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Q. ná- v. (irregular-verb) “to be” (Category: Be)

Q. ná-, v. (irregular-verb) “to be, ⚠️[ᴱQ.] exist” (Category: Be)

The basic Quenya verb for “to be”, based on the root √ (PE17/93). It was typically used as the copula equating a noun to another noun or an adjective:

√NA joining adjs./nouns/pronouns in statements (or wishes) asserting (or desiring) a thing to have a certain quality, or to be the same as another (PE22/147).

In many circumstances this verb was optional:

As a copula “be, is” is not usually expressed in Quenya where the meaning is clear: sc. in such expressions as “A is good” where the adjective (contrary to the usual order in Quenya of a qualifying adjective) follows: the normal Quenya for this is A mára (PE17/93).

For further discussion see the entry on the Quenya copula.

Conceptual Development: This verb dates back all the way to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, where it was given as the early root ᴱ√ “be, exist” (QL/64). This verb and its root appeared regularly throughout Tolkien’s writings thereafter, but at times Tolkien considered alternative verbs for “to be”; see the entry ëa- for further discussion.

References ✧ LotR/377; Minor-Doc/1955-CT; PE17/57-59, 74, 90, 93, 126, 162; PE22/154, 158, 166-168; RGEO/58-60; VT42/33-34; VT43/13-16, 23, 30, 34; VT44/34; VT49/9-10, 19, 23, 27-30

Glosses

Variations

Related

Changes

Inflections

na aorist   ✧ VT43/16; VT49/27
na aorist “*art” ✧ VT43/30
nain aorist 1st-sg   ✧ VT49/27
naitye aorist 2nd-sg-familiar   ✧ VT49/27
nailye aorist 2nd-sg-polite   ✧ VT49/27
nalye aorist 2nd-sg-polite “*art thou” ✧ VT43/30
nas aorist 3rd-sg “he is” ✧ PE17/126
nās aorist 3rd-sg “it is” ✧ VT49/30
nar aorist plural   ✧ VT43/34
năr aorist plural   ✧ VT49/30
nát dual   ✧ VT49/30
nauva future “will be” ✧ PE22/154; PE22/168; VT42/34
nauva future   ✧ VT49/19; VT49/27
uva future   ✧ VT49/30
nauvan future 1st-sg   ✧ VT49/19
na imperative “be” ✧ PE17/59
na imperative “*(let it) be” ✧ VT44/34
imperative   ✧ VT49/28: imp.
á na imperative “be!” ✧ PE17/58
náne past “was” ✧ PE22/158; VT49/27
náne past “was” ✧ PE22/158
nāne past   ✧ VT49/27; VT49/27
past   ✧ VT49/28; VT49/30; VT49/30
anen past 1st-sg   ✧ VT49/28
anel past 2nd-sg   ✧ VT49/28
anes past 3rd-sg   ✧ VT49/28
nése past 3rd-sg “he was” ✧ VT49/29
nēse past 3rd-sg   ✧ VT49/28
nēt past dual   ✧ VT49/30
náner past plural   ✧ VT49/10
nāner past plural “were” ✧ VT49/9
nēr past plural   ✧ VT49/30
anaie perfect   ✧ VT49/27; VT49/27
anáye perfect   ✧ VT49/27
nár plural “are” ✧ PE22/166
nár plural “are/were” ✧ VT49/9
nár plural   ✧ VT49/30
nār plural   ✧ VT49/9
na present “be” ✧ PE17/59
present   ✧ VT49/27; VT49/30
(nalme?) present 1st-pl-exclusive   ✧ VT49/27
nalme present 1st-pl-exclusive   ✧ VT49/30
nanye present 1st-sg   ✧ VT49/30
nánye present 1st-sg   ✧ VT49/27
na-tye present 2nd-sg-familiar   ✧ VT49/27
na-lye present 2nd-sg-polite   ✧ VT49/27
nalye present 2nd-sg-polite   ✧ VT49/30
nasse present 3rd-sg   ✧ VT49/30
nās(e) present 3rd-sg   ✧ VT49/27
na subjunctive “*be” ✧ VT43/14; VT43/15
na subjunctive “let it be” ✧ VT43/14
na subjunctive   ✧ VT43/14; VT43/23
subjunctive   ✧ VT43/14

Element In

Cognates

Derivations

Phonetic Developments

> [nā] ✧ PE17/93

ᴹQ. ná- v. (irregular-verb) “to be” (Category: Be)

References ✧ Ety/NĀ²; PE22/96

Glosses

Variations

Inflections

past “was” ✧ PE22/96

Derivations

Phonetic Developments

ᴹ√NĀ² > [nā] ✧ Ety/NĀ²
ᴹ✶nḗ > [nē] ✧ PE22/96

ᴱQ. ná- v. “to be, exist” (Category: Be)

References ✧ PE15/32; PE16/141; QL/64; VT40/8

Glosses

Variations

Inflections

nalto 3rd-pl “*they are [have]” ✧ PE15/32
nalto 3rd-pl “*they are” ✧ PE15/32
naltur 3rd-pl “*they are” ✧ PE15/32
náre 3rd-sg   ✧ VT40/8
nalla active-participle   ✧ VT40/8
Ne past   ✧ VT40/8
nanye past “it was” ✧ PE16/141
nar plural “*are” ✧ PE15/32

Elements

e-² “to be” suffix ✧ PE16/141 (-nye)

Element In

Cognates

Derivations

Phonetic Developments

ᴱ√ > [nā-] ✧ QL/64