tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Jan 08 16:51:54 2004

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Re: "too much"

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

ghelnIS Senara:

> > tlhoy qagh vISop
> > qagh 'Iq vISop
>
>When do I use which sentence? And why is "tlhoy" placed before and "'Iq" 
>after "qagh"?

For beginners, the basic Klingon word order to remember is:

   Adverbial - Object (O) - Verb (V) - Subject (S)

{tlhoy} "overly, to an excessive degree, excessively, too much" is an 
adverbial and, like all adverbials, comes before the OVS nucleus of the 
sentence - unlike English, where adverbs and adverbials can come just about 
anywhere.  {'Iq} is a descriptive or adjectival verb - Okrand calls these 
"qualities" - and works like all other such verbs as described in 
TKD.  E.g. {QaQ} "be good":

   qagh QaQ
   good gagh  [noun phrase]

   QaQ qagh.
   The gagh is good.  [complete sentence]

Here's Okrand's explanation of {tlhoy} and {'Iq} from HolQeD 8.3 in more 
detail:

   [{tlhoy}] is used in such sentences as

     tlhoy jISop.
     I eat too much, I eat excessively.

     tlhoy bIQong
     you sleep too much, you sleep excessively.

   When {tlhoy} is used, it denotes that the action expressed by the
   verb is what is being overly done or done too much. Thus the sentence:

     tlhoy qagh vISop
     I eat too much gagh, I eat gagh excessively, I overeat gagh

   expresses the notion that the eating is excessive, not that the amount
   of gagh is. (Note that although it is possible to say this, it is not
   something anybody would be likely to ever say.)  Similarly,

     tlhoy yIHmey vIlegh
     I see too many tribbles

   means "I overly see tribbles" (perhaps this could be used if one meant
   something like "I see tribbles far too frequently and in far too many
   places"). To express the idea of "too much gagh" or "too many tribbles,"
   the verb {'Iq} "be too many, be too much" is used adjectivally. For
   example:

     yIHmey 'Iq vIlegh
     I see too many tribbles.

     qagh 'Iq vISop
     I eat too much gagh.

   Sometimes, the word {law'qu'} "be very many" (formed from {law'} "be
   many" plus {-qu'}, the emphatic suffix) is translated "be too many."
   If the context is clear, this is acceptable, but if it important to
   stress the idea of "overly many, overly much, more than there ought
   to be," {tlhoy} or {'Iq} is usually employed.

Another example from the article:

   tlhoy Sop 'ach ghIq Qongchu'.
   He/she eats too much, but then he/she sleeps soundly.

BTW, the opposite of {tlhoy} is the adverbial {loQ} "slightly, a little 
bit, briefly":

   loQ mayev
   [Let's] Take a short break! PK

   loQ yIyev
   Take a short pause. PK

   loQ yIleS
   Take a brief rest! PK

   loQ yIDum
   Take a short nap. PK

   loQ 'oy'DI' SuvwI' bepbe'
   A warrior does not complain about physical discomfort ("aching 
slightly"). TKW

Have I confuse you yet?  <g>



-- 
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons

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