tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Jul 09 17:48:28 2004

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Re: jIH/SoH in comparatives

QeS lagh ([email protected])



ghItlhpu' lay'tel SIvten:

>I have found two canon comparatives in which {jIH} or {SoH} fills the 'A' 
>or 'B' position of the formula "A Q law' B Q puS".  And I realized that A 
>and B are not subjects of Q at all, even though Q is a verb.  Just one more 
>odd thing about law'/puS comparatives.

Mmm... I would argue that they still are subjects, but that they do not 
conform to modern grammar.

Have you received the latest issue of HolQeD yet? I've written a brief 
article on the evidence for OSV word order in Old Klingon. In that, I 
speculate that the comparative construction is a throwback to {no' Hol}; 
I've also theorised that the subject/object prefixes are also evidence for 
that old word order.

If that is indeed the case, then the comparative construction might well 
predate the addition of verb prefixes to the verb, and only free pronouns 
might have been used at that time.

>Having said that, has anyone ever used something like {bItIn law' jItIn 
>puS} instead of {SoH tIn law' jIH tIn puS}?

I don't think I've ever seen it. Others may have, though.

Savan.

QeS lagh

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