Q. pol- v. (basic-verb) “can, to be able to” (Category: Can, May)
A verb in notes associated with the 1959-60 essay Ósanwe-kenta meaning “can, have physical power and ability” (VT41/6). The example Tolkien gave was polin quetë “I can speak (because mouth and tongue are free)”, as opposed to istan quetë “I can speak (because I have learned a language)” [= “I know (how) to speak”] and lertan quetë “I can speak (because I am free to do so there being no obstacle of promise, secrecy, duty)”. Another later expression for “can” was the verb ec- “may, can, have chance, opportunity or permission”, which was used impersonally: ecë nin care sa “I can do that, (lit.) there is a chance for me to do that” (VT49/20).
Conceptual Development: The English-Qenya Dictionary of the 1920s had the verb ᴱQ. mala-² “am able to (used of capacity, ability)” (PE15/67). The documents Quendian & Common Eldarin Verbal Structure (EVS1) and Quenya Verbal System (QVS), both from the late 1940s, had ᴹQ. kav- “can”, with past tense kambe “could” (PE22/92, 102).
References ✧ PE17/155, 181; VT41/6
Related
Inflections
| polin | aorist 1st-sg | “I can” | ✧ PE17/181; VT41/6 |
| pole | infinitive | ✧ PE17/155; VT41/6 |
Element In
Cognates
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
| √POL > polin | [pol-] | ✧ PE17/181 |
ᴹQ. #kav- v. (basic-verb) “to be able” (Category: Can, May)
References ✧ PE22/92, 102, 105, 121, 127; PE23/104
Changes
Inflections
| kave | aorist | “can” | ✧ PE22/92; PE22/102; PE23/104 |
| kavinye | aorist 1st-sg | “I can” | ✧ PE22/92 |
| kauva | future | ✧ PE22/105 | |
| kauva | future | “shall be able to” | ✧ PE22/121 |
| kauva | future | ✧ PE22/127: for kavuva | |
| kambe | past | “could” | ✧ PE22/102 |
Element In
Derivations
Phonetic Developments
| ᴹ√KAV- > kavuva > kauva | [kabubā] > [kaβuβā] > [kauβā] > [kauβa] > [kauva] | ✧ PE22/105 |
ᴹQ. valya- v. “can” (Category: Can, May)
Reference ✧ PE23/74 ✧ valya “can”
Element In
Derivations