ca, cata, cana prep? "behind, at back of place" (VT43:30)
Quenya
ca(ta)
preposition. behind, at back of place, behind, at back of place; [ᴹQ.] after [of time]
ca
behind, at back of place
ca
preposition. behind, at back of place
cana
preposition. behind, at back of place
A preposition appearing as ca, cata, cana “behind, at back of place” in notes from the mid-1950s (VT43/30). In notes associated with the Aia María prayer from the 1950s Tolkien wrote the forms canye, calye, ca- (VT43/29), probably related to carelye from the 2nd version of the prayer (VT43/27), though in the prayer its position implies the English meaning “with thee”.
Conceptual Development: The 1948 Quenya Verbal System had the word ᴹQ. kata as a preposition meaning “after [of time]” in the phrase ᴹQ. kanya ére kata tulma alwara “to be wise after the event is useless”, along with an adverb ᴹQ. kato “afterwards” in another variant of the phrase (PE22/124). These were probably related to Cad- in words like N. Cadloer “July, ✱After-summer” in drafts of The Lord of the Rings appendices from around this period (PM/136).