ala- (2) negative prefix "not", "un-", reduced to al- before a vowel (VT42:33, GALA, VT45:25), though the example Alcorin would suggest that al- can sometimes appear before a consonant as well. In a deleted entry in Etym, al(a)- was defined as "not" and said to be a "pure negative" (VT45:5). In alahasta, Alamanyar, alasaila, Alcorin.
Quenya
ala
not
ala-
not
ui
no
ui interjection "no" (originally an endingless negative verb in the 3rd person aorist: "it is not [so]"; see #u-). Apparently this is the word for "no" used to deny that something is true (compare vá, which is rather used to reject orders, or to issue negative orders). (VT49:28) Compare uito.
la
no, not
la negation "no, not" (see lá); also prefix la- as in lacarë, q.v. (VT45:25)
lá
no, not
lá (1) adv. "no, not" (LA, VT45:25) According to VT42:33, lá is the stressed form, alternating with la when the negation is unstressed. In another conceptual phase of Tolkien's, lá had the opposite meaning "yes" (VT42:32-33), but this idea is contradicted by both earlier and later material: usually lá is conceived as a negation. The negation can receive tense markers and be used as a negative verb "when [another] verb is not expressed" (VT49:13), apparently where the phrase "is not" is followed by a noun or an adjective as a predicate, or where some verb is understood, as in English "I do not" (i.e. "I do not do whatever the context indicates"). With pronominal endings la- in the aorist, e.g. lanyë "I do not, am not" (etc.) (Tolkien abandoned the form lamin.) Exemplified in the sentence melin sé apa lanyë hé *"I love him but I do not [love] him" (another person) (VT49:15). Present tense laia, past lánë, perfect alaië, future lauva.
lá
adverb. no, not
Derivations
- √LA “no, not; negative; not to be” ✧ PE22/153; VT42/33
Element in
- Q. ála “do not”
- Q. alasaila ná lá carë tai mo nave mára “it is unwise not to do what one judges good” ✧ PE22/154; VT42/33
- Q. itas la tuluvanyë “in that case I shan’t come (something will prevent me)” ✧ PE22/162
- Q. lá asanyë “I don’t wish to, I don’t agree” ✧ PE22/166
- Q. lá carita i hamil mára alasaila ná “not to do (in this case) what you judge good (would be) unwise” ✧ PE22/154; VT42/33
- Q. lá caritas alasaila cé nauva “not doing this may be/prove unwise” ✧ PE22/154; VT42/33
- Q. lá caritas, navin, alasaila ná “not doing this would be (I think) unwise” ✧ PE22/154; VT42/33
- Q. la navin caritalyas mára “I do not advise you to do so, (lit.) I don’t judge your doing (it) good” ✧ PE22/154; VT42/33
- Q. láquet- “to deny (fact or accusation); (lit.) to say ‘it is not’”
- Q. lá istan “I suppose so, I don’t know” ✧ PE22/158
- Q. quí(ta) la tuldes, nánë márië (nin) “[if he had not come], it was well to me (I was glad)” ✧ PE22/158
- Q. lasir “rather the reverse” ✧ VT49/18
- ᴺQ. yola “neither, nor”
- ᴺQ. yúla “neither, nor”
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √ALA > lā [lā] ✧ PE22/153 √ala > la [lā] ✧ VT42/33 Variations
- lā ✧ PE22/153; VT49/13
- la ✧ PE22/154; PE22/158 (la); PE22/160; PE22/162; VT42/33; VT49/18
- lá ✧ PE22/154; PE22/158; PE22/160; PE22/161; PE22/166; PE22/166; VT42/33; VT42/33
lá-
verb. to not be
Changes
lamin→ lanye ✧ VT49/13Derivations
Element in
- Q. ála “do not” ✧ VT43/22
- Q. epetai i hyarma ú ten ulca símaryassen “consequently the left hand was not to them evil in their imaginations” ✧ VT49/13
- ᴺQ. laitë “false”
- Q. melin sé apa lanyë hé “I love him but not him (the other)” ✧ VT49/15
- Q. melinyes apa la hé “I love him but not him (the other)” ✧ VT49/15
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶lā > lanye [lanye] ✧ PE22/153 ✶lājā > laia [lājā] > [laijā] > [laija] > [laia] ✧ PE22/153 √(A)LA > lā- [lā-] ✧ PE22/156 √ala > lá [lā-] ✧ VT42/33 √ala > lā [lā-] ✧ VT49/13 ✶lājā > laia [lājā] > [laijā] > [laija] > [laia] ✧ VT49/13 Variations
- la ✧ PE22/154; VT43/22; VT49/15
- lā- ✧ PE22/156
- lá ✧ VT42/33; VT49/13; VT49/13
- lā ✧ VT49/13
- lamin ✧ VT49/13 (
lamin)
il-
verb. no, *un-
il- (prefix) "no, *un-" (LA); cf. ilfirin "immortal" (vs. firin "dead"). This prefix "denotes the opposite, the reversal, i.e. more than the mere negation" (VT42:32). But il- can also mean "all, every"; see ilaurëa, ilqua, ilquen.
la-
prefix. not, in-, un-
Derivations
- √LA “no, not; negative; not to be”
Element in
- Q. lacalima “not possible to be kindled (made to shine)” ✧ PE22/155
- Q. lacaltaima “not possible to be kindled” ✧ PE22/155
- Q. lacaraitë “impossible, *inactive; impossible”
- Q. lacarë “not-doing, inaction”
- ᴺQ. lacárima “not feasible, impossible”
- Q. lacárima “not feasible, impossible” ✧ PE22/153
- Q. lacarina “undone, undone, *unfinished” ✧ PE22/156
- Q. lacenítë “unseeing, blind” ✧ PE22/153
- ᴺQ. lahlaraitë “deaf, (lit.) unable to hear”
- Q. laista “ignorance, (lit.) not-knowing” ✧ PE22/153
- ᴺQ. lalevítë “lame”
- Q. lamate “fasting, a fast”
- Q. lamélima “unlovable” ✧ PE22/156
- ᴺQ. lanéya “recently, not long ago”
- Q. lanotoitë “innumerable”
- ᴺQ. latanca “unsure, insecure”
- ᴺQ. lavéla “different, dissimilar”
Variations
- la ✧ PE22/153; PE22/153 (la)
- lă ✧ PE22/156 (lă)
pen
without, not having
[pen prep. "without, not having" (PE17:171). Cf. Ú #1.]
nec-
without, -less
nec- prefix "without, -less" (PE17:167), cf. -enca, q.v.
nec-
prefix. without
Derivations
- √NEK “divide, separate, part; deprive” ✧ PE17/167
Element in
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √NEK > nec- [nek-] ✧ PE17/167
-enca
without, -less
-enca suffix "without, -less" (PE17:167), cf. nec-, q.v.
au-
without
au- (3) privative prefix, = "without" (AWA)
ava-
without
ava- (3) prefix "without" (AR2, AWA). In some cases apparently used as a mere negation prefix: The form avalerya in VT41:6 is seemingly a negated form of the verb lerya- "release, set free"; the verb avalerya- is suggested to have the same meaning as the root KHAP = "bind, make fast, restrain, deprive of liberty". Likewise, the verb avalatya- from the same source seems to mean "to close, shut", this being a negated form of a verb *latya- "open" (q.v.)
lala
no indeed not, on the contrary
lala (3) negation "no indeed not, on the contrary" ("also used for asking incredulous questions") (LA)
lau
no indeed not, on the contrary
lau negation "no indeed not, on the contrary" ("also used for asking incredulous questions") (LA)
laumë
no indeed not, on the contrary
laumë < lá umë negation "no indeed not, on the contrary" ("also used for asking incredulous questions")This is a combination of the negation lá "not" and the negative verb umë "is not, does not" (LA)
lá umë
no indeed not, on the contrary
lá umë > laumë negation "no indeed not, on the contrary" ("also used for asking incredulous questions"). This is a combination of the negation lá "not" and the negative verb umë "is not, does not" (LA)
al(a)-
prefix. in-, un-, not; †-less, without
Cognates
- S. al- “no, not”
Derivations
- √LA “no, not; negative; not to be” ✧ PE22/153; VT42/33
Element in
- ᴺQ. alacénima “invisible”
- ᴺQ. alacestaima “unsearchable”
- ᴺQ. alacestima “unsearchable”
- ᴺQ. alafasta “tidy, orderly”
- Q. alahasta “unmarred”
- ᴺQ. alahastaima “incorruptable”
- ᴺQ. alahastima “incorruptable”
- Q. alahen “eyeless” ✧ PE22/153
- ᴺQ. alahírima “unfindable, impossible to find”
- ᴺQ. alaica “blunt”
- ᴺQ. alairë “unholy”
- ᴺQ. alaloitala “unfailing”
- ᴺQ. alalunga “light, unheavy”
- ᴺQ. alamára “no-good”
- ᴺQ. alanancárima “indestructible”
- ᴺQ. alapálima “unshakable”
- ᴺQ. alapihta “unshrunk”
- ᴺQ. alapulúna “unleavened, unfermented”
- Q. alasaila “unwise”
- ᴺQ. alasóvinë “unwashed”
- ᴺQ. alavahtaina “undefiled”
- ᴺQ. alavistaima “unchangeable”
- ᴺQ. alavistima “unchangeable”
- Q. aleldarin “unelvish” ✧ PE22/156
- Q.
aleldarinwa“unElvish” ✧ PE22/156 (aleldarinwa)- ᴺQ. allumë “never”
- ᴺQ. alquen “nobody, no one”
- ᴺQ. alaquen “nobody, no one”
- Q. lacaraitë “impossible, inactive; impossible” ✧ PE22/156 (
alákăraite*)- Q. lanotoitë “innumerable” ✧ PE22/156 (
alánŏtoite)- ᴺQ. alavéla “different, various [pl.]”
- Q. Alamanyar “(Elves) Not of Aman” ✧ PE22/156
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √ALA > al [al-] ✧ PE22/153 √ala > ala [ala-] ✧ VT42/33 Variations
- al ✧ PE22/153; PE22/153; PE22/153
- ala- ✧ PE22/153
- ala ✧ PE22/153; PE22/156; PE22/160; PE22/160; VT42/33
- al- ✧ VT42/33
lacaraite
adjective. impossible
lacaraitë
adjective. impossible, *inactive; impossible
Changes
alákăraite→ lắkăraite “impossible” ✧ PE22/156Elements
Word Gloss la- “not, in-, un-” caraitë “active, busy, active, busy; [ᴹQ.] able to make, handy, crafty, craftsmanlike, skilled” Variations
- lắkăraite ✧ PE22/156
- alákăraite ✧ PE22/156 (
alákăraite)
ú
without, destitute of
ú (1) adv. and prep. "without, destitute of" (VT39:14). Usually followed by genitive: ú calo "without light" (cala). In one source, ú is seemingly also used as a negative verb "was not" (VT49:13), but Tolkien revised the text in question.
ú-
prefix. no, not, un-, in-; hard, difficult, bad, uneasy; hardly, with difficulty, ‘badly’
Cognates
- S. ú- “no, not, negative; impossible, no, not, negative; impossible; [N.] bad-” ✧ PE17/062
Derivations
Element in
- ᴺQ. úpuhta- “to fornicate”
- ᴺQ. úhep- “to lose, (lit.) to un-keep”
- ᴺQ. únet- “to lose, (lit.) to un-get”
- Q. úcalima “dim, murky, dim, murky, *not bright” ✧ PE22/156
- Q. úcar- “*to trespass, do wrong, sin”
- Q. úcarë “*sin, debt, trespass”
- Q. úcárima “hard to do, difficult” ✧ PE22/156
- Q. úcarnë “not red” ✧ PE22/152
- ᴺQ. úcim- “disregard”
- ᴺQ. úfailië “unrighteousness”
- Q. úfantima “not concealable”
- Q. úfanwëa “not veiled, unveiled”
- ᴺQ. úhandë “unreason, incomprehension”
- Q. úχarin “unmarred” ✧ PE17/150
- Q. Úlairi “Ring-wraiths, (lit.) ?Un-living, Un-summer”
- ᴺQ. úlaita- “to dishonour”
- ᴺQ. úlévima “paralyzed, lame”
- Q. Úmaiar “Evil Spirits”
- Q. úmaitë “clumsy(-handed), unskilled”
- Q. Úmaneldi “*Elves not of Aman”
- Q. Úmanyar “Those not of Aman”
- Q. úmara “bad, ill-used, evil, sinister” ✧ VT49/15
- Q. úmárë “not good = evil” ✧ PE22/152
- Q. únat “thing impossible to be or to be done”
- Q. únehta “*atom”
- Q. Úner “Noman” ✧ UT/211
- Q. únotë(a) “not counted, uncounted” ✧ PE17/143; VT39/14
- Q. únótima “numberless, innumerable, countless, difficult/impossible to count” ✧ PE17/062; PE17/063; PE17/143; PE22/156; PE22/160; VT39/14; VT42/33
- ᴺQ. únut- “to untie”
- Q. únyárima “impossible to recount”
- Q. úpa “dumb [unable to speak]”
- Q. úpahtëa “speechless”
- ᴺQ. úpoica “unclean”
- ᴺQ. úqua “nothing”
- ᴺQ. úquen “nobody, no one”
- Q. úquétima “unspeakable, impossible to say or put into words, unpronounceable”
- Q. úsahtië “inducement to do wrong, *temptation”
- Q. úsië “on the contrary” ✧ VT49/18
- Q. úsir “on the contrary” ✧ VT49/18
- ᴺQ. útancië “uncertainty”
- ᴺQ. útulya- “to mislead”
- ᴺQ. útúrima “unruly”
- Q. úvana “marred”
- Q. úvanë(a) “without beauty”
- Q. úvanima “not fair, ugly; hard to call beautiful, hideous” ✧ PE17/143; PE22/156; VT39/14
- Q. úvanimo “monster, corrupt or evil creature”
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √UG > ú [ugu-] > [uɣu-] > [ū-] ✧ PE22/160 √û > ú [ū-] ✧ VT42/33 Variations
- ū- ✧ PE17/062; PE17/144; PE22/152; PE22/156
- ū ✧ PE22/156; PE22/167; VT44/04
- ú ✧ PE22/160; VT42/33
- Ú- ✧ UT/211 (Ú-)
ala, #ála (1) imperative particle á, a combined with the negation lá, -la "not" to express a prohibition (VT43:22; see lá #1). Also with 1st person suffix -lyë (alalyë and álalyë, VT43:10, 22, VT44:8) and 1st person pl. object suffix -më (alamë and álamë, "do not [do something to] us", as in álamë tulya, "do not lead us", VT43:12, 22). In the essay Quendi and Eldar, negative imperatives are rather indicated by áva, q.v., but this form can well coexist with ala, #ála.