AQ. initial [ɣ] before [l], [r] sometimes became a vowel; [ɣ{rl}V₁-] > [V₁{rl}V₁-]
It seems that, after it became spirantal, an initial [ɣ] from [g] before a liquid sometimes became syllabic and became a vowel. This is distinct from its normal development, where it simply vanished. This rare development shows up only in a few, mostly archaic forms, as described in both the Outline of Phonetic Development (OP1) from the 1940s and the Outline of Phonology (OP2) from the 1950s:
In Q. dr, gr > r, gl, dl > l, but also ǝr, ǝl with ǝ redeveloping as full vowel appear, alaure beside laure, glaire [beside] laire (OP1: PE19/37).
The same result was also usual for gr, gl; but there are traces especially in AQ and in archaic forms used in poetic PQ of another development. It appears that at the stage ʒr, ʒl the ʒ sometimes became syllabic and vocalic, producing an indeterminate [a] that later became a full vowel of a quality decided by the vowel immediately following the l or r. Thus *glawarē "sheen of gold" > prim. Q glaurē, ʒlaurē > AQ, PQ laurē beside †alaurē (OP2: PE19/79).
Indications of this development can also be found in the Comparative Tables [CT] of phonetic development from the 1930s, where initial gr became ar or r, and initial gl became aly or ly (PE19/21). The second development is a bit strange and I can find no other sign of it (apparently initial gl > ly). In CT, Tolkien original wrote gl > Q[uenya] al, ly and L[indarin] al, l, the last of these matching the development in OP1 and OP2.
It seems that the syllabic spirant first became ǝ and then developed a vowel of the same character as the following vowel in the word. In addition to the AQ. alaurē example given above, other examples include:
[Hat tip to Lokyt for pointing out these two examples out to me.]
Conceptual Development: I can find no sign of similar syllabification of initial [ɣ] in Tolkien conception of Early Qenya in the 1910s and 1920s.
Reference ✧ PE19/79
Order (03100)
After | 02900 | voiced stops became spirants except after nasals |
Related
Phonetic Rule Elements
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Phonetic Rule Examples
ɣlaurē > alaurē | ɣla- > ala- | ✶glawarē > glaurē > ʒlaurē > AQ. alaurē | ✧ PE19/79 |
ɣrauko > arauko | ɣra- > ara- | ✶grauk- > Q. arauko | ✧ WJ/415 |
ᴹAQ. initial [ɣ] before [l], [r] sometimes became a vowel; [ɣ{rl}V₁-] > [V₁{rl}V₁-]
Reference ✧ PE19/37
Order (03200)
After | 03000 | voiced stops became spirants except after nasals and liquids |
Phonetic Rule Elements
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Phonetic Rule Examples
ɣlind > ilind | ɣli- > ili- | ᴹ√GLINDI > ᴹQ. ilin | ✧ Ety/GLINDI |