tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Apr 06 09:34:27 2004

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Re: wa'leS as noun

Steven Boozer ([email protected]) [KLI Member] 

De'vID jonwI'
> > Can this word begin a noun-noun construction, or does it have to be
> > preceded by a number?  In other words, is <ben qep'a'> a stretch of
> > the grammar, or is it grounded in a rule or canon example? Is <ben>
> > a time stamp in and of itself, or is it only so when it refers to a
> > specific number of years ago?

SuStel:
>We have no data.
>There are no rules to prohibit such a construction, but there are no known
>examples of such usage.  We have very little data on using /ben/ in this
>way, so a lack of evidence is not really evidence that it doesn't happen.

Although it's in no way canonical, many people on the List have long used 
*{ben law'} "many years ago", *{ben law'qu'} "many, many years ago", etc. 
as time stamps.  Personally I like this formula as it's simple and elegant, 
particularly WRT legends.  Unfortunately, it's never been used by Okrand.

If it turns out that {ben} can't be used alone, you *might* be able to use 
it (and the other paired time words) with {'op} "some, an unknown or 
unspecified quantity" even though it's a noun, not a number:  ?{'op ben} 
"some years ago".

As SuStel says, this is another of those grey areas in our knowledge of 
Klingon.



-- 
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons

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