Re: KLBC boghmo' 'IHrIStoS malop

[Philip Newton <tlhIngan-Hol@gmx.net>]

On Wed, 31 Dec 2003 10:34:13 -0500, "Scott Willis"
<magicspiderwebb@hotmail.com> wrote:

> > > ngabwI':
> > > So your sentence should read:
> > > {maHvaD nob DInob.}
> > > "We gave gifts to us."
> > > I know it sounds a little clunky in English, but I'm positive this
> > > is the way to express this. }}: )
> >
> > Philip:
> > Ah, hmm. Even with reflexive objects?
> 
> Yes, even with reflexive objects. As you pointed out, you didn't give each
> other, you gave *presents* *to* each other. "Each other" is the *in*direct
> object of the verb.

Yes.

But "each other", not "us", is the indirect object of the verb in
English, so I wasn't sure whether "to each other" could be translated
with {maHvaD} here.

The difference is probably more marked in the third person, where "They
gave presents to them" and "They gave presents to each other" tend to
mean different things: the first would probably mean "They (one group)
gave presents to them (another group)", e.g. "The boy scouts visited the
inhabitants of a refugee camp and they gave presents to them", since if
they had distributed presents among themselves, one would expect "each
other".

But I suppose "They gave presents to them" could also mean "They gave
presents to one another".

Philip