Sindarin Nouns
Sindarin nouns: i-affection plural formation, the definite article, direct object marking, and the genitive construction.
Sindarin has no grammatical gender and no noun cases (unlike Latin or German). Grammatical relationships are expressed through word order, mutations, and prepositions. The most striking feature of Sindarin nouns is their plural formation by vowel change — a system called i-affection.
I-affection: How Plurals Work
Sindarin plurals are formed by changing the vowels inside the word, not by adding a suffix. This happened historically because a final -i (now lost) caused the preceding vowels to "shift" toward i.
The Vowel Change Rules
| Singular Vowel | Plural Vowel | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| a | e | adan → edain (a→e, second a→ai) |
| a (in last syllable) | ai | galadh → gelaidh |
| e | i | edhel → edhil |
| o | y | orch → yrch, amon → emyn |
| u | y | tulus → tylyss |
| au | oe | aur → oeir (day/days) |
| Long vowels: â, ê, î, ô | Short equivalents + change |
I-affection Examples
| Singular | Plural | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| adan | edain | man / men |
| edhel | edhil | elf / elves |
| orch | yrch | orc / orcs |
| amon | emyn | hill / hills |
| galadh | gelaidh | tree / trees |
| caras | ceraiss | moated city / cities |
| benn | binn | man (husband) |
| torog | teryg | troll / trolls |
| nogoth | nogyth | dwarf / dwarves |
| pherian | pheriain | halfling / halflings |
| dûn | duin | west / wests (used in river names) |
| tirith | tirith | watch (no change — some words don't change) |
Words with No Visible Plural Change
Some words have the same form for singular and plural (rare). Context determines number.
Class Plurals with -ath
Sindarin has a collective plural suffix -ath meaning "the whole group of":
- elenath = all the stars (collective; from el + -ath)
- periannath = all the halflings (pherian + -ath, with mutation)
- gondath = all the stones
This is different from the regular plural (specific members of a group) vs. the collective (the entire race/species/group conceived as a whole).
Class Plurals with -rim and -gwaith
- -rim = a folk, a people (collective): Galadhrim (tree-people = the Lothlórien Elves), Rohirrim
- -gwaith = people (host): Gwaith-i-Mírdain (the people of the jewel-smiths)
The Definite Article
Sindarin has one definite article (the) but no indefinite article (a/an).
| Context | Form | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Before consonant (singular) | i | triggers soft mutation on following noun |
| Before vowel (singular) | i | no mutation; vowel simply follows |
| Before consonant (plural) | in or i | triggers nasal mutation |
| Before vowel (plural) | i | no mutation |
Article + Mutation Examples
| Base | With Article | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| galadh (tree) | i 'aladh | soft mut.: g disappears |
| perian (hobbit) | i berian | soft mut.: p→b |
| adan (man) | i adan | vowel-initial: no mutation |
| edain (men) | i Nedain or i edain | plural; nasal mut. or no change before vowel |
| yrch (orcs) | i 'yrch | soft mut. on yrch? Or nasal? — disputed |
The exact form of the plural article and its mutations is one of the more contested points in Neo-Sindarin.
No Grammatical Gender
Unlike French, Spanish, or German — Sindarin nouns have no masculine/feminine/neuter grammatical gender. The noun edhel (elf) works the same regardless of the elf's sex. Gender-differentiated words exist but are separate vocabulary items:
- benn (man, husband) vs. bess (woman, wife)
- hir (lord, male) vs. hiril (lady, female)
- aran (king) vs. bereth (queen)
Genitive: "Of" Construction
Possession and "of" relationships use the particle en (also e), which triggers mixed mutation on the following noun:
- galadh en Lothlórien — "a/the tree of Lothlórien"
- Aran en Gondor — "King of Gondor" (but usually Aran Gondor without particle in names)
In names, the genitive is often implicit (no particle):
- Barad-dûr = "Tower (of) Dark" — dûr undergoes soft mutation from dorn? No — dûr is the adjective "dark" here; used as compound
- Imladris = "Deep-cleft Dell" — compound without particle
The particle en is more common in phrases than in names.
Direct Object
The direct object undergoes soft mutation after a verb. This is how you identify the object grammatically when word order alone is ambiguous:
- Cenin galadh — "I see a tree" — galadh is direct object
- If galadh were specifically mutated: Cenin 'aladh
In practice, the mutation of the direct object is one of the most debated points in Neo-Sindarin. Some texts show it consistently; others use the base form. RealElvish Academy (Jallings) applies it; other scholars are less strict.
Nominative and Absolutive Uses
Sindarin has no case suffixes. The "subject" case and "object" case are identical in form — only word order and mutation distinguish them in sentences.
Subject: comes before verb or is marked by verb agreement Object: comes after verb; may take soft mutation