✶Ad. [tʰ] ‹th›

✶Ad. [tʰ] ‹th›
Pronounced as English “t” but always aspirated (with a puff of air) as in English “tin”. Tolkien represented this sound with the digraph “th” as he generally did with aspirates (SD/416). In Classical Adûnaic it became the dental spirant [θ] which (somewhat confusingly) Tolkien also represented by “th” (SD/418).

References ✧ SD/416, 419, 421

Element In

Phonetic Development

✶Ad. stops became aspirates after aspirates {ptk}ʰtʰ < {ptk}ʰd ✧ SD/421 ([{ptk}ʰd] > [{ptk}ʰtʰ])
✶Ad. stops became aspirates after aspirates {ptk}ʰtʰ < {ptk}ʰt ✧ SD/421 ([{ptk}ʰt] > [{ptk}ʰtʰ])
Ad. aspirates became voiceless spirants > θ ✧ SD/418 (Th > Th); SD/419 (Th > Þ)