tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Jul 10 13:01:30 1998
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RE: KLBC - jIqeqtaH
- From: "Andeen, Eric" <[email protected]>
- Subject: RE: KLBC - jIqeqtaH
- Date: Fri, 10 Jul 1998 12:56:05 -0700
mujang tuv'el:
> > > DIron Soppu' vIghro'
> > chay'? ghaytan DIron tIn law' vIghro' tIn puS :-)
>
> choptaH vIghro' 'ej tugh Soplu' DIron.
The <DIron> is the thing being eaten, so it needs to be the object of
<Sop>. Unlike the English passive voice, the suffix <-lu'> does NOT
reverse the subject and the object, except for the weird prefix thing.
Reread TKD 4.2.5 for more information.
Also, you don't need an indefinite subject anyway - the <vIghro'> is
eating the bagpipes. Finally, this is the PERFECT place for an aspect
suffix. The <vIghro'> gnaws on the bagpipes and soon he will have
completely eaten them:
<DIron choptaH vIghro' 'ej tugh Sopta'>.
> tera' vIttlhegh ngo':
> "naDev Soj QoQ je tu'lu'" jatlh vIghro' DIron SoptaHvIS.
> ["There's meat and music here," said the fox as he ate the
> bagpipes.]
"meat" is literally <Ha'DIbaH>, but your selection of <Soj> works much
better. To be strictly correct, the <tu'lu'> should probably be
<lutu'lu'>, but the <lu-> prefix is often left off, especially on
<tu'lu'>.
> I originally wanted to say, "The v'gro gnawed on the
> bagpipes until they were gone." How do you express
> the idea of [until]?
There is no literal equivalent, but there are many possibilities for
recasting. "... until X" is often logically equivalent to "... while NOT
X". This does not usually produce the smoothest sentences, but it works.
There are usually lots of other alternatives as well.
> mu'tlheghmey chu':
>
> peqID'eghQo'!
I don't know that <qID> can take an object, or if it can, what kind of
object it can take. Besides, the English expression "Don't kid yourself"
is probably idiomatic enough that a literal translation is not a good
idea.
> SurIQchuqmoHpu'.
maj.
> maSangchuqnIS'a'?
maj.
> jIqaw'eghmoH.
"remember" is <qaw>, and "destroy" is <Qaw'>. I assume you meant one of
these.
> qatlh reH bIHo''egh?
After saying this, I'd step back and expect trouble...
pagh
Temporary Beginners' Grammarian