polin quetë

I can speak, I am able to speak

Elements

Word	Gloss
pol-	“can, to be able to”
quet-	“to say, speak, tell, to say, speak, tell, [ᴱQ.] talk”

Variations

• polin quete ✧ PE17/181; VT41/06

quet-

say, speak

quet- vb. "say, speak" (SA:quen-/quet-, LT2:348), sg. aorist quetë in VT41:11 and VT49:19 (spelt "qete" in the latter source), not to be confused with the infinitival aorist stem in the example polin quetë "I can speak" (VT41:6); pl. aorist quetir in VT49:10-11, present tense quéta in VT41:13, pa.t. quentë in PM:401, 404, apparent gerund quetië in VT49:28 (by Tolkien translated as "words", but more literally evidently *"speaking"). Imperative in the command queta Quenya! "speak Quenya!" (PE17:138), see Quenya regarding the meaning of this phrase. The same verb is translated "tell" in the sentence órenya quetë nin "my heart tells me" (VT41:15). Cf. also #maquet-

pol-

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)

lerta-

can

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)

ped-

say

_ v. _say. Q. quĕt-. >> pedo

pol-

verb. can

ped

say

ped- (i **bêd**, i phedir) (speak), pa.t. pent (attested in mutated form -phent); the imperative pedo is also attested.

ped

say

(i bêd, i phedir) (speak), pa.t. pent (attested in mutated form -phent); the imperative pedo is also attested.