kwi

root. suppose

A root Tolkien introduced in the late 1960s with the gloss “suppose”, appearing beside √KE “maybe” (PE22/158). It also had an extended (verbal) form √KWIS “inquire, suppose” in this same document. This late root may have been a restoration of much earlier ᴱ√IQI “request, ask for” from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, whose derivatives had to do with requests and requirements (QL/43).

The roots √KWI and √KE were in competition in the late 1960s as the basis for “if” words in hypthotheticals; see the entry on √KE/EKE for these alternatives.

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin I think it is best to use √KWI for “if” and √KE for “maybe”; I also think √KWI(S) “inquire” can be used to justify the restoration of some of the derivatives of early ᴱ√IQI, via a hypothetical Neo-Eldarin root ᴺ√IKWI(S) “request, ask for”.

Derivatives

• Q. qui “if” ✧ PE22/158; VT49/19
• Q. quiquië “whenever”
• ᴺS. pi “if”

Element in

• √KWIS “inquire, suppose”

Variations

• KWI- ✧ PE22/158
• kwi- ✧ VT49/19