tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sat Mar 27 06:44:00 2004
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RE: Klingon WOTD: jat (v)
- From: "QeS lagh" <[email protected]>
- Subject: RE: Klingon WOTD: jat (v)
- Date: Sun, 28 Mar 2004 00:42:57 +1000
- Bcc:
ghItlhpu' Se'noj:
>This is just my own theorizing, but I think that there might be a common
>root word in play here, if we look at jatlh, jat, and ja', all associated
>with speaking. A trick often used in the creation of artificial languages
>is designing the one it evolved from (or a very simplified model of it) to
>allow this sort of thing. Does anyone else have an info on this?
wa' DoS wIqIp. 'ach chIch Holmey luqonlu'ta'bogh tu'lu'be' neH. DIvI' Hol
mu'mey tIqaw:
I agree, but not only in artificial languages. Have a look at the following
words:
slither
slime
slump
slush
sloth
While they don't all share the same vowel or, for that matter, a part of
speech, there is an almost onomatopoeic value shared by {sl-} in these
examples. Maybe in Klingon {ja-} holds another such synaesthetic idea.
Myself, I tend to think that {jat} was probably the original root word, and
that {jatlh} (and the others) evolved from it.
If you're interested in my reasoning, I can explain why I think this (and
how the evolution occurred), but it's complicated and stands on a very thin
column of evidence ranging from etymology through inflectional morphology to
phonology, in both modern and historical terms.
Aside from all this, we know there's no *real* Proto-Klingon, upon which a
lot of my idea depends. But I've always had fun with etymology and
diachronic processes in Klingon; even now it appears to be in a high state
of flux. I recall reading one theory a while back demonstrating evidence
from CK and PK for the beginnings of a tone system. Now there's a
frightening thought. :)
Savan.
QeS lagh
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