tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Aug 01 10:02:58 1995
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Re: }} yoD Hov'a'
- From: [email protected] (Alan Anderson)
- Subject: Re: }} yoD Hov'a'
- Date: Tue, 1 Aug 1995 09:02:58 -0500
ghItlh yoDtargh:
>The way I think of it, is that the last noun is the main noun and
>the noun which preceeds describes that noun in some way.
Whoa! You might be doing more harm than good with this explanation.
You've said that the first noun "describes" the second one, implying
that the first noun is acting as an adjective. I will not let that
go unchallenged!
The final noun in a N-N phrase is the main one, yes. Without it, the
entire meaning of the phrase is lost. But, according to the dictionary,
the preceding noun OWNS that noun in some way. The N-N phrase is a
POSSESSIVE construction.
>If I want to say "The symbol of the Klingon Empire is red",
>"Klingon" is describing "empire", "empire" is describing "symbol".
The Klingons own the empire; the empire owns the symbol.
>The main noun, the item which is actually red, is the symbol, so it
>comes last.
>Doq tlhIngan wo' Degh. The symbol of the empire of the Klingon(s) is red.
Or "The Klingon's empire's symbol is red."
-- ghunchu'wI'