Non-final Vowel Changes in the Plural
a > e
[e and i do not change]
o > e
u > y
[y does not change]
Non-final A
So in our new dual, what does a become? We need to make it more like the letter u. Here is a chart of the Sindarin vowels, to help us make our choice: (Minus A, which would take its place beneath E and O.)
i,y | u
e | o
a > o
Non-final E and I
But Old Sindarin had another vowel, ö. This sound was exactly like e, but with rounded lips. The chart was thus:
i,y | u
e,ö | o
[e does not change, or more technically, e > ö > e]
i > y
Non-final O, U, and Y
[o, u, and y do not change]
Non-final Vowel Changes in the Dual
[e does not change]
i > y
[o, u, and y do not change]
Final Vowel Changes in the Plural
a > ai
a > e (before NG and consonant clusters beginning with R)
a > ei (before consonant clusters beginning with L)
â > ai
e > i
ê > î
[i does not change]
o > y
ô > ŷ
u > y
û > ui
[y does not change]
Final A
a > au
a > o (before NG and consonant clusters beginning with R and L)
â > au
Final E and I
e > y
ê > ŷ
i > y
î > y
Final O, U, and Y
o > u
ô > û
[u and y do not change]
The Diphthong AU
The Diphthong AI
ai > y
The Diphthongs AE and EI
A complete list of Sindarin diphthongs is this: ae, ai, au, ei, oe, and ui. We have already discussed how ai, changes and how au doesn't change. Note that none of these but au change in the plural. We might, then, have falsely assumed something similar about the dual. But look at the final vowel in each of the diphthongs. Only one of them ends in u. Is it any coincidence that this is the only diphthong that becomes more like i? The chart makes this more clear:
i,y | u
e | o
ae > y
ei > y
The Diphthongs OE and UI
oe > ui
Final Vowel Changes in the Dual
a > o (before consonant clusters)
â > au
e > y
ê > ŷ
i > y
î > y
o > u
ô > û
[u and y do not change]
ae > y
ai > y
[au does not change]
ei > y
oe > ui
[ui does not change]
In non-final syllables:
a > o [e does not change] i > y [o, u, and y do not change] |
In final syllables:
a > au a > o (before NG and consonant clusters beginning with R and L) â > au e > y ê > ŷ i > y î > y o > u ô > û [u and y do not change] ae > y ai > y [au does not change] ei > y oe > ui [ui does not change] |
The Use of the Dual
Agreement
U-color adjectives;
Add the ending -d to verbs; (the dual ending -d would be the equivalent of the Quenya dual ending -t)
Use the article 'id', or possibly 'y'. The form 'id' probably causes stop-mutation.
Examples
The Two Towers: I Moraud or I Thyryn
Two Captains: Hyst (Beleg a Thúrin)
Two Domains: Ordh (Imladris a Lhothlórien)
Additional Thoughts
To E or not to E?
Id Est: The Dual Article
ed parf > e pharf
ed taur > e thaur ed curu > e churu ed herth > e cherth ed hwand > e wand ed rhovan > e throvan ed lhûg > e thlûg ed barad > e barad ed dond > e dond |
ed goe > e goe
ed maeth > e maeth ed naug > e naug ed fuin > ef fuin (or e fuin) ed thalion > eth thalion (or e thalion) ed suilad > es suilad (or e suilad) ed raw > ed raw ed loch > ed loch |
i phorf
i thaur i churu i chyrth i wond i throvaun i thlûg i boraud i dund |
i gui
i myth i naug if fuin (or i fuin) ith tholyn (or i tholyn) is suilaud (or i suilaud) id raw id luch |