Before we get into lenition and mutation, we need to learn about one of the things that causes it to take place: prepositions.

You should all know what prepositions are from those grades school English lessons. I still remember the way my English teacher taught me to recognize them, with a little phrase: ___ the airplane. By the airplane, across the airplane… prepositions begin little phrases without verbs, just nouns and their descriptors.

In Sindarin, there are several types of prepositions: your normal, everyday prepositions, prefixed prepositions, prepositions that have the word "the" in them, and prepositions with plural "the" in them.

Normal Prepositions

The way these are used in Sindarin is pretty straight forward. They go at the beginning of their phrase.

With - a(h)
Behind - adel
Up/upon - am
To/towards/for - an
Beyond - athan
According to - be
On - bo
Down - dad
Against - dan
Out of/forth - ed
In/between - mi
With/near/by - na
In [referring to time]/during - ned
On this side of - nef
Beneath/under - nu
From/of - o(d)
Concerning/about - o(h)
Over/above - or
Around/about - os
As/like - sui
Through - trî

Examples:
Behind a red bird - Adel aew garan
Above a tree that I like - Am orn i melon.
With hope - Ah amdir

Preposition Prefixes

When prepositions are turned into prefixes, they go directly onto the noun, and they turn the noun into an adjective.

After - ab-
With/by - an-
Beside/without/outside - ar-
On both sides/across - ath-
Across - athra-
Beneath/under/sub - di-
In/inside/mid - nedh-
Without - pen-
Across/athwart/over/beyond - thar-
Through - tre-

Examples:
Mid-age - Nedh-anrann
Without a prickle - Pen-erch

"The" Prepositions

These prepositions have the word "the" combined into them. The rest of the prepositions have "the" separate from them. Watch out for "a(h)" and "o(h)" because they will gain their hidden consonants when "i" follows them.

To the - anin [in Gondor (anin) is spelt ('nin), with an apostrophe before the N.]
According to the - ben
Of the - en
Over/upon the - erin
In/between the - min
With/by the - nan
Under the - nuin
From the - uin

Examples:
On the mountain - Erin orod
From the city - Uin ost
Beyond the star - Athan i êl
About the smell - Oh i ûl

Plural "The" Prepositions

As you know, in Sindarin, the word "the" is plural or singular to match the noun is goes with. The plural "the" is "in". Of all of the "the" prepositions, only one changes: "en" becomes "in". For the rest of the normal prepositions, "i" becomes "in" as it normally does.

Examples:
Of the temptations - In-ýthaes
To the Noldor - 'Nin ódhellim
On this side of the bridges - Nef in iaint

Homework

Symbols that you may need:
áéíóúý
ÁÉÍÓÚÝ
âêîôûŷ
ÂÊÎÔÛŶ

Wordbank

Nouns:
Achas-dread, fear
Adan-man
Auth-vision
Êl-star [Irregular plural: Elin]
Faer-soul
Iâth-fence
Inn-heart
Naur-fire
Nen-water
Rîdh-field
Uial-twilight hour
Ylf-cup

Adjectives:
Ereb-isolated, lonely
Gael-pale
Lost-empty
Nîn-my, mine
Orchal-superior

Adverb:
Si-now

Translate the following sentences into Sindarin:

In the twilight, the lonely cup is empty. - Ned i uial i ylf ereb lost.
Under the stars, the heart of the man is without fear. - Nuin elin i inn-en-adan pen-achas.
A superior fence around the cups is on this side of the field. - Iâth orchal os in ylf nef i rîdh.

Translate the following sentences into English:

Na naur a nen in oeth-in-elin gael. - With/By fire and water, the visions of the stars are pale.
Mi faer ereb nîn inn nîn di-achas. - In my lonely soul, my heart is under dread.
Sui auth i rîdh si lost. - Like a vision, the field is now empty.