OS. final [e] became [a] after single [s] and [st]; [-se|-ste|-sse] > [-sa|-sta|-sse]

OS. final [e] became [a] after single [s] and [st]; [-se|-ste|-sse] > [-sa|-sta|-sse]

In the Old Noldorin of the 1930s, it seems a final [e] following an [s] or [st] shifted to [a], unless it followed a double [ss], in which case the [e] was preserved. The clearest examples of this rule are ᴹ✶khyelesē > khelesa > ON. kheleha (Ety/KHYEL(ES)) and ᴹ✶peltakse > ON. pelthaksa (Ety/PEL). In the case of [st], note that ON. phasta has the cognate ᴹQ. fasse (Ety/PHAS), which implies a primitive form ending in [e] and thus a similar change of [e] to [a] in Old Noldorin after [st].

For counter-examples involving [ss], consider ON. (s)pharasse in which the final [e] is preserved, and similarly for its (rejected) precursor pharasse (Ety/SPAR, EtyAC/PHAR²).

Since later in Noldorin, short final vowels vanished, in many cases this phonetic change in Old Noldorin is not noticeable; whether the final vowel was -e or -a before it vanished has little effect. In a few cases, though, this change to -a in Old Noldorin can have further ramifications, in particular via a-affection, whereby short [i], [u] became [e], [o] preceding final [a].

There are only two attested examples of primitive forms ending in -se where the a-affection may also apply. The first example is ᴹ✶tupsē > N. taus (Ety/TUP). Here, the ON. shift to final -a means that the medial vowel [u] became [o], which means that after the voiceless stop was spirantalized and then vocalized before the [s], it produces the same final result as [o] in this position: the diphthong [au]. Compare this example to ᴹ✶oktā > N. auth (Ety/KOT).

Conversely, consider ᴹ✶tyulussē > N. tulus (Ety/TYUL). In this case, since the [u] remains, it implies that a-affection did not occur, indicating that the final -e was preserved after the double [ss], as noted above.

There are a few examples that indicate a similar change in Sindarin. One example is the primitive forms rinsa that is the basis for S. riss, although S. riss < ✶rinsa does not show the expected a-affection (PE17/87). There is also primitive ✶kirtē in the Quendi and Eldar essay of 1959-60 that produced S. certh (WJ/396); the a-affection in the final form indicates a change of final > . This last development indicates this change was a more general phenomenon beyond just changes after primitive s, but without more examples it is hard to figure out the details.

Order (02100)

Before 03100 intervocalic [s] became [h] ᴹ✶khyelesē > khelesa > ON. kheleha Ety/KHYEL(ES)
Before 03200 [p], [t], [k] spirantalized before [s] ᴹ✶peltakse > ON. pelthaksa Ety/PEL

Phonetic Rule Elements

[-se] > [-sa]
[-ste] > [-sta]
[-rte] > [-rta]
[-sse] > [-sse]

Phonetic Rule Examples

kirte > kirta -rte > -rta kirtē > S. certh ✧ WJ/396

ON. final [e] became [a] after single [s] and [st]; [-se|-ste|-sse] > [-sa|-sta|-sse]

See OS. final [e] became [a] after single [s] and [st] for discussion.

Order (02600)

Before 04100 intervocalic [s] became [h] ᴹ✶khyelesē > khelesa > ON. kheleha Ety/KHYEL(ES)
Before 04400 [p], [t], [k] spirantalized before [s] ᴹ✶peltakse > ON. pelthaksa Ety/PEL

Phonetic Rule Elements

[-se] > [-sa]
[-ste] > [-sta]
[-sse] > [-sse]

Phonetic Rule Examples

karakse > karaksa -se > -sa ᴹ√KÁRAK > N. #charaes ✧ Ety/KARAK
kotse > kotsa -se > -sa ᴹ✶kotse > N. coth ✧ EtyAC/KOT
kʰelese > kʰelesa -se > -sa ᴹ✶khyelesē > khelesa > ON. kheleha ✧ Ety/KHYEL(ES)
lapse > lapsa -se > -sa ᴹ√LAP > N. lhaes ✧ Ety/LAP
lokse > loksa -se > -sa ᴹ√LOKH > N. lhaws ✧ Ety/LOKH
nakse > naksa -se > -sa ᴹ✶nakse > N. naes ✧ EtyAC/NAK
peltakse > peltaksa -se > -sa ᴹ✶peltakse > ON. pelthaksa ✧ Ety/PEL
takse > taksa -se > -sa ᴹ✶taksē > N. taes ✧ Ety/TAK
telese > telesa -se > -sa ᴹ√TELES > N. tele ✧ Ety/TELES
tupse > tupsa -se > -sa ᴹ✶tupsē > N. taus ✧ Ety/TUP
gampasse > gampasse -sse > -sse ON. gampasse > N. gammas ✧ EtyAC/GAP
glasse > glasse -sse > -sse ᴹ√GALÁS > N. glas ✧ Ety/GALÁS
kʰrasse > kʰrasse -sse > -sse ᴹ✶khrassē > N. rhass ✧ Ety/KHARÁS
pʰarasse > pʰarasse -sse > -sse ᴹ√PHAR² > ON. pharasse ✧ EtyAC/PHAR²
sparasse > sparasse -sse > -sse ᴹ√SPAR > ON. (s)pharasse ✧ Ety/SPAR
targasse > targasse -sse > -sse ᴹ√TÁRAG > N. tarias ✧ Ety/TÁRAG
tulusse > tulusse -sse > -sse ᴹ✶tyulussē > N. tulus ✧ Ety/TYUL
tulussi > tulussi -sse > -sse ᴹ✶tyulussē > N. tylys ✧ Ety/TYUL
pʰaste > pʰasta -ste > -sta ᴹ√PHAS > ON. phasta ✧ Ety/PHAS

ON. final [ǝ] was lost after [l, r, n, s], otherwise it became [a]; [-ǝ|-{lrns}ǝ] > [-a|-{lrns}ø]

@@@ also in Sindarin?

References ✧ PE22/25-27

Order (02900)

After 00600 final voiceless stops and [s] vanished in polysyllables ᴹ✶galā́sŏ > galṓsǝ > ON. galṓs PE22/26
After 02800 [ā], [au] became [ǭ] ᴹ✶galā́sŏ > galṓsǝ > ON. galṓs PE22/26

Phonetic Rule Elements

[-ǝ] > [-a]
[-{lrns}ǝ] > [-{lrns}ø]

Phonetic Rule Examples

galōsǝ > galǭs -{lrns}ǝ > -{lrns}ø ᴹ✶galā́sŏ > galṓsǝ > ON. galṓs ✧ PE22/26