Ilk. voiced stops spirantalized after vowels; [V{bdg}] > [V{vðɣ}]

Ilk. voiced stops spirantalized after vowels; [V{bdg}] > [V{vðɣ}]

In notes for the Comparative Tables, Tolkien said that “in Ilk[orin] ... voiced stops became spirantal medially” (PE19/24), a change that also appeared in the tables themselves (PE19/23). This change was also the rule in Noldorin. From the examples in The Etymologies, it is clear this change occurred consistently after vowels. Some clear examples are: ᴹ✶tubnā > Ilk. tovon (Ety/TUB), ᴹ✶wedā > Ilk. gwedh [gweð] (Ety/WED) and ᴹ✶tūgu > tūgh [tūɣ] > Ilk. tû (Ety/TUG).

It seems likely that this change occurred before [z] became [i] before voiced stops, since the presence of a primitive [z] in this position meant that a primitive voiced stop was preserved, for example: ᴹ✶mizdē > Ilk. mîd (Ety/MIZD) or ᴹ✶mazgē > Ilk. maig¹ (Ety/MASAG).

Reference ✧ PE19/24

Order (04300)

After 00500 voiceless stops were voiced before nasals ᴹ✶yatmā > Dor. aðum EtyAC/YAT
After 01800 second unstressed short vowel of same quality lost ᴹ√GÁLAD > Dor. gald Ety/GALAD
After 04200 [g] vocalized before [m], [n] ᴹ✶kuʒnā > kogna > coun > Ilk. caun Ety/KUƷ
Before 04400 voiceless stops voiced after vowels ᴹ✶atar > Ilk. adar Ety/ATA
Before 04500 [z] became [i] before voiced stops ᴹ✶mizdē > Dor. mīd
ᴹ✶mazgē > Ilk. maig		 Ety/MIZD
Ety/MASAG
Before 05200 later [ei], [ou] became [ē], [au] ᴹ✶kuʒnā > kogna > coun > Ilk. caun Ety/KUƷ
Before 05900 [ɣ] vanished ᴹ✶tūgu > tūgh > Ilk. tū Ety/TUG
Before 06200 final [ð] became [θ] ᴹ✶rǭda > rōdh > Dor. rōth Ety/ROD

Phonetic Rule Elements

[Vb] > [Vv] ✧ PE19/23 (-b- > -v-)
[Vd] > [Vð] ✧ PE19/23 (-d- > -ð-)
[Vg] > [Vɣ]

Phonetic Rule Examples

neba > neva Vb > Vv ᴹ√NIB > Dor. nef ✧ Ety/NIB
nibno > nivno Vb > Vv ᴹ√NIB > Dor. nivon ✧ Ety/NIB
nibon > nivon Vb > Vv ᴹ√NIB > Dor. nivon ✧ Ety/RAD
nibra- > nivra- Vb > Vv ᴹ√NIB > Dor. nivra- ✧ Ety/NIB
tobna > tovna Vb > Vv ᴹ✶tubnā > Ilk. tovon ✧ Ety/TUB
θabno > θavno Vb > Vv ᴹ✶stabnō > Ilk. thavon ✧ Ety/STAB
utubno > utuvno Vb > Vv ᴹ✶Utubnu > Ilk. Uduvon ✧ Ety/TUB
adme > aðme Vd > Vð ᴹ✶yatmā > Dor. aðum ✧ EtyAC/YAT
gweda > gweða Vd > Vð ᴹ✶wedā > Ilk. gweð ✧ Ety/WED
radon > raðon Vd > Vð ᴹ√RAD > Dor. radhon ✧ Ety/RAD
rōda > rōða Vd > Vð ᴹ✶rǭda > rōdh > Dor. rōth ✧ Ety/ROD
roda > roða Vd > Vð ᴹ✶roda > rodh > Dor. roth ✧ EtyAC/ROD
-g- > -ɣ- Vg > Vɣ ᴹ✶-g- > Ilk. - ✧ PE19/23
-gi- > -ɣi- Vg > Vɣ ᴹ✶-gj- > Ilk. -ı̯- ✧ PE19/23
-gw- > -ɣw- Vg > Vɣ ᴹ✶-gw- > Ilk. -w- ✧ PE19/23
tūgo > tūɣo Vg > Vɣ ᴹ✶tūgu > tūgh > Ilk. tū ✧ Ety/TUG