S. short vowels vanished before morpheme boundaries; [C{ĭĕăŏŭ}+C] > [Cø+C]

S. short vowels vanished before morpheme boundaries; [C{ĭĕăŏŭ}+C] > [Cø+C]

Just as short final vowels vanished in Sindarin and Noldorin at the end of words, they also vanished in the middle of words at morpheme boundaries. As suggested by David Salo (GS/§4.115), this vowel loss at morpheme boundaries was later than the loss at the end of words. There are a couple of examples that support this ordering of sound changes:

This sound change must also have taken place after voiceless stops voiced after vowels, since the second element of compounds consistently show the soft mutation of p, t, k to b, d, g:

This change occurred based on how the morphemes were perceived at the time of the vowel loss. The example of Elbereth is illustrative:

If this were a late compound, we would expect to see soft mutation in the compound êl “star” + bereth “queen”, which would therefore become **Elvereth. Primitively the compound was elen + b-, and the final n became m by assimilation to the following b: elem-b-. By the time the final vowels began to vanish, the primitive final n had vanished in the independent Sindarin word el(e) “star”, so the first part of the compound was reanalyzed as el(e)-mb-. Thus the second e vanished, but the nasal cluster mb inhibited the soft mutation of the b, and the result was Elbereth.

Another example is ✶Galadandil [> Gladandil > Gleðendil] > Gleðennil “Lover of Trees” (PE21/83). Here the initial element of the compound was modified so much from its independent form (galadh) that it was no longer perceived as a distinct morpheme, and the vowel was not lost.

Where the vowel loss did occur, this sound change could cause clusters of three and sometimes even four consonants to appear, something that almost never happened in Primitive Elvish or Quenya. In most (but not all) cases, these clusters were later simplified.

Conceptual Developments: Since not all final vowels vanished in Gnomish, perhaps vowel loss at morpheme boundaries was less prevelent in the 1910s, but there are examples showing it happened at least sometimes, in both Gnomish as well as the Early Noldorin of the 1920s:

Order (03300)

After 01700 short [a], [o], [u] became [e], [œ], [y] preceding [i] elen-barathī > el-mbereth > S. Elbereth PE17/22
After 02300 short final vowels vanished Gondō̆-lindē > Gondolind > Gond-lind > Gondlind/Gonglind > S. **Gonlin/Gonglin PE17/133
After 02600 voiceless stops voiced after vowels aba-kar ā > S. avgaro
Turukondō > S. Turgond
WJ/371
PE17/113
After 03100 [h] vanished after vowels tindōmi-sel(dĕ) > tindúmhihel > S. Tinnúviel PE19/73
Before 04200 [ð] vanished before nasals Gala(da)ndil > S. Gelennil
ᴹ✶Eledandore > Eleðndor > N. Elennor
PE21/83
Ety/ELED
Before 04700 long vowels shortened before clusters mēlā̆-mbar > mîl-mbar > S. milbar PE17/164

Phonetic Rule Elements

[Cĭ+C] > [Cø+C]
[Cĕ+C] > [Cø+C]
[Că+C] > [Cø+C]
[Cŏ+C] > [Cø+C]
[Cŭ+C] > [Cø+C]

Phonetic Rule Examples

aiganaur > aignaur Că+C > Cø+C Aika-nār- > S. Aegnor ✧ PM/347
arnador > arndor Că+C > Cø+C Q. arn(a)dor > S. Arnor ✧ Let/428
aθθara- > aθθra- Că+C > Cø+C atta- > S. athra ✧ PE17/14
avagarau- > avgarau- Că+C > Cø+C aba-kar ā > S. avgaro ✧ WJ/371
caladariell > caladriell Că+C > Cø+C Kalatā-rigelle > S. †Caladriel ✧ PE17/50
eina- > ein- Că+C > Cø+C MAY > amya- > anya- > S. ein- ✧ PE17/163
findaraud > findraud Că+C > Cø+C findarātō > find-raud > findrod > S. finrod ✧ VT41/9
finiŋgorn > finŋgorn Că+C > Cø+C Phiniñgornā > S. Fingorn ✧ PE17/113
galadariel > galadriel Că+C > Cø+C ñgal(a)tā-rig-el- > S. Galadriel ✧ PE17/60
galadarīell > galadrīell Că+C > Cø+C galata-rīg-elle > S. Galadriel ✧ MR/182
galadariell > galadriell Că+C > Cø+C galata-rĭg-elle > S. Galadriel ✧ MR/470
galadariell > galadriell Că+C > Cø+C ñalata-riʒelle > S. Galadriel ✧ NM/352
galadariell > galadriell Că+C > Cø+C galatā-rigellē̆ > S. Galadriel ✧ PE17/50
galaðaremben > galaðremben Că+C > Cø+C galad(a)rembinā > S. galadhremmen ✧ PE17/127
lebeθθaron > lebeθθron Că+C > Cø+C lepeth-ron > S. lebethron ✧ PE17/89
mīlambar > mīlmbar Că+C > Cø+C mēlā̆-mbar > S. milbar ✧ PE17/109
mīlambar > mīlmbar Că+C > Cø+C mēlā̆-mbar > mîl-mbar > S. milbar ✧ PE17/164
nīnadalm > nīndalm Că+C > Cø+C nēn-talma > S. nindalf ✧ PE17/167
nǭvarod > nǭvrod Că+C > Cø+C nāba-grota > nǭv-ʒrot > North S. †Novrod ✧ WJ/414
tainagyll > taingyll Că+C > Cø+C tana > S. Taengyl ✧ MR/385
θarabad > θarbad Că+C > Cø+C thara-pata > S. Tharbad ✧ SA/thar
elembereth > elmbereth Cĕ+C > Cø+C elen-barathi > elmbereth > S. Elbereth ✧ MR/387
elembereth > elmbereth Cĕ+C > Cø+C elen-barathī > el-mbereth > S. Elbereth ✧ PE17/22
geleðendil > geleðndil Cĕ+C > Cø+C Gala(da)ndil > S. Gelennil ✧ PE21/83
lenmembass > lenmbass Cĕ+C > Cø+C ledme-mbassē > S. lembas ✧ PE17/51
lenmembast > lenmbast Cĕ+C > Cø+C ledme-mbasta > lenm(e)mbast(a) > lenmbast > S. lembas ✧ PE17/51
moreŋgoθ > morŋgoθ Cĕ+C > Cø+C Moriñgotho > S. Morgoth ✧ MR/294
moreŋgoθθ > morŋgoθθ Cĕ+C > Cø+C Moringotto > S. Morgoth ✧ MR/194
tennegyll > tenngyll Cĕ+C > Cø+C tana > S. Tengyl ✧ MR/385
gūrigov > gūrgov Cĭ+C > Cø+C gōr(i)kubā > S. gurgof ✧ PE22/155
hīθilūm > hīθlūm Cĭ+C > Cø+C χīþilōmē > hithlũṽ > S. Hithlũ ✧ PE17/133
imbilad > imblad Cĭ+C > Cø+C imbi-lătă > S. imlad ✧ PE17/87
nimfiraid > nimfraid Cĭ+C > Cø+C ninkwiraite > ni(m)phraed > S. niphred ✧ PE17/55
gondolind > gondlind Cŏ+C > Cø+C Gondō̆-lindē > Gondolind > Gond-lind > Gondlind/Gonglind > S. **Gonlin/Gonglin ✧ PE17/133
gondondor > gondndor Cŏ+C > Cø+C Gondo-ndor- > S. Gondor ✧ PE17/28
goroθū > gorθū Cŏ+C > Cø+C ñgor(o)-thūsō > Gorthu > S. Gorthaur ✧ PE17/183
turugaun > turgaun Cŭ+C > Cø+C Turukāno > S. Tur(u)gon ✧ PE17/113
turugond > turgond Cŭ+C > Cø+C Turukundā > S. Turgond- ✧ PE17/112
turugond > turgond Cŭ+C > Cø+C Turukondō > S. Turgond ✧ PE17/113

N. short vowels vanished before morpheme boundaries; [C{ĭĕăŏŭ}+C] > [Cø+C]

GS/§4.115 @@@ but compare Magladhûr, Nauglavir

Order (03100)

After 01700 short [a], [o], [u] became [e], [œ], [y] preceding [i] ON. ammalinde > em(m)elin > N. emlin Ety/SMAL
After 02100 short final vowels vanished ON. ammalinde > em(m)elin > N. emlin Ety/SMAL
After 02400 voiceless stops voiced after vowels ON. andatektha > N. andeith
ᴹ✶minitunda > N. mindon
Ety/TEK
Ety/TUN
After 02900 [h] vanished after vowels ᴹ✶Tindōmiselde > ON. tindūmhiell Ety/TIN
Before 03900 [ð] vanished before nasals ᴹ✶Eledandore > Eleðndor > N. Elennor Ety/ELED
Before 04500 long vowels shortened before clusters

Phonetic Rule Elements

[Cĭ+C] > [Cø+C]
[Cĕ+C] > [Cø+C]
[Că+C] > [Cø+C]
[Cŏ+C] > [Cø+C]

Phonetic Rule Examples

andadeiθ > andeiθ Că+C > Cø+C ON. andatektha > N. andeith ✧ Ety/TEK
balaraug > balraug Că+C > Cø+C ᴹ✶ñgwalaraukō > N. Balrog ✧ Ety/RUK
banawend > banwend Că+C > Cø+C ON. Bana-wende > Banwend > N. Banwen ✧ Ety/BAN
eleðandor > eleðndor Că+C > Cø+C ᴹ✶Eledandore > Eleðndor > N. Elennor ✧ Ety/ELED
goloðomir > goloðmir Că+C > Cø+C ᴹ√MIR > N. Golovir ✧ Ety/ÑGOLOD
jauvahūg > jauvhūg Că+C > Cø+C ON. yōbasūka > iovhug > N. iofog ✧ TMME/53
emmelind > emmlind Cĕ+C > Cø+C ON. ammalinde > em(m)elin > N. emlin ✧ Ety/SMAL
findegaun > findgaun Cĕ+C > Cø+C ᴹ✶Findekāno > N. Fingon ✧ Ety/PHIN
finderaud > findraud Cĕ+C > Cø+C ᴹ✶Phinde-rauto > N. Finrod ✧ Ety/PHIN
kemenaur > kemnaur Cĕ+C > Cø+C ᴹ√KEM > N. cevnor ✧ EtyAC/KEM
l̥assebelīn > l̥asbelin Cĕ+C > Cø+C ᴹ✶lassekwelēnē > N. lhasbelin ✧ EtyAC/KWEL
losseren > lossren Cĕ+C > Cø+C ᴹ√LUS > N. lothren ✧ EtyAC/LUS
deiniθaur > deinθaur Cĭ+C > Cø+C ᴹ✶ndani-thārō > N. Dainthor ✧ LR/188
minidond > mindond Cĭ+C > Cø+C ᴹ✶minitunda > N. mindon ✧ Ety/TUN
nimfired > nimfred Cĭ+C > Cø+C ᴹ√NIK-W > N. nifred ✧ Ety/NIK-W
goθombaug > goθmbaug Cŏ+C > Cø+C ᴹ✶Gothombauk- > N. Gothmog ✧ Ety/MBAW
goθoraug > goθraug Cŏ+C > Cø+C ᴹ✶Gothorauk- > N. Gothrog ✧ EtyAC/MBAW
guioloss > guiloss Cŏ+C > Cø+C ᴹ✶Geigolosse > N. Guilos ✧ Ety/GEY
indolaur > indlaur Cŏ+C > Cø+C ᴹ✶Indo-ʒlaurē > Indlour > N. Inglor ✧ Ety/ID
uioloss > uiloss Cŏ+C > Cø+C ᴹ✶Eigolosse > N. Uiloss ✧ Ety/EY
uioloss > uiloss Cŏ+C > Cø+C ON. Uigolosse > N. Uilos ✧ Ety/OY