tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Apr 30 09:31:09 2004

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Re: Verbs of quality and 'e'

Steven Boozer ([email protected])

• From: Steven Boozer <[email protected]>
• Subject: Re: Verbs of quality and 'e'
• Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2004 11:30:56 -0500
• In-reply-to: <[email protected]>
• References: <[email protected]>

MorphemeAddict:
> > DuH qechvam, 'ach Human Hol qub ghoj chaH 'e' DuH je,

SuStel:
>For instance, in the sentence above, lay'tel SIvten means to say, "It is
>possible that . . . ."  The problem is that /'e'/ must be the object of
>/DuH/ "be possible," but being a verb of quality, /DuH/ doesn't take
>objects.
>    [...]
>In Klingon, you must rephrase.  One possibility:
>
>     chaq Human Hol qub ghoj chaH.
>     Maybe they learn rare human languages.

A better one is:

   Human Holmey qub ghojlaw' chaH.

{-law'} "it seems (to be), apparently, seemingly", is perfect for 
translating "it is possible that":

   This suffix expresses any uncertainty on the speaker's part and may
   even be thought of as meaning "I think" or "I suspect". (TKD 40)

   Like Type 3 noun suffixes, these suffixes show how sure the speaker
   is about what is being said." (TKD 39)

>Would you say */Duj DuH/?  Of course not.  Neither can you say /'e' DuH/
>  or any other phrase like this.

For those interested, {DuH} "be possible" has been use once in canon:

   yIntaHvIS qIrq DuHbe' roj.
   There will be no peace as long as Kirk lives. (ST5 notes)
   ("While Kirk continues to live, peace is not possible.")



-- 
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons 

• References:
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  • Verbs of quality and 'e'
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