Skip to main content

Development in contact

Consonants

Initial Consonant Groups

Combinations with Y
CE PQ NTQ VTQ
kj c c *tʃ
kʰj ç ç ʃ
gj lj lj lj
ŋj nj nj nj

*Also in Númenórean Quenya

Combinations with W
CE PQ NTQ VTQ
kw kw kw kw
kʰw xʷ xʷ f
gw w v w
ŋw ŋw ŋw *nw

*Also in Númenórean Quenya

Nasalized Groups
CE PQ NTQ VTQ
mb m m m
ṃb umb umb umb
nd n n n
ṇd and and and
ŋg ŋ ŋ n
ŋ̇g iŋg iŋg iŋg
ŋgj nj nj nj
ŋ̇gj indj inj indʒ
ŋgw ŋw ŋw *nw
ŋ̇gw uŋgw uŋgw uŋgw

*Also in Númenórean Quenya

Combinations with S
CE PQ NTQ VTQ
sp → ps ps s, ups s, ups
sp f f f
ṣp ups ups ups
st θ s θ
ṣt ist ist ist
sk → ks ks s, iks s, iks
sk h h h
ṣk iks iks iks
sm m m m
sn n n n
sr ̥r r ~ *̥r ̥r
sl ɬ l ~ *ɬ ɬ
sj ç ç ʃ
sw xʷ xʷ f

*Colloquial Sindarin influence

Combinations with D, G
CE PQ NTQ VTQ
dl l l l
dr r r r
gl l, ωl l l
gr r, ωr r r

Medial Combinations

Voiceless Stops
CE PQ NTQ VTQ
p p p p
pp(ʰ) pp pp pp
pt(ʰ) ɸt ʍt ɸt
ps ps ps ps
pm → mp mp mp mp
pm pp pp pp
— pum pum pum
pn ɸt ʍt ɸt
— pan pan pan
pl → lp lp lp lp
pl pηl pηl pηl
— pl → pωl pωl pωl
pr → rp rp rp rp
pr ps ps ps
— pr → par par par
pj pj pj pʃ
pw pp pp pp
CE PQ NTQ VTQ Comments
t t t t  
tt st st st from suffixial t
tt tt tt tt from fortified t
tk kk kk kk  
ts ts ss ss  
tm tw tw tw  
— tum tum tum
tn → nt nt nt nt  
tn tt tt tt  
— tan tan tan
tl → lt lt lt lt  
tl tηl tηl tηl  
— tl → lt lt lt  
— tl → tωl tωl tωl  
tr → rt rt rt rt  
tr ts ss ss  
— tr → tar tar tar  
tj c c tʃ  
tw tw tw tw  
CE PQ NTQ VTQ
k k k k
kt χt χt χt
kk kk kk kk
ks ks ks ks
km kw kw kw
— kum kum kum
kn → nk ŋk ŋk ŋk
kn χt χt χt
— kan kan kan
kl → lk lk lk lk
kl kηl kηl kηl
— kl → lk lk lk
— kl → kωl kωl kωl
kr → rk rk rk rk
kr ks ks ks
— kr → kar kar kar
kj c c tʃ
kw kw kw kw
Voiceless Aspirates
CE PQ NTQ VTQ Comments
pʰ ɸ f ɸ  
pʰ h h h before u
pʰp(ʰ) pp pp pp  
pʰt(ʰ) ɸt ʍt ɸt  
pʰs ps ps ps  
pʰm pp pp pp no known case [PE19/87]
— ɸum fum ɸum
pʰn ɸt ʍt ɸt  
— ɸan fan ɸan
pʰl → lpʰ lp lp lp  
pʰl ɸηl fηl ɸηl  
— pʰl → ɸωl fωl ɸωl  
pʰr → rpʰ rp rp rp  
pʰr ps ps ps  
— ɸr → ɸar far ɸar  
pʰj ɸj fj ɸj  
pʰw pp pp pp  
CE PQ NTQ VTQ
tʰ θ s θ
tʰt(ʰ) tt tt tt
tʰk(ʰ) kk kk kk
tʰs ts ss ss
tʰm tw tw tw
— θum sum θum
tʰn tt tt > st tt
— θan san θan
tʰl → ltʰ lt lt lt
tʰl θηl sηl θηl
— θl → lt lt lt
— θl → θωl sωl θωl
tʰr → rtʰ rt rt rt
tʰr ts ss ss
— rθ → θar sar θar
tʰj θj ʃ θj
tʰw θw sw θw
CE PQ NTQ VTQ
kʰ χ h h
kʰt(ʰ) χt χt χt
kʰk(ʰ) kk kk kk
kʰs ks ks ks
kʰm kw kw kw
— χum hum hum
kʰn χt χt χt
— χan han han
kʰl → lkʰ lk lk lk
kʰl χηl hηl hηl
— χl → χωl hωl hωl
kʰr → rkʰ rk rk rk
kʰr ks ks ks
— χr → χar har har
kʰj çç ç ʃ
kʰw xxʷ xʷ ff
Voiced Stops
CE PQ NTQ VTQ
b β v β
bt(ʰ) ɸt ʍt ɸt
— βt → wt wt wt
bs ps ps > ws (wr) ps > ws (wz)
bb pp pp pp
bd ɸt ʍt ɸt
bm mm mm > wm mm > wm
bn mn mn > wn mn > wn
bl wl wl wl
— βl → βul vul βul
br wr wr wr
— βr → βar var βar
bj wj wj wj
— βj → βi vi βi
bw wv wv wv
CE PQ NTQ VTQ Comments
d ɹ r z  
d l l l after r and a vowel
dt(ʰ) st st > rt st  
ds ts ss ss  
dd st st st from suffixial t
dd tt tt tt from fortified t
dm nw nw > rm nw > mb  
dn nn nn > rn nn ~ nd  
dl ɹl ll, ld ll, ld  
— ðl → lð ld ld  
dr ɹr rr rr  
dj lj lj lj  
dw ɹw rw zw  
CE PQ NTQ VTQ Comments
g — — —  
g j j j after e, i
g d d d before final e < j
gt(ʰ) χt χt χt  
— gt(ʰ) → ήt ήt ήt  
gs ks → ss ks, s ks, ss  
— gs → ήs ήs ήs  
gd χt χt χt  
gg kk kk kk  
gm ŋm ῆm → ήm ῆm → ήm  
gn ŋn nn → ήn nn after e, a, o
gn ŋn ῆn nn after i, u
gl ήl ήl ήl  
gr ήr ήr ήr  
gj jj jj jj  
gj ɟj j dʒ after n, r, l
gw ww ww ww  
gw w w w → b after r, l
Nasals
CE PQ NTQ VTQ Comments
n n n n  
np mp mp mp  
nt nt nt nt  
nk ŋk ŋk ŋk  
ntʰ tt tt > ss tt  
— nθ → nt nt > ss nt  
ns ss ss > rr, rn, ns ~ ss ss > nz  
nn nn nn nn ~ nd from suffixial n
nn nd nd ~ *nn nd from fortified n
nm mm mm mm ~ mb in compounds
nm nw nw nw from suffixial m
nl → ln ld ld ld rare
nl ll ll ll  
— nl → nηl nηl nηl  
nr → rn rn rn rn  
nr rr rr rr  
— nr → nar nar nar  
nj nj nj nj  
nw nw nw nw  
CE PQ NTQ VTQ Comments
m m m m  
mp mp mp mp  
mt nt nt nt  
mk ŋk ŋk ŋk  
mpʰ pp pp pp  
ms ss ss ss  
mm mm mm mm ~ mb from suffixial m
mm mb mb ~ *mm mb from fortified m
mn mn nn mn  
ml → lm lm lm lm  
ml mul mul mul  
mr → rm rm rm rn  
mr mar mar mar  
mj mj mj nj  
mw nw nw nw  
CE PQ NTQ VTQ Comments
ŋ — — —  
ŋm ῆn ῆn ήn  
ŋn ῆn ῆn ήn after i, u
ŋn nn nn > ήn nn after a, e, o
ŋŋ ŋg ŋg ŋg  
ŋj ndj nj ndʒ  
ŋw ŋgw ŋgw ŋgw  

*Colloquial Sindarin influence

Liquids
CE PQ NTQ VTQ Comments
lp(ʰ) lp lp lp  
lt(ʰ) lt lt lt  
lk(ʰ) lk lk lk  
lb lβ lv lb  
ld ld ld ld  
lg lɣ ll lg  
lg lj lj lj before e
ls ls ls ls  
ln ld ld ld  
lm lm lm lm  
lŋ lŋ lg lg  
lr ll ll ll  
lj lj lj lj  
lw lw lw lw ~ lb  
CE PQ NTQ VTQ Comments
rp(ʰ) rp rp rp  
rt(ʰ) rt rt rt  
rk(ʰ) rk rk rk  
rb rβ rv rb  
rd rd rd rd  
rg rɣ rr rg  
rg rj rj rj before e
rs rs ss ss  
rn rn rn rn  
rm rm rm rm  
rŋ rŋ rg rg  
rl ll ll ll  
rj rj rj rj  
rw rw rw rw ~ rb  
Sibilants
CE PQ NTQ VTQ Comments
s z r z between vowels
s s s s before p, t, k, s
sb → zb sp, ps sp, ps sp, ps  
sd → zd st st st  
sg → zg sk, ks sk, ks sk, ks  
sm mm mm > rm mb  
sn nn nn > rn nd  
sl → ls ls ls ls  
sl ll ll ll  
— zl → zηl rηl zηl  
sr → rs rs ss ss  
sr ss ss ss  
— zr → rr rr rr  
— — zr → sar zr → zar  
sj zj rj ʒ  
sw zw rw zw  

Consonants at Word End

Nasals
CE PQ NTQ VTQ
m n n n
n n n n
ŋ ή ή ή
Liquids
CE PQ NTQ VTQ Comments
r r r    
l l l    
j e e e after a consonant
j — — — after a long vowel
w o o o after a consonant
w — — — after a long vowel
Fricatives
CE PQ NTQ VTQ
s s s s
h ή ή ή
Stops
CE PQ NTQ VTQ
t t s s
th t s s
d r r r
k t s s
p t s s
Groups
CE PQ NTQ
nt nt n
nd n n
mb n n
ŋg n n
ps s s
ts s s
ks s s
ss s s
st s s
ht t t

Vowels

Changes in hiatus
CE PQ NTQ
aja ea ea
aje ie ie
ajo eo eo
awa oa oa, ava
awo uo uo
awe oe oe
ājV ajjV ajjV
āwV āvV āvV
aga ā ā
āge ā ā
āgo ā ā
āgē ē ē
agē ē ē
age ē ē
āgō ō ō
agō ō ō
ago ō ō
CE PQ NTQ Comment
eja ea ea
eje ie ie
ejo io io
ewa ewa ewa, eva
ewo eo eo
ewe ewe ewe
ējV ejjV ejjV
ēwV ēvV ēvV
ega ea ea
ego eo eo
ege ē ē
ej ē ē stressed
ej ī ī unstressed
CE PQ NTQ VTQ
ijV i(j)V i(j)V i(j)V
ige ie ie ie
igo io io io
iga ia ia ia
igi ī ī ī
igu iw jū jū
CE PQ NTQ Comment
ojV ojV ojV
oje oe oe
owa oa oa, ova
owo uo uo
owe ue ue
oga oa oa
oge oe oe
ogo ō ō
ow ō ō stressed
ow ū ū unstressed
CE PQ NTQ VTQ
uwV u(w)V u(w)V u(w)V
uge ue ue ue
ugo uo uo uo
uga ua ua ua
ugu ū ū ū
ugi uj uj wī
CE PQ NTQ Comment
wo wa wa stressed
wō wō wō
woj waj n
wow wō n
waw aw, wā aw, w
Vowels at Word End
CE PQ NTQ Comment
iw io, iju io, iju
uj ue, uvi ue, uvi
i e e
u o o
e, a, o — —
ai e e
oi ui ui stressed
oi ī i unstressed