tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sat Apr 18 23:23:07 1998
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]
RE: KLBC: nobmey
- From: "Andeen, Eric" <[email protected]>
- Subject: RE: KLBC: nobmey
- Date: Sat, 18 Apr 1998 23:16:32 -0700
SuStel & Qov debate naked ordinals:
>}Also, using ordinal suffixes require that the number follow a noun.
In this
>}case, you'd have to talk about runes. {*rune* wa'DIch}, {*rune*
cha'DIch},
>}etc. We have no reason to believe that you can drop the noun.
>
>Other than that cha'DIch is used as a noun.
That particular usage of {cha'DIch} is a wee bit strange. First off, it
first came from TV. I don't know if it has been expanded upon by later
canon or not (Voragh?). Second, this is a pretty specific cultural
usage, which may not represent the general pattern.
On the other hand, we CAN use cardinal numbers as nouns {wa' yIHoH}, and
TKD could be read either way on whether ordinals can as well. Here's the
relevant text:
"Numbers are used as nouns. As such, they may stand alone as subjects or
objects or they may modify another noun." ... "When a number is used for
numbering, as opposed to counting, it follows the noun." ... "Ordinal
numbers follow the noun."
That last sentence could either mean "Ordinal numbers always follow the
noun." or "When modifying a noun, ordinal numbers follow the noun.",
depending on whether the "stand alone ... or modify another noun" part
applies or not.
pagh