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In transcribing the ancient scripts I have tried to represent the original sounds (so far as they can be determined) with fair accuracy, and at the same time to produce words and names that do not look uncouth in modern letters. The High-elven Quenya has been spelt as much like Latin as its sounds allowed. For this reason c has been preferred to k in both Eldarin languages.

The following points may be observed by those who are interested in such details.

CONSONANTS

C has always the value of k even before e and i: celeb ‘silver’ should be pronounced as keleb .

CH is only used to represent the sound heard in bach (in German or Welsh), not that in English church. Except at the end of words and before t this sound was weakened to h in the speech of Gondor, and that change has been recognized in a few names, such as Rohan, Rohirrim. (Imrahil is a Númenórean name.)

DH represents the voiced (soft) th of English these clothes. It is usually related to d, as in S. galadh ‘tree’ compared with Q. alda; but is sometimes derived from n+r, as in Caradhras ‘Redhorn’ from caranrass .

F represents f, except at the end of words, where it is used to represent the sound of v (as in English of): Nindalf, Fladrif .

G has only the sound of g in give, get: gil ‘star’, in Gildor, Gilraen, Osgiliath, begins as in English gild .

H standing alone with no other consonant has the sound of h in house, behold. The Quenya combination ht has the sound of cht, as in German echt, acht: e.g. in the name Telumehtar ‘Orion’. 1 See also CH, DH, L, R, TH, W, Y.

I initially before another vowel has the consonantal sound of y in you, yore in Sindarin only: as in Ioreth, Iarwain . See Y.

K is used in names drawn from other than Elvish languages, with the same value as c; kh thus represents the same sound as ch in Orkish Grishnákh, or Adûnaic (Númenórean) Adûnakhôr . On Dwarvish (Khuzdul) see note below.

L represents more or less the sound of English initial l, as in let. It was, however, to some degree ‘palatalized’ between e, i and a consonant, or finally after e, i. (The Eldar would probably have transcribed English bell, fill as beol, fiol.) LH represents this sound when voiceless (usually derived from initial sl-). In (archaic) Quenya this is written hl, but was in the Third Age usually pronounced as l .

NG represents ng in finger, except finally where it was sounded as in English sing. The latter sound also occurred initially in Quenya, but has been transcribed n (as in Noldo ), according to the pronunciation of the Third Age.

PH has the same sound as f. It is used (a) where the f-sound occurs at the end of a word, as in alph ‘swan’; (b) where the f-sound is related to or derived from a p, as in i-Pheriannath ‘the Halflings’ (perian); (c) in the middle of a few words where it represents a long ff (from pp) as in Ephel ‘outer fence’; and (d) in Adûnaic and Westron, as in Ar-Pharazôn (pharaz ‘gold’).

QU has been used for cw , a combination very frequent in Quenya, though it did not occur in Sindarin.

R represents a trilled r in all positions; the sound was not lost before consonants (as in English part). The Orcs, and some Dwarves, are said to have used a back or uvular r, a sound which the Eldar found distasteful. RH represents a voiceless r (usually derived from older initial sr-). It was written hr in Quenya. Cf. L.

S is always voiceless, as in English so, geese; the z-sound did not occur in contemporary Quenya or Sindarin. SH, occurring in Westron, Dwarvish and Orkish, represents sounds similar to sh in English.

TH represents the voiceless th of English in thin cloth. This had become s in spoken Quenya, though still written with a different letter; as in Q. Isil, S. Ithil , ‘Moon’.

TY represents a sound probably similar to the t in English tune. It was derived mainly from c or t+y. The sound of English ch , which was frequent in Westron, was usually substituted for it by speakers of that language. Cf. HY under Y.

V has the sound