S. initial [w] became [gw]; [w-] > [gw-]
At every conceptual stage of Sindarin (including Gnomish and Noldorin), an initial w- became gw-. An identical development took place in Welsh (WGHC/§100i). Tolkien described this change several times:
Since ON w became initially gw in Exilic, x was normally employed as gw (Feanorian Alphabet, 1930s, PE22/32).
... for gw is only the S. initial form of basic w-: as wath “shadow”, initial form gwath, i-wath “the shadow”, a chwath “and a shadow” (notes on a “and” from the late 1950s or early 1960s, PE17/41).
There are numerous examples of this change. Here is a representative from each conceptual period:
This sound change did not take place medially, and ended up playing a role in Sindarin’s mutation system. In particular, the soft mutation of initial gw- was w-, not because the g was lost, but rather because it was prevented from forming in the first place.
Conceptual Development: It seems Tolkien adopted this sound change from Welsh very early and retained it through all conceptual stages of Sindarin. The only complication was that in the earliest stages, initial gw- could also be derived directly from primitive gw-, since unlike Sindarin and Noldorin a primitive [gw] did not become [b] in Gnomish.
There is a note in the Early Noldorin Grammar from the 1920s showing that Tolkien considered a similar strengthening of i- [j-] to di̯- [dj-]:
In addition, di̯ may mutate if from i- so archaically gw from w̯ but di, gw̯ usually appear for (b) [hard mutation] as ... diant “most“, (a) i·iant, (b) o·diant, (c) i·ni̯ant (PE13/120).
In this example, the soft mutation i·iant shows the original primitive form iant, just as the soft mutation w- of gw- does. Aside from this note and the example appearing here of diant “most”, there is no other evidence of this sound change for [j-], so it was probably a transient idea.
Reference ✧ PE17/41 ✧ for example: gwath < ✶wath
Order (00700)
Before | 00900 | voiced stops became spirants after vowels | ᴹ√WED > N. †gwedi | Ety/WED |
Before | 05300 | [mb], [nd] became [mm], [nn] | ᴹ√WENED > gwend > N. gwenn | Ety/WEN |
Before | 05600 | [wo] became [o] | ✶wo > gwo > S. go- | WJ/368 |
Phonetic Rule Elements
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> |
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✧ PE17/41 (w- > gw); PE18/105 (w > gw, w) |
Phonetic Rule Examples
danwetha > dangwetha | w- > gw- | OS. Ndangwetha > S. Dangweth | ✧ PM/395 |
wá- > gwá- | w- > gw- | √WO/WONO > S. gwa´ | ✧ PE17/191 |
wá- > gwá- | w- > gw- | √WO > S. gwa- | ✧ WJ/367 |
wagme > gwagme | w- > gw- | ✶wagmē > S. gwaew | ✧ NM/237 |
wagme > gwagme | w- > gw- | ✶wagme > S. gwaew | ✧ PE17/34 |
waia > gwaia | w- > gw- | √WAYA > S. gwae | ✧ PE17/33 |
waia > gwaia | w- > gw- | √WAYA > S. Gwae | ✧ PE17/189 |
wain > gwain | w- > gw- | √AWA/WĀ > S. gwaen | ✧ PE17/148 |
waiwe > gwaiwe | w- > gw- | ✶waiwe > S. gwae(w) | ✧ PE17/33 |
waiwe > gwaiwe | w- > gw- | √WIW > S. gwae(w) | ✧ PE17/34 |
wanaho > gwanaho | w- > gw- | ✶wanasō > S. gwana | ✧ PE17/140 |
wanja > gwanja | w- > gw- | ✶wanya > S. gwain | ✧ PE17/150 |
wanwa > gwanwa | w- > gw- | √AWA/WĀ > S. gwanu | ✧ PE17/148 |
wanwa > gwanwa | w- > gw- | √AWA/WĀ > S. gwawn | ✧ PE17/148 |
waθa > gwaθa | w- > gw- | ✶wath > S. gwath | ✧ PE17/41 |
waθa > gwaθa | w- > gw- | √Wath > S. Gwath | ✧ VT42/9 |
waθa > gwaθa | w- > gw- | √WATH > S. Gwath | ✧ VT42/9 |
waθra- > gwaθra- | w- > gw- | √WATH > S. gwathra- | ✧ VT42/9 |
waθrina > gwaθrina | w- > gw- | √WATH > S. gwathren | ✧ VT42/9 |
waθrini > gwaθrini | w- > gw- | √WATH > S. gwethrin | ✧ VT42/9 |
wego > gwego | w- > gw- | ✶wegō(n) > S. gwê | ✧ PE17/189 |
wende > gwende | w- > gw- | √WEN-ED > S. gwen(d) | ✧ PE17/191 |
wexθe > gwexθe | w- > gw- | ✶weg-tē > S. gwaith | ✧ PE17/190 |
wine > gwine | w- > gw- | √WIN > S. gwîn | ✧ PE17/191 |
winja > gwinja | w- > gw- | √WIN > S. gwein | ✧ PE17/191 |
wo- > gwo- | w- > gw- | √WĂ/WO > S. go | ✧ PE17/16 |
wo- > gwo- | w- > gw- | √WO/WONO > S. go´ | ✧ PE17/191 |
wo- > gwo- | w- > gw- | ✶wo > gwo > S. go- | ✧ WJ/368 |
wǭ- > gwǭ- | w- > gw- | ✶wā > gwǭ > S. go | ✧ WJ/364 |
wǭ > gwǭ | w- > gw- | √WĀ > S. gwāw | ✧ PE17/34 |
woia > gwoia | w- > gw- | ✶wāyā > gwoe > S. gwae | ✧ PE17/34 |
woio > gwoio | w- > gw- | ✶wā-yo > gwoe > S. gwae | ✧ NM/237 |
wolassa > gwolassa | w- > gw- | ✶walass(s) > S. go-las | ✧ PE17/84 |
N. initial [w] became [gw]; [w-] > [gw-]
Reference ✧ PE22/32
Order (00800)
Before | 00900 | voiced stops became spirants after vowels | ᴹ√WED > N. †gwedi | Ety/WED |
Before | 05600 | [mb], [nd] became [mm], [nn] | ᴹ√WENED > gwend > N. gwenn | Ety/WEN |
Phonetic Rule Elements
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> |
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✧ PE19/19 (w- > gw-); PE19/19 (w- > gw-) |
Phonetic Rule Examples
wá- > gwá- | w- > gw- | ᴹ✶wō/wŏ > N. †gwa- | ✧ Ety/WŌ |
waide > gwaide | w- > gw- | ON. waide > N. gwaeð | ✧ Ety/WED |
waita- > gwaita- | w- > gw- | ᴹ√WAY > N. gwaedo | ✧ EtyAC/WAY |
waiwa > gwaiwa | w- > gw- | ᴹ√WAIWA > N. gwaew | ✧ Ety/WĀ |
wanaθθa > gwanaθθa | w- > gw- | ᴹ√WAN > N. gwanath | ✧ Ety/WAN |
wanna > gwanna | w- > gw- | ᴹ✶wannā > N. gwann | ✧ Ety/WAN |
wanθa- > gwanθa- | w- > gw- | ᴹ✶wanta- > N. gwanno | ✧ Ety/WAN |
wanūre > gwanūre | w- > gw- | ON. wanúre > N. gwanur | ✧ Ety/THEL |
wanūro > gwanūro | w- > gw- | ON. wanūro > N. gwanur | ✧ Ety/NŌ |
wanūro > gwanūro | w- > gw- | ON. wanūro > N. gwanur | ✧ Ety/TOR |
wanwe > gwanwe | w- > gw- | ᴹ✶wanwē > N. gwanw | ✧ Ety/WAN |
waria- > gwaria- | w- > gw- | ON. warie > N. gwerio | ✧ Ety/WAR |
warθa > gwarθa | w- > gw- | ᴹ√WAR > N. gwarth | ✧ Ety/WAR |
wasse > gwasse | w- > gw- | ON. wasse > N. gwass | ✧ Ety/WAƷ |
wastar > gwastar | w- > gw- | ᴹ√STAR > N. gwa-star | ✧ Ety/STAR |
wator > gwator | w- > gw- | ON. wator > N. gwador | ✧ Ety/TOR |
watori > gwatori | w- > gw- | ON. wator > N. gwedeir | ✧ Ety/TOR |
waθa > gwaθa | w- > gw- | ON. watha > N. gwath | ✧ Ety/WATH |
waθele > gwaθele | w- > gw- | ON. wathel > N. gwathel | ✧ Ety/THEL |
waθeli > gwaθeli | w- > gw- | ON. wathel > N. gwethil | ✧ Ety/THEL |
waθθa- > gwaθθa- | w- > gw- | ON. wattóbe > N. gwatho | ✧ Ety/WAƷ |
waθθe > gwaθθe | w- > gw- | ON. watte > N. gwath | ✧ Ety/WAƷ |
wed- > gwed- | w- > gw- | ᴹ√WED > N. †gwedi | ✧ Ety/WED |
weda > gweda | w- > gw- | ON. weda > N. gweð | ✧ Ety/WED |
wende > gwende | w- > gw- | ᴹ√WENED > gwend > N. gwenn | ✧ Ety/WEN |
wende > gwende | w- > gw- | ᴹ√WED > N. gwend | ✧ Ety/WEN |
westa > gwesta | w- > gw- | ᴹ✶wed-tā > N. gwest | ✧ Ety/WED |
westa- > gwesta- | w- > gw- | ᴹ✶wed-tā > N. gwesto | ✧ Ety/WED |
wexθe > gwexθe | w- > gw- | ᴹ✶weg-tē > N. gweith | ✧ Ety/WEG |
wī > gwī | w- > gw- | ᴹ√WEY > N. gwî | ✧ Ety/WEY |
wiliθθe > gwiliθθe | w- > gw- | ᴹ√WIL > N. gwilith | ✧ Ety/WIL |
wilwa > gwilwa | w- > gw- | ᴹ✶wilwā > N. gwelw | ✧ Ety/WIL |
wilwiliθθa > gwilwiliθθa | w- > gw- | ᴹ√WIL > N. gwilwileth | ✧ Ety/WIL |
winda- > gwinda- | w- > gw- | ON. winda > N. gwinna | ✧ EtyAC/WIN |
winde > gwinde | w- > gw- | ᴹ✶windi > gwind > N. gwinn | ✧ Ety/WIN |
winde > gwinde | w- > gw- | ᴹ✶windi > gwind > N. gwinn | ✧ EtyAC/WIN |
wiŋge > gwiŋge | w- > gw- | ᴹ✶wingē > N. gwing | ✧ Ety/WIG |
winja > gwinja | w- > gw- | ᴹ✶winyā > N. gwein | ✧ Ety/WIN |
winje > gwinje | w- > gw- | ᴹ√WINI > N. gwîn | ✧ EtyAC/WIR |
winje > gwinje | w- > gw- | ᴹ✶winyē > N. gwîn | ✧ EtyAC/WIN |
winji > gwinji | w- > gw- | ᴹ✶winyā > N. gwîn | ✧ Ety/WIN |
winθa- > gwinθa- | w- > gw- | ON. wintha > N. gwinna | ✧ Ety/WIN |
wīre > gwīre | w- > gw- | ᴹ✶weı̯rē > N. Gwîr | ✧ Ety/WEY |
wo- > gwo- | w- > gw- | ᴹ√WŌ̆ > N. go- | ✧ Ety/NAT |
woun > gwoun | w- > gw- | ᴹ✶WĀ-N > N. gwaun | ✧ Ety/WA-N |
wouni > gwouni | w- > gw- | ᴹ✶WĀ-N > N. guin | ✧ Ety/WA-N |
woura > gwoura | w- > gw- | ON. wóra > N. gwaur | ✧ Ety/WAƷ |
ᴱN. initial [w], [j] became [gw], [dj]; [w-|j-] > [gʷ-|dj-]
Phonetic Rule Elements
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> |
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> |
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G. initial [w] became [gw]; [w-] > [gʷ-]
Order (00700)
Before | 01900 | unstressed [wa] became [wo] | ᴱ✶ŋu̯a > G. go | GL/40 |
Phonetic Rule Elements
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> |
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Phonetic Rule Examples
walā > gʷalā | w- > gʷ- | ᴱ√gwal > G. Gwala | ✧ GL/44 |
walto > gʷalto | w- > gʷ- | ᴱ√gwal > G. gwalt | ✧ GL/44 |
want > gʷant | w- > gʷ- | ᴱ√VANA > G. gwant | ✧ LT1A/Vána |
war- > gʷar- | w- > gʷ- | ᴱ√u̯ar > G. gwar- | ✧ GL/46 |
wē > gʷē | w- > gʷ- | ᴱ√u̯ē· > G. Gwî | ✧ GL/45 |
wek > gʷek | w- > gʷ- | ᴱ✶gu̯eg- > G. gweg | ✧ GL/44 |
wekē > gʷekē | w- > gʷ- | ᴱ✶u̯ǝkḗ > G. gweg | ✧ PE13/117 |
went > gʷent | w- > gʷ- | ᴱ√gwed² > G. gwent | ✧ GL/46 |
wet > gʷet | w- > gʷ- | ᴱ√gwed² > G. gwed | ✧ GL/46 |
wild > gʷild | w- > gʷ- | ᴱ√gwil-² > gu̯ild- > G. gwîl | ✧ GL/45 |
wilm > gʷilm | w- > gʷ- | ᴱ√gwil-² > G. gwilm | ✧ GL/45 |
wilw > gʷilw | w- > gʷ- | ᴱ√gwil-² > G. gwilb | ✧ GL/45 |
wir- > gʷir- | w- > gʷ- | ᴱ√u̯iri > G. gwir- | ✧ GL/46 |
wivrin > gʷivrin | w- > gʷ- | G. uivrin > G. gwivrin | ✧ GL/46 |