12.14: to Lie, Recline
- Q. caita-¹ v. “to lie (down)”
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The Quenya verb for “lie” based on the root √KAY of the same meaning (PE17/72; PE22/156). It is a half-strong verb with half-strong past ceantë (PE22/157, 164), but it more commonly uses a strong past caine “lay” (PE17/72; PE22/159; VT48/12) as is often the case for verbs derived from y-roots. This version of the verb is intransitive, but there also seems to be transitive variant caita-² “*lay” with a weak past form caitane (PE22/159); see that entry for discussion.
The verb caita- is not used to describe the location of regions or other flat geographical features like lakes; the verb [ᴹQ.] lat- “spread, extend, be situated” is used for that purpose instead (PE22/126); see that entry for discussion.
Conceptual Development: In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, ᴱQ. kaita- was a transitive verb with the gloss “to place” under the early root ᴱ√KAYA “lie, rest; dwell” (QL/46). The intransitive verbs in this period were ᴱQ. {kaito- >>} kaima- “lie quiet” < ᴱ√KAYA (QL/46) and ᴱQ. kama- “lie down” < ᴱ√KAMA (QL/44). The Early Qenya Grammar of the 1920s had kaita “lie down” (PE14/58), but the first version of the ᴱQ. Oilima Markirya used ᴱQ. kaya- “to lie” (MC/221; PE16/75) and kay- “lie” appeared in Qenya Word-lists from slightly earlier (PE16/132).
Starting in the late 1930s, intransitive “lie” seems to have been only ᴹQ. kaita- (VT27/7; PE22/126).
- ᴱQ. kama- v. “to lie down; (c. loc.) to endure, suffer”
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A verb appearing in the Qenya Lexicon as ᴱQ. kama- “to lie down” with a transitive variant ᴱQ. kamu- “to lay down, bend down, reduce”, both under the early root ᴱ√KAMA “lie down” (QL/44). Combined with the locative, the intransitive kama- also meant “to endure, suffer”.
Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would update these verbs to ᴺQ. cainu- “lie down, bend down” based on the primitive inceptive verb ✶kainu- “lie down” from the early 1950s (PE22/136). I would further assume that like its earlier variant it meant “endure, suffer (from)” in combination with the locative: cainunen soiciesse “I suffered from/endured thirst, (lit.) I bent down in thirst”.
- ᴹQ. lat- v. “to be extended, stretch, [ᴱQ.] spread, extend; [ᴹQ.] to be situated (of an area), lie (of lands or regions)”
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A verb meaning “be extended, stretch, be situated (of an area)” appearing in the Quenya Verbal System (QVS) of 1948 based on the root ᴹ√LAT of similar meaning (PE22/126). Tolkien also said that “kaita- to lie is in Q. only used of persons or animals that are lying down (as in bed, asleep or sick). ‘Lie’ said of land or regions is √LAT” (PE22/126).
Conceptual Development: The Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s had ᴱQ. lāta- “spread, extend, lie (of country)” under the early root ᴱ√LAHA (QL/50).
Neo-Quenya: In Tolkien’s later writings caita- was applied to some inanimate things, such as mornië caita “darkness lies” (RGEO/59), so I would assume the statement from QVS given above applies only to flat geographical features like regions or seas. Note that other geographic features either “sit” if short (cities or hills) or “stand” if tall (towers or mountains) (PE22/126), so I would not use caita- to describe any geography.
I would also assume lat- can apply to non-geographical things in the senses “extend, stretch, spread”.
- N. atlanna- v. “to slope, slant”
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A verb in The Etymologies of the 1930s appearing in its (Noldorin) infinitive form N. {tlanno >>} atlanno “to slope, slant” under the root ᴹ√TALÁT of similar meaning (Ety/TALÁT; EtyAC/TALÁT). It is not clear why the post vocalic t did not become d as is usual in Noldorin and Sindarin; compare N. adlegi from the same document (EtyAC/LEK). Perhaps atlanno was a remnant of unprefixed tlanno.
Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would use ᴺS. adlanna- “to slope, slant”, as suggested in Hiswelókë’s Sindarin Dictionary (HSD).
- G. hautha- v. “to lay, stretch out, lay flat on ground”
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A verb in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s appearing as G. hautha- “lay, stretch out, lay flat on ground”, a transitive variant of G. hau- “to lie” (GL/48). Hautha- initially also had an intransitive gloss “lie”, but this word was deleted.
Neo-Sindarin: I retain ᴺS. haw- “to lie”, so I would retain this verb as well, but adapted as ᴺS. hoda- “to lay, stretch out, lay flat on ground” to better fit Sindarin phonology.
- G. hau- v. “to lie [at ease]”
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A verb in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s appearing as G. hau- “lie” based on primitive ᴱ✶haw- (GL/48).
Neo-Sindarin: The root ᴹ√KHAW “rest, lie at ease” appears in Tolkien’s later writings, so I would retain ᴺS. haw- “to lie” as a derivative of this later root, conjugated like S. caw- “taste”: hewin vi chaust “I lie in bed”. I would assume it has the connotation of lying for the purpose of rest and relaxation (“lie at ease”), as opposed to more semantically neutral ᴺS. caeda- “to lie”.
- G. nudin adj. “prone, face down”
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An adjective appearing in the Gnomish Lexicon of the 1910s as G. {nûda “prone, face down” >>} nudin “prone”, based on G. nud- “incline head, bend face down” (GL/61).
Neo-Sindarin: For purposes of Neo-Sindarin, I would adapt this adjective as ᴺS. noden “prone, face down” based on the later root √NU “down”.