ú- (2) prefix "not-, un-, in-", denying presence or possession of thing or quality (VT39:14, UGU/UMU/VT46:20, GŪ, LT1:272), or simply suggesting something bad or immoral (see #úcar-, Úmaiar). Tolkien at one point considered redefining ú- as an element signifying "bad, uneasy, hard"; the already-published form únótima would then mean "difficult/impossible to count" rather than simply "uncountable" (VT42:33). However, Tolkien's very last word on the matter seems to be that ú- was to remain a mere negative (VT44:4). Compare úa, q.v. According to the Etymologies, the prefix ú- usually has a "bad sense", whereas according to early material u- (uv-, um-, un-) is a "mere negation" (UGU/UMU vs. VT42:32) According to a later source, ú- could be used as an uninflected verbal prefix, mainly in verse, but in a normal style the prefix was "verbalized" as ua-, q.v. (PE17:144). The stem Ū, as a negation, was accompanied by "pursed lips and shaking of the head" (PE17:145).
Quenya
úa
do not thou lead us
ua-
verb. to not be, to not do
Element in
- Q. álamë tulya úsahtienna “[and] lead us not into temptation” ✧ VT43/21; VT43/21
- Q. uan carë “I do not make” ✧ PE17/144
- Q. uan cára “I am not making” ✧ PE17/144
- Q. uan carnë “I did not make” ✧ PE17/144
- Q. uan caruva “I am not going to make” ✧ PE17/144; PE17/144
Variations
- ua ✧ PE17/144
ú-
verb. not-, un-, in-
ui-
verb. to not be, to not do
Derivations
Element in
- Q. epetai i hyarma ú ten ulca símaryassen “consequently the left hand was not to them evil in their imaginations” ✧ VT49/13
- Q. ui “no, it is n[ot]”
- Q. uin carë “I do not make” ✧ PE17/068; PE22/152
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources √ū̆gu/gū > ū- [ugu-] > [uɣu-] > [ū-] ✧ VT49/29 √ū̆gu/gū > ui [ugi] > [uɣi] > [ui] ✧ VT49/29 ✶ugilme > uilme [ugilme] > [uɣilme] > [uilme] ✧ VT49/29 Variations
- ú ✧ VT49/13
- ū- ✧ VT49/29 (
ū-)
lá-
verb. to not be
Changes
lamin→ lanye ✧ VT49/13Derivations
Element in
- Q. ála “do not” ✧ VT43/22
- Q. epetai i hyarma ú ten ulca símaryassen “consequently the left hand was not to them evil in their imaginations” ✧ VT49/13
- ᴺQ. laitë “false”
- Q. melin sé apa lanyë hé “I love him but not him (the other)” ✧ VT49/15
- Q. melinyes apa la hé “I love him but not him (the other)” ✧ VT49/15
Phonetic Developments
Development Stages Sources ✶lā > lanye [lanye] ✧ PE22/153 ✶lājā > laia [lājā] > [laijā] > [laija] > [laia] ✧ PE22/153 √(A)LA > lā- [lā-] ✧ PE22/156 √ala > lá [lā-] ✧ VT42/33 √ala > lā [lā-] ✧ VT49/13 ✶lājā > laia [lājā] > [laijā] > [laija] > [laia] ✧ VT49/13 Variations
- la ✧ PE22/154; VT43/22; VT49/15
- lā- ✧ PE22/156
- lá ✧ VT42/33; VT49/13; VT49/13
- lā ✧ VT49/13
- lamin ✧ VT49/13 (
lamin)
úa, with 1st person suffix úalyë, imperative particle á, a combined with the negation ú- to express a prohibition (úalyë mittanya me, *"do not thou lead us", VT43:9, 21-22). However, Tolkien apparently abandoned úa in favour of ala, alalyë, q.v. (later he also used the form áva for "don't"). Compare ua.