tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Feb 07 07:12:32 1995

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Re: `on the subject of' (was: Re: Boustrophedon, Futhark)

According to A.Appleyard:
> 
> On Sat, 4 Feb 1995, A.Appleyard wrote:
> > (1) `XXX' hereinabove should be a preposition suffix meaning "on the subject
> > of": please what should this be?
> 
> "R.B Franklin" <[email protected]> wrote:-
> > How about:  X wIbuStaHvIS
> 
> {pu'pu' wIbuStaHvIS ghItlh Z} = "Z writes while thinking only about phasers".

Hmmm. jatlhlaHlaw' pu'meyvam...

Also, remember that in HolQeD Okrand explains that {ghItlh} has
more to do with the physical act of marking on paper than it
does with composing words. We've long known about the lack of
a single word in Klingon for the many variations on the English
"about", only one of which is served by this proposed "on the
topic of". Generally, we need to just recast, since even this
can have subtle differences in what it can mean.

Anyway, if you get away from fixating on the verb {ghItlh}, you
can easily say {ghItlhDajDaq pu'mey buS Qugh} "In his
manuscript, Kruge concentrates on phasers." Also consider:

pu'mey buS Qugh mu'mey.

I think I like that even better, since it is simple and
directly connected to the meaning you wish to convey. We have a
subject (Kruge's words) performing an action (concentrating on)
on an object {phasers}. In English, we lose this love of action
in so many of our sentences so much that when we have thoughts
that can well be expressed in this manner, we don't even
consider the option.

That's one of the big appeals of E-Prime -- English without the
verb "to be". It forces one back to this action-based means of
expressing thoughts. You describe what a thing does or how it
appears to the senses rather than concluding anything about its
basic nature. This results in greater accuracy through greater
care and you enjoy the byproduct of greater respect for things
to have a nature which extends beyond your understanding or
preconception.

But I digress...

> But, while he is "writing on the subject of phasers", he should also give due
> consideration to other relevant associated matters!! This need for a suffix or
> word for "on the subject of" seems to be another item for the {qechmey mem
> OkrandvaD}. 

I simply disagree.

> Perhaps {pu'pu' ja'chuqghach ghItlh Z} = "Z writes a discussion of
> phasers", except that Okrand seems to have forbidden that sort of casual use
> of {ghach} with a simple verb to make a needed "-tion" noun.

{ja'chuq} is not a simple verb. The {-chuq} is a suffix which
would work fine for {-ghach}, though I still think that
{-ghach} is often a crutch we can do without.

pu'mey tlhejbogh Dochmey pu'mey je buS Z mu'mey.

charghwI'
-- 

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