tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Jun 28 07:31:24 1994
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Re: KLBC (old)- SaQum
- From: "Mark Nudelman" <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: KLBC (old)- SaQum
- Date: 28 Jun 1994 16:20:28 U
Reply to: RE>>KLBC (old)- SaQum
jatlh charghwI':
>So is the problem that I am using {-meH} to link with a verb
>that is negated? If I said {tlhIngan Hol vIjatlhmeH jIpo'},
>would that mean that I am skilled at speaking Klingon?
I think the negation complicates things, by adding an ambiguity
that others have discussed: what part of the sentence are we
negating? I think {jISo'meH jIchuSbe'} can mean either the obvious
"I am not-noisy in order that I hide", but could also mean "I am
not (being noisy in order to hide)". This second meaning is a
denial of the statement {jISo'meH jIchuS}.
But I don't think the original problem is solely due to the negation.
The original issue revolves around the meaning of -meH. I view
-meH (perhaps too narrowly) as implying PURPOSE. I would
agree with ~mark that {tlhIngan Hol vIjatlhmeH jIpo'} does
not mean "I am skilled at speaking Klingon." To me, it says "I am
skilled in order to speak Klingon"; that is, I am deliberately being
skilled for the purpose of speaking Klingon. It seems the same
construct as {tlhIngan Hol vIjatlhmeH nujwIj vIvIHmoH}, where the
purpose connotation is clearer.
--nachHegh
[email protected]