Sound changes of West-Elven

I.2. Phonetic development of West-Elven

I.2.1. Accent

In contrast to the Eleiar, West Elven accentuates the penultimate syllable. There are, however, some exceptions: Words with a prefix had the accent already on the main syllable from the times of the Eleion ; just as in Elèion. In such words of three syllables the old accent was retained. In words of four syllables, however, the accent moved to the third to last syllable, when the syllable was open or had a short vowel; e.g. lànamanal Þ *lanànamal (whom you have seen). In contrast, if the syllable had a long vowel, a diphtong or was closed, the accent fell on the penultimate. Examples: ìndarénte Þ *indarénte; ùrtathante Þ*urtathànte (by the seer).
With the change of accent short vowels like e, i or y before or after a stressed syllable fell out (syncope); especially, if the syllable was open; e.g. *mehelèion Þ melèion ("non-elves", stranger); ar sùninilme (commander in chief) Þ sunìlme.

I.2.2. Vowels
Because of the change of accent vowels developed differently according to their position. While initial vowels retained their quality in most parts, short vowels in middle syllables were raised except when they originally had the accent. Then they developed like the initial vowels. We will show the development of Western Elven vowels in three stages: 1.) Initial vowels, 2.) vowels in middle syllables and 3.) vowels in final position.

1.) Initial syllables
As we have shown already, Eleiar had the accent on the initial syllable; therefore most vowels did not change.

MONOPHTONGS

a

arfal Þ arfel (unfavourable); tarda (hurtful)

árdal Þ árdel (proud, eminent); páral Þ párel (skilful)

erthal Þ erthel (holy), demiaddan Þ demidden (to feel)
1. Before a velar nasal (ng, nc) [e] became [i]; e.g.: dengoÞ lingu (understanding)
2. A v or w in proximity to a vowel changed [e] to [o]; e.g.: bewos Þ bovus (thing); wenta Þ vonta (together)
3. e in front of a velar [l] (t.i. [l] before [o], [u] and consonant) also changed to [o]; e.g.: celdón Þ coldón (happiness), but celda (happy)!

délis (script, writing); cél (three)

bronim (wood), nor (me)
1. [o] Þ [u] before velar [n] and [m]; e.g.: homa Þ huma (you), fol Þ ful (away)
2. [o] Þ [u] before [l] + consonant; e.g.: golda Þ gulda (foolish)

dólos Þ dólus (stem); drócon Þ drócun (shortness)

Der Schwa changes to [a]; e.g.: cyta Þ cata

birca (town); inthe (hunt)
1. [i] Þ [e] before [r] which developed from intervocalic [z] and [s]; e.g.: nisal Þ nirel (mighty, strong);

dírach (plain); rílim (sound)

drulme (brook, rivulet); gunda (infertile)
1. Between l and a following labial like [b] or [v], [u] changed to [i]; e.g.: lupatha (chasm, ravine) Þ lipetha.

múniaddan Þ múnidden (to grab); núral Þ núrel (long)

DIPHTONGS

Þ ae [æ]; e.g.: aifal Þ aefel (young); baidalon Þ baedilon (grace, charm)

This sound became [i:] in western elven. But this change seems to be of a later origin, since inscriptions from the time shortly after the elven migration show the sound still as <ei>. Examples with [í]: beindis Þ bíndis (knowledge); geinil Þ gínil (thinker).

remains unchanged; e.g.: gausath Þ gaureth (stranger); aupal Þ aupel (small)

has also no change; e.g.: geora (horn); eoldetha Þ eolditha (owl)

This diphtong which developed from two vowels in hiatus becomes [u:] in Western Elven; e.g.: a scoim : scúm (hill, m.).

2.) Non-initial syllables
The raising of medial syllables changed according to syllable structure. Therefore we will list the changes in a) open and b) closed syllables. Vowels which were also originally stressed will be treated when there was a difference to initial vowels.

OPEN SYLLABLES
All short vowels change to [i] except when the initial syllables also has an [i]; e.g. lìpetha.
a

baidalon : baedilun, lanamanal : laniminel
1. In case of the combination [ja] the whole group changed to [i]; e.g.: múniaddan Þ múnidden, demiaddan Þ demidden

eoldetho : eoldithu (Gen. of eoldeth, scout)
1. In syllables which were generally stressed, [e] was retained; e.g.: Eleiun

estocon Þ esticun (top, point); gheondolo Þ heondilu, Gen. of gheondol (welcome)

*suninilme Þ sunilme

slídiro (Gen. of part. perf. of slínidden)
1. Before [l] there is a twofold development. Before palatal [l] (t.i. [l] before [i], [j]) the vowel is [i], before velar l it is [u]; dónulo (Gen. of dónul, leprous) Þ dónulu; but: dónilis (Nom. Pl.).
2. Before [r] (also [r] from [s, z]) the vowel raises only to [e]; e.g.: ciluro Þ cileru (Gen. of foot)
3. In vowels which retain the stress the change to [i] doesn't happen; e.g.: cethurel (faster)

CLOSED SYLLABLES
a becomes [e] and
o becomes [u], while [e, i] und [u] are unchanged:

galda : megelda (unnutritious); tarda : meterda (hurtless)
1. before [ng] [e] again changes to [i]; e.g.: lanca : melinca (through *melenca) (inobvious)
2. vbefore velar [l] this [e] again changes to [u]; e.g.: megalda Þ *megeldó Þ meguldó (Gen.)

folserpeme Þ fulserpime (thief)
1. before [l] [e] becomes [u]; e.g.: escelthe Þ esculle (wagon).

bronim : ebrunim (wood, thicket), gulda Þ cegulda (Komp. of gulda)

thurda : cethurda (more furious, angry)

DIPHTONGS
While [ei] developes as in initial position, [ai] and [oi] which in Eleiar developed from hiatus, became í and ú. Examples: ddíraddan : roddíranc (it is mixed); thrí : methrí (constant : inconstant); ívís : ívísu (Gen. of iswais, hit); baidel : mebídel (ungraceful); trú : metrúhu (Gen. of methroigh, inhonest). The diphtong -eo- stays unchanged.

LONG VOWELS
In open syllables, the long vowels retained their quality and quantity. In closed syllables these vowels were shortened; e.g.: edélidden (enter, register);.

3.) Final syllables

OPEN SYLLABLES
a

stays unchanged; e.g.: geora (horn, m.); vonta (together)

stays also unchanged; e.g.: indire : indire (hunter, m.); esculle (wagon)

Þ u; e.g.: dengo : lingu; ciluro : cileru; but also indire : indireu (Gen. Sg.).!

Þ e; e.g.: broningi : broninge

no change; e.g.: siaddu (of the people).

was lost; e.g.: rolamancy Þ rolimenc (you are seen)

CLOSED SYLLABLES
a

Þ e; e.g.: thural : thurel, árdal : árdel
1. before [c] [a] is retained; e.g.: faltach (hardness)

stays unchanged; siadd : siaddes (Dative plural of a siadd, people, tribe)

stays also unchanged; e.g.: cinis (Nom.pl. of cin, this).

o, u

Þ u; e.g.: dólos : dólus; Eleion : Eleiun; lamun (I want to see).

DIPHTONGS AND LONG VOWELS

While [a] developed to í, [oi] becomes [u:].; e.g.: slidiai Þ slidí (you give); ddiniois (the winds) : ddiniú. The diphtong [au] which developed in hiatus became [o], while [eo] was treated syllabic and became [eu]; e.g.: georau Þ georo (partitive of geora, horn); indareo Þ indireu (compare above).
The long vowels were retained; e.g.: ar indirú (partitive of indire, hunter); georós (Gen. pl. of geora).

I.2.3. Semi-Vowels
The semi-vowels will be treated according to their position in three sections: 1.) initial position, 2.) after consonants and 3.) between vowels.

INITIALLY
j stayed; e.g.: ian (and, also); iorra (blossom)
w Initially w made a change to v; e.g.: vonta (together), vargil (demon).

AFTER CONSONANTS
Generally [w] and [j] became vocalised after consonants; e.g.: ddiniu (wind), barduidden (sing). This change must have happened rather early since also the Southern Elves had this articulation.
1. -dj, gj, sj- Þ -ij-, (which was written as i); e.g.: a ghadio Þ haiu [haiju] (drop, m.); a nisio Þ niiu (insect).
2. In the combination [ja] [j] was lost with the change from [a] Þ [i] ; e.g.: múniaddan Þ múnidden (to grab); also (by analogy) múnian Þ múnin (I grab).
3. [w] was lost before [u] and [o]; e.g.: a cerwos Þ cerus (tallow, fat)
4. While [w] after [p, b] must have been lost, if it existed at all, it changed to [v] in the combination [gw]; e.g.: a begwe Þ bove (will-o'-the-wisp).

BETWEEN VOWELS
j was lost between vowels, but was vocalised after stressed vowels; e.g.: ar althaio Þ alliu (frost, m.); but: Eleiun.
As in initial position, w became [v] except between similar vowels; e.g.: a bewos Þ bovus (thing); thawin Þ thavin (wild)
1. Between similar vowels [w] became lost and the vowels contracted; e.g.: o ddrewe Þ fre (mouse, f.).

I.2.4. Consonants

PLOSIVES
The plosives of Eleiar stayed generally unchanged.
p

o páralon Þ párilun (adroitness, skillfulness); pónia (restless)

beindis Þ bíndis (knowledge); bronim (wood)

tica (nobody); turil (iron)

dólus (stem); erdel (caring)
1. partially there was a spontaneous change to [l]; e.g.: dengo Þ lingo

acus (he); celda (happy)
1. in the combination [kw] [k] was mostly retained; excpet before [o, u], where it was dropped; e.g.: drócuidden (to shorten); o cuon Þ con (earth, f.).

ginthe (thinking, thought); gaunel (desolate, empty)
1. in the combination [gw] a change to [v] occured; e.g.: bove (will-o'-the-wisp)

FRICATIVES

th, dd

stayed mostly unchanged; e.g.: ddeinigh Þ ddíni (wistful); thurda (angry)
1. [ð und þ] assimilated to [l]; e.g.: esculle (wagon); alliu (frost)
2. Initially before [r] and [l] [dd] became [f]; e.g.: ddreon Þ freon (search)

s, z

While s stayed unchanged initially and in final position, [z] became [r] in all those positions where it had not already made this change in Common-Elven; e.g.: dólus (stem); siadd (people, tribe); zido (seven) Þ ridu; gazal Þ garel (shiny)
1. Between vowels [s] (like [z]) became [r]; e.g.: ghusaddan Þ huridden (to drink, swallow); ghusol Þ hurul (drink)
2. before [w] [s] changed to [z], which then was lost with a compensatory lengthening of the preceding vowel; e.g.: ghuswas Þ húrus (drinking trough); iswais Þ ívís (hit)
3. [s] became assimilated to [r]; a iosra Þ iorra (blossom, bloom)

ch, gh

While [c] was retained in most cases, [g] became [h] initially and between vowels; e.g.: faltach (hardness); ghusol Þ hurul (drink); írihu (Gen. of airigh, covetous); truhu (honest)
1. In absolute final position gh was lost; e.g.: íri : írihu (covetous)

NASALS
Nasals stayed also unchanged. Examples: esticun (top, point); nirel (mighty, strong).

LIQUIDS
For [r] and [l] similar rules hold true, but [l] assimilated to a following [þ];e.g.: esculle.