tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Oct 10 17:04:57 1996

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Re: DI'vI' Hol

96-10-10 12:13:37 EDT, jatlh ghunchu'wI':

> {-choH} certainly carries the "change of state" meaning; that's its 
>  canonical definition.  If by analogy you consider that {-qa'} implies 
>  a change of state, then "resume" is the appropriate interpretation. 
>  But TKD consistently gives both "resume" and "do again" as proper ways
>  to translate it.

Could you point out some of TKD's "do again" examples?    I'm afraid I can't
think of any.  If I could see them, it might set my mind to rest.

However, I don't say that {-qa'} implies a change of state by analogy with
{-choH}; TKD itself says that!  4.2.3, Type 3: Change.  "Suffixes of this
type indicate that the action described by the verb involves a change of some
kind from the state of affairs that existed before the action took place."

>  But this digression does point to a way to make the intended meaning a
>  bit less ambiguous.  If you really mean that an activity resumes, then
>  the suffix {-taH} can help to imply that idea.

That's quite a good idea!

Addressing the ambiguity, I experienced something this week which was an
excellent example of what we're talking about.  I was talking to Laurel on
the phone in Klingon, and I had stopped her to ask her a question.  Then I
wanted to tell her continue telling her story.  The appropriate thing to say
was {yIjatlhqa'}.  However, I noted that up to then I had thought of this
word in the context of "say that again, repeat yourself."  These are two
totally different meanings, and I was afraid to completely confuse Laurel!

So, given this context, do you think the ambiguity is navigable?  Do you
think a Klingon in Laurel's place would have gone on with her story, or would
have repeated her answer?

>  o/~ "SamuSHa', tumuSHa', qorDu' Quch wIchenmoHta'..." o/~

QI'yaH!!!  mu'mey mIghqu' Dabom jay'!  DuqalmoHpu' 'Iv?  puqloDlI'?  Barney
muSHa'wI'pu' . . . grrr . . .  :)

SuStel
Stardate 96777.2

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