tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sun Oct 25 19:15:18 1998
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]
Re: KLBC Tribbleball
According to Alan Anderson:
...
> Seeing a compound without first having its meaning declared for me is more
> likely to imply to me that it's somehow both of the things at the same
> time. {yIHghanjaq} sounds a little to me like it's a mace made from a
> tribble, not
> a club used to hit them.
Well, I would not make any assumptions about the meaning. I can
definitely see it interpreted this way, OR as it was intended
OR a couple other ways. The main thing about a compound noun is
that it is a new word, somehow different or more common than
the two nouns simply next to each other.
You can casually build a noun-noun construction for the
convenience of a new expression. Meanwhile, a compound noun is
a new word. You must intend to use it as a compound noun;
something worthy of being added to the vocabulary.
As I see it, it is a rare condition that I would make up my own
compound nouns. I make up noun-noun constructions all the time,
however. As I read TKD, that's the impression of what is
appropriate.
> -- ghunchu'wI'
charghwI' 'utlh