tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sun Apr 26 19:53:40 1998
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copulas (was Re: KLBC: ghojtaH nIDegh)
ja' Qov:
>There are two ways to express uncertainty with suffixes in Klingon: the verb
>suffix {-law'} and the noun suffix {-Hey}. There isn't a huge difference
>here, because the verb is a copula, just equating the subject and object.
I never think of the "to be" use of Klingon pronouns as a copula. It seems
to imply more of "membership" than of "equality". The examples in TKD 6.3,
the "Useful Phrases" appendix, and KGT are all of the form "X is a Y" (or
"X is in Y", but that's not the same usage). They don't say "X is Y". I
do accept phrases using type 4 suffixes like "X is that Y" or "X is your Y",
but "X is Y" goes against the way I interpret pronouns as "to be".
-- ghunchu'wI'