tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Jan 16 03:53:28 1995
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Re: more beginner drivel ;)
On Mon, 16 Jan 1995, A.Appleyard wrote:
> 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.
In response to your reading of the phrase, {jaghlI' Dajey 'e' DuHHa'chugh},
it consists of (1) a sentence and (2) a subordinate clause which uses the
preceeding sentence as an object. In the sentence {jaghlI' Dajey}, the
subject is "you", as indicated by the prefix {Da-}; the verb is {jey} and
the object is {jaghlI'}. {'e' DuHHa'chugh} is a subordinate clause,
the subject of which is an unspecified "He, She, or It" as indicated
by the null suffix; the verb is {DuHHa'chugh} and the object is the
pronoun, {'e'} which refers to the preceeding sentence {jaghlI' Dajey}.
There is nothing resembling a gerund or infinitive present and nowhere does
"defeating" appear as a subject. When describing Klingon grammar, I would be
hesitant to apply these terms because their applicability to Klingon is
undefined and perhaps inaccurate.
As charghwI' previously pointed out, {DuH} is probably not a transitive
verb and therefore cannot take an object. It would be more grammatically
correct to say {jaghlI' DajeymeH DuHbe'chugh} (If it is not possible for
you to defeat your enemy...), but I would probably rephrase this as {jaghlI'
DajeylaHbe'chugh} (If you are not able to defeat your enemy...).
yoDtargh