Gloss “nai” by Eldamo Import
nai
adverb. maybe; be it that, may it be that; perhaps, it may be, there is a chance or possibility, maybe; be it that, may it be that; perhaps, it may be, there is a chance or possibility; [ᴱQ.] remoter possibility
Variations
- Nai ✧ LotR/0378; LotR/0378; RGEO/58; RGEO/58; RGEO/59; RGEO/59; UT/305; UT/317
- nái ✧ VT49/28
Derivations
Cognates
- S. aen “*should, could”
Element in
- Q. cenai “if it be that” ✧ VT49/19
- Q. nai amanya onnalya ter coivierya “*may your (sg.) child be blessed throughout his/her life” ✧ VT49/41
- Q. nai calambar onnalda ter coivierya “*may your (pl.) child be light-fated throughout his/her life” ✧ VT49/41
- Q. nai elen atta siluvat aurenna veryanwesto “*may two stars shine upon the day of your wedding” ✧ VT49/44; VT49/44
- Q. nai elen siluva lyenna “*may a star shine upon you” ✧ VT49/38
- Q. nai elen siluva parma-restalyanna meldonya “*may a star shine upon your book-fair, my friend” ✧ VT49/38
- Q. nai elyë hiruva. namárië! “maybe even thou shalt find it. farewell!” ✧ LotR/0378; PE17/075; RGEO/58
- Q. nai elyë hiruva. namárië! “be-it-that even you will find [it]. farewell!” ✧ RGEO/59
- Q. nai Eru tye mánata “God bless you” ✧ PE17/075
- Q. nai hirinyes “it may well chance for me to find it” ✧ PE22/151
- Q. nai laurë lantuva parmastanna lúmissen tengwiesto “may (a) golden light fall on your book at the times of your reading” ✧ VT49/47
- Q. nai lye hiruva airëa Amanar “may thee find a blessed Amanar [Yule]” ✧ Minor-Doc/1963-12-18
- Q. nai nin híres “it may well chance for me to find it” ✧ PE22/151
- Q. nai tiruvantes i hárar mahalmassen mi Númen “in the keeping of those who sit upon thrones of the West” ✧ UT/305
- Q. namárië! nai hiruvalyë Valimar “farewell! maybe thou shalt find Valimar” ✧ LotR/0378; RGEO/58
- Q. namárië! nai hiruvalyë Valimar “farewell! be-it-that you will find Valimar” ✧ RGEO/59
Elements
Word Gloss ná- “to be, to be, [ᴱQ.] exist” i “who, what, which, that” Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶nayi > nai [naji] > [nai] ✧ PE22/151
You are quick. Actually I wanted to delete my question, and I did so, but I still have a copy. So, for other readers, this was my question:
"Does that just mean "may" and has always to be combined with another verb? What about the phrase may be (not the word maybe (which is like perhaps), but the phrase, for instance in "may it be good")? Is the one word "nai" also that phrase?
At least the phrase "nai (...) nauva" sounds pretty unusual to me. By the way, I would rather prefer "nai (...) ná", for that is "may (...) be", while the other one is basically "may (...) become".
Anywhay, "nai (...) ná" sounds even more weird.
I'm asking because a sentence from the novel "The Swarm", by Frank Schätzing. Quoted from memory, Jack Greywolf sayed: "Leon, my live may be ridiculous, but you ... you are already dead."
I tried to translate this, and of course I could just use maybe or perhaps, as if he sayed "perhaps my live is (...)", but he did not, so I would like to have words which express may be."
I deleted it because at last I understood that "may (...) be" can have two meanings.
Firstly: "(...) shall become/happen",
Secondly: "maybe (...) is".
In the second case, maybe is a synonym of perhaps, and we have enough Quenya words for that.
The may-be-phrase of the Swarm has the second meaning and not a unique third one. I thought so, when I asked this first.