Sindarin Grammar
Complete Sindarin grammar reference: consonant mutations, nouns, verbs, pronouns, adjectives, prepositions, and sentence structure.
Sindarin grammar has one feature that defines it above all others: consonant mutations. These are systematic changes to word-initial consonants triggered by grammatical context — like a memory of vowels that once surrounded those consonants but were later lost. Welsh works the same way.
After mutations, the key grammatical features are: i-affection plurals, a two-class verb system, and VSO word order.
Grammar Topics
| Topic | Description |
|---|---|
| Mutations | All 5 mutation types — the most essential grammar topic |
| Nouns | Plurals via i-affection, the definite article, case marking |
| Verbs | Verb system: two classes, all tenses, person suffixes |
| Pronouns | Subject, object, and possessive pronouns |
| Adjectives | Position, lenition of adjectives, plural agreement |
| Prepositions | All prepositions + which mutations they trigger |
| Sentences | Word order, complex clauses, relative clauses |
Core Grammar Summary
Word Order: VSO
Sindarin is Verb-Subject-Object — the verb typically comes first:
| Sindarin | Literal | English |
|---|---|---|
| Cenin galadh | see-I tree | I see a tree |
| Tôl Aragorn | comes Aragorn | Aragorn comes |
| Annon a phengolodh degil | I-give to teacher(mut.) pen(mut.) | I give a pen to a teacher |
The 5 Mutation Types
| Mutation | Triggered By | Most Common |
|---|---|---|
| Soft (Lenition) | adjective after noun, direct object, many prepositions | Yes — occurs constantly |
| Nasal | plural article in, preposition an | Yes |
| Mixed | definite prepositions (singular) | Moderate |
| Stop | preceding d or t | Rare / disputed |
| Liquid | preceding l or r | Theoretical |
Noun Plurals: I-affection
Sindarin nouns form plurals by changing their vowels (not by adding suffixes). The pattern is called "i-affection" because a historical final -i caused the vowels to shift:
| Singular | Plural | Vowel Change | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| adan | edain | a→e, a→ai | man/men |
| edhel | edhil | e→i | elf/elves |
| orch | yrch | o→y | orc/orcs |
| amon | emyn | a→e, o→y | hill/hills |
| galadh | gelaidh | a→e, a→ai | tree/trees |
| benn | binn | e→i | man (husband) |
| torog | teryg | o→e, o→y | troll/trolls |
Definite Article
| Context | Form | Mutation Triggered |
|---|---|---|
| Before consonant (singular) | i | Soft mutation |
| Before vowel (singular) | i | No change |
| Before consonant (plural) | in → i | Nasal mutation |
Examples:
- galadh (tree) → i 'aladh (the tree) — g disappears under soft mutation
- edain (men) → in Edain → i Nedain (the Men) — nasal mutation E→N... [actually in + E = i Nedain? This is debated; simpler: i Edain with no mutation before vowel-initial plural]
Direct Object: Lenition
The direct object of a verb undergoes soft mutation:
- Cenin galadh (I see a tree) — galadh baseline = standalone
- Cenin 'aladh would apply if galadh were specifically direct object after specific verb forms
The rule: direct object undergoes lenition after the verb.
Why Grammar Is Challenging
- Mutations everywhere — almost every grammatical relationship triggers a mutation, so the "same" word looks different in every context
- Incomplete data — not all verb paradigms are fully attested; scholars reconstruct missing forms
- Competing reconstructions — different scholars (Salo, Jallings, Fauskanger) sometimes reach different conclusions about the same form
- Welsh-style complexity — even the mutations have exceptions and historical irregularities
Getting Help
- Sindarin Crash Course interactive tools — mutation tool, verb conjugator, noun pluralizer
- RealElvish Academy: Gelio Edhellen! — full 45+ lesson grammar course
- Parf Edhellen — dictionary with grammatical forms
- Eldamo — detailed linguistic data for every word