tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Feb 02 18:47:48 1998
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Re: SoSwI' be'nI'
- From: "Dr. Lawrence M. Schoen" <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: SoSwI' be'nI'
- Date: Mon, 02 Feb 1998 22:06:22 -0400
- Organization: Klingon Language Institute
ghItlh Qov:
>>}MO says in the discussion: "Note that the word for 'spirit,' {qa'}, takes
>>}the plural sluffix {-pu'}, which is used for beings capable of using
>>}language. Spirits do speak."
>>
>>But presumably you could use {-mey} for spirits that didn't.
ghItlh Sustel:
> Why? Some words are inherently treated one way or the other. For
> example, somewhere in KGT (I've really got to type it up!) there's a
> discussion of table legs, which are called {'uSDu'}, even though they
> are not body parts. {qa'pu'} might ALWAYS be {qa'pu'}, even if they
> don't speak. Or maybe there are no {qa'pu'} which do not speak.
Two ideas come to mind when reading this.
First, the Victorian notion that tables have "limbs," and that a proper
home would not leave such limbs naked and exposed (oh my!). Having a
suffix that explicitly marks the legs of inanimate objects as body parts
captures this quite nicely.
Second, wasn't it Descartes who took the position that the requirement
for a soul was that creature possess language? It was a fun argument
since by definition prelinguistic infants are soulless. If you equate
soul with "spirit" and take a Cartesian stance, then there's no question
that spirits are capable of language, the fact is presupposed. Of course
this won't work if you want to admire the spirit of game animal that led
you a merry chase and which you honor now as you serve it for dinner.
Lawrence
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