tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Oct 26 05:48:03 2006
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Re: Dilbert Comic in Klingon for 2006/10/21
- From: "QeS 'utlh" <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: Dilbert Comic in Klingon for 2006/10/21
- Date: Thu, 26 Oct 2006 22:47:17 +1000
- Bcc:
ghItlhpu' McA:
>Ah, the prefix trick. I must say this aspect of the language really threw
>me
>for a loop when I encountered it (entirely without explanation, IIRC) in
>the
>second lesson of the postal course ({qaghItlh DaneH}). Something deep
>inside me
>insists it's wrong, which is probably because I haven't studied Native
>American
>pronoun systems (/wiki/index.php?verb%20prefix%20trick).
...er, or the English pronoun system? {{:)
In English, many verbs can promote a benefactive/dative object to direct
object status. Some examples I can think of off the top of my head:
Pour me a drink!
Bring me a cauldron!
Buy me a beer!
Of course, not all verbs are equally acceptable (?"repair me the car" is
questionable at best in my mind), but promotion of an indirect dative or
benefactive object to direct is not an uncommon occurrence among languages.
Personally, I like the prefix trick. I use it all the time, and with verbs
that would not be acceptable in English (I've said things like {voDleH
HIHoH} "kill the emperor for me!").
>Now, since the prefix trick is canonical, I realize that I have no valid
>objection to its use, gut reaction or no gut reaction. However, I'd be
>interested in knowing whether it's considered wrong (or unidiomatic) to
>eschew
>it in favor of the dative suffix.
Technically it's a benefactive, not a dative.
>For example, if I said {jiHvaD Qa'Hom yIqem}
>for "bring me the mouse," would a Klingon (a) cry foul, (b) laugh
>uproariously,
>or (c) bring me a Qa'Hom?
{jIHvaD Qa'Hom yIqem} is perfectly grammatical and acceptable Klingon (as
far as we know); the prefix trick is merely another way of saying it, not
the only way.
QeS 'utlh
tlhIngan Hol yejHaD pabpo' / Grammarian of the Klingon Language Institute
not nItoj Hemey ngo' juppu' ngo' je
(Old roads and old friends will never deceive you)
- Ubykh Hol vIttlhegh
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