can

card

_ card. _four. Q. canta. >> canad, leben

canad

card

_ card. _four. Q. canta. >> can, leben

canad

cardinal. four

The Sindarin word for “four” based on the root √KANAT of the same meaning (PE17/95; VT42/24; VT48/6; Ety/KÁNAT).

Conceptual Development: The Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s had G. cant “four” (GL/25). Some rough notes from the 1960s had a variant form cened “four”, but this seems to have been a ephemeral concept according to Patrick Wynne (VT47/41 note #69).

can-

verb. to cry out, shout, call

can-

verb. to cry out, shout, call

canad

cardinal. four

caen-

card

_ card. _ten. Q. cainen. >> cae, mimp. This gloss was rejected.

can

cry out

can- (i gân, i chenir) (shout, call). Compare CALL OUT. (noun),

can

shout

can- (i gân, i chenir) (cry out, call). Adj.

can

cry out

(i gân, i chenir) (shout, call). Compare

can

shout

(i gân, i chenir) (cry out, call). Adj.

caun

cry

(noun) caun (i gaun, o chaun) (clamour, outcry, shout), pl. coen (i choen), coll. pl. conath, the latter often used = "lamentation" (PM:345, 362). Note: a homophone of caun means "valour".

caun

shout

(noun) caun (i gaun, o chaun) (clamour, outcry, cry), pl. coen (i choen), coll. pl. conath, the latter is used = "lamentation" (PM:345, 362). Note: a homophone of caun means "valour".

caun

cry

(i gaun, o chaun) (clamour, outcry, shout), pl. coen (i choen), coll. pl. conath, the latter often used = "lamentation" (PM:345, 362). Note: a homophone of caun means "valour".

caun

shout

(i gaun, o chaun) (clamour, outcry, cry), pl. coen (i choen), coll. pl. conath, the latter is used = "lamentation" (PM:345, 362). Note: a homophone of caun means "valour".

canad

cardinal. four

canad;

cannui

fourth

. The reading in VT42:25  is "canthui", but the phonology presupposed in LotR would require ✱cannui. David Salo regards "canthui" as a dialectal form.

canad

four

;

canath

fourth part

(i ganath, o chanath) (farthing), pl. cenaith (i chenaith). As coin, the fourth part of the more valuable coin called mirian. (PM:45)

pol-

verb. can

pol-

verb. can, to be (physically) able to

A neologism for “can, be (physically) able”, analogous to its Quenya equivalent Q. pol-. This neologism has been in use so long that I cannot identify its origin. I would use this verb for physical capacity and would use [N.] ista- for mental capacity, as in pelin peded “I can speak (because my mouth is working)” versus istan peded “I can speak (because I know how to)”.

nel

card

_ card. _three. Q. nelde. Fcan, canad, neledh

cae

card

_ card. _ten. Q. cea. >> caen-, mimp. This gloss was rejected.

cened

ordinal. four

eneg

card

_ card. _six. Q. enque, enc-. >> odog

er

card

_ card. _one. Q. er. >> min, tad

leben

card

_ card. _five. Q. lepen, lempe. >> eneg

min

card

_ card. _one. Q. min. >> er, tad

nalla-

verb. to cry

nallon

verb. I cry

neder

card

_ card. _nine. Q. nerte. >> cae, caen-

odog

card

_ card. _seven. Q. otos. >> tolod

tad

card

_ card. _two. Q. atta. Fnel, neledh

tad

card

card. two. . This gloss was rejected.

tolod

card

_ card. _eight. Q. tolto. >> neder

glam

shouting

(i ’lam) (din, uproar, confused yelling of beasts; tumult, confused noise; a body of Orcs), pl. glaim (in glaim), coll. pl. glammath

nalla

cry

(i nalla, in nallar). Attested in the 1st person present-tense form nallon ”

can-

cardinal. four

can- (1) (prefix)("k") "four" (KÁNAT)

can-

verb. command, order

*can*- (2) vb. "command, order" (give an order) or (with things as object) "demand" _(PM:361-362; where various derivatives of the stem KAN- are listed; the verb _can_- is not directly cited, but seems implied by the statement "in Quenya the sense command had become the usual one". The undefined verb _canya**- listed elsewhere [PE17:113] may also be taken as the actual verbal derivative that Tolkien here refers to.)

canta

cardinal. four

canta (1) ("k") cardinal "four" (KÁNAT, VT42:24, VT48:6). In the Etymologies as printed in LR, this word was cited with a final hyphen (as if it were a verb), but the hyphen does not actually appear in Tolkien's manuscript (VT45:19). Ordinal cantëa ("k") "fourth" (VT42:25) Compare cantil.

canta

cardinal. four

The Quenya word for “four” derived from the root √KANAT of the same meaning (PE17/95; VT42/24; VT48/6; Ety/KÁNAT).

Conceptual Development: The word ᴱQ. kanta “four” dates all the way back to the Early Qenya Grammar (EQG) of the 1920s (PE14/49, 82), but in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s the word for “four” was ᴱQ. nelde (QL/65), which in Tolkien’s later writings meant “three”.

lerta-

verb. can

lerta- vb. "can" in the sense "be free to do", being under no restraint (physical or other). Lertan quetë "I can speak (because I am free to do so, there being no obstacle of promise, secrecy, or duty)". Where the absence of a physical restraint is considered, this verb can be used in much the same sense as pol- (VT41:6)

pol-

verb. can

pol- (1) vb. "can" = have physical power and ability, as in polin quetë "I can speak (because mouth and tongue are free)". Cf. ista-, lerta- as verbs "can" with somewhat different shades of meaning. (VT41:6, PE17:181)

ec-

verb. to have a chance of; may, can

An impersonal verb meaning “may, can”, or more specifically “have chance, opportunity or permission”, appearing in notes from 1967 based on the root √ek “it is open” (VT49/20). As suggested by Patrick Wynne, this verb is likely related to the particle of uncertainty cé. As a verb, it was used impersonally with the putative subject in the dative: ece nin “I may, I can = (lit.) there is chance for me [to do it]” (VT49/34 note #23). For “can” in the sense “am able to”, see pol-.

Conceptual Development: An earlier verb of similar meaning was ᴱQ. lata- “am able to (used of opportunity, permission)” from the English-Qenya Dictionary of the 1920s (PE15/67).

pol-

verb. can, to be (physically) able to

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- “am able to (used of capacity, ability)” (PE15/67). The first version of Quenya Personal Pronouns (QPP1) from the late 1940s had ᴹQ. valya “can” (PE23/74), probably related to the root ᴹ√BAL having to do with power (Ety/BAL). Quendian & Common Eldarin Verbal Structure (EVS1) and Quenya Verbal System (QVS) from this same period had ᴹQ. kav- “can”, with past tense kambe “could” (PE22/92, 102), derived from the root ᴹ√KAB “be able, capable” (PE22/105, 127).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I think it is possible all of the 1950s and 60s words for “can” co-exist with slightly different meaning: pol- referring to physical ability, ista- to mental ability, lerta- to lack of social limits, and ec- to chance and opportunity. I wouldn’t use any of the words from the 1940s or earlier, though.

ec-

i can do it

ec- ("k") verb denoting an opportunity, with the one having the opportunity in dative: ecë nin carë sa "I can do it" (it-is-open for-me to-do it), ecë nin? "please, may I?", ecuva nin care sa noa "I may do [have a chance of doing] do that tomorrow". This construction is said to denote "have chance, opportunity or permission" (VT49:20, 34)

can-

verb. to claim, demand (when applied to things)

@@@ Discord 2022-06-22

polin quetë

I can speak, I am able to speak

ecë nin care sa

I can do that

istan quetë

I can speak, I know how to speak

lertan quetë

I can speak, I am free to speak

tur-

verb. to master, conquer, dominate, win, to master, conquer, dominate, win; [ᴹQ.] to control, govern, *rule; to wield; [ᴱQ.] can, to be able

rama-

verb. to shout

rama- vb. "to shout" (LT1:259)

rambë

shout

rambë noun "a shout" (LT1:259)

yam-

verb. shout

yam- or yama- vb. "shout" (PE16:134, yamin, *"I shout", QL:105), pa.t. yámë (QL:105)

hollë

noun. shout

can-

verb. to cry aloud, call; to summon or name a person

canat

cardinal. four

canad

cardinal. four

canad

cardinal. four

canath

cardinal. four

hûl

noun. cry of encouragement in battle

pol

root. can, have physical power and ability; large, big (strong); pound up, break up small, reduce to powder, can, have physical power and ability; large, big (strong); [ᴹ√] physically strong, [ᴱ√] have strength; [√] pound up, break up small, reduce to powder

This root was connected to Elvish words for strength and physical ability for most of Tolkien’s life. It first appeared as ᴱ√POLO “have strength” in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. poldor “physical strength” and ᴱQ. polka “pig”, though the latter was marked by Tolkien with a “?” (QL/75). There were also derivatives in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon such as G. polm “strength (physical)” and G. polod “power, might, authority” (GL/64). The root ᴹ√POL reappeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s with the gloss “physically strong”, extended form ᴹ√POLOD and derivatives like ᴹQ. polda “strong, burly” and ᴹQ. poldore as an element in the name ᴹQ. Poldórea (Ety/POL); this name was variously glossed “Strong One” (SM/79) or “Valiant” (LR/206), though in the later sense it was eventually replaced by Q. Astaldo (S/28).

√POL appeared in a list of roots from around 1959-60 with a minor shift in meaning:

> √pol can, have physical power and ability [as in] “I can jump that”. polin quete means I can speak (because mouth and tongue are free)” (VT41/6).

In another note from around 1965, Tolkien wrote:

> √POL. This cannot refer to strength. (Too obvious a reminiscence of [Latin] pollens); also it does not account for poli- “meal”, grist. √POL- should have senses “pound up”, break up small, reduced to powder etc. Poldórea, as adjective applied to Tulkas, should be derived from the Elvish nickname of Tulkas (not being derived from Valarin), Poldor, Poldorno: “breaker up of the hard/tough”, √DOR- “hard, tough” (PE17/181).

The mention of poli- “meal” seems to be a reference to a different early root ᴱ√POL-I from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s with derivatives like ᴱQ. pole “oats, grain; flour” and ᴱQ. polu “kernel” (QL/75), whereas in The Etymologies of the 1930s the word for “flour, meal” was ᴹQ. pore derived from ᴹ√POR (Ety/POR). This shift in sense to “pound up” seems to be motivated by the similarity of √POL “strength” to Latin “pollens” (able, strong).

However, in another later-still note Tolkien wrote the phrase Q. á rike empollie that seems to mean “try harder” (PE17/167), likely a rough contemporary of other notes from around 1967 exploring the same phrase (PE17/94). This later use of empollie seems to be connected to physical effort, and thus is in line with the 1959-60 note with √POL “can, have physical power and ability” mentioned above.

Finally in a note from around 1968, Tolkien wrote:

> Q. pol, large, big (strong). polda, big. DELETE pole “meal”! Make it mule (PE17/115).

This is explanation appears in a set of notes having to do with “large and small”, probably from around 1968, the date given for an apparently related root-list with similar information (VT47/26 note #26). It seems to firmly discard the connection of √POL to “pound, meal” and restored its connection to “strength” along with a new connection to “largeness”.

Assuming this analysis is correct, the conceptual evolution seems to be:

• 1910s: ᴱ√POLO “have strength”; ᴱ√POL-I “✱grain, flour”.

• 1930s: ᴹ√POL(OD) “physically strong”; ᴹ√POR “✱flour, meal”.

• 1959-60: √POL “can, have physical power and ability”.

• 1965: √POL “pound up” > ✶poli “meal”.

• late 1960s: √POL “large, big (strong)” vs. Q. mulë “meal”.

Neo-Eldarin: For purposes of Neo-Eldarin I think it is best to assume √POL has to do with “physical ability” and its extended form √POLOD has to do with “strength”. I think it better to assume the connection of the root to √POL “meal, flour” was abandoned, and use ✱√MUL and possibly ᴹ√POR for that purpose instead.

ebe-

verb. can of mere possibility according to likelihood, natural probability, etc.

kanat

root. four

This root was established as the basis for “four” very early, though the earliest known Elvish word for “four” was actually ᴱQ. nelde from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s (QL/65), which became “three” later on (PE14/49). In the Gnomish Lexicon written soon after, the Gnomish word for “four” was G. cant (GL/25), and by the Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s, the Qenya word likewise became ᴱQ. kanta “four” (PE14/49, 82). The Quenya word kept this form thereafter, and the Noldorin form became N. canad in The Etymologies of the 1930s, where the root ᴹ√KANAT “four” explicitly appeared for the first time (Ety/KÁNAT). The words and root for “four” remained the same thereafter (VT42/24-26; VT47/15-16; VT48/10), with occasional minor (and transient) variations such as √KENET (VT47/41).

kanatā

cardinal. four

rûkh

noun. shout

A word glossed “shout” (SD/426). Andreas Moehn suggested (EotAL/RUKH) that it may be a verb rûkh- “to shout”, but it appears in a list of nouns, so I think it likelier that it is noun form.

tharan Reconstructed

cardinal. four