tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue May 12 12:48:44 1998
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Re: betleH (KLBC but also a ? for everyone)
- From: "William H. Martin" <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: betleH (KLBC but also a ? for everyone)
- Date: Tue, 12 May 1998 15:48:17 -0400 (EDT)
- In-Reply-To: <[email protected]> from "Qov" at May 11, 98 07:56:06 pm
According to Qov:
>
> At 11:26 98-05-11 -0700, jemIy wrote:
...
> }nuqDaq vItu'laH'a'.
>
> When you use a question word, don't also use the yes/no questioner {-'a'}.
> vISamlaH - I can find it.
> vISamlaH'a' - Can I find it?
> nuqDaq vISamlaH - Where can I find it?
>
> For the object of a search, {Sam} is a better tranlation of find. The word
> {tu'} is find, observe, as in "one finds it unseasonably hot this year," not
> "I have to find a betleH."
As I like to describe it, {tu'} is what happens when something
brings itself to your attention. {Sam} is what happens when
your attention happened first. {Sam} involves a conscious
search. {tu'} involves unexpected discovery, or at least
unsought discovery.
This is why it is natural to use {tu'lu'} to mean "There
is/there are", since you are just commenting that the thing is
there, not that anyone was actually looking for it.
> Qov [email protected]
> Now on ICQ: 12235599
charghwI'