The prefix for singular “some” in Demonstrative, Relative, and Correlative Stems (DRC) from 1948 (PE23/99), used in formations like ᴹQ. umallume “some time” and ᴹQ. umas(se) “✱somewhere”. It is probably related to the interrogative root √MA, which is also the based for (later) ma “something”. See the entry on correlatives for further discussion.
Qenya
ma
adverb. interrogative particle
má
noun. hand
má
noun. land, region
má
what; when
mat-
verb. to eat
ma le·qente tana
did you say that?
tyulma
noun. mast
eane sasse maire ma
*there was a rose
uma-
prefix. some, a, a certain
-(u)ma
suffix. some, a, a certain
-ma
suffix. instrumental
atar·(u)ma
a certain father
e·kestane ma leqente tana
he asked if you (had) said that
-nen
suffix. instrumental
kala
noun. light
o-
prefix. together
taura
adjective. mighty
tekil
noun. pen
kalina
adjective. light
ve
preposition. with
wa-
prefix. together
@@@ ma may be indefinite marker = English “a”