Eldamo : Quenya : nai

Q. nai adv. “maybe; be it that, may it be that; perhaps, it may be, there is a chance or possibility” (Category: Guess, Suppose)

Q. nai, adv. “maybe; be it that, may it be that; perhaps, it may be, there is a chance or possibility; ⚠️[ᴱQ.] remoter possibility” (Category: Guess, Suppose): ᴹQ. nai “alas”

References ✧ LotR/378; Minor-Doc/1963-12-18; PE17/75; PE22/151; RGEO/58-60; UT/305, 317; VT49/19, 28, 38-39, 41, 44, 47

Glosses

“*may, be it that” ✧ VT49/38
“*may; be it that” ✧ VT49/44
“be it that” ✧ RGEO/59; RGEO/59; RGEO/60; UT/305
“be it that, may it be that” ✧ UT/317
“it may be, perhaps” ✧ PE17/75
“it may be, there is a chance or possibility, maybe” ✧ PE22/151
“let it be that” ✧ VT49/28 (nái)
“may” ✧ Minor-Doc/1963-12-18; VT49/47
“Maybe” ✧ LotR/378; LotR/378; RGEO/58; RGEO/58
“perhaps, maybe, be it that” ✧ PE17/75

Variations

Nai ✧ LotR/378; LotR/378; Minor-Doc/1963-12-18; PE17/75; PE17/75; PE17/75; PE17/75; PE22/151; RGEO/58; RGEO/58; RGEO/59; RGEO/59; RGEO/60; UT/305; UT/317; VT49/19; VT49/38; VT49/39; VT49/41; VT49/44; VT49/47
nái ✧ VT49/28

cé¹ “may (be)” appears to be a better way of expressing uncertainty than nai “maybe; be it that, may it be that; perhaps, it may be, there is a chance or possibility”

Elements

ná-	“to be”	✧ RGEO/60 (Nā); VT49/28 (nā)
i²	“who, what, which, that”	✧ RGEO/60

Element In

Q. nai elyë hiruva. namárië! “maybe even thou shalt find it. farewell!” ✧ LotR/378; PE17/75; RGEO/58
Q. nai Eru tye mánata “God bless you” ✧ PE17/75
Q. namárië! nai hiruvalyë Valimar “farewell! maybe thou shalt find Valimar” ✧ LotR/378; RGEO/58
Q. cenai “if it be that” ✧ VT49/19 (kenai)
Q. nai amanya onnalya ter coivierya “*may your (sg.) child be blessed throughout his/her life” ✧ VT49/41
Q. nai calambar onnalda ter coivierya “*may your (pl.) child be light-fated throughout his/her life” ✧ VT49/41
Q. nai elen atta siluvat aurenna veryanwesto “*may two stars shine upon the day of your wedding” ✧ VT49/43; VT49/44
Q. nai elen siluva lyenna “*may a star shine upon you” ✧ VT49/40
Q. nai elen siluva parma-restalyanna meldonya “*may a star shine upon your book-fair, my friend” ✧ VT49/38
Q. nai elyë hiruva. namárië!² “be-it-that even you will find [it]. farewell!” ✧ RGEO/59
Q. nai hirinyes “it may well chance for me to find it” ✧ PE22/151
Q. nai laurë lantuva parmastanna lúmissen tengwiesto “may (a) golden light fall on your book at the times of your reading” ✧ VT49/47
Q. nai lye hiruva airëa Amanar “may thee find a blessed Amanar [Yule]” ✧ Minor-Doc/1963-12-18
Q. nai nin híres “it may well chance for me to find it” ✧ PE22/151
Q. nai tiruvantes i hárar mahalmassen mi Númen “in the keeping of those who sit upon thrones of the West” ✧ UT/305
Q. namárië! nai hiruvalyë Valimar² “farewell! be-it-that you will find Valimar” ✧ RGEO/59

Cognates

S. aen “*should, could”

Derivations

< ✶nay- “it may be, there is a chance or possibility, maybe” ✧ PE22/151 (nayi)
- < √NAY² “have opportunity, chance or permission; be allowed by circumstance [or] way of the world” ✧ PE22/151 (NAYA)

Phonetic Developments

✶nayi > nai

[naji] !!! [nai]

✧ PE22/151

ᴱQ. nai particle. “remoter possibility, might” (Category: Guess, Suppose)

References ✧ PE14/59; PE15/32

Glosses

“*may be” ✧ PE15/32
“remoter possibility, might” ✧ PE14/59

ki “may; particle of uncertainty” versus nai “remoter possibility, might”

Element In

ᴱQ. hi·tule nai “she might (possibly) come or be coming” ✧ PE14/59
ᴱQ. hi·túlie nai “she might have come” ✧ PE14/59
ᴱQ. hi·tulinde nai “she {will >>} might be coming (supposing else also to be the case, which we know is not so)” ✧ PE14/59
ᴱQ. hi·tuluva nai “she might (conceivably) come at some time in the future” ✧ PE14/59
ᴱQ. i limbelu tuktalla nai mára “*the long search may be good” ✧ PE15/32
ᴱQ. mai ni·tule na tu·tulil nai “*if I come then they might come” ✧ PE14/59
ᴱQ. naike² “would [that]” ✧ PE14/59

ᴱQ. naike² adv. “would [that]” (Category: to Will, Wish)

References ✧ PE14/59

Glosses

“would [that]” ✧ PE14/59

Variations

naike ✧ PE14/59
naiki ✧ PE14/59

Changes

naiki >> naike “would [that]” ✧ PE14/59

Elements

nai	“remoter possibility, might”	✧ PE14/59
ki	“may; particle of uncertainty”	✧ PE14/59

Element In

ᴱQ. naike hi·tule “would she might come (of something remotely possible or impossible)” ✧ PE14/59