n. - The Wizard

Miscellaneous signs
Primary ���� stress Length ����
����
����� mark
Secundary stress Syllabic break
Since there is no ambiguity, the length mark���� is applied to long vowels (transcribed with an
acute accent, dúnadan) as well as prolonged vowels in monosyllabic words (circumflex accent,
dûn).
The syllabic break����� is only represented between clusters of independent vowels (e.g. ������������������ perian
, since /ia/ is not a diphtong in Sindarin and counts as two syllables as far as meter is
concerned).
Variants and allophones
The phonetic transcription adopted in these pages is simplified for the sake of clarity. Nevertheless,
allophones certainly existed, as well as dialectal varieties of pronunciation. As in any real
language, the same letters were probably used for different sounds.
Records of Tolkien singing A Elbereth Gilthoniel (in The Lord of the Rings, book II, chapter I)
are very instructive. The standalone preposition o in the third verse is pronounced with a sound
more rounded than ����� , and is actually closer to ����� . The final vowel in chaered (fourth verse)
is also more open than the vowel heard in nef, and probably implies that ����� is sometimes an
allophone of ����� .
Tolkien’s pronunciation cannot be entirely trusted, as observed by several Elvish scholars.
Chaered is pronounced with a strong and clear aspiration ����� , although ����� would be expected
in true Sindarin: according to Appendix E, it was only weakened to ����� in the speech of Gondor,
and there is no reason why Elrond should speak with a mannish accent – unless the dialect of
Imladris is strongly influenced by Quenya. Anyway, the fact that Tolkien himself uses different
realizations of /o/ and /e/ is a good indication that the pronunciation could stand some variations.
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20 Hiswelókë – Special issue n o 1