tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Jul 19 22:38:23 2004
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Re: Imperatives + -ta'/-pu'
- From: "QeS lagh" <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: Imperatives + -ta'/-pu'
- Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2004 15:37:26 +1000
- Bcc:
ghItlhpu' Se'noj le'umaS:
>I don't know if this has been discussed before, but what is the rule on
>using imperative prefixes and -ta' and -pu' suffixes? My thought on it is
>that it could imply a wish for extra speed, like the DIvI' Hol "I want it
>done five minutes ago," but I could be wrong. Any canon examples around?
I can't think of any canon that contains it.
Myself, I think it smacks of a too-literal translation of the American
English "Then do it already!" I could understand it in some contexts:
Do Qe'Daq vIjaH. jIcheghDI' ngop yISay'moHpu'.
"I'm going for some fast food. When I return, be finished washing those
plates!"
I think the wish for extra speed might be the effect of English seeping
through. But, I suppose if you said {yIta'pu'} to someone, that could mean
that you want them to finish a task that they're halfway through doing. If
I'm washing the aforementioned plates, for instance, and you want me to
hurry up and finish doing so, you might be able to say {ngop yISay'moHpu'}.
Savan.
QeS lagh
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