Q. [wo] became [o]; [wo-] > [o-]
Starting in the 1930s, the combination wo sometimes reduced o, but the exact conditions under which this change occurred are unclear. Tolkien gave nearly identical descriptions of this sound change in both the Outline of Phonetic Development [OP1] from the 1930s and the Outline of Phonology [OP2] from the 1950s:
Q. [lɣ], [rɣ] became [ll], [rr]; [lɣ|rɣ|{lr}ɣw] > [ll|rr|{lr}w]
As described in the Outline of Phonology [OP2] from the 1950s, the combinations rg, lg became rr, ll by time of Tarquesta [TQ], probably passing through lʒ, rʒ [lɣ, rɣ] in the process. However, this sound change only occurred in the Ñoldorin dialect of Quenya:
Q. spirants became stops after nasals; [mɸ|nθ|ŋx|nð] > [mp|nt|ŋk|nd]
In Quenya anytime a nasal came into contact with a voiceless spirant in the Parmaquesta [PQ] period, the spirant was restopped. Tolkien mentioned this development in both the Outline of Phonetic Development [OP1] from the 1930s and the Outline of Phonology [OP2] from the 1950s:
Q. spirants became stops after [r], [l]; [{rl}{ɸθxð}] > [{rl}{ptkd}]
After liquids r, l many spirants that arose from either aspirates or voiced stops once again became stops. Tolkien described these phonetic developments in several place in the Outline of Phonology [OP2] from the 1950s. For aspirates > voiceless spirants > voiceless stops after liquids:
Q. intervocalic [j] diphthongized after long vowel; [V̄jV] > [VijV]
In cases where j survived between vowels (specifically after long vowels), it expanded into ij to form a diphthong with the preceding vowel. Tolkien described this development in the Outline of Phonetic Development [OP1] from the 1930s:
Q. [ji], [wu] became [i], [u]; [ji|wu] > [i|u]
Q. [ei], [ou] generally became [ī], [ū]; [ei|ou] > [ī|ū]
The diphthongs ei, ou usually simplified to long ī, ū in Quenya. This change was not universal, however, and these diphthongs occasionally developed into other sounds, but the conditions under which the variant developments occurred as well as the resulting sounds gradually evolved throughout Tolkien’s life.
In the Early Qenya of the 1910s and 20s the common phonetic development was ei, ou > ai, au, such as:
This article is posted out of order. It should be a very ancient sound change, but I didn’t notice it was missing until after all the other Ancient Quenya Phonetics posts. The order will be fixed in the next release of Eldamo.
AQ. later [j], [w] became [i], [u] before consonants; [VjC|VwC] > [ViC|VuC]
