ita, íta adv. 2) "very, extremely" (PE17:112). Like #1 above, this element emerged as part of Tolkiens efforts to explain the initial element of the name Idril (Q Itaril), so it is questionable if #1 and #2 were ever meant to coexist in the "same" version of Quenya.
Quenya
ita
that which
ita
very, extremely
ita
conjunction. that which, what
Changes
sai→ tai “what” ✧ PE22/154- tai → ita “that which, what” ✧ VT49/12
Element in
- Q. alasaila ná lá carë tai mo nave mára “it is unwise not to do what one judges good” ✧ PE22/154; VT42/34
- ᴺQ. italo “since”
- ᴺQ. itan “so that, in order to”
- Q. itas “in that case”
Elements
Word Gloss i “who, what, which, that” ta “that, there, that, there, [ᴹQ.] it” Variations
- tai ✧ PE22/154; VT42/34; VT49/12
- sai ✧ PE22/154 (
sai)
-ita
suffix. particular infinitive
Cognates
- S. -ed “gerund”
Derivations
- ✶-ita “general infinitive”
Variations
- ita ✧ PE22/155
íta
adverb. very, extremely; (lit.) multiplied, increased
Cognates
- S. íd “extremely, very” ✧ PE17/112
Derivations
- √IT “repeat, multiply; (great) enhancement” ✧ PE17/112; PE17/112
Element in
- Q. Itarillë “*Sparkling Brilliance” ✧ PE17/112
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √IT > íta [īta] ✧ PE17/112 √IT > ítë [īta] ✧ PE17/112 √IT > ita [ita] ✧ PE17/112 Variations
- íta ✧ PE17/112 (íta); PE17/112
- ít- ✧ PE17/112 (ít-)
- íti ✧ PE17/112 (íti)
- ítë ✧ PE17/112 (ítë)
- ita ✧ PE17/112
tai
that which, what
tai (1) pron. "that which, what", "which fact" (VT42:34, VT49:12, 20). The word occurs in the sentence alasaila ná lá carë tai mo navë mára, translated "it is unwise not to do what one judges good". So tai = "what", but it means more literally "that which" (VT49:12), ta + i (cf. ta #1 and the use of i as a relative pronoun). In one note, Tolkien emended tai to ita, reversing the elements (VT49:12) and also eliminating the ambiguity involving the homophone tai #2, see below.
tai
conjunction. that which, what
an-
very
an- (2) intensive or superlative prefix carrying the idea of "very" or "most", seen in ancalima "most bright" (cf. calima "bright"), antara "very high, very lofty" and #anyára "very old" or "oldest" (the latter form occurring in the so-called Elaine inscription [VT49:40], there with the dative ending -n). Assimilated to am- before p-, as in amparca ("k") "very dry", and to al-, ar-, as- before words in l-, r-, s- (though Tolkien seems to indicate that before words in l- derived from earlier d, the original quality of the consonant would be preserved so that forms in and- rather than all- would result). See also un-. (Letters:279, VT45:5, 36) Regarding the form of the superlative prefix before certain consonants, another, partially discrepant system was also set down in the Etymologies and first published in VT45:36. The prefix was to appear as um- or un- before labialized consonants like p-, qu-, v- (the consonant v preserving its ancient pronunciation b- following the prefix, thus producing a word in umb-), as in- (technically iñ-) before c- and g- (the latter presumably referring to words that originally had initial g-, later lost in Quenya but evidently preserved following this prefix), and as an- otherwise. However, this system would contradict the canonical example ancalima, which would have been *incalima if Tolkien had maintained this idea. In a post-LotR source, the basic form of the prefix is given as am- instead (see am- #2). In this late conception, the prefix still appears as an- before most consonants, but as ama- before r, l, and the form an- is used even before s- (whether original or from þ), not the assimilated variant as- described above. General principles would suggest that the form am- should also appear before y- (so the form #anyára probably presupposes an- rather than am- as the basic form of the prefix, Tolkien revisiting the earlier concept in the _Elaine inscription). (PE17:92)_
lai
very
[lai adverbial particle "very" (VT45:8)]
lai
adverb. very
Derivations
- √DAY “*great”
ita 3) pron "that which" (VT49:12), emended from tai (#1, q.v.) The form ita is compounded from the relative pronoun i + the pronoun ta "that, it".