Quenya 

as(a)-

prefix. easily

A prefix meaning “easy” appearing in Definitive Linguistic Notes (DLN) from 1959 and based on the root √ATHA (PE17/148). Tolkien specified that the normal form of the prefix was asa-, but that it became as- before p, t, c, q, s. Tolkien gave two examples of its use: asalaste “easily heard” and ascénima (or ascene) “easily seen”.

Conceptual Development: In a rejected page from the same set of notes, Tolkien had hra, hrai and hraia “easy” derived from the root √SRA(YA) of the same meaning (PE17/172), of which the first two were probably prefixes and the last an adjective. But Tolkien seems to have altered the root to √SRAG “difficult” and √RAY “smile”. Further down on the page Tolkien had asanóte next to the root AÞA, unglossed but probably meaning “easily counted” and representing his new idea for the prefix as(a)- “easy”, given above.

Quenya [PE17/148; PE17/172] Group: Eldamo. Published by