S. cair n. “ship” (Category: Ship)
The Sindarin word for “ship”, most notably appearing as an element in the name Cair Andros “Ship of Long Foam” (LotR/812; PM/371). It is derived from primitive ✶kiryā, with the ancient i becoming e via a-affection [kery(a)], then the y intruding into the main syllable to form the diphthong ei [keir], and ultimately ei becoming ai as usual in final syllables in Sindarin of the 1950s and 60s [kair]. This word has a somewhat unusual plural, since ī replaced final ā in its ancient plural [kiryā-ī > kirī], so that a-affection did not occur resulting in a modern plural form cîr “ships” (PE17/147). Its class plural is likewise the somewhat unusual ciriath “[all the] ships” for similar reasons.
Conceptual Development: The Etymologies from around 1937 had N. ceir “ship” under the root ᴹ√KIR “cleave” (Ety/KIR), since in Noldorin of the 1930s ei did not (usually) become ai in final syllables. In Primitive Quendian Structure: Final Consonants from 1936, Tolkien gave cīr “ship”, first marked “N.”, then “Ilk.”, then “N. & Ilk.” (PE21/57 and note #28). It had the class plurals círiath or ciriath but it is not clear which of these was the intended final form (PE21/57 note #28). I think ciriath is more phonologically plausible; compare class plural S. Firiath “Mortals” vs. ordinary plural Fîr (WJ/387).
Early Noldorin Word-lists of the 1920s had the word ᴱN. cair followed by ᴱN. braithgair, but neither word was translated (PE13/139-140).
References ✧ PE17/147; SA/an(d)
Glosses
Variations
Related
Inflections
| chîr | nasal-mutation plural; c-mutation | ✧ PE17/147 |
| cîr | plural | ✧ PE17/147 |
Element In
Cognates
Derivations
N. ceir n. “ship” (Category: Ship)
References ✧ Ety/KIR, PAD; EtyAC/KIR; PE21/57
Glosses
Variations
Related
Changes
Inflections
| ciriath | class-plural | “ships” | ✧ PE21/57 |
| círiath | class-plural | “ships” | ✧ PE21/57 |
| #cir | prefix | “ship” | ✧ Ety/KIR |
| #cir | prefix | ✧ Ety/PAD |
Element In
Cognates
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
| ᴹ√KIR > ceir | [kirja] > [kerja] > [keria] > [keri] > [keir] | ✧ Ety/KIR |
ᴱN. cair n. “?ship” (Category: Ship)
References ✧ PE13/139-140
Element In