tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sat Apr 28 20:05:26 2001
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RE: KLBC-Reflexive verb suffixes
- From: "Stauffer, Tad E (staufte7)" <[email protected]>
- Subject: RE: KLBC-Reflexive verb suffixes
- Date: Sat, 28 Apr 2001 23:05:14 -0400
yeygha' said:
> I was just looking at the suffixes that make a verb reflexive, and I was
> wondering how you would incorporate an indirect object (I think that's
> what it would be) into the sentence. For example:
>
> {jIpe'pu''egh} I have cut myself.
>
Don't forget to check the suffix order. Since {-'egh} is a type-1 verb
suffix, and {-pu'} is a type-7 verb suffix, {-'egh} goes before {-pu'}.
> What if I wanted to say that I cut myself with a knife? Several
> possibilities spring to mind:
>
The options that you've considered here all work, with subtle differences in
meaning.
Keep in mind that {pe''egh} also means "keep score", since apparently
Klingons would use marks/scratches on an arm in order to record victories.
> {tajmo' jIpe'pu''egh}
> I have cut myself because of the knife.
>
Again, just remember that the suffix {-'egh} goes before {-pu'}.
> {taj vIqengvIS jIH jIpe'pu''egh}
> While I was carrying the knife, I cut myself.
>
Whenever we use the verb suffix {-vIS} ("while"), we also use the suffix
{-taH}:
{vIqengtaHvIS} "While I was carrying it."
Since you included the pronoun {jIH}, you've emphasized that it was *you*
who was carrying the knife, and not someone else. This is a good distinction
to make in this case.
> Or would it be some *other* construction that I haven't even thought of?
>
I would probably have used the second construction that you used.
As Patrick pointed out, depending on the context, you could also focus on
the knife performing the action:
{jIQaghmo' mupe' taj} "Because I made an error, the knife cut me."
If you include the adverbial {bong} ("accidentally"), it would also be more
clear that you accidentally cut yourself, and weren't "keeping score".
- taD
-----------------
AIM: Tad Stauffer
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