1.2.5 Prepositions (prep.) and Noun Cases

• 1.2.5.1 Dative
• 1.2.5.2 Genitive
• 1.2.5.3 Directional and Location
• 1.2.5.4 Preposition Mutation Patterns
• 1.2.5.5 Possessive Pronouns and Noun Cases
• 1.2.5.6 Section Summary
• Exercise 1.4

A preposition is a small word indicating the relationship of a noun or noun phrase to rest of the sentence. It is so called because the preposition (pre-position) comes before the noun it governs. Sindarin has prepositions that function more or less as they do in English. First, here are some additional nouns we can use for practice:

• amon n. “hill, (isolated) mountain”
• ang n. “iron”
• menel n. “the heavens, region of the stars”
• minas n. “tower, fort”
• groth n. “large excavation, underground dwelling”
• rond n. “(vaulted or arched) roof”

And here are some prepositions to use them with:

• ab prep. “after”
• athra prep. “across”
• ed prep. “out from”
• mîn prep. “[thing] between”
• pen¹ prep. “as, like”
• adel prep. “behind”
• be prep. “as, like”
• en prep. “of the”
• nu prep. “under”
• am prep. “up”
• bo prep. “on”
• im prep. “between”
• o (od) prep. “from”
• thar prep. “arcross”
• dan [nd] prep. “back to”
• mi prep. “in”
• or prep. “over”
• trî prep. “through”

• an “to, for”, dan “back to”, pen “without” causes nasal 2 mutation.
• en “of the” causes mixed mutation.
• ed “out, out of” causes stop mutation.
• or “above” causes liquid mutation.
• o (od) “from, of” causes sibilant mutation.
• adel “behind”, * aden “until”, am “up”, athra “across”, be “as, like”, mi “in”, na “to[wards]”, nef “on this side of”, nu “under”, bo “on”, sui “as”, trî “trough” cause soft mutation.

Note ¹: When preceding the definite article i (mi i), this preposition simplifies to m’i “in the”.

Note ²: There are three attested forms for “in”: mi, vi, and ivi. The latter confirms that the preposition comes from IMI, which was a theory floating around. It is possible that the instances of vi are either lenited mi or shortened ivi. Some enthusiasts think this represents two parallel paradigms: mi/vi and ivi/vi, and they don’t think they conflict. However, some also don’t think ivi is one of the options here. Some enthusists choose to use vi in all instances.

For example:

• or amon “above a hill”
• e minas “out of the tower”
• mi 'roth “in a cave”
• m’ i-‘roth “in the cave”
• nui venel “under the heavens” ³

Note ²: Should be nu venel “under heaven”, def. nui venel “under the heaven”. Note, however, that there is some debate as to whether or not menel is already definite; A Sindarin enthusiast suggests the answer is similar to English – both “under Heaven(s)” and “under the heavens” should be fine, but “under the Heaven” seems odd. For Sindarin, if menel is simply used as per its etymology (lit. “way [of] stars”), then he thinks it is indefinite by default; but in a Catholic prayer, Ae Adar nín i vi Menel (where for reasons unknown no mutation is observed anyhow), it is likely definite.

1.2.5.1 Dative: Sindarin, the constructed language by J.R.R. Tolkien, has two primary ways to mark the dative case, which is used for indirect objects:

• Word Order: In Sindarin, the dative case can be indicated simply through word order, where the indirect object follows the direct object. This differs from English, where the indirect object typically precedes the direct object. An example in Sindarin is “ónen i-Estel Edain,” meaning "I gave Hope to the Dúnedain." This structure reflects the Common Eldarin language, where direct and indirect objects were differentiated by their order relative to the verb.
• Using Prepositions: The other method for indicating the dative case in Sindarin is using the preposition “an,” which translates to “to” or “for.” This preposition causes a mutation in the following word, though it's unclear whether this should be a soft or nasal mutation. For example, “annon edhellen” means “open now for us.” Examples in Sindarin texts mostly involve pronouns.
• Uncertainty and Development: The development of the dative case in Sindarin, especially regarding its use in Tolkien's earlier language, Gnomish, is not entirely clear. Earlier forms of the language had distinct dative inflections, but these evolved over time. In Neo-Sindarin, the common practice is to use the preposition "an" with a nasal mutation for the dative, but there is also the option of using word order to convey the same meaning.

It's worth noting that Sindarin's grammatical structure, including the use of the dative case, is derived from Tolkien's writings and subsequent linguistic analysis. The language, while rich and intricate, is not fully defined in the same way as natural languages, and interpretations of its grammar can vary among scholars and enthusiasts.

1.2.5.2 Genitive: A genitive relationship (“of”) in Sindarin can be marked in several ways. The most straightforward is to have the related noun follow the noun it modifies, so that aran Moria means “king [of] Moria”, with “of” not explicit in the Sindarin phrase. This would be analogous to saying “Moria king” in English, except the order of the Sindarin words is reversed.

Alternately, the genitive can be expressed via the preposition na(n) “of”: aran na-Moria. The preposition na(n) has a definite variant en “of the”. These indefinite/definite forms cause a variety of mutations:

• Indefinite na(n) causes nasal mutation and takes the form nan before vowels: na thâl “of a foot (tâl)”, nan aran “of a king”.
• Singular definite en causes mixed mutation and its nasal usually vanishes before consonants: e-dâl “of the foot (tâl)”, en aran “of the king”.
• Plural definite en causes nasal mutation, its nasal does not vanish before consonants, and it takes the form enin before vowels: en-thail “of the feet (tâl)”, enin erain “of the kings”.

The plural form of indefinite na(n) is not clear, but there are examples of na(n) being used before plural nouns: aran na chîr lim “king of swift ships”; for simplicity I recommend using indefinite na(n) before plurals as well: na thail “of feet”, nan erain “of kings”.

Examples:

• megil ang “sword of iron”
• hothron edain “captain of men”
• taur edhil “forest of elves”
• rond eñ-groth “roof of the cave”

Note ¹: “Megil ang” this implies that the sword somehow belongs to iron; “sword [made] of iron” would normally be Megil angren, with an adjective.

1.2.5.3 Directional and Location: The three directional noun cases indicate motion toward, motion away or location at the specified noun:

• o charas “from a city”
• an amon “to a hill”
• m’ i-ell/m’ i-venel “in the sky/heavens”
• añ gryth “to caves”
• o thoer “from forests”
• mi vinais “in towers”

Note ¹: That an is a dative marker, e.g. i·Valan aun eliad an amon. “The Vala gave a blessing to a hill.”, Senin i he maer an i·amon. “I think that this is good for the hill”. If, however you wish to indicate motion, “I am going to[wards] a hill”, then you need an allative preposition, Menin n’ amon (note that, per Tolkien, na is regularly elided to n’ before vowels).

Note ²: Unlike singular mi vinas / m’ i-vinas where there is no audible distinction between definite and indefinite, here in plural the forms are distinct: indef. mi vinais vs. def. m’ i-minais (nasal mutation).

1.2.5.4 Preposition Mutation Patterns: Prepositions are an invariable part of a statement whose function is to serve as a link between any syntactic element and its complement. Fiona Jallings states that the way prepositions are used in Sindarin is straightforward. They go at the beginning of their phrase. A prepositional phrase can be used to modify verbs as though it was an adverb, or nouns as though it was an adjective. Prepositional phrases can behave like adjectives, following the nouns they modify, appearing after any adjectives that may be attached to the noun. When they are carrying out this role, the preposition is lenited. Prepositions can’t become plural to match a noun that they follow.

Examples:

• When a preposition is used adverbially and follows immediately after the verb, it is lenited. Example: “i-Galad síla v’i vôr.” “The light shines in the darkness.”.
• Abant vi thloss. “He spoke in a whisper.”

Note ¹: Prepositions as Prefixes: The observation that objects like the definite article retain some independence suggests that prepositions in Sindarin might be treated like prefixes, not forming actual compounds. This is supported by instances where elements function as both prepositions and prefixes (e.g., or-, di-, trî), and sometimes appear joined with hyphens in compound formations.

Note ²: Fiona Jallings states “Sindarin has two types of prepositions, one that has "the" included in its meaning, and the other that doesn’t.

• Erin gond “on the rock”
• Bo i-‘ond “on the rock”

Note ³: Prepositions vs. Prefixes: While prepositions are treated as 'loose prefixes' for mutation purposes, it's important to note that not all prefixes can be used as prepositions, and they can differ in meaning. This distinction is highlighted by Tolkien's different uses of elements in Quenya and Sindarin. The main argument that prepositions act like prefixes in causing mutations holds, but there's room for debate, especially considering the examples in "Ae Adar" and the need for careful examination of each case.

1.2.5.5 Possessive Pronouns and Noun Cases: Unlike Quenya, Sindarin does not suffix its possessive pronouns, for example n’ i-amon gín. “to[words] your hill”. If it is genitive, it needs something else to indicate it: otherwise, i-amon gín is simply just “your hill”.

It is the same for plural forms as well: in-emyn gín “to[words] your hills”, in-emyn gín “your hills” no “of” is implied. Some more examples:

• Cim i-vegil nín. “Blade [of] my sword.”
• m’ i-vinas gín.“In your tower.”
• Megil i-chothron dín.“Sword of his/her captain”
• od i-ñil dín.“From his/her star.”
• Mîr i-chothron dín.“Treasure of my dwarves.”
• n’ i-aew dín. “to his/her birds”

1.2.5.6 Section Summary:

• Sindarin Prepositions and Noun Cases:
  • Prepositions indicate relationships of nouns or noun phrases in sentences. Examples include “ed” (out of), “nu” (under), and “be” (as, like).
  • Noun cases in Sindarin, like the dative, genitive, and allative, express different roles of nouns in sentences, such as the indirect object, possession, or motion towards something.
• Genitive Case and Directional Noun Cases:
  • The genitive case, indicating possession or relationship, is formed by juxtaposition or with prepositions like “na” (of).
  • Directional noun cases show movement towards, from, or location at a noun, utilizing prepositions like “o” (from) or “mi” (in).
• Mutation Patterns and Preposition Usage:
  • Prepositions may cause mutations in the following word, depending on their ending sound. For example, “na vedui” (at last) shows lenition.
  • Sindarin treats prepositions as “loose prefixes”, influencing mutations, though not all prefixes function as prepositions.
• Possessive Pronouns and Mutations:
  • Sindarin uses possessive pronouns differently from Quenya, not suffixing them to the noun. Examples include “m’ i-vinas gín.” (in your tower) and “Megil i-chothron dín. ” (sword of his/her captain).
  • There's a distinction between simple possession and genitive case, which sometimes requires additional elements to indicate possession.

Exercise 1.4

1. i-Adan nôr od i-yrch.
2. in-Aew lerir v’ i-daur.
3. Nu in-emyn i-chedhyd.
4. i-Ñgîl sílar vi venel.
5. i-Chothron edain pên vegil.
6. i-Aran sí mên n’i-garas ín.

7. The orc [is] strong like iron.
8. The men go out from the city.
9. The dwarf has a sword of iron.
10. The sky [is] above the hills.
11. I am eating in my tower.
12. Dead elves sleep forever in the hills.

Answers are in Answer Key 1.4.