Quenya...Aorist tense

[Goldberry1234]

Hi there,

Just recently (ok, all day yesterday) started taking the 20-lesson Quenya course. Seemed to be going along fine, I'm on lesson 7, and (taking a lot of notes!) and have found it relatively easily until I reached the Aorist tense. I'm very confused about when to use this tense as opposed to using present tense; the instructor mentions they are fairly interchangeable but I want to get it right. Any Quenya experts out there that can help me out?

Thanks!

[Lantarion]

I'm not familiar with all the least-known terms, but Quenya is a lot like Finnish; so if you'd like to provide me with a 'quote' from the Course, I might be able to help you. :)

[Elennainie]

Well, I am very far from being a quenya expert, but i'm taking the ardalambion course too, and I think Fausk. is trying to say that aorist is like when you are reading a story written in present tense "The elf eats a berry." Then something else happens, "The elf turns to leave", etc. It is in the present, but is of a short duration and soon stops. The regular present tense in Quenya shows that something is happening in the present and is ongoing. It continues to happen. Like "The elf is eating a berry" and he continues to eat. That's the best I can make of it. I look forward to hearing an expert's reply though.

And Lantarion, here is a quote from the course:
Generally, however, it seems that the Quenya aorist corresponds to the English simple present (that shows either the ending -s or no ending at all, depending on the grammatical context). So Tolkien often translated Quenya aorists: e.g. topë "covers" (LR:394), macë "hews" (VT39:11), tirin "I watch" (LR:394). The Quenya present tense, on the other hand, is often best translated using the English "is... -ing" construction: tópa "is covering", máca "is from lesson 7 at ardalambion.com

[Lantarion]

Sounds right to me, Elennainië. :)

[Elennainie]

Wow - thanks! :)

[Goldberry1234]

Well, after I posted, I went back to the course and tried to figure it out, and thought I had...but.....Now I'm really confused. I thought it was the other way around? I thought the Aorist tense was for things that didn't have a predetermined length of time associated with them (for example, "the elf lives..") or "the grass grows..."something that is sort of, always happening continuously? This is harder than I thought!

[Calimehtar]

You learned 7 lessons in one day? WOW! I am still on lesson 5 of that course. We do one course per week then talk about it and do excercises on it at our thread in The Tolkienology Guild. Check it out...

[Goldberry1234]

Well, I did spend ALLLLLLLL day on it, like, more than 8 hours. My vocab is still pretty shaky, but I figured that is always something I can look up, whereas the grammar part I would like to come naturally. I am more focused on learning to write it (properly) than learning to speak it, seeing as there aren't many folks I could speak it with who would fluently undersatnd it :-) I've filled up 1/2 a notebook already...feels like I'm back in high school!

[MemorableArwen]

Hi Goldberry!

I am on lesson 17. If you have any doubts, i will be glad to help you! :D

[Elven Warrior]

I was wondering, is there any way to learn this faster than taking the ardalambion course? im only 13 and i have school and havent quiet learned the full english, but me and my friend are soo interested, please help!

[MemorableArwen]

No, that would be my answer. There is no faster way. This course is the best for taking lessons, at least to me was. :D

[Elven Warrior]

oh ok thanks