We have learned that the article i causes the so called lenition. The plural has also a definite article: in. This plural article causes what is called nasal mutation. This mutation occurs less frequent than lenition and causes different changes to the first consonant of the following word. In many cases the -n of the plural article is assimilated into the following word and changes its initial consonant.
In this excercise we will concentrate only on the definite plural article in as a cause for nasal mutation. Other words that cause nasal mutation are an (preposition for to, towards, for) and dan (preposition for against, back) and will be discussed later on.
Nasal mutation causes the following consonant changes:
p-, t- and c- become ph-, th- and ch-:
tobas (roofing, roof) - i dobas (the roof) - i themais (the roofs)
b- and d- become m- and n-, but dr- is not changed:
bereth (queen, spouse) - i vereth (the queen) - i merith (the queens)
drambor (clenched fist) - i dhrambor (the clenched fist) - in drembyr (the clenched fists)
g- becomes ng-, but the combinations gl -, gr- or gw-, stay unchanged:
garth (fortress) - i 'ardh (the fortress) - i ngarth (the fortresses)
glîr (song, peom, lay) - i 'lîr (the song) - in glîr (the songs)
h- and hw- become ch- and ’w-:
hammad (clothing) - i chammad (the clothing) - i chemmaid (the clothings)
hwest (breeze) - i chwest (the breeze) - i 'wist (the breezes)
f-, l-, m-, n-, s- and th- stay unchanged, but the article becomes i nevertheless:
mellon (friend) - i vellon (the friend) - i mellyn (the friends)
r- also stays unchanged, but the article may become idh:
randír (wanderer) - i randír (the wanderer) - idh rendír (the wanderers)
lh- and rh- become thl- and thr-:
lhoss (whisper, rustling sound) - i thloss (the whisper) - i thlyss (the whispers)
Caro in phith

Part I ~ Translate into Sindarin:
1) the Hobbits
2) the fields
3) the wooden platforms (as in the trees in Lothlorien)
4) the days (period of daylight)
5) the angles / corners
6) the falls (not the season)
7) the hammers
8) the stars
9) the (sea)gulls
10) the brothers
11) the faintnesses
12) the errors
13) the Valar
Part II ~ Translate the following from Sindarin into English or your mother tongue.
1) i thling
2) i feryth
3) idh rîw
4) i 'waind
5) i chennith
6) in graiw
7) i ngelaidh
8) in Drúedain
9) i naiw
10) i brethil
11) i chellyn
12) i thîw
13) i phaind
14) i mellyrn