tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Jan 16 00:47:50 1995
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Re: more beginner drivel ;)
- From: "A.Appleyard" <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: more beginner drivel ;)
- Date: Mon, 16 Jan 1995 08:45:52 GMT
- Priority: normal
On Wed, 11 Jan 1995, William H. Martin wrote:
> ... "If it is impossible that you defeat your enemy, then you must accompany
> him in battle." The only shady part of this is the implied generic "it", as
> in "it is impossible". We don't know for sure that this is not a little too
> idiomatic, especially when we are given words like {ghu'} and {wanI'} which
> might express the same thing more specifically...
R.B.Franklin replied:-
> There appears to be at least one canon example of the implied, generic >
> "it" in Klingon: Do'Ha'. (It is unfortunate.)
The real meaning is "If (you defeating your enemy in battle) is impossible
...", and there is really no "it" involved. "defeating" is the subject of
"is", a noun, i.e. a gerund alias infinitive, which also has its own subject
and object.