Introduction

Syllabus

Part I

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Part II

Chapter One

Back to Realelvish

Stress is saying a syllable louder than other syllables. In English, our system is either so complex that no one can figure it out or we memorize where we place stress in each word, making it part of how we recognize and reporduce words. For example, say the words "digest" (as in "The Reader's Digest") and "digest" as in "to digest breakfast". The Sindarin system is much different. Sindarin has rules dictating where the stress falls in a word, based on the phonological structure of the word.

Differing Consonants in Multi-syllable Words

Some of the consonants are pronounced slightly differently when inside words, rather than at the beginning or end of words, which is all we have been studying 'til now.

The following sounds never appear inside a word in Sindarin, and if you see that combination of letters, then you know that they are two separate sounds.

(RH) like in Gaurhoth (host of werewolves)→ˈgaur.hoθ

(LH) like in Edhelharn (Elfstone)→ɛ.ˈðɛl̡.harn

(HW) like in Gladhwen (Laughing Maiden)→ˈglað.wɛn

Inside a word, (I) before another vowel doesn't make it a Y consonant, it behaves like the vowel (I).

Gilthoniel (Starkindler)→gil̡.ˈθo.ni.ɛl̡

Pronounce (NG) with both the N and the G, like in the word "finger" when it is in the beginning or inside a word.

Bango (to trade)→ˈbaŋ.go

Inside word, if you have an (I)/(E)+(L)+Consonant combination (only in that order, first the (I) or (E), then the (L), lastly the other consonant), the (L) is pronounced "l̡" as it is at the end of a word after (I) or (E). However, Simply following an (I) or (E) no longer is enough make the (L) a "l̡". It must be followed by another consonant for it to happen.

Tellen (sole of the foot)→ˈtɛl̡.lɛn

Thela (spearpoint)→ˈθɛ.la

Dividing the Syllables

Syllables are determined by vowel-sounds. There is one vowel or diphthong sound per a syllable.

For example, awarth (abandonment) would be separated out like this: aw-arth

Syllables are srtuctured "Consonant Vowel - Consonant Vowel - and so on" unless there are two consonants next to each other. Then you have "Consonant Vowel Consonant - Consonant Vowel - and so on". These rules don't apply to the last syllable in a word, seeing as a word can end in two consonants and they will all be part of the same syllable.

Aphadon (follower)→ˈa.fa.don

Ennorath (all of Middle-earth)→ˈɛn.no.raθ

Estent (very short)→ˈɛs.tɛnt

The Placing of Stress

Stress is extra emphasis put on a syllable. I'll show stress by putting an apostrophe before the stressed syllable.

In Sindarin, the trick to understanding how stressing works is to look only at the last three syllables. The stress can only be placed on the second and third from last syllables in a word.

If the word is 2 or 3 syllables long then the first syllable gets the stress.

Balan (Vala)→ˈba.lan

If it is longer than 3 syllables, the third syllable from the end gets the stress.

Aronoded (Uncountable)→a.ˈro.no.dɛd

If one of these syllables with special atributes is the second to last syllable in a word, it gets the stress.

1. Accents (Acute and Circumflex)
2. Diphthongs (AE, AI, AU, AW, EI, OE, and UI - just like we learned in Lesson 1.)
3. Multiple Consonants (This only counts if the "special" syllable ends with a consonant and the following syllable begins with a consonant. They can be two of the same letter or several different consonants, but they must ending one syllable and starting the next one. Remember that CH, DH, PH, and TH only count as one consonant.)

Forodwaith (Northmen)→fo.ˈrod.wajθ

Gobennathren (Historical)→go.bɛn.ˈnaθ.rɛn

Homework

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