tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Aug 25 12:32:59 2003

Back to archive top level

To this year's listing

[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]

Re: Grammar Question

...Paul ([email protected]) [KLI Member] 

On Mon, 25 Aug 2003, Steven Boozer wrote:
>    De' pegh vIghaj
>    I have secret information. PK

This might actually be the real clincher.  None of the other examples
(which I've deleted) seem to refer to an object that has an adjective
applied to it.  You could theoretically rewrite this as:

pegh De'wIj
"My information is secret".

This then parallels the insult:

Hab SoSlI' Quch  / pegh De'wIj
  (lit. "Your mother's forehead is smooth" / "My information is secret")

Quch Hab ghaj SoSlI' / De' pegh vIghaj
  (lit. "Your mother has a smooth forehead" / "I have secret information")

> > > I don't think this actually changes what I was saying; I still think
> > > it's cleaner to use {tIn ghIchwIj} than {ghIch tIn vIghaj}.
>
> Agreed.  Using the quality as a predicate verb is certainly much neater.

I still think it may be a difference of connotation or emphasis.  As
someone else pointed out, "Quch Hab ghaj SoSlI'" may refer to a scalp that
your mother has kept as a trophy -- certainly not an insult.  Whereas
"Hab SoSlI' Quch" most definitely refers to "your mother's forehead".

So why is it "De' pegh vIghaj"?  Because the connotation is different.
The emphasis is on the fact that I'm in possession of the data, and it
happens to be secret.

...Paul

PS>  I just got all the back issues of HolQeD in the mail last week.  When
I stop working 60 hours a week, I might actually get around to reading
them.  :)

 **        Have a question that reality just can't answer?        **
  ** Visit Project Galactic Guide http://www.galactic-guide.com/ **
    "Understanding human needs is half the job of meeting them"
                         -- Adlai Stevenson

Back to archive top level