tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sun May 30 01:41:49 1999

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RE: KLBC, first sentence try



jatlh Nelson:

> Although this is a real request,
> I would like it to be reviewed by pagh.

> /Montreal/Daq tlhIngan Hol jatlhmeH vay' jInej.

Very close, but the <-meH> clause here doesn't quite work. I'd probably say
<*Montreal*-Daq tlhIngan Hol jatlhwI' vInej> for this idea.

<-meH> clauses can be used in two very different ways. The first is to
modify a noun.  The clause goes before the noun it modifies. For example,
<ghojmeH taj> means "kinfe for learning", or "boy's knife". Other examples:
<Duj wIvmeH mIw> - "process for choosing a ship"; <jIQongmeH poH> - "The
time period for me to sleep" or maybe "my naptime".

In this case, the noun modified by the <-meH> clause has as its purpose or
goal the accomplishment of the <-meH> clause. The purpose of a <ghojmeH taj>
is for the owner of it to learn how to use a knife.

Note that the noun that the <-meH> clause modifies is definitely not the
subject of the verb with <-meH>. A <ghojmeH taj> does not itself learn.
<-meH> clauses like this often behave like they have indefinite subjects,
but don't usually use the <-lu'> suffix.


The second way <-meH> can be used is to modify a whole sentence. For
example: <jIQongmeH, QongDaqDaq jIQot> - In order to sleep, I lie in bed;
<jIghungbe'meH jIHvaD 'uQ qem be'nalwI'> - My wife brought me dinner so that
I would not be hungry; <jaghDaj HoHmeH matlh, betleHDaj lo'> - Maltz used
her betleH to kill her enemy.

In this case, the action of the sentence is undertaken in order to
accomplish the purpose in the <-meH> clause. These kinds of <-meH> clauses
do need an explicit subject - or an explicit <-lu'> - which is often (but
not always) the same as the subject of the main clause.

Of course, there are times when a <-meH> clause could be either kind, but
most of those cases have very similar meanings either way. <vutmeH qul lo'
vaHur> could be "vaHur used a fire to cook", or "vaHur used the cooking
fire". He could have used the cooking fire to warm himself, but generally we
can assume he used the fire to cook unless context tells us otherwise.

> That way, I could eventualy
> participate in a qepHom.

batlh bIjeSjaj.

DaH jIQongmeH poH vIqelqa': tugh jIQong.


pagh
Beginners' Grammarian



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