Megil in compounds

Hey all, finnish Sindarin would-like-to-some-day-be-expert here, this is the first time I'm posting here (and it's only because I can't find the answer anywhere)! I'm currently making a bunch of sindarin compounds. But doing so apparently induces headache in the aspiring learner thanks to all the unclearness left in Sindarin.

In short, I'm confused about the word "megil" in compounds, as sometimes it turns to vegil (like in Arvegil) and sometimes is stays as megil (like in mormegil). So when is it megil and when is it vegil and why?

(also, I'd like to hear the Parf Edhellen experts' opinion on the site I use to make the compounds: sindarinlessons.weebly.com (lessons 36 and 37))

Hello Forestel. Welcome!

It is understandable that you are confused with compounds. There are numerous reasons why you see it as vegil (soft mutation) and megil that was to with the Phonetic Rules that compounds go through. Here eldamo.org. That was is due to middle consonants frequently vanished in clusters. So the "n" is lost. At least that is how it appears to me. I am not an expert. LOL

I would advise not using weebly it is not reliable. What names where you thinking?

Thanks for replying so fast!

So how inaccurate excactly are the tables provided in the weebly lesson 36? And are there any other easy-to-use tables/articles for creating compounds or do I have to try and find the information scattered about?

As for the megil-related names, I got these by (somewhat) following the weebly tables:

• Tar-Calwegil (cal+megil) (I'm aware that "Tar-" is a quenya element but trust me it makes sense in the context)
• Ered Megil

Also, in names that begin with Tar- or Ar-, is the Tar-/Ar- a part of the compound even though it's spelled with a hyphen in between?

You bet! No real easy to use tables/articles as it is one of the more intricate parts of Sindarin with it being a fusional language. While some things lesson may be correct others are not. As they ignore some of the rules. Best bet is to start at the basics, then what I did was start dissecting attested compounds to learn how they are formed and what rules where used in creating them.

See here is an example cal + megil Assuming you are using < √KAL “light; shine, be bright” + megil rule 61 non-initial [m] usually became [v] so it would be Calvegil. Now you have ᴺS. !tar- v. “to stand” so that would be Stand Light Sword. At least to me anyways. Compounds are seldom made of three words.

Ered Megil "Mountains of sword(s)"? Hard to tell because sword is the same in both singular and plural.

Well, guess I'll just have to learn things the harder way (which may yet be more satisfying in the end).

The meaning of the name was indeed supposed to be "light sword" with the quenya prefix tar- to denote that they were a king (again, the quenya usage makes more sense with the context).

As for Ered Megil, it is indeed meant as a translation of "sword mountains".

Note that the proper Sindarin plural of orod "mountain" is in fact eryd. The form ered is a Gondorian one.