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).
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)