nai (2) prefix "ill, grievously, abominably" (PE17:151), cf. naiquet-. Earlier material also lists an interjection nai "alas" _(NAY; this may be obsoleted by # 1 above; _Namárië uses ai! in a similar sense)
Quenya
nai
be it that
nai
ill, grievously, abominably
nai
adverb. maybe; be it that, may it be that; perhaps, it may be, there is a chance or possibility, maybe; be it that, may it be that; perhaps, it may be, there is a chance or possibility; [ᴱQ.] remoter possibility
nai amanya onnalya ter coivierya
*may your (sg.) child be blessed throughout his/her life
nai calambar onnalda ter coivierya
*may your (pl.) child be light-fated throughout his/her life
nai elen atta siluvat aurenna veryanwesto
*may two stars shine upon the day of your wedding
nai elyë hiruva. namárië!
maybe even thou shalt find it. farewell!
Seventeenth line @@@
nai elyë hiruva. namárië!
be-it-that even you will find [it]. farewell!
The 17th and final phrase in the prose Namárië, which is essentially the same as its poetic version, differing only in its more literal translation. This is nothing particularly notable about its word order.
nai eru tye mánata
God bless you
nai laurë lantuva parmastanna lúmissen tengwiesto
may (a) golden light fall on your book at the times of your reading
nai lye hiruva airëa amanar
may thee find a blessed Amanar [Yule]
nai tiruvantes i hárar mahalmassen mi númen
in the keeping of those who sit upon thrones of the West
Third phrase @@@
nai-
prefix. ill, grievously, abominably
nai elen siluva lyenna
*may a star shine upon you
nai elen siluva parma-restalyanna meldonya
*may a star shine upon your book-fair, my friend
nai hirinyes
it may well chance for me to find it
nai nin híres
it may well chance for me to find it
namárië! nai hiruvalyë valimar
farewell! maybe thou shalt find Valimar
Sixteenth line @@@
namárië! nai hiruvalyë valimar
farewell! be-it-that you will find Valimar
The 16th phrase in the prose Namárië, which is essentially the same as its poetic version, differing only in its more literal translation. This is nothing particularly notable about its word order.
nai (1) imperative verb "be it that", used with a verb (usually in the future tense) to express a wish. The translation "maybe" in Tolkien's rendering of Namárië is somewhat misleading; he used "be it that" in the interlinear translation in RGEO:67. Apparently this is na as the imperative "be!" with a suffix -i "that", cf. i #3. It can be used with the future tense as an "expression of wish" (VT49:39). Nai hiruvalyë Valimar! Nai elyë hiruva! "May thou find Valimar. May even thou find it!" (Nam, VT49:39). Nai tiruvantes "be it that they will guard it" > "may they guard it" (CO). Nai elen siluva parma-restalyanna "may a star shine upon your book-fair" (VT49:38), nai elen siluva lyenna "may a star shine upon you" (VT49:40), nai elen atta siluvat aurenna veryanwesto "may two stars shine upon the day of your wedding" (VT49:42-45), nai laurë lantuva parmastanna lúmissen tengwiesto "may (a) golden light fall on your book at the times of your reading" (VT49:47). Nai may also be used with a present continuative verb if an ongoing situation is wished for: Nai Eru lye mánata "God bless you" (VT49:39) or literally "be it that God is (already) blessing you". The phrase nai amanyaonnalya "be it that your child [will be] blessed" omits any copula; Tolkien noted that "imper[ative] of wishes precedes adj." (VT49:41). VT49:28 has the form nái for "let it be that"; Patrick Wynne theorizes that nái is actually an etymological form underlying nai (VT49:36)