@@@ The gloss “any” was suggested by Tamas Ferencz and Robert Reynolds based on aiquen “if anybody, whoever”. NQNT also uses aiquen in the sense “anybody”.
Quenya
kwí
maybe, perhaps
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
Cognates
- S. aen “*should, could”
Derivations
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 Variations
- Nai ✧ LotR/0378; LotR/0378; RGEO/58; RGEO/58; RGEO/59; RGEO/59; UT/305; UT/317
- nái ✧ VT49/28
ai
adverb. supposing, suppose, maybe, supposing, suppose, maybe; *any
Cognates
- S. aen “*should, could”
Derivations
- ✶ai “supposing” ✧ PE22/139
Element in
- ᴺQ. ailumë “anytime”
- ᴺQ. aima “anything, whatever”
- ᴺQ. aiqua “anything, whatever”
- ᴺQ. aimanen “however”
- ᴺQ. ainima “any kind of”
- ᴺQ. ainomë “anyplace, anywhere”
- Q.
(ai)que kestanellen, (ai) tullenye“if you had asked me, I should have come” ✧ PE22/138 ({(au)que >>} (ai)que kestanellen, (ai) tullenye); PE22/138 ({(au)que >>} (ai)que kestanellen, (ai) tullenye)- Q. aiquen “if anybody, whoever, if anybody, whoever, [ᴺQ.] anybody”
- ᴺQ. aitë “of some sort, of any sort”
- Q. [[q|aite[?] kestallen]] “now, suppose, you ask me” ✧ PE22/138
- Q. [[q|aite[?] kestuvallen, tuluvanye]] “now supposing you asked me, a thing unlikely {or ridiculous} to suppose...” ✧ PE22/138
- Q.
ai tulinye sinar (entan)“I may come today (tomorrow)” ✧ PE22/138 (ai tulinye sinar (entan))- Q.
ai tuluvanye“I may come” ✧ PE22/138 (ai tuluvanye)- ᴺQ. ailumë “sometimes, at times”
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶ai > ai [ai] ✧ PE22/139 Variations
- ai ✧ PE22/138
cenai
if it be that
cenai ("k") conj. "if it be that" (VT49:19). This word presupposes ce = "if"; other sources rather make qui the word for "if", whereas ce or cé is used = "maybe".
nai
be it that
nai (1) imperative verb "be it that", used with a verb (usually in the future tense) to express a wish. The translation "maybe" in Tolkien's rendering of Namárië is somewhat misleading; he used "be it that" in the interlinear translation in RGEO:67. Apparently this is na as the imperative "be!" with a suffix -i "that", cf. i #3. It can be used with the future tense as an "expression of wish" (VT49:39). Nai hiruvalyë Valimar! Nai elyë hiruva! "May thou find Valimar. May even thou find it!" (Nam, VT49:39). Nai tiruvantes "be it that they will guard it" > "may they guard it" (CO). Nai elen siluva parma-restalyanna "may a star shine upon your book-fair" (VT49:38), nai elen siluva lyenna "may a star shine upon you" (VT49:40), nai elen atta siluvat aurenna veryanwesto "may two stars shine upon the day of your wedding" (VT49:42-45), nai laurë lantuva parmastanna lúmissen tengwiesto "may (a) golden light fall on your book at the times of your reading" (VT49:47). Nai may also be used with a present continuative verb if an ongoing situation is wished for: Nai Eru lye mánata "God bless you" (VT49:39) or literally "be it that God is (already) blessing you". The phrase nai amanyaonnalya "be it that your child [will be] blessed" omits any copula; Tolkien noted that "imper[ative] of wishes precedes adj." (VT49:41). VT49:28 has the form nái for "let it be that"; Patrick Wynne theorizes that nái is actually an etymological form underlying nai (VT49:36)
cenai
conjunction. if it be that
Variations
- kenai ✧ VT49/19
kwí, kwíta, particle indicating uncertainty (evidently like English "maybe, perhaps"). We would expect the spelling quí, quíta (VT42:34). See cé (which form is perhaps to be preferred)