Background
With the exception of
Doriathrin, Sindarin adopted some Quenya features after the return of the
Noldor, as well as unique sound changes devised by the Noldor (who loved
changing languages).
"It was the Noldor who
in fact stabilized and made improvements to the "Common Sindarin" of
the days of the Wars, and it was based on West Sindarin. The old North dialect
practically died out except in place names as Dorlomin, Hithlum, etc. but for a
few scattered and hidden clans of the old Northern group and except in so far
as adopted by the Fëanorians, who had moved east. So that in the days of the Wars, Sindarin was really divided
into "West Sindarin" (including all the Noldor of Finrod and Fingon),
"East Sindarin" (of the North dialect) was only preserved by the
house of Feanor; and "Central" or Doriath."
In the hidden city of
Gondolin, an isolated land, a peculiar dialect developed: "This differed
from the standard (of Doriath) (a) in having Western and some Northern
elements, and (b) in incorporating a good many Noldorin-Quenya words in more a
less Sindarized forms. Thus the city was usually called Gondolin (from Q.
Ondolin(dë)) with simple replacement of g-, not Goenlin or Goenglin [as it
would have been in standard Sindarin]"
In
the Second and Third Age
'Beleriandic' Sindarin as a
lingua franca of all Elves, and many Men, and as the language of the Noldor in
exile was based on Western Sindarin, but was strongly influenced by Doriathrin.
During the Second Age Sindarin was a lingua franca for all Elves and their
friends, until it was displaced for Men by Westron, which arose in the Third
Age as a language heavily influenced by Sindarin. In Gondor at the end of the Third Age, Sindarin was still
spoken daily by a few noble Men in the city Minas Tirith. Aragorn, raised in
Imladris, spoke it fluently.
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