lerta- vb. "can" in the sense "be free to do", being under no restraint (physical or other). Lertan quetë "I can speak (because I am free to do so, there being no obstacle of promise, secrecy, or duty)". Where the absence of a physical restraint is considered, this verb can be used in much the same sense as pol- (VT41:6)
Quenya
pol-
can
pol-
verb. can, to be able to
Cognates
- ᴺS. pol- “can, to be able to”
Derivations
- √POL “can, have physical power and ability; large, big (strong); pound up, break up small, reduce to powder, can, have physical power and ability; large, big (strong); [ᴹ√] physically strong, [ᴱ√] have stength; [√] pound up, break up small, reduce to powder” ✧ PE17/181; VT41/06
Element in
- ᴺQ. polëa “able”
- ᴺQ. polië “ability”
- Q. polin quetë “I can speak, I am able to speak” ✧ PE17/181; VT41/06
- ᴺQ. polta- “to (physically) enable”
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √POL > polin [pol-] ✧ PE17/181
lerta-
can
pol- (1) vb. "can" = have physical power and ability, as in polin quetë "I can speak (because mouth and tongue are free)". Cf. ista-, lerta- as verbs "can" with somewhat different shades of meaning. (VT41:6, PE17:181)