tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue May 19 12:54:40 1998
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Re: Quj bej Holtej qorDu'
- From: "William H. Martin" <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: Quj bej Holtej qorDu'
- Date: Tue, 19 May 1998 15:53:18 -0400 (EDT)
- In-Reply-To: <[email protected]> from "Marc Ruehlaender" at May 19, 98 11:43:51 am
According to Marc Ruehlaender:
...
> > of any other verb that does this, except perhaps for the {lo'}
> > and {lo'laH} split, which is resolved by calling {lo'laH} a
> > separate, independant verb.
> >
> which reminds me of another question I had: doesn't this make
> {lo'laHghach} a verb+{-ghach} without any intervening suffix?
It does, but remember that this language evolves over time
(even though only one person actually controls how it evolves).
This creates problems for Okrand because he will make a
necessary change and then have to deal with the consequences of
how that change may conflict with something in canon.
> wouldn't it be better to say there are two verbs {lo'}, one
> meaning "uses" and the other meaning "is used"? then {lo'laH}
> can be analysed as "can be used" = "is useful" = "is valuable"
No, that would not work for what Okrand needed here. He needed
to be able to say:
"The captain stole a valuable secret."
Since he did not want {-laH} to generally be used on any
verb while used adjectivally, his only way out was to declare
that {lo'laH} was one of those rare, two-syllable root verbs,
so you now have two words that look alike and sound alike, but
have different meanings:
lo'laH = be useful - can be used as an adjective
lo'laH = can use = lo'+laH - cannot be used as an adjective.
This, of course, tempts us to write evil sentences:
laH lo'laH lo'laH. = He can use a valuable skill.
lo'laH laH lo'. = Use of the skill is valuable.
Hal lo'laH 'ol. = He verifed the valuable source.
Hal 'olbogh ghob lo'laH. "Valuable ethics, which verify the
source." A famous Klingon book title, also sometimes translated
as "The source, which is verified by valuable ethics"...
bogh Hal lo' lo'laH ghob = "Ethics of the source's valuable use
is born."
Why can I never think of these things when HolQeD has a contest?
Well, in part it is because it doesn't quite work...
Hal 'olbogh ghob lo'laH. "Valuable ethics, which verify the
source..."
Hal 'olbogh lo' 'ol ghob lo'laH. "Valuable ethics verify the use
which verifies the source."
Mwahahahahahahahahahahaaaaa....
Hal 'olbogh lo' 'e' 'ol ghob lo'laH. "Valuable ethics verify
that he uses the source which he verifies."
jImaw'choHba'pu'.
Hal 'Iw 'ollaH lo'wI' laH. "The user's skill can verify the
source's blood." That is, of course, a famous inscription
common to many fine betleHmey...
jImevnIS. I've gone too far already...
> Marc Ruehlaender
> aka HomDoq
> [email protected]
charghwI'