Lesson 22: Irregular Verbs
All major Sindarin irregular verbs: anna- (give), car- (do/make), na- (be), tol- (come), men- (go) — with complete paradigms for all tenses.
Introduction
In Lessons 17–20 we studied Sindarin verb conjugation systematically: present/aorist, past, future, and continuous. Those lessons focused on regular verbs that follow predictable patterns. Now we must face the inevitable: the most frequently used Sindarin verbs are also the most irregular.
This is a universal feature of natural languages. The verbs meaning "to be," "to do," "to go," "to come," and "to give" are almost always irregular in every language, because they are so old and so frequently used that they undergo idiosyncratic sound changes over millennia. Sindarin is no different.
Tolkien designed his Elvish languages as naturalistic languages that had evolved over thousands of years. The irregular verbs in Sindarin are irregular for historically plausible reasons — their stems underwent ancient sound changes that left them looking quite different from their primitive roots.
2. Verb: anna- (to give)
Root: Primitive Elvish √ANA or √ANTA (give) Type: A-stem (weak) verb, but with irregular past tense
Full Paradigm: anna-
Aorist / Present:
| Person | Form | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 1sg | annan | I give |
| 2sg (familiar) | annog | thou givest |
| 3sg | anna | he/she/it gives |
| 1pl (exclusive) | annom | we give |
| 1pl (inclusive) | annam | we (all) give |
| 2pl | annir (ᴺS.) | you (pl.) give |
| 3pl | ennir | they give |
Past Tense — IRREGULAR:
The past of anna- is one of the most important irregularities in Sindarin. Rather than the expected A-stem weak past annant, Tolkien gives a strong past with internal vowel change:
| Person | Form | Translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1sg | onen | I gave | attested! |
| 3sg | aun | he/she gave | from Tolkien's notes |
| 1pl | onem | we gave | reconstructed |
Attestation: Onen i-Estel Edain = "I gave Hope to the Dúnedain" — Gilraen's linnod (Tolkien, Appendix A, The Return of the King). This is a directly attested past 1sg form of anna-.
The past onen shows:
- Root vowel a → o (internal vowel ablaut, as in strong verbs)
- Loss of final -na stem
- Addition of past suffix -en (1sg)
This mirrors how strong past-tense verbs form in Sindarin: the stem vowel changes (a → o, or a → au, etc.) rather than adding -ant as in weak verbs.
Future:
| Person | Form | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 1sg | annathon | I will give |
| 3sg | annatha | he/she will give |
| 1pl | annatham | we will give |
Imperative: Anno! — "Give!"
Verbal Noun: anna — the act of giving; Ann = "Gift" (used as a title in Sindarin; cf. Anor = sun as "the gift of light")
Cultural Note: The Gift
Anna- is culturally significant in Tolkien's mythology. The Elves "gave" many gifts to Men; the concept of estel (hope, trust) is described as a gift. Gilraen's linnod directly uses this verb in one of the most poignant sentences in all of Tolkien's writing.
3. Verb: car- (to do, make)
Root: Primitive Elvish √KAR (make, do, build) Type: Basic (I-verb / strong verb)
This is one of the most important Sindarin verbs and also one of the most irregular. Its past tense is completely different from its present stem.
Full Paradigm: car-
Aorist / Present:
| Person | Form | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 1sg | caron | I do/make |
| 2sg | carog | thou dost/makest |
| 3sg | câr / cara | he/she does/makes |
| 1pl | carom | we do/make |
| 3pl | cerir | they do/make (with i-affection in pl.) |
Past Tense — IRREGULAR:
| Person | Form | Translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3sg | agor | he/she did/made | ATTESTED |
| 1sg | agoren | I did/made | reconstructed from agor |
| 1pl | agorem | we did/made | reconstructed |
Attestation of agor: Tolkien uses agor in the context of explaining Sindarin strong past forms. The vowel shift is dramatic: car- (present) → agor (past). The root vowel a of the kar- root becomes o in the past, and the k (c) is preserved before the vowel change.
Additional past form echant: Tolkien also attests echant (he fashioned/made) = prefix e- (perfective/completive) + cant (past form of car- with prefix). This is a prefixed, perfective past: "he had made (it, completely)."
Future:
| Person | Form | Translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1sg | cerithon | I will do/make | c palatalizes before -ith- |
| 3sg | geritha | he will do/make | alternant with initial mutation |
| 1pl | geritham | we will do/make |
Scholarly note: There is debate about whether the future of car- is carithon or cerithon or garithon. The root √GAR (related root meaning "hold, have") may interact here. Different reconstructors disagree; the safest form for learners to use is carithon or cerithon.
Imperative: Caro! — "Do it! Make it!"
Verbal Noun: carad — "making, doing, building"
Attested Compound Forms
- echant = "fashioned, made (completely)" — perfective past with e- prefix
- ochant = variant perfective form
- Caradhras = "Red Horn" — car (red?) + rhass (horn) — note: here car may be an adjective element
4. Verb: tol- (to come)
Root: Primitive Elvish √TOL or √TULU (come) Type: Basic (I-verb), regular-ish in present but irregular in past
Full Paradigm: tol-
Aorist / Present:
| Person | Form | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 1sg | tolon | I come |
| 2sg | tolog | thou comest |
| 3sg | tôl | he/she comes |
| 1pl | tolom | we come |
| 3pl | telir | they come (with i-affection) |
Note: 3sg tôl shows the long vowel in the 3sg — the verb "rests on" its stem vowel in 3sg, which lengthens.
Past Tense — STRONG:
| Person | Form | Translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3sg | tûl / túlant | he came | variants; tûl strong, túlant weak-strong hybrid |
| 1sg | túlen | I came | ᴺS. reconstructed |
| 1pl | túlem | we came | ᴺS. reconstructed |
Alternatively, some scholars reconstruct the past as tollant (weak form), following the pattern of other verbs with -ll- doubling. The strong form tûl (with lengthened vowel) is favored by most Neo-Sindarin writers.
Future:
| Person | Form | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 1sg | tolthon | I will come |
| 2sg | tolthor | thou wilt come |
| 3sg | toltha | he/she will come |
| 1pl | toltham | we will come |
Imperative: Tolo! — "Come!"
Verbal Noun: toled — "coming, arrival"
5. Verb: men- (to go)
Root: Primitive Elvish √MEN (go, proceed, travel toward) Type: Basic verb with weak-ish past
Full Paradigm: men-
Aorist / Present:
| Person | Form | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 1sg | menon | I go |
| 2sg | menog | thou goest |
| 3sg | men | he/she goes |
| 1pl | menom | we go |
| 3pl | menir | they go |
Past Tense:
| Person | Form | Translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3sg | ment | he/she went | weak past (nasal present + -t) |
| 1sg | mennin | I went | ᴺS. reconstructed |
| 1pl | mennem | we went | ᴺS. reconstructed |
The past ment follows the pattern of weak "nasal" verbs (men- + -t = ment). Some scholars reconstruct mant (with vowel change a→a or n→nasal shift), but ment is more widely accepted.
Future:
| Person | Form | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 1sg | menithon | I will go |
| 3sg | menitha | he/she will go |
| 1pl | menitham | we will go |
Imperative: Meno! — "Go!"
Verbal Noun: mennad — "going, journey" (attested in Mennas Tirith variant?)
Men- in Names
The root men- appears in many Sindarin place names and personal names:
- Minhiriath — territory "between the rivers"
- Amon Sûl — hill where the wind "goes"
- The concept of travel and journey is deeply embedded in Elvish culture
6. Verb: na- (to be)
The copula na- ("to be") is covered in full in Lesson 26. Here is a quick-reference summary:
| Tense/Mood | Form | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Present 3sg | nâ | is |
| Present 1sg | nân | I am |
| Present 2sg | nâg | thou art |
| Present 1pl | nâm | we are |
| Past 3sg | nant | was |
| Future 3sg | natha | will be |
| Imperative | no! | be! |
| Conditional | naen | would be |
Attestation:
- nâ — attested in Tolkien's grammatical notes
- nant — attested
- natha — attested
- no! — attested (used in wishes: Navaer = "be good" = no + vaer)
7. Verb: edro- (to open)
Root: Primitive √ETER or √EDR (open, gap) Type: A-stem (weak)
Attestation: The imperative Edro! is directly attested from the Doors of Durin scene in The Fellowship of the Ring. Gandalf commands the doors: Edro hi ammen! ("Open now for us!")
Paradigm: edro-
Aorist:
| Person | Form | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 1sg | edron | I open |
| 2sg | edrog | thou openest |
| 3sg | edra | he/she opens |
| 1pl | edrom | we open |
Past (weak):
| Person | Form | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 3sg | edrant | he/she opened |
| 1sg | edrannen | I opened |
Future:
| Person | Form | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 1sg | edrathon | I will open |
Imperative: Edro! — "Open!" — ATTESTED
Full Attested Sentence Analysis
Edro hi ammen!
- Edro = Open! (imperative 2sg of edro-)
- hi = now, here (temporal-locative adverb)
- ammen = for us (dative 1pl pronoun am + men → ammen)
This is one of the most dramatic uses of a Sindarin verb in all of Tolkien's published texts.
8. Verb: dag- / dago- (to slay)
Root: Primitive Elvish √NDAK (slay, kill) Type: Basic strong verb
Evidence: The noun Dagor (battle, slaughter) is derived from this root and is attested many times in Sindarin names (Dagor Bragollach, Dagor-nuin-Giliath, etc.).
Key Form: danc (he slew)
The past tense 3sg of dag- is reconstructed as danc or dang, showing the strong past pattern:
- Present: dag- (stem vowel a)
- Past: danc or dang — the final consonant changes to a nasal + velar cluster
This mirrors Old English and Germanic strong verb patterns, which Tolkien was deeply familiar with.
| Tense | Form | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Present 1sg | dagon | I slay |
| Present 3sg | dag | he/she slays |
| Past 3sg | danc / dang | he/she slew |
| Future 1sg | dagithon | I will slay |
| Imperative | Dago! | Slay! |
9. Verb: buia- (to serve, hold allegiance to)
Root: Primitive √BUI (serve faithfully) Type: A-stem (weak)
This verb is culturally important — it appears in oaths of allegiance and pledges in Tolkien's world.
| Tense | Form | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Present 1sg | buion | I serve |
| Present 3sg | buia | he/she serves |
| Past 3sg | buiant | he/she served |
| Future 1sg | buiathon | I will serve |
Example: Buion le = "I serve thee / I pledge allegiance to thee"
10. Irregular Verb Quick Reference Table
The following table summarizes all major irregular verbs covered in this lesson, plus na- (fully treated in Lesson 26):
| Verb | Meaning | Present 3sg | Past 3sg | Future 3sg | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| anna- | give | anna | aun | annatha | past onen (1sg) attested |
| car- | do, make | câr | agor | geritha | past agor attested |
| tol- | come | tôl | tûl | toltha | strong past vowel |
| men- | go | men | ment | menitha | common travel verb |
| na- | be | nâ | nant | natha | copula, see L26 |
| edro- | open | edra | edrant | edratha | imperative Edro! attested |
| dag- | slay | dag | danc | dagitha | strong past |
| buia- | serve | buia | buiant | buiatha | allegiance oath verb |
11. Practice Exercises
Exercise 1: Conjugate anna- (to give) fully in the aorist tense (all six persons).
Exercise 2: Conjugate car- (to do/make) in the past tense. Use the attested agor for 3sg and reconstruct the other persons.
Exercise 3: Translate into Sindarin:
- "I give (thee) a song." (Use anna- + le + lind)
- "He made the ring." (Use car- past + i + corma)
- "Come now!" (Use tol- imperative + hi)
- "We will go to the tower." (Use men- future + erin + barad)
Exercise 4: What is the attested past 1sg of anna-, and in what famous Sindarin sentence does it appear? Give the full sentence and its translation.
Answer Key
-
annan, annog, anna, annom, annir, ennir
-
agoren, agorog? / agorthor?, agor, agorem, agerir? (Note: 1sg and other forms are reconstructed; only 3sg agor is attested.)
- Annan le lind (or lin, linnas)
- Agor i corma (past of car-)
- Tolo hi!
- Menitham erin barad
- Onen — "I gave"; the sentence is: Onen i-Estel Edain, ú-chebin estel anim = "I gave Hope to the Dúnedain, I have kept no hope for myself." (Gilraen's linnod, Appendix A, LotR)
12. Key Vocabulary from This Lesson
| Sindarin | English | Status |
|---|---|---|
| anna- | to give | attested (root and forms) |
| onen | I gave | attested (Gilraen's linnod) |
| car- | to do, make | attested |
| agor | he made/did | attested |
| echant | he fashioned (perfective) | attested |
| tol- | to come | attested |
| tôl | he comes | attested |
| men- | to go | attested |
| edro- | to open | attested (imperative) |
| Edro hi ammen! | Open now for us! | attested (Doors of Durin) |
| dag- | to slay | attested (in compounds) |
| buia- | to serve | attested |
Next lesson: Lesson 23 — Dual Forms