epetai

conjunction. consequently; (lit.) following which (fact), consequently, *therefore; (lit.) following which (fact)

A conjunction translated “consequently” associated with the Ambidexters Sentence as part of the phrase epetai i hyarma ú ten ulca símaryassen “consequently the left hand was not to them evil in their imaginations” (VT49/8). Tolkien analyzed epetai as epe-ta-i “following which (fact)”, or more literally “✱before-that-which” (VT49/8, 12). It had shorter adverbial variants epeta, epta meaning “following that, thereupon, thence, whereupon” (VT49/12).

Conceptual Development: Earlier versions of the Ambidexters Sentence used etta = “✱out of that” and potai = “✱before-that-which” with (o)po “before” instead of epë.

epetai

consequently

epetai adv. "consequently" (VT49:11). Since this is to contain tai "that which" (epe-ta-i "before that which"), a form Tolkien may later have abandoned, the less problematic synonym etta should perhaps be preferred. Compare potai.

epetai i hyarma ú ten ulca símaryassen

consequently the left hand was not to them evil in their imaginations

Second phrase @@@

| |  I  | II |III|IV|  V  |VI|VII| |{tánen >> ta >> etta >>}|potai| |etta [>> potai]|epetai| |hyarmen|i hyarma| |láne|aune|láne|ú téna|>> ú ten| |“sinister”|ulca| | |{khe >> hela >>} hya úmara| | |{símasse >>}|símaryasse|símaryassen|

potai

therefore

potai adv. "therefore". Tolkien seems uncertain whether to use this form or etta (VT49:12). Cf. also epetai.

etta

therefore

etta adv. "therefore" (VT49:12)