Eldamo : Quenya : ná-

Q. ná- v. (irregular-verb) “to be” (Category: Be)

Q. ná-, v. (irregular-verb) “to be, ⚠️[ᴱQ.] exist” (Category: Be)

The basic Quenya verb for “to be”, based on the root √NĀ (PE17/93). It was typically used as the copula equating a noun to another noun or an adjective:

√NA joining adjs./nouns/pronouns in statements (or wishes) asserting (or desiring) a thing to have a certain quality, or to be the same as another (PE22/147).

In many circumstances this verb was optional:

As a copula “be, is” is not usually expressed in Quenya where the meaning is clear: sc. in such expressions as “A is good” where the adjective (contrary to the usual order in Quenya of a qualifying adjective) follows: the normal Quenya for this is A mára (PE17/93).

For further discussion see the entry on the Quenya copula.

Conceptual Development: This verb dates back all the way to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, where it was given as the early root ᴱ√NĀ “be, exist” (QL/64). This verb and its root appeared regularly throughout Tolkien’s writings thereafter, but at times Tolkien considered alternative verbs for “to be”; see the entry ëa- for further discussion.

References ✧ LotR/377; Minor-Doc/1955-CT; PE17/57-59, 74, 90, 93, 126, 162; PE22/154, 158, 166-168; RGEO/58-60; VT42/33-34; VT43/13-16, 23, 30, 34; VT44/34; VT49/9-10, 19, 23, 27-30

Glosses

“*(who) art” ✧ VT43/13 (na)
“be” ✧ VT49/27 (nā-); VT49/28 (#nā-)
“be, is” ✧ PE17/93; VT49/9
“is” ✧ LotR/377; PE17/58 (nā); PE17/90 (na); PE17/90; PE22/154; RGEO/58 (nā̀); RGEO/59 (nā); VT42/33
“is, (?it is as) so” ✧ VT49/28 (nā)
“it is” ✧ PE22/167; VT49/23; VT49/30 (nā̆)
“to be” ✧ PE17/74 (na); VT43/30 (na)

Variations

ná ✧ LotR/377; PE17/90; PE17/93; PE22/154; PE22/167; VT42/33; VT49/9; VT49/23
na ✧ Minor-Doc/1955-CT; PE17/57; PE17/74; PE17/74; PE17/90; PE17/162; VT43/13; VT43/30
nā ✧ PE17/58; PE22/166; RGEO/59; RGEO/60; VT49/27; VT49/28; VT49/30; VT49/28 (#nā-); VT49/9 (nā)
nā̀ ✧ RGEO/58
nā̆ ✧ VT49/30
nār ✧ VT49/30

ëa- “to be, exist” as opposed to ná- “to be”
návë “being” might simply be the gerund of ná- “to be”
uva is future [for] nā̆ “it is” ✧ VT49/30

Changes

nār >> nā ✧ VT49/9
nā >> nāner “were” ✧ VT49/9
anáye >> anaie ✧ VT49/27
nār >> năr ✧ VT49/30

Inflections

na	aorist		✧ VT43/16; VT49/27
na	aorist	“*art”	✧ VT43/30
nain	aorist 1st-sg		✧ VT49/27
naitye	aorist 2nd-sg-familiar		✧ VT49/27
nailye	aorist 2nd-sg-polite		✧ VT49/27
nalye	aorist 2nd-sg-polite	“*art thou”	✧ VT43/30
nas	aorist 3rd-sg	“he is”	✧ PE17/126
nās	aorist 3rd-sg	“it is”	✧ VT49/30
nar	aorist plural		✧ VT43/34
năr	aorist plural		✧ VT49/30
nát	dual		✧ VT49/30
nauva	future	“will be”	✧ PE22/154; PE22/168; VT42/34
nauva	future		✧ VT49/19; VT49/27
uva	future		✧ VT49/30
nauvan	future 1st-sg		✧ VT49/19
na	imperative	“be”	✧ PE17/59
na	imperative	“*(let it) be”	✧ VT44/34
nā	imperative		✧ VT49/28: imp.
á na	imperative	“be!”	✧ PE17/58
náne	past	“was”	✧ PE22/158; VT49/27
náne	past	“was”	✧ PE22/158
nāne	past		✧ VT49/27; VT49/27
nē	past		✧ VT49/28; VT49/30; VT49/30
anen	past 1st-sg		✧ VT49/28
anel	past 2nd-sg		✧ VT49/28
anes	past 3rd-sg		✧ VT49/28
nése	past 3rd-sg	“he was”	✧ VT49/29
nēse	past 3rd-sg		✧ VT49/28
nēt	past dual		✧ VT49/30
náner	past plural		✧ VT49/10
nāner	past plural	“were”	✧ VT49/9
nēr	past plural		✧ VT49/30
anaie	perfect		✧ VT49/27; VT49/27
anáye	perfect		✧ VT49/27
nár	plural	“are”	✧ PE22/166
nár	plural	“are/were”	✧ VT49/9
nár	plural		✧ VT49/30
nār	plural		✧ VT49/9
na	present	“be”	✧ PE17/59
nā	present		✧ VT49/27; VT49/30
(nalme?)	present 1st-pl-exclusive		✧ VT49/27
nalme	present 1st-pl-exclusive		✧ VT49/30
nanye	present 1st-sg		✧ VT49/30
nánye	present 1st-sg		✧ VT49/27
na-tye	present 2nd-sg-familiar		✧ VT49/27
na-lye	present 2nd-sg-polite		✧ VT49/27
nalye	present 2nd-sg-polite		✧ VT49/30
nasse	present 3rd-sg		✧ VT49/30
nās(e)	present 3rd-sg		✧ VT49/27
na	subjunctive	“*be”	✧ VT43/14; VT43/15
na	subjunctive	“let it be”	✧ VT43/14
na	subjunctive		✧ VT43/14; VT43/23
nā	subjunctive		✧ VT43/14

Element In

ᴺQ. !nalumë “sometime(s)”
ᴺQ. !nanomë “someplace, somewhere”
ᴺQ. !naqui “although, even though, (lit.) if it is in fact”
ᴺQ. !yonávë “company, *companionship, camaraderie”
Q. alcar mi Tarmenel na Erun “glory [be] to God in the highest” ✧ VT44/32; VT44/32
Q. A (ná) calima lá B “A is brighter than B; (lit.) A is bright beyond B” ✧ PE17/90; PE17/90
Q. aranielya na tuluva “thy kingdom come” ✧ VT43/8; VT43/12
Q. ná “yes, it is so, it is a fact”
Q. na airë esselya “hallowed be thy name” ✧ VT43/12
Q. na carë indómelya “thy will be done” ✧ VT43/12
Q. nai “maybe; be it that, may it be that; perhaps, it may be, there is a chance or possibility” ✧ RGEO/60; VT49/28 (nái)
Q. #náma² “thing”
Q. namárië “farewell, (lit.) be well, let it be well (to you)” ✧ PE17/58; PE17/59 (na mārie); PE17/59; PE17/74 (na-mārië)
Q. námo¹ “person, somebody (unnamed)”
Q. násan “*amen, (lit.) may it be so”
Q. násië “*amen, (lit.) may it be so”
Q. návë “being”
Q. sí vanwa ná, Rómello vanwa, Valimar! “now lost, lost to those from the east is Valimar!” ✧ LotR/377; RGEO/58
Q. A anamelda na ar ilyan “A is dearest of all” ✧ PE17/57
Q. A anamelda na epë B “A is dear before B” ✧ PE17/57
Q. A anamelda na ep’ ilya “A is dearest of all” ✧ PE17/57
Q. A arimelda na epe B “A is (very much) [dearer] than B” ✧ PE17/57
Q. A arimelda na ilyaron “A is dearest of all” ✧ PE17/57
Q. á hyamë rámen úcarindor “pray for us sinners” ✧ VT43/27
Q. aistana elyë imíca nísi “blessed art thou amongst women” ✧ VT43/26; VT43/27
Q. alasaila ná lá carë tai mo nave mára “it is unwise not to do what one judges good” ✧ PE22/154; VT42/34
Q. á na márië “be well” ✧ PE17/162
Q. Átaremma i ëa han Eä “our Father who art in Heaven” ✧ VT43/8
Q. cemendë tambe Erumandë “on Earth as [it is] in Heaven” ✧ VT43/11
Q. cé tulis, ní nauva tanomë “*if he/she comes, I will be there” ✧ VT49/19
Q. cé tulis, tanomë nauvan “*if he/she comes, I will be there” ✧ VT49/19
Q. eldar ataformaiti “the Elves were ambidexters” ✧ VT49/6; VT49/7
Q. essë úpa nas “he is dumb” ✧ PE17/126
Q. i Héru aselyë “the Lord is with thee” ✧ VT43/26
Q. lá carita i hamil mára alasaila ná “not to do (in this case) what you judge good (would be) unwise” ✧ PE22/154; VT42/33
Q. lá caritas alasaila cé nauva “not doing this may be/prove unwise” ✧ PE22/154; VT42/34
Q. lá caritas, navin, alasaila ná “not doing this would be (I think) unwise” ✧ PE22/154; VT42/34
Q. mal ámë etelehta ulcullo: násië “but deliver us from evil: Amen” ✧ VT43/9
Q. mára ná “it is good” ✧ PE17/93
Q. naitë “true” ✧ VT49/28
Q. náner ataformaitë ve fírimor quetir “*were ambidextrous as mortals say” ✧ VT49/6
Q. nanwa¹ “existing, actual (true)” ✧ VT49/30
Q. nár (naitië) “they are (indeed = truly)” ✧ PE22/166
Q. nás mára nin “I like it” ✧ VT49/30
Q. nassë “nature, true-being; material; person, individual” ✧ VT49/30
Q. nésë nórima rocco “he was a horse strong/swift at running” ✧ VT49/29
Q. quí(ta) la tuldes, nánë márië (nin) “[if he had not come], it was well to me (I was glad)” ✧ PE22/158
Q. roccor i Erulingaron márë nár (ma naitë)? “the horses of the Rohirrim are good (are they not, lit. is it true)” ✧ PE22/166
Q. savin Elessar ar i nánë aran Ondórëo “I believe that E[lessar] really existed and that he was a King of Gondor” ✧ PE22/158; VT49/27
Q. sínen i·anda nyarnë metta ar taina andaurenya na quanta “*with this the long tale ends and my extended long day is complete” ✧ Minor-Doc/1955-CT
Q. sí vanwa ná, Rómello vanwa, Valimar!² “now lost is, [to one] from the East lost, Valimar!” ✧ RGEO/59
Q. umbë nin i hríve nauva urra (si loa) “I have a feeling that winter will be bad (this year)” ✧ PE22/168
Q. yá hríve menë, ringa ná “when winter comes/arrives/is with us, it is cold” ✧ VT49/23

Cognates

Ad. -n “predicate suffix”
S. #na- “to be”

Derivations

< √NĀ “be (the same as another), exist” ✧ PE17/93

Phonetic Developments

√NĀ > ná

[nā]

✧ PE17/93

ᴹ√NĀ² > nā	[nā]	✧ Ety/NĀ²
ᴹ✶nḗ > né	[nē]	✧ PE22/96

nalto	3rd-pl	“*they are [have]”	✧ PE15/32
nalto	3rd-pl	“*they are”	✧ PE15/32
naltur	3rd-pl	“*they are”	✧ PE15/32
náre	3rd-sg		✧ VT40/8
nalla	active-participle		✧ VT40/8
Ne	past		✧ VT40/8
nanye	past	“it was”	✧ PE16/141
nar	plural	“*are”	✧ PE15/32