lá (1) adv. "no, not" (LA, VT45:25) According to VT42:33, lá is the stressed form, alternating with la when the negation is unstressed. In another conceptual phase of Tolkien's, lá had the opposite meaning "yes" (VT42:32-33), but this idea is contradicted by both earlier and later material: usually lá is conceived as a negation. The negation can receive tense markers and be used as a negative verb "when [another] verb is not expressed" (VT49:13), apparently where the phrase "is not" is followed by a noun or an adjective as a predicate, or where some verb is understood, as in English "I do not" (i.e. "I do not do whatever the context indicates"). With pronominal endings la- in the aorist, e.g. lanyë "I do not, am not" (etc.) (Tolkien abandoned the form lamin.) Exemplified in the sentence melin sé apa lanyë hé *"I love him but I do not [love] him" (another person) (VT49:15). Present tense laia, past lánë, perfect alaië, future lauva.
Quenya
lacarë
not-doing, inaction
lacarë
noun. not-doing, inaction
Elements
Word Gloss la- “not, in-, un-” carë “action, doing, making” Variations
- lakare ✧ PE22/154; VT42/33; VT42/34
lá
no, not
úcarë
debt, trespass
#úcarë noun "debt, trespass" (úcaremmar "our debts, our trespasses", VT43:19). The related words #úcar- "to sin" and #úcarindo "sinner" would suggest that #úcarë can also be translated "sin". One may question whether the simplex form is #úcarë or just #úcar (+ -e- as a mere connecting vowel before the pronominal ending in úcaremmar), but compare lacarë, hrúcarë.
lucassë
debt, trespass
#lucassë noun "debt, trespass" (VT43:19, attested in the pl. with a pronominal suffix: lucassemmar "our trespasses")
lácare, lacare
noun. not-doing, inaction
lucië
debt, trespass
#lucië noun "debt, trespass" (VT43:19, attested in the pl. with a pronominal suffix: luciemmar "our trespasses")
la
no, not
la negation "no, not" (see lá); also prefix la- as in lacarë, q.v. (VT45:25)
luhta
debt, trespass
[#luhta (3) noun "debt, trespass" (VT43:19, attested in the pl. form luhtar, but deleted by Tolkien)]
il-
verb. no, *un-
il- (prefix) "no, *un-" (LA); cf. ilfirin "immortal" (vs. firin "dead"). This prefix "denotes the opposite, the reversal, i.e. more than the mere negation" (VT42:32). But il- can also mean "all, every"; see ilaurëa, ilqua, ilquen.
rohta
debt, trespass
#rohta noun "debt, trespass" (attested in the pl.: rohtar, and with a pronominal suffix: rohtammar "our trespasses") (VT43:19) Variant #ruhta. #Rohtalië, #ruhtalië *"trespass-people" = those who trespass (attested in the ablative: rohtaliello, ruhtaliello "from [our] debtors" (VT43:21)
ui
no
ui interjection "no" (originally an endingless negative verb in the 3rd person aorist: "it is not [so]"; see #u-). Apparently this is the word for "no" used to deny that something is true (compare vá, which is rather used to reject orders, or to issue negative orders). (VT49:28) Compare uito.
lacarë ("k")noun "not-doing, inaction" (in general) (VT42:33)