NATURAL PLURALS

How To Speak Sindarin Elvish

In some cases, the normal state of a noun is plural. In these cases, it is necessary to add a suffix to mark the word as singular. These are the singular suffixes that can be deduced:

“-ig” represents one of a pair.
Example: gwanunig = “a twin”, while gwanûn = “pair of twins”.

Sindarin Lessons. Home Lessons Mutation chart Resources Forum Links & Products Lesson 19 - Verbs (Past tense) Parts 5-7. This lesson first looks at the endings you need to use with A-stem verbs when the verb you are using has an intransitive meaning, then moves on to some irregular endings you need to be aware of.

“-og” and “-od” are used to denote one of a whole.
Examples:
glamog = one noisy orc, while glam = “noisy group of orcs”
filigod = one small bird, while filig = “group of small birds”

THE CLASS PLURAL

• Sindarin Lesson 1. Sindarin was inspired by Welsh. It is an inflected language, meaning that verbs take different forms according to who is doing the action. It also has consonant mutation, which means that the first letter(s) of a word sometimes change. When you learn where and how they change, you will find that far.
• I assume you came here after having followed (at least) the first lesson in my group Elvish with Treebeard. If you aren't in that group, obviously you can still take this quiz and see how well you know Sindarin! But I also suggest, that if you want to learn Sindarin, you join the group. Now let's get on with the test. Sindarin for 'well met'?
• Get a Grip on Grammar: Make It Plural #1. Let's get plural! If your child has difficulty with plurals, give him extra practice with this worksheet that challenges him to write nouns in both their singular and plural forms. Careful, though: some of these nouns are irregular plurals, which means.

Singular nouns can make what is called the “class plural” or “collective plural”. This plural is formed by adding a suffix to the original word, when referring to groups of “all things” or “all people” of a specific arrangement. There are four types of suffixes that are used to form class plurals, these are: -ath/-iath, -rim, -hoth, and -waith (from “gwaith”).

-ATH/-IATH
The suffix “-ath” is used when referring to an entire group of things that “belong” together, or an “entire race”.

Examples:
Perian “halfling” + -ath = Periannath “the entire race of halflings”
elen “star” + -ath = elenath ” the entire group of stars”

“-iath” is used when the word to receive the suffix “-ath” has an “i” in the last or only syllable.

Examples:
lín “pools” + iath = liniath “all the pools (of a specific arrangement)”
gil “star” + iath = giliath “all the stars”

Sindarin Dictionary

-RIM, -HOTH, and (-G)WAITH
The other endings “-rim”, “-hoth”, and “-waith” are used to denote “specific groups” of people, or “divisions” within a race (some prefer to think of these as “tribes”). These endings are not used to denote groups of “things” (exception: orodrim).

Examples:
Galadh “tree” + -rim = Galadhrim “tree-folk” (a specific group of elves)
Glam “orc noise” + -hoth = Glamhoth “orc-host” (a specific group of orcs)
Forod “north” + -(g)waith = Forodwaith “Northmen” (a specific group of people)

• The suffixes (endings) “-rim” and “-(g)waith are usually used in a good sense. To distinguish when to use “(g)waith” instead of “rim” is not such an easy task. In at least one instance , BOTH are used (Forodrim, Forodwaith). Just be aware that Tolkien used both in his writings.
• The suffix “-hoth” is usually used in a bad sense (when a group is seen as unfavorable) …. at least from the writer’s point of view.
• “(G)waith” is an ending that can also refer to the land that people live in …. example: Forodwaith (Northlands).

More on the class plural ……

Here’s a note of Helge Fauskanger’s about when to double the final consonant in a class plural where “-ath/iath” is added: “If the ending -ath is added to a noun ending in -nc or -m, they would for phonological reasons change to -ng- and double -mm-, respectively, whereas final -nt and -nd would both become -nn-: The class plurals of words like ranc “arm”, lam “tongue”, cant “shape” and thond “root” would evidently be rangath, lammath, cannath, thonnath, respectively.”

In addition, some words may appear to receive an “-nnath/-nniath” ending even if it doesn’t adhere to the quoted suggestions — this is because a word may have earlier in its history ended in -ND, -NN (etc.) and this historical ending is still preserved when adding suffixes.

Examples:
ion (IOND, IONN) “son” + -ath = ionnath “all the sons”
merilin (MŒRILIND) “nightingale” + -iath = merilinniath “flock of nightingales”

Learn Sindarin Elvish

GO- AND GWA-

Another plural form involves the prefix go- and earlier gwa- meaning “together”. Tolkien shows us how this prefix can be used to form a plural in one of his Letters when he explains the name Legolas. Go-lass is explained as a collection of leaves, or foliage.

SOME ODD PLURALS

The following is a sample of just some of a substantial number of words with irregular plurals.

(It is always best to look up a word in Dragonflame when writing in Sindarin, just to be sure the word doesn’t have an irregular plural form.)

Word	Meaning	Odd Plural
ael	lake	aelin
alph	swan	eilph
cant	shadow	caint (as in morchaint)
caun	prince	conin
cef	soil	ceif
doron	oak tree	deren
drú	wose	drúin
êl	star	elin
fair	mortal	fîr
fela	cave	fili
fêr	beech tree	ferin
gwain	new	gwîn
gwaun	goose	goen
lhain	lean, thin, meagre	lhîn
naith	formation tapering to a point	natsai
nawag	dwarf	neweg
ôl	dream	ely (or elei)
orod	mountain	ered (regular plural eryd)
pel	fenced field	peli