Textbook Re-write Complete

It’s 1AM, and I’m done. I did it. I finally fished the massive edit of the textbook. I made a few mistakes along the way… got eyes and ambition greater than my time or ability. Ended up having to cut some parts that I had a lot of fun making. Fear not, those will still be available here.

The next step is to send this edit to the lawyer who will make sure I can legally publish it, and to the copy editor and typesetter to make it shiny.

The artist has been chosen for the drawings in the book: Julia Lindquist. I’ll be showing those off as they are completed. The cover artist is my wife. She doesn’t have any recent art online, but she’s got an old DeviantART account.

I’m thinking of changing the title of it to: “A Fan’s Guide to Neo-Sindarin – The Textbook for the Elvish of Middle-earth” That may mean updating the URL of this website too… I’m thinking Sindarinclass.realelvish.net. What do you think? I’ll leave re-directs up so you can find your way if you’re using an old link. Either way, there will be a LOT of re-organizing on the website to do.

For your perusal and enjoyment, here is the complete list of all of the content in the book.

0.1 Introduction
0.1.1 What is “Neo” Sindarin?
0.1.2 Goals of this Book
0.1.3 Conclusions
0.1.4 Review

Chapter 1: Background

1.1 About Fan-Made Words
1.1.1 Asterisks
1.1.2 Where do you draw the line?
1.1.3 How are the new words made?
1.1.4 In Conclusion
1.1.5 Review

1.2 The History of Sindarin
1.2.1 Internal History
1.2.2 External History
1.2.3 Review

Chapter 2: Pronunciation

2.1 IPA Guide
2.1.1 Why IPA?
2.1.2 The IPA Charts
2.1.2.1 The Columns of the IPA Consonant Chart
2.1.2.2 The Rows of the IPA Consonant Chart
2.1.2.3 The IPA Consonant Chart
2.1.2.4 The IPA Vowel Chart’s Columns and Rows
2.1.2.5 The IPA Vowel Chart
2.1.3 Using IPA
2.1.3.1 Describing Vowel Length in IPA
2.1.3.2 Syllable Boundaries in IPA
2.1.3.3 Syllable Stress in IPA
2.1.4 Conversation Practice: Choose an Elven Name
2.1.5 Review

2.2 The Sounds of Speech
2.2.1 Vowels
2.2.2 Diphthongs
2.2.3 Consonants
2.2.4 Vowel-Consonant Combinations
2.2.5 Conversation Practice: Greetings and Introductions
2.2.6 Review

2.3 The Rhythm of the Words
2.3.1 Consonants in Multi-syllable Words
2.3.1.1 Exercise
2.3.2 Dividing the Syllables
2.3.2.1 Exercise
2.3.3 The Placing of Stress
2.3.3.1 Exercise
2.3.4 How Words Interact
2.3.4.1 Exercise
2.3.4.2 Exercise
2.3.5 Conversation Practice: Greetings, Farewells, and Intros 2
2.3.5 Review

Chapter 3: Syntax

3.1 Articles, Adjectives, Adverbs, and Prepositions
3.1.1 Articles
3.1.1.2 Prestanneth
3.1.2 Adjectives
3.1.2.1 Exercise
3.1.3 Adverbs
3.1.3.1 Exercise
3.1.3.2 Exercise
3.1.3.3 Exercise
3.1.4 Prepositional Phrases
3.1.4.1 Exercise
3.1.5 Conversation Practice – Describe Someone

3.2 Genitives, Possessives, the Copula, and Conjunctions
3.2.1 Genitives
3.2.1.1 Exercise
3.2.2 Possessives
3.2.2.1 Preposition nan
3.2.2.1.1 Exercise
3.2.2.2 “Of The”
3.2.2.2.1 Exercise
3.2.3 The Copula
3.2.3.1 The Hidden Copula
3.2.3.1.1 Exercise
3.2.3.2 The Uncertain and Negative Copulas
3.2.3.2.1 Exercise
3.2.4 Conjunctions
3.2.4.1 “And”
3.2.4.2 “But”
3.2.4.3 “Or”
3.2.5 Conversation Practice: Describe Your Origins

3.3 Basic Sentence Syntax
3.3.1 Sentences With Transitive Verbs
3.3.1.1 Transitive Verbs with Nouns
3.3.1.1.1 Exercise
3.3.1.2 Transitive Verbs with Pronouns
3.3.1.2.1 Exercise
3.3.1.3 Ditransitive Verbs & Verbs with Indirect Objects
3.3.1.3.1 Exercise
3.3.1.4 Helping Verbs
3.3.4.1.1 Exercise
3.3.2 Intransitive Verbs
3.3.2.0.1 Exercise
3.3.2.1 Intransitive Verbs with Dative Pronouns
3.3.2.1.1 Exercise
3.3.3 Verbs with Sentences as the Direct Object
3.3.3.1 Compound Predicates
3.3.3.1.1 Exercise
3.3.3.2 Quotations
3.3.3.2.1 Exercise
3.3.4 Conversation Practice: Likes and Dislikes

3.4 Imperative and Passive Voice
3.4.1 What does Imperative mean?
3.4.2 Imperative Syntax
3.4.2.1 With Intransitive Verbs
3.4.2.2 With Transitive Verbs
3.4.2.3 With Indirect Objects
3.4.2.3.1 Exercise
3.4.3 Impersonal Verb
3.4.3.1 Exercise
3.4.4 Passive Voice
3.4.4.1 Transitive Verbs
3.4.4.2 Intransitive Verbs
3.4.4.3 Ditransitive Verbs
3.4.4.3.1 The Problem of Esta-
3.4.4.3.2 Passive Ditransitive Verbs
3.4.4.3.2.1 Exercise
3.4.5 Conversation Practice: Talk About Your Feelings

3.5 Numbers
3.5.1 Cardinal Numbers
3.5.1.1 The Known Numbers
3.5.1.2 Derived Numbers
3.5.1.2.1 Exercise
3.5.2 Ordinal Numbers
3.5.2.1 The Known Numbers
3.5.2.2 The Derived Numbers
3.5.2.2.1 Exercise
3.5.3 Using Numbers
3.5.3.1 Cardinal Numbers as Quantitative Determiners
3.5.3.1.1 Exercise
3.5.4 Conversation Practice: Writing Dates

Chapter 4: Plurals

4.1 Simple Plurals
4.1.1 What You Already Know
4.1.2 How did the Sindarin plural come to be?
4.1.2.1 I-Affection
4.1.2.2 Final Syllables
4.1.2.3 Exceptions and Special Cases
4.1.2.3.1 I and Y
4.1.2.3.2 AU and AW
4.1.2.3.3 The Diphthong EI
4.1.2.3.4 A Special W/U
4.1.2.3.5 Final A from Ancient G
4.1.2.3.6 Lost Syllables
4.1.2.4 The Gondorians
4.1.3 Plural Charts
4.1.3.1 Archaic Plural Chart
4.1.3.1.1 Exercise
4.1.3.2 Elven Plural Chart
4.1.3.2.1 Exercise
4.1.3.3 Gondorian Plural Chart
4.1.3.3.1 Exercise
4.1.4 Conversation Practice: Explain “Why”

4.2 Class Plurals
4.2.1 Vowel Reduction
4.2.2 Adding Vowels to the Ends of Words
4.2.3 -ath, All of the Things
4.2.3.1 Exercise
4.2.4 A Group or Tribe of People
4.2.4.1 -rim, a Group of People
4.2.4.1.1 Exercise
4.2.4.2 -hoth, The Host of Evil
4.2.4.2.1 Exercise
4.2.4.3 Gwaith, a Fellowship
4.2.4.3.1 Exercise
4.2.5 Lost Plurals
4.2.5.1 -in Plurals
4.2.5.2 Noldorin Plural, -ir
4.2.5.3 Dual Plurals, -t and -u
4.2.5.4 Using Diminutives for the Singular
4.2.6 Conversation Practice: Need

Chapter 5: Prestanneth

5.1 Common Mutations
5.1.1 Vowel Reduction with Prefixes
5.1.2 Lenition/Vocalic Mutation
5.1.2.1 Prepositions
5.1.2.2 Preposition Prefixes
5.1.2.3 Adverb Prefixes
5.1.2.4 The Vocalic Mutation Chart
5.1.2.4.1 Exercise
5.1.3 Nasal Mutation
5.1.3.1 Prepositions
5.1.3.2 Plural “The” Prepositions
5.1.3.3 The Nasal Mutation Chart
5.1.3.3.1 Exercise
5.1.4 Mixed Mutation
5.1.4.1 Exercise
5.1.5 Long Mixed Mutation
5.1.5.1 Exercise
5.1.6 Conversation Practice: Comparing Things

5.2 Rare Types of Mutation
5.2.1 Liquid Mutation
5.2.1.1 Conjunctions
5.2.1.2 Prepositions
5.2.1.3 Preposition Prefixes
5.2.1.4 Adverb Prefixes
5.2.1.5 The Liquid Mutation Chart
5.2.1.5.1 Exercise
5.2.2 Stop Mutation
5.2.2.1 Prepositions
5.2.2.2 Adverb Prefixes
5.2.2.3 The Stop Mutation Chart
5.2.2.3.1 Exercise
5.2.3 H-Mutation
5.2.3.1 Exercise
5.2.4 DH-Mutation
5.2.4.1 Exercise
5.2.5 No Mutation
5.2.6 The All-in-One Prestanneth Chart
5.2.7 Conversation Practice: Giving Directions

Chapter 6: Negation

6.1 The Four Negation Roots
6.1.1 Ancient Root: ALA
6.1.1.1 Al- for Adjectives and Nouns
6.1.1.1.1 Exercise
6.1.1.2 *Law for Verbs
6.1.1.2.1 Exercise
6.1.1.3 *La- for Responses
6.1.1.3.1 Exercise
6.1.2 Ú- “Cannot/Impossible”
6.1.2.1 Exercise
6.1.3 Ancient Root ABA
6.1.3.1 Av-, Avo, and Baw! “Don’t!”
6.1.3.1.1 Exercise
6.1.3.2 Ava- “Will Not/To Refuse” for Responses
6.1.3.2.1 Exercise
6.1.4 Pen- vs Ar-
6.1.4.1 Pen- for “to Lack, Without, -less”
6.1.4.1.1 Exercise
6.1.5 Elven Culture: Cosmology

Chapter 7: Pronouns

7.1 Basic Pronouns
7.1.1 Pronoun Charts
7.1.1.1 Exercise
7.1.2 Nominative Pronouns
7.1.2.1 Exercise
7.1.3 Oblique Pronouns
7.1.3.1 Exercise
7.1.4 Dative Pronouns
7.1.4.1 Exercise
7.1.5 Possessive, Demonstrative, and Interrogative Adjectives
7.1.5.1 Exercise
7.1.6 Where the Pronouns Come From
7.1.6.1 The Making of 1st Person Inclusive Pronouns
7.1.7 Elven Culture: Fingers

7.2 Pronominal Suffixes and Indefinite Pronouns
7.2.1 Nominative Pronoun Suffixes
7.2.1.1 Exercise
7.2.2 Possessive Pronoun Suffixes
7.2.2.1 Exercise
7.2.3 Indefinite Pronouns
7.2.3.1 Pen
7.2.3.2 Nad
7.2.3.3 Sad
7.2.3.4 Im, Anim, and În
7.2.3.4.1 Exercise
7.2.4 Conversation Practice: Diminutive Suffixes

7.3 Relative Clauses and Questions
7.3.1 Subordinate Conjunction
7.3.1.1 Exercise
7.3.2 Relative Pronouns
7.3.2.0.1 Exercise
7.3.2.1 “When/While”
7.3.2.2 Constructing the Rest of the Relative Pronouns
7.3.2.2.1 Exercise
7.3.3 Interrogative Pronouns
7.3.3.1 Exercise
7.3.4 Yes/No Questions
7.3.4.1 True or False?
7.3.4.2 Would you please?
7.3.4.3 May I?
7.3.4.4 Exercise
7.3.5 Conditional Phrases
7.3.6 Conversation Practice: “Thank you”

Chapter 8: Verbs

8.1 Present and Future Tenses
8.1.1 Aorist Present Tense
8.1.1.1 Exercise
8.1.2 Possible Present Progressive
8.1.3 The Imperative
8.1.3.1 Exercise
8.1.4 Gerunds
8.1.4.1 Exercise
8.1.5 Future Tense
8.1.5.1 Tol-
8.1.5.1.1 Exercise
8.1.5.2 Nidh-
8.1.5.2.1 Exercise
8.1.5.3 -Atha
8.1.5.3.1 Exercise
8.1.5.4 Ava-
8.1.5.4.1 Exercise
8.1.5.5 Noldorin Future Tense
8.1.6 Conversation Practice: Money and Trade

8.2 Past Tense
8.2.1 Weak Past Tense for A-Verbs
8.2.1.0.1 Exercise
8.2.1.1 -TA Verbs
8.2.2 Strong Past Tense for I-Verbs
8.2.2.1 Prefixes and I-verbs
8.2.2.2 I-Verbs Ending in Stops
8.2.2.2.1 Exercise
8.2.2.3 I-Verbs Ending in Continuants
8.2.2.3.1 Exercise
8.2.3 The Irregular Verbs
8.2.4 Elven Culture: Time of Day

Chapter 9: Deriving Words

9.1 Making Adjectives
9.1.1 The Habitual Participle
9.1.1.1 Exercise
9.1.2 The Present Participle
9.1.2.1 Exercise
9.1.3 Suffix -weg
9.1.3.1 Exercise
9.1.4 Suffix -ui
9.1.4.1 Exercise
9.1.5 The Past Participle
9.1.5.1 Exercise
9.1.6 “Full” -eb and Pant
9.1.6.1 Exercise
9.1.7 Suffix -ren
9.1.7.1 Exercise
9.1.8 Elven Culture: Poetry

9.2 The Perfective Participle
9.2.1 Using the Perfective Participle
9.2.2 A-Verbs and TA-Verbs
9.2.2.1 Exercise
9.2.3 I-Verbs and IA-Verbs
9.2.3.1 Exercise
9.2.3.2 Exercise
9.2.4 Conversation Practice: War

9.3 Making Nouns
9.3.1 Infinitives
9.3.2 Gerunds
9.3.3 The Abstract Nominalizing Suffix -as
9.3.3.1 Adjectives
9.3.3.1.1 Exercise
9.3.3.2 Nouns
9.3.3.2.1 Exercise
9.3.3.3 Verbs
9.3.3.3.1 Exercise
9.3.4 The Nominalizing Suffix -th for Verbs
9.3.4.1 Exercise
9.3.5 Name Making
9.3.5.1 The Agental Suffix -or for Nouns and Verbs
9.3.5.1 Exercise
9.3.5.2 Agentals from Habitual Participles/Gerunds
9.3.5.2.1 Exercise
9.3.6 Name-Making with Suffixes
9.3.6.1 Suffixes -ion, -iel, and -ien
9.3.6.1.1 Exercise
9.3.6.2 Suffixes -on, -eth, -el, and -il
9.3.6.2.1 Exercise
9.3.7 Elven Culture: Naming Practices of the Noldor
9.3.7.1 The First Name
9.3.7.2 The Second Name
9.3.7.3 The Third Name
9.3.7.4 General Facts About Elven Names
9.3.7.4.1 Example: Fëanor’s Names
9.3.7.4.2 Example: Galadriel’s Names

9.4 Compound Words
9.4.1 Word Order in Sindarin Compounds
9.4.2 How to Combine the Words
9.4.2.1 Vowels
9.4.2.2 Consonants
9.4.3 Long Consonants
9.4.4 Common Elements in Compound Personal Names
9.4.4.1 Exercise
9.4.5 Common Elements in Compound Place Names
9.4.5.1 Exercise
9.4.6 Elven Culture: Naming Practices of the Sindar

Neo-Sindarin Glossary
Linguistic Glossary
Answer Key