred to this as the “collective” or “group” plural. However, in modern (Neo) Sindarin studies, it is typically called the “class plural”.
1.2.1.4 Irregular Plurals
Sindarin has several less common plural patterns resulting from more obscure sound changes. More in-depth information can be found here. This is the summary from Eldamo.
Plurals with long ó/o from au: Long or short ó/o derived from au resists mutations in non-final syllables, and might mutate to oe in final syllables of recognized compounds.
Plurals of words with ai in final syllables: The diphthong ai in final syllables might mutate to î (monosyllable) or i (polysyllable) depending on the ancient form of the word.
Plural mutations after i: When a vowel mutates to i or y in its plural, it absorbs any preceding i, as in: Miniel → Mínil, thalion → thelyn.
Plurals of polysyllables ending in vowels: When a polysyllable ends in a short vowel, it generally follows the same mutations as in polysyllables ending in a single consonant: -a → -ai, -e → -i, -o/u → -y.
Plurals of monosyllables ending in vowels: When a monosyllable ends in a long vowel, it generally follows the same mutations as in monosyllables ending in a single consonant: -â → -ai, -ê → -î, -ô/û → -ui.
Plurals of monosyllables ending in diphthongs: When a monosyllable ends in a diphthong, its plural mutations are -êw → -îw and -aw → -oe(w); other diphthongs are immune to mutation.
Singular Suffixes: Some Sindarin plurals are formed with the plural suffix -in, either a remnant of an ancient n preserved in the plural, or a generalization of this suffix applied to other situations.
1.2.1.5 Definite Article pre-1969 “The”
Like English, Sindarin uses the definite article “i” (singular) for “the” and “in” (plural) for “the”. However, unlike English, Sindarin lacks an indefinite article equivalent to “a” or “an”. In Sindarin, an unspecified item is denoted by using the noun alone: “the man” is expressed as “i adan”, whereas “a man” is simply “adan”. The definite article functions as a proclitic, forming a close association with the subsequent word, and consequently induces soft mutation. Additionally, the plural form of the definite article in Sindarin triggers nasal mutation.
i·adan “the man”
edhel “an elf”
i·daur “the forest”
hothron “a captain”
in·aew “the birds”
yrch “orcs”
1.2.1.5.a Common Eldarin Article (CEA) 1969
en·adan “the man”
edhel “an elf”
e·daur “the forest”
hothron “a captain”
in·aew “the birds”
yrch “orcs”
The Parma Eldalamberon XXII provides additional insight into the definite article in Sindarin: “e” or “en” in the singular and “in” in the plural. These forms convey specific nuances in usage and impact initial consonants in different ways.
Usage Contexts for “e/en”:
“e” is used before nouns beginning with a consonant, with the exception of initial “g,” which was historically affected but has since shifted.
“en” is applied before nouns beginning with a vowel or in particular cases that trace back to older forms, such as Common Eldarin.
Mutation Patterns:
Vocalic Mutation (Soft Mutation): When “e” is applied in the singular, it often results in a vocalic mutation in the following noun. Examples:
e·baur - “the fist”
e·dâl - “the foot”
e·galar - “the lamp”
Nasal Mutation with “in” in the Plural: The plural form “in” induces a nasal mutation, modifying consonants like “p,” “t,” and “k” to softer forms. Examples:
i·pherth - “the fields”
i·chelair - “the lamps”
i·thaur - “the forests”
e·vâd - “the road”
e·chûl - “the secret”
in·aew - “the birds”
1.2.1.6 Direct Objects
In Sindarin, like English, the direct object of a phrase typically follows the verb. However, unlike in English, the direct object in Sindarin undergoes soft mutation to signify its role as an object. This process is known as grammatical lenition. Some examples are as follows:
Fennas nogothrim, lasto beth lammen. “Doorway of the Dwarf-folk listen to the word (peth) of my tongue.” ✧ LotR/307; PE17/45
penim vast. “we have no bread. (bast)” ✧ PE17/144
The mutation does not occur simply because a word follows a verb. In Sindarin, the object of the verb (the accusative) undergoes lenition, while the vocative (the person or thing being addressed) does not.:
Pedo mellon a minno “speak, friend (mellon), and enter.” ✧ LotR/305; LotR/308; PE17/40; PE23/143
In these phrases calad, morn and mellon are not lenited because they are the things the commands are being addressed to rather than the object of the verb. A direct object would be lenited, as in Pedo beth mellon. “Say the word (peth) friend.” ✧ PE23/143; VT44/26
