tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Jan 25 14:37:22 2002
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]
RE: qepHom, qep, qep'a'
Lawrence:
: {qep} is a meeting.
: {qep'a'} is a conference.
: {qepHom} is a gathering.
:
: This still strikes me as a very reasonable and obvious application of
: diminuation and agumentation. One could argue -- and I believe it would be
: correct to do so -- that the suffixes are not simply about "size," but to
: attribute the various connotations that have become associated with the
: events (formality and ceremony to the {qep'a'}, informality and casualness
: to the {qepHom}) to the suffixes themselves would be wrong.
:
: Hmmm. Perhaps we need a nice article on the distinctions between
: connotative and denotative meanings in Klingon for an upcoming issue of
: HolQeD? Any takers?
Good idea for an article. I'm NOT volunteering, but for some time now I've
noticed that almost all learners (as well as some old hands) prefer to use
{-Hom} and {-'a'} in preference to {tIn}, {mach}, etc. for *all* differences in
size. Perhaps this is because people find the suffixes exotic and fun to play
with, while the qualities feel too much like boring old adjectives.
It's a pity. Using the two together allows for great precision:
qep tIn a large meeting
qep'a' mach a small conference
qepHom machqu' a tiny committee
Of course this is more a question of connotative vs. denotative meaning for
Klingon learners, not "real" Klingon speakers. Whoever writes that article
will probably want to interview Maltz. <g>
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons