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In Arabic languages, "no" is ''la'a''. [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]] said himself that this negative form "''appears in [[Wikipedia:Semitic languages|Semitic]]''".<ref name=VT42e/> | In Arabic languages, "no" is ''la'a''. [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]] said himself that this negative form "''appears in [[Wikipedia:Semitic languages|Semitic]]''".<ref name=VT42e/> | ||
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{{DEFAULTSORT:La}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:La}} | ||
[[Category:Quenya words]] | [[Category:Quenya words]] | ||
Revision as of 20:58, 19 October 2012
la or lá (whenever stressed) is a negation adverb meaning "no, not".[1]
The word can get pronominal endings as if a negative verb when a verb is not expressed, 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".
Etymology
Forms
- ala, ála "do not!"
- lanye "I do not, am not" (melin sé apa lanye hé *“I love him but I do not him [that one]”)[4]
See also
Other versions
In another conceptual phase of Tolkien's, lá had the opposite meaning "yes".[1]
Tolkien considered that the negation could receive tense markers however he later reconsidered it. The tenses where la was attested are:
- la (aorist)
- laia (present)
- láne (past)
- alaie (perfect)
- lauva (future)
Inspiration
In Arabic languages, "no" is la'a. Tolkien said himself that this negative form "appears in Semitic".[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Bill Welden, "Negation in Quenya", in Vinyar Tengwar, Number 42, July 2001, pp. 32-33
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, "Addenda and Corrigenda to the Etymologies — Part One" (edited by Carl F. Hostetter and Patrick H. Wynne), in Vinyar Tengwar, Number 45, November 2003, p. 25
- ↑ Vinyar Tengwar, Number 43, January 2002
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, "Eldarin Hands, Fingers & Numerals and Related Writings — Part Three" (edited by Patrick H. Wynne), in Vinyar Tengwar, Number 49, June 2007, p. 15
