S. initial [s] vanished before spirants; [s{ɸθx}-] > [{ɸθx}-]

S. initial [s] vanished before spirants; [s{ɸθx}-] > [{ɸθx}-]

Any initial s before spirants was lost as part of the general process whereby initial s + voiceless stops became initial voiceless spirants. For further details, see the discussion of the first stage of this sound change: voiceless stops became spirants after initial [s]. Based on Noldorin evidence, it seems the second stage of this sound change occurred after the Old Noldorin/Old Sindarin period:

As the last example shows, this change must have occurred before initial [x-] became [h-]: skh- > kh- (or ch-) > h-.

Conceptual Development: See the discussion in the entry on how voiceless stops became spirants after initial [s].

Order (00300)

Before 02500 initial [x-] became [h-] ON. skhalla > N. hall Ety/SKAL¹
Before 05400 [mb], [nd] became [mm], [nn] ✶espin-delē > findel > S. finnel PE17/17

Phonetic Rule Elements

[sɸ-] > [ɸ-]
[sθ-] > [θ-]
[sx-] > [x-]

Phonetic Rule Examples

sɸinde > ɸinde sɸ- > ɸ- ✶spindē > S. find ✧ PE17/17
sɸindela > ɸindela sɸ- > ɸ- ✶spin-dela > S. findel ✧ PE17/119
sɸindele > ɸindele sɸ- > ɸ- ✶espin-delē > findel > S. finnel ✧ PE17/17
sɸindila > ɸindila sɸ- > ɸ- ✶spindilā > S. †findel ✧ PE17/17
sɸine > ɸine sɸ- > ɸ- √SPIN- > S. fin- ✧ PE17/17
sθel- > θel- sθ- > θ- √stel > S. thel ✧ WJ/319
sθenna > θenna sθ- > θ- ✶stenna > S. thenn ✧ PE17/185
sθenθa > θenθa sθ- > θ- ✶stentā > S. thent ✧ PE17/141
sθīre > θīre sθ- > θ- ✶stīrē > S. þîr ✧ VT41/10
sθorna > θorna sθ- > θ- √STOR > S. thorn ✧ PE17/113

N. initial [s] vanished before spirants; [s{ɸθx}-] > [{ɸθx}-]

GS/§4.85 @@@

Order (00400)

Before 04400 initial [x-] became [h-] ON. skhalla > N. hall Ety/SKAL¹
Before 05600 [mb], [nd] became [mm], [nn] ON. sphindéle > findel > N. finnel Ety/SPIN

Phonetic Rule Elements

[sɸ-] > [ɸ-] ✧ PE19/20 (sph- > f-); PE19/20 (sph- > f-)
[sθ-] > [θ-] ✧ PE19/20 (sth- > th-)
[sx-] > [x-] ✧ PE19/20 (skh- > h-); PE19/20 (skh- > h-)

Phonetic Rule Examples

sxalatir > xalatir sx- > x- ᴹ√SKAL² > N. heledir ✧ Ety/SKAL²
sxalaθθa > xalaθθa sx- > x- ᴹ√SKAL > N. ?halath ✧ EtyAC/SKEL
sxalaθθi > xalaθθi sx- > x- ᴹ√SKAL > N. heleth ✧ EtyAC/SKEL
sxalla > xalla sx- > x- ON. skhalla > N. hall ✧ Ety/SKAL¹
sxalla > xalla sx- > x- ON. skhalla > N. hall ✧ EtyAC/SKEL
sxalθa- > xalθa- sx- > x- ON. skhalia- > N. haltha- ✧ Ety/SKAL¹
sxalθa- > xalθa- sx- > x- ON. skhalta- > N. haltha ✧ EtyAC/SKEL
sxapat > xapat sx- > x- ON. skhapa > N. habad ✧ Ety/SKYAP
sxapati > xapati sx- > x- ON. skhapa > N. hebeid ✧ Ety/SKYAP
sxarna > xarna sx- > x- ᴹ✶skarnā > N. harn ✧ Ety/SKAR
sxarna- > xarna- sx- > x- ᴹ√SKAR > N. harno ✧ Ety/SKAR
sxarwe > xarwe sx- > x- ᴹ✶skarwē > N. harw ✧ Ety/SKAR
sxelaθθa > xelaθθa sx- > x- ᴹ√SKEL > N. helath ✧ EtyAC/SKEL
sxeleθθe > xeleθθe sx- > x- ᴹ√SKEL > N. heleth ✧ Ety/SKEL
sxella > xella sx- > x- ON. skhella > N. hell ✧ Ety/SKEL
sxelma > xelma sx- > x- ᴹ✶skelmā > N. helf ✧ Ety/SKEL
sxelθa- > xelθa- sx- > x- ᴹ✶skelta- > N. heltha ✧ Ety/SKEL
sɸaika > ɸaika sɸ- > ɸ- ᴹ√SPAY > N. foeg ✧ Ety/SPAY
sɸaŋga > ɸaŋga sɸ- > ɸ- ON. sphanga > N. fang ✧ Ety/SPÁNAG
sɸanja > ɸanja sɸ- > ɸ- ᴹ√SPAN > N. fein ✧ Ety/SPAN
sɸanθur > ɸanθur sɸ- > ɸ- ᴹ✶Spanturo > N. Fennyr/Fennuir ✧ Ety/SPAN
sɸara- > ɸara- sɸ- > ɸ- ON. (s)pharóbe > N. faro ✧ Ety/SPAR
sɸaradīr > ɸaradīr sɸ- > ɸ- ᴹ√SPAR > N. feredir ✧ Ety/SPAR
sɸarasse > ɸarasse sɸ- > ɸ- ON. (s)pharasse > N. faras ✧ Ety/SPAR
sɸarma > ɸarma sɸ- > ɸ- ᴹ√SPAR² > N. farf ✧ EtyAC/SPAR²
sɸindele > ɸindele sɸ- > ɸ- ON. sphindéle > findel > N. finnel ✧ Ety/SPIN
sɸouna > ɸouna sɸ- > ɸ- ᴹ✶spāna > N. faun ✧ Ety/SPAN
sɸoura > ɸoura sɸ- > ɸ- ᴹ√SPAR² > N. faur ✧ EtyAC/SPAR²
sθabrondo > θabrondo sθ- > θ- ON. sthabro(ndo) > N. thavron ✧ Ety/STAB
sθalga > θalga sθ- > θ- ON. sthalga > N. thala ✧ Ety/STÁLAG
sθalgondi > θalgondi sθ- > θ- ᴹ✶stalgondō > N. thelyn ✧ Ety/STÁLAG
sθalgondo > θalgondo sθ- > θ- ᴹ✶stalgondō > N. thalion ✧ Ety/STÁLAG
sθambe > θambe sθ- > θ- ᴹ✶stambē > thamb > N. tham ✧ Ety/STAB
sθamne > θamne sθ- > θ- ON. sthamne > N. thafn ✧ Ety/STAB
sθanda > θanda sθ- > θ- ᴹ√STAN > thand > N. thann ✧ Ety/STAN
sθaŋga > θaŋga sθ- > θ- ᴹ✶stangā > N. thang ✧ Ety/STAG
sθaŋxa > θaŋxa sθ- > θ- ON. sthanka > N. thanc ✧ Ety/STAK
sθara > θara sθ- > θ- ᴹ√STAR > N. thâr ✧ Ety/STAR
sθarna > θarna sθ- > θ- ON. stharna > N. tharn ✧ Ety/STAR
sθelge > θelge sθ- > θ- ᴹ√STELEG > N. thela ✧ Ety/STELEG
sθinθa > θinθa sθ- > θ- ON. sthinta > N. thent ✧ Ety/STINTĀ
sθinθasse > θinθasse sθ- > θ- ᴹ√STINTĀ > N. thinnas ✧ Ety/STINTĀ
sθunda > θunda sθ- > θ- ᴹ√STUD > thund > N. thonn ✧ EtyAC/SUD