Indicate Timing
Aspect suffixes: Revision and extension
This unit gives more suffixes and more practice with the suffixes you already know from the type 7 verbal aspect suffixes. You have previously learned -taH and -lI' and now we introduce two more: -pu' and -ta'.
You will then know all four of Klingon's type 7 verbal aspect suffixes.
Of these four, -taH and -pu' are more general and so are more commonly used. -lI' and -ta' have more specific meanings and are only used when you want to emphasize those meanings.
-taH and -lI'
As you have seen before, these show continuous aspect—marking a given action as ongoing or continuous.
-lI' specifically implies that action is headed towards some defined goal or end, while -taH is neutral in this respect. (It neither implies nor denies an endpoint, it just notes that the action is currently ongoing.)
Sometimes, you will see translations such as to be in the process of (doing something) as an equivalent for -lI'. Sometimes, a different verb might be used to translate the goal-oriented action, e.g. tlha'taH could be he is following him versus tlha'lI' which could be he is pursuing him.
These continuous aspect suffixes do not exactly match the English progressive tenses, but for purposes of this course, we require you to always translate the Klingon continuous aspect into the English progressive tenses and vice-versa. In other words, English -ing and Klingon -taH/-lI' will almost always be used as equivalents in this course.
-pu' and -ta'
These verb suffixes mark perfective aspect: that a given action is completed. They are commonly translated into the English perfect tenses: has done, had done, will have done.
-pu' is the more general and neutral suffix, and does not specify or deny any intent to have done the action. The action may have been intentional, it may have been accidental, or it may have been beyond our control.
Don't confuse this verb suffix with the identical noun suffix -pu' that indicates the plural of beings capable of using language.
On the other hand, the verb suffix -ta', implies that the action was undertaken intentionally and was accomplished—that one set out to do the action and was successful in the action.
Sometimes the simplest way to represent -ta' in English is to add, has accomplished (doing something) or, has successfully (done something). There are also some verbs which include a notion of intent in the verb and naturally lend themselves to using the -ta' suffix, like has defected, has won, or has executed. These verbs are not usually used when the action was not deliberately taken.
Note that with -taH/-lI', the difference was one of progressing towards an end point, but with -pu'/-ta' the end point has already been reached and the difference is instead a question of intent.
These perfective aspect suffixes do not exactly match the English perfect tenses, but for purposes of this course, we require you to always translate the Klingon perfective aspect into the English perfect tenses and vice-versa. In other words, English have/has/had/will have and Klingon -pu'/-ta' will almost always be used as equivalents in this course.
Adverbs bong and chIch
This unit introduces the adverbs bong accidentally and chIch intentionally.
Adverbials such as these modify or qualify a verb or sentence and may express a relation of time or manner. The expressions of time you have already learned, like yesterday, next month, on Tuesday etc. are a type of adverbial.
Adverbial words such as these usually stand at the beginning of a sentence in Klingon—before the main Object-Verb-Subject part of the sentence. It is possible to include both a time expression and an adverbial word on the same sentence.
Note that putting chIch at the beginning of the sentence or -ta' on the verb of the sentence creates a very similar meaning, but perhaps with a slightly different focus on intentionality vs. completion:
chIch qoq vItI'pu'. I have intentionally fixed the robot.
qoq vItI'ta'. I have accomplished fixing the robot.
Klingon grammarians do not consider it incorrect to include both the adverb chIch and the suffix -ta' and do not consider it to be overly repetitive. Such sentences are rare, but it is perfectly fine to say, chIch qoq vItI'ta' I have intentionally accomplished fixing the robot.
Vocabulary
tlha' – follow, chase (v)
bol – drool (v)
ghoq – spy (on) (v)
-leS – days from now (n)
ghIQ – take a vacation (v)
