tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Jan 26 20:38:35 1998

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Re: intermittently



On Sun, 25 Jan 1998 10:30:19 -0800 (PST) David Trimboli 
<[email protected]> wrote:

> -----Original Message-----
> From: WestphalWz <[email protected]>
> To: Multiple recipients of list <[email protected]>
> Date: Friday, January 23, 1998 2:30 AM
> Subject: intermittently
> 
> 
> >Can (Krankor's discussion in HolQeD 6:4) -taHbe' mean do something
> >intermittently, not continuously.  Now, -be' does emphasize the "not
> >continuous" concept, not the whole verb+taH.
> 
> No.  As stated in TKD, a verb without an aspect suffix is not complete, and
> is not continuous.  It's *possible* that {QongtaHbe'} means exactly the same
> thing {Qong}, but what would be the point of that?

Exactly. That is why I basically disagree with Krankor on this. 
I've been trying to hold back on arguing about this on the list 
until I can debate more directly with Krankor, but I suppose I 
should at least weigh in with the opinion that {-taHbe'} 
precisely DOES mean "discontinuously". I like the sense of it 
being "sporadic".

The example I'm arguing with Krankor over is:

Imagine that there are two computers here. One has a bad power 
supply and will not boot. The other boots, but it has 
configuration problems and needs rebooting often. Someone points 
to the first computer and says:

Qap'a'?

I answer, {Qapbe'taH.}

He points to the second one and asks, {Qap'a'?}

I answer, {QaptaHbe'.}

Note that it would be wrong to answer either {Qap,} or {Qapbe'.} 
I mean, it does work sometimes, but other times it doesn't work. 
it works sporadically. I do not see {QaptaHbe'} meaning anything 
like the same thing as {Qap} alone.
 
> In most cases, it is possible to simply use the {-be'} on the verb itself.
> {Qongbe'taH} "he is not sleeping."

But what if he sleeps restlessly and awakens frequently? 
{QongtaHbe'.} He sleeps discontinuously.
 
> SuStel
> Stardate 98066.6

charghwI'




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