ninqui carcar yarra

the white rocks snarling

The sixteenth line of the Markirya poem (MC/222). The first word is the plural of the adjective ninquë “white” modifying the plural of the noun carca “rock”, followed by the infinitive (or short active-participle) of the verb yarra- “to snarl”, used adjectivally. Note that carca normally means “fang, tooth”, so its uses for “rocks” here may be poetic to describe sharp rocks, as suggested by Helge Fauskanger (AL/Markirya).

Decomposition: Broken into its constituent elements, this phrase would be:

> ninqu-i carca-r yarra = “✱white-(plural) rock-(plural) snarling”

Conceptual Development: In the first draft, noun was the plural of ondo “rock” (MC/222).