Ad. azrē nai {phurusam >>} phurrusim akhās-ada “seas might-flow Chasm-into”

Ad. azrē nai {phurusam >>} phurrusim akhās-ada “seas might-flow Chasm-into”

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The first draft of the 5th phrase of the Lament of Akallabêth (SD/311). Its has the same vocabulary as the final version except that it has nai “might” (an adverb?) instead of the prefix du. This nai is almost certainly a variant of Q. nai “maybe, be it that”.

The draft version has several other grammatical differences from later versions. The subject azrē “seas” seems to be a simple rather than subjective plural. Tolkien initially wrote phurusam for the verb and then changed to phurrusim “flow”, perhaps aorist and past tenses of the verb phurus-, respectively. Both conjugations have the plural verb suffix -m. The last phrase akhās-ada “into Chasm” is essentially identical to the final version, however.

Reference ✧ SD/311 ✧ “seas might-flow Chasm-into”

Changes

Elements

azra “sea” draft-plural ✧ SD/311 (azrē)
nai “might (draft)” ✧ SD/311
phurus- “to gush, flow” past plural ✧ SD/311 (phurrusim)
akhâs “chasm” ✧ SD/311 (akhās)
-ada “to, toward, into, against, -ward” ✧ SD/311

Element In