Lesson 41: Elision

Introduction

This is the final lesson of the core Sindarin course. We close with a topic that touches everything we have learned: elision — the dropping or contraction of vowels when words flow together in speech and poetry. Elision is the "connective tissue" of spoken Sindarin; it is what makes the language sound fluid and musical rather than halting.

We also revisit three punctuation marks Tolkien uses in his Sindarin texts — the apostrophe ('), the hyphen (-), and the raised dot (·) — each with a distinct function that is frequently confused.

After the elision analysis, this lesson ends with a brief retrospective of the entire 41-lesson course and recommended next steps.

1. What Is Elision?

Elision is the omission or contraction of one or more sounds (typically vowels) when two words are spoken in close sequence. It makes speech smoother by removing awkward vowel hiatus (two adjacent vowels from different words).

In English, elision is familiar from contractions:

"I am" → "I'm" (elision of a)
"do not" → "don't" (elision of o)

In poetry, elision is essential for maintaining meter:

Shakespeare: "th'expense of spirit" — the e of the elides before expense

In Sindarin, elision appears:

In poetry (linnad) — to maintain syllable count and musical flow
In prose — when certain common short words precede vowel-initial words
As grammaticalized fusions — where elision has become a fixed feature of a grammatical form

2. The Three Punctuation Marks in Sindarin

Tolkien uses three special marks in his Sindarin texts that students often confuse:

The Apostrophe '

The apostrophe in Tolkien's Sindarin serves two completely different functions:

Function 1: Soft Mutation of g-

When soft mutation applies to an initial g-, the g disappears and is marked with an apostrophe:

galadh (tree) → 'aladh after soft mutation
i galadh → i 'aladh (the tree; g drops under soft mutation)

This is not elision — it is consonant mutation. The apostrophe marks the fact that a g was there but has been dropped.

Function 2: Vowel Elision in Poetry

In poetic texts, an apostrophe may mark a dropped vowel when two vowels would otherwise clash:

A word ending in -a or -e before a vowel-initial word: the final vowel drops
Marked with apostrophe to show something has been omitted

The Hyphen -

The hyphen marks tight grammatical connection between two elements that are not fully fused into one word but are spoken as a close unit:

Prefixes attached to verb forms:

palan-díriel (far-gazing, she who has gazed far) — palan- prefix + díriel participial
na-chaered (at great distance) — na- + chaered (with soft/nasal mutation: c→ch)

Compounds with genitive particle:

Bar-en-Danwedh — home + en (of-the) + Danwedh (ransom)
Tol-in-Gaurhoth — isle + in (of-the) + Gaurhoth

Two adjectives or elements in a name:

Iarwain-Ben-adar (Oldest and Fatherless — Tom Bombadil's full Sindarin title)

The hyphen does not mark elision or mutation; it marks compound junction or prefix attachment.

The Raised Dot ·

Tolkien sometimes used a raised dot (·) or medial dot in his manuscripts to show close juncture — two separate words that are syntactically so closely bound they are pronounced almost as one:

i·Mbair Annui — "the Western Lands": i (article) · (close juncture) Mbair (lands, with nasal mutation: b→mb)
an·i·laes ᴺS. — "to the leaf": the preposition an, then i (article), then laes (leaf), all in close juncture

Modern Sindarin editors and scholars use the raised dot to represent this close binding without full fusion. It appears in some of Tolkien's own manuscript Sindarin phrases and has been adopted as a scholarly convention.

3. Vowel Elision in Sindarin: The Basic Rules

Rule 1: Article i + Vowel-Initial Word

When the article i (the) precedes a word beginning with a vowel, there is no elision in formal prose — the two vowels stand in hiatus:

i aran (the king) — i + a → hiatus, both vowels pronounced

However, in rapid speech or poetry, the i may become a semi-vowel y before the following vowel, or the two may blend. Tolkien does not systematically mark this in his attested texts, so it is largely a matter of natural pronunciation.

Rule 2: Preposition + Vowel-Initial Word

Some prepositions naturally contract or elide before vowels:

The preposition a (and, vocative particle)

The vocative/conjunctive a before a vowel-initial word: a + Elbereth = A Elbereth — in this case no elision; Tolkien writes A Elbereth with the a standing separately. The a is kept because it marks the vocative (calling out to someone) and the hiatus is deliberate.

The preposition o (from)

o + vowel-initial word: Tolkien writes o Imladris (from Rivendell) with the o standing; no elision. Again, the hiatus is maintained.

The preposition na (at, to, for)

na- before a consonant that then mutates: na-chaered = na + caered (with soft/nasal mutation c→ch). This is a hyphenated prefix form, not elision.

Rule 3: Poetic Elision

In Elvish verse (linnad), elision is used to adjust syllable count for meter:

A word ending in -a before a vowel-initial word: the -a may elide
Written with apostrophe: o'Imladris would mark elision of the o before the I

Tolkien does not give us many fully worked examples of poetic elision, but the principle is clear from the general rules of his verse forms.

4. A Elbereth Gilthoniel: Line-by-Line Elision Analysis

The best Sindarin text for studying phonological juncture is the hymn A Elbereth Gilthoniel. Let us examine it for all instances of juncture phenomena.

The Full Text (from The Lord of the Rings, "Many Meetings")

A Elbereth Gilthoniel,
silivren penna míriel
o menel aglar elenath!
Na-chaered palan-díriel
o galadhremmin ennorath,
Fanuilos, le linnathon
nef aear, si nef aearon!

Analysis

Line 1: A Elbereth Gilthoniel

A = vocative particle (calling out to Elbereth); hiatus before E — not elided; the pause is meaningful
Elbereth = name of Varda (Sindarin); from el (star) + bereth (queen) — Star-Queen
Gilthoniel = epithet of Varda from gîl (star) + thon- (kindle, make fires) + -iel (who has done X, feminine participle) = "She who has kindled the stars"
No elision in this line; the apostrophe-free junctures are deliberate for weight and clarity

Line 2: silivren penna míriel

silivren = glittering (like stars): silif- (silver glitter) + -ren (adj. suffix)
penna = slope, incline; here "slanting/pouring down"
míriel = glittering like gems: mîr (jewel) + -iel (like-a, participle form used adjectivally)
Juncture note: silivren penna — both end/begin with consonants; no elision. penna míriel — penna ends in -a; míriel begins with m: no vowel clash, no elision needed.
Alliteration: silivren...sil... — the s/s alliteration is deliberate poetic music

Line 3: o menel aglar elenath!

o = from (preposition)
menel = the heavens, the firmament
aglar = glory, brilliance (from aglar = radiance, related to agar blood? No — aglar = glory, from 'gl- root)
elenath = all the stars (class plural: elen + -ath)
Juncture analysis: o menel — o + m: no vowel clash. menel aglar — -el ending + a- initial: hiatus el.a — in rapid speech this might elide, but Tolkien writes it as two words. aglar elenath — -ar ending + e- initial: hiatus ar.e — again, written without elision.
Important: Tolkien consistently does not elide these junctures; the hiatus is intentional for poetic rhythm

Line 4: Na-chaered palan-díriel

Na-chaered: na- (prefix: at a distance; locative) + chaered (caered with c→ch mutation after na-)
caer- root: huge, vast; caered = vast distance
Na-chaered = "at great distance, far away"
palan-díriel: palan- (far and wide) + díriel (having gazed — tir- to watch, feminine perfective participle díriel = she who has gazed)
Hyphen use: both na- and palan- use hyphens to show prefix attachment, not elision
Mutation: c → ch after na-: this is mixed/nasal mutation (dental prefix n- of na + following c → ch)

Line 5: o galadhremmin ennorath

o = from
galadhremmin = tree-latticed, woven with trees: galadh (tree) + remmin (netted, woven — rem mesh + -min passive participle)
ennorath = the Middle-lands as a whole: ennor + -ath (class plural)
Juncture: galadhremmin ennorath — -in ending + e- initial: hiatus in.e — written without elision; the hiatus is maintained
Alliteration/Sound: the gal/gal echo in line 5 connects back to line 1's Gilthoniel

Line 6: Fanuilos, le linnathon

Fanuilos = another name/epithet of Varda: fan- (cloud, white?) + uilos (forever-snow? or uiles, ui ever + los snow)
le = thee, you (2nd person pronoun, formal)
linnathon = I will sing: linna- (to sing) + -thon (1sg future suffix) — fully attested future tense form
Juncture: Fanuilos, le — comma pause; not a phonological juncture matter. le linnathon — le ends in vowel e; linnathon begins with l: e.l — vowel + consonant, no elision needed

Line 7: nef aear, si nef aearon!

nef = on this side of
aear = sea
si = now, here
aearon = great sea, ocean (aear + -on augmentative)
Juncture: nef aear — nef ends in consonant f; aear begins with vowel a: f.a — no elision needed (consonant+vowel junction). si nef — si ends in i; nef begins with n: i.n — no elision. nef aearon — same as nef aear above.
Repetition: nef aear, si nef aearon — the almost-repeated phrase with augmented aearon (greater sea) for the second instance creates a climactic structure: "on this side of the sea, here on this side of the Great Ocean!"

Summary: Elision in A Elbereth

Tolkien does not elide any vowel junctures in this poem. All hiatus points (vowel-ending word followed by vowel-initial word) are written out fully. This may reflect:

The formal, hymnic register — this is a devotional song; elision might feel too casual
The deliberate rhythm — the hiatus contributes to the meter and weight of the poem
Tolkien's compositional practice — he may have designed this poem so that meter does not require elision

5. Elision in the Genitive Construction

en + Vowel

The genitive particle en (of-the) + a following vowel-initial word creates a potential elision environment:

Standard form: en + Edhil (Elves, genitive: "of the Elves") → en Edhil or en·Edhil or en'Edhil?

Tolkien's practice: the attested form is not elided. en stands separately.

However, in rapid informal speech or poetry, en might become 'n before a vowel:

Gwaith-i-Mírdain: here the genitive is -i- (not en) — the article form used, not the particle; shows that variation in the genitive form exists

Fusion vs. Elision

Some forms that look like elision are actually grammaticalized fusions — the two words have fused over time into one form and are no longer a live elision:

erin = er + in? No — erin = ar- (upon) + i- (the) fused into erin (upon the) — attested
uin = o (from) + i (the) → uin (from the) — the o and i fused
ammin = am (up/upon) + i + n → fused locative-definite form

These are historical fusions that produced the Mixed Mutation triggers (Lesson 30). They are not "live" elision — the speaker does not consciously drop a vowel; the forms are simply the lexical forms now.

6. Elision in Compound Words

In Sindarin compound words (where two stems fuse into one lexical item), vowels at the compound seam may:

Simply stand in hiatus: galadhremmin — galadh (tree) + remmin (netted) — the dh of galadh + r of remmin both remain; no vowel elision because the seam is consonant-consonant
Lose one vowel: if both elements end and begin with vowels, one may contract or drop

Example of vowel contact in compound:

Nindalf (nîn wet + dalf flat surface) — n + d seam; no vowel clash
Elanor (el star + anor sun) — el + an → elanor — the vowel a of anor immediately follows the l of el; they stand in hiatus: el.a without elision

7. Elision and Meter in Elvish Verse

Linnad: Elvish Verse Form

Linnad (literally "singing") is the Sindarin term for Elvish verse. Tolkien describes several characteristics of Elvish poetry:

Alliteration (consonant repetition across lines)
Internal rhyme or assonance (vowel patterns within lines)
Syllable-count based meter (though less strictly than, say, classical Latin meters)
Stanzaic structure with repeated patterns

For syllable-count purposes, elision is available as a metrical tool: if a line has one too many syllables, a poet may elide a vowel at a junction to reduce the count by one.

Elision in Namárië (Quenya Reference)

In Tolkien's Quenya poem Namárië (Galadriel's Lament), there is a clear example of elision in Elvish verse:

ai! laurië lantar lassi súrinen

Here laurië ends in -ie and lantar begins with l — consonant start, no vowel clash. But in later lines the -e/-a contact points are carefully navigated by the poem's rhythm.

While Namárië is Quenya, not Sindarin, it demonstrates Tolkien's general approach: avoid harsh hiatus in poetry through word choice and sound design, with elision as an available last resort.

8. Grammaticalized Elisions: Article and Preposition Fusions

As noted in Section 5, some "elisions" in Sindarin have become fixed grammatical forms. These are worth cataloging:

Form	Analysis	Meaning	Mutation Triggered
erin	ar- + i-n	upon the	Mixed mutation
uin	o + i + n?	from the	Mixed mutation
ammin	am- + i-	up to the	Mixed mutation
an·i	an + i	to/for the	Nasal mutation
en	of the (genitive)	—	Soft mutation on following word
di	beneath, under (+ article)	—	—

These forms are NOT ad-hoc elisions that a speaker creates; they are fixed lexical forms that happen to have arisen historically from fusion of two words.

9. The Raised Dot in Detail

The raised dot · (or middle dot) appears in some of Tolkien's manuscript Sindarin in contexts like:

i·Mbair Annui ("the Western Lands")

Here:

i = article "the"
· = close juncture marker (the article and noun are bound together syntactically)
Mbair = lands (with nasal mutation of B- after the plural article: bair → mbair; the M indicates the article has already been absorbed)

The raised dot shows that i and Mbair are syntactically one unit (article + noun phrase) even though they are written as two tokens. It is a prosodic and syntactic marker, not a phonological elision marker.

Modern Sindarin scholars and Neo-Sindarin writers use · consistently to show the article binding without elision, especially when the following noun begins with a consonant that has undergone mutation because of the article.

10. Three Punctuation Tools: Summary

Mark	Name	Function	Example
'	Apostrophe	(1) Dropped g under soft mutation; (2) Poetic vowel elision	i 'aladh (the tree; g dropped); o'Imladris ᴺS. (poetic from Rivendell)
-	Hyphen	Prefix attachment; compound junction; close compound (not full fusion)	palan-díriel; na-chaered; Bar-en-Danwedh
·	Raised dot	Close juncture; article-noun binding without fusion	i·Mbair

Rule of thumb:

See ' before a vowel in a non-compound word → probably dropped g (soft mutation)
See - between elements → prefix or close compound
See · → article/particle + noun in close syntactic bond

11. Practice: Identify Elision and Juncture in These Texts

Analyze the following five passages for elision (apostrophe), juncture (raised dot), and compound/prefix hyphens. Note what each mark represents.

Passage 1: Naur an edraith ammen! ("Fire for our saving!" — Gandalf on Caradhras)

Analysis: Naur = fire (standalone). an = for/to (preposition). edraith = rescue, saving (e- + draith from dar- to save). ammen = us (am- + men → for us, 1pl object). No elision marks; no apostrophe. All consonant junctures or hiatus maintained.

Passage 2: Ennyn Durin Aran Moria: pedo mellon a minno! ("Gates of Durin Lord of Moria: say friend and enter!")

Ennyn = gates (pl. of annon, i-affection: a→e). Durin = proper name. Aran = king/lord. Moria = black chasm (mor dark + ia chasm). pedo = speak! (imperative). mellon = friend. a = and. minno = enter! (imperative min- + -no). No elision marks in this attested text.

Passage 3: Cuio i Pheriannath anann! ("May the Halflings live long!")

Cuio = may [they] live: cuia- + subjunctive -o. i = the (article). Pheriannath = P→Ph (soft mutation of P after i). anann = long, for a long time (an- + ann long). No elision; the Ph- shows soft mutation, not elision.

Passage 4: A tiro nin, Fanuilos! ("O look towards me, Fanuilos!")

A = vocative particle (calling out). tiro = watch! look! (imperative tir- + -o). nin = me (1sg object pronoun: ni + n attachment). Fanuilos = name of Varda. No elision marks.

Passage 5 (ᴺS. composition): I 'aladh maer nâ faer sui i·'waew. ("The tree is as swift as the wind.")

I = article. 'aladh = the tree (apostrophe: g of galadh dropped under soft mutation). maer = good/fine. nâ = is (3sg copula). faer = swift. sui = as, like. i·'waew = the wind: i (article) · (close juncture) 'waew (apostrophe: g of gwaew wind dropped under soft mutation after i). Two apostrophes: both mark dropped g, not vowel elision.

12. Course Review: The 41-Lesson Journey

You have completed the core Sindarin course. Here is what you have covered:

Foundation (Lessons 1–10)

Pronunciation, basic greetings, place names, questions, eating and drinking, colours. The mechanics of Elvish sound and the first contact with real Sindarin vocabulary.

Grammar Core I (Lessons 11–20)

Soft mutation, adjectives and adverbs, prepositions, prefixes, nasal mutation, possessive pronouns, verbs present/past/intransitive/future. The engine of Sindarin grammar.

[Intermediate bridge — Lessons 21–30]

(Covered in the intermediate course: more verb forms, relative clauses, negation, word order in complex sentences, verbal nouns, mixed mutation.)

Grammar Advanced (Lessons 31–41)

Class plurals, possessive and diminutive suffixes, comparatives, abstract nouns, further suffixes, name-making (place names and personal names), dialects (Gondorian, Mirkwood, Doriathrin), liquid and stop mutations, elision.

13. Recommended Next Steps

Level 1: Read Tolkien's Sindarin Texts

With 41 lessons behind you, you can now approach Tolkien's attested Sindarin texts:

A Elbereth Gilthoniel — the full hymn, both versions (Chapter "Many Meetings" in FotR, and the version in "The Grey Havens" at the end of RotK)
Galadriel's Lament (Namárië in Quenya; but her Sindarin poem in Fellowship of the Ring — I sang of leaves...)
The inscriptions and fragments throughout The Lord of the Rings: the West Gate inscription, Frodo's poem at the Prancing Pony, Legolas's songs

Level 2: Attempt Original Composition

Write your own Sindarin:

Start with simple sentences: describe your home, your day, something you see
Attempt a short quatrain (4-line poem) using alliteration
Create a Sindarin name for yourself (a kilmessë / epessë based on your most notable quality)

Level 3: Community and Advanced Study

Vinyë Lambengolmor (the New Lambengolmor Discord) — an active community of Tolkien linguists
Tolkien's Languages (journals: Parma Eldalamberon, Vinyar Tengwar) — the primary scholarly publications where Tolkien's posthumous linguistic texts are published
Helge Fauskanger's Ardalambion (ardalambion.com) — the most complete free scholarly resource on all of Tolkien's languages
Thorsten Renk's Pedin Edhellen — excellent free Neo-Sindarin phrasebook and grammar

The Deepest Level: Tolkien's Own Linguistic Notes

For those who want to go truly deep:

The History of Middle-earth series (12 volumes, edited by Christopher Tolkien) contains drafts, The Etymologies, and linguistic notes
Parma Eldalamberon journal, issues 11–22, contains Tolkien's own grammatical essays on Sindarin and Quenya
Unfinished Tales (ed. Christopher Tolkien) contains prose about Elvish naming traditions and history

Key Points to Remember

Three punctuation marks with distinct functions: ' (dropped consonant or poetic elision), - (prefix/compound), · (close juncture)
Tolkien rarely uses vowel elision in his attested Sindarin texts — the hiatus is usually maintained, especially in formal/poetic registers
Grammaticalized fusions (erin, uin) arose historically from elision/fusion but are now fixed forms
Elision in poetry is available as a metrical tool — when syllable count needs adjustment
Soft mutation apostrophe (dropped g) is by far the most common use of ' in Tolkien's texts — do not confuse it with vowel elision

Closing Words

You have come to the end of the formal curriculum — but the study of Sindarin, like the Elves themselves, does not end. Every attested Tolkien text is a treasure to re-read with new eyes; every Neo-Sindarin composition is a small act of sub-creation in Tolkien's tradition.

The Elvish languages were for Tolkien not just a hobby but the primary creative impulse of his life — The Lord of the Rings itself arose, in his own words, as a vehicle for his languages rather than the other way around. To learn Sindarin is to enter into the deepest layer of what Tolkien made.

A Elbereth Gilthoniel, silivren penna míriel — from heaven the glory of all the stars pours down, glittering like jewels.

May your own study shine as clear.

This concludes the core 41-lesson Sindarin curriculum.

For the companion course beginning at Lesson 21, see the intermediate lessons. For further study, see the resources section of this course's index page.