tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Apr 29 17:53:52 1994
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Klingon Phrase Structure Grammar
- From: [email protected] (Nick NICHOLAS)
- Subject: Klingon Phrase Structure Grammar
- Date: Sat, 30 Apr 94 19:51:23 EST
If the following is gibberish to you, read a syntax textbook written in
the last 30 years, but I think it should be straightforward:
S -> {S1}* {Adv}* VP {NP} {S1}*
S1 -> {S1}* {Adv}* VP S9 V9 {NP} {S1}*
S\meh -> {S1}* {Adv}* VP meH {NP} {S1}*
V9 -> DI', mo', chugh, vIS
VP -> {PP}* {NP} V' | N' 'e' {PP}+ V'
V' -> {S\meh} {V0} V {V1} {V2} {V3} {V4} {V5} {V6} {V7} {V8}
V0 -> vI, Da, bI, jI, ...
V8 -> neS
...
NP -> {S\meh} N' {'e'} | NP VP bogh {NP} | {NP} VP bogh NP
N' -> {N {Adj}*}+ | Pron
Pron -> jIH, SoH, ghaH, ...
Adj -> V {qu'} | Num DIch
Adv -> Adverb | Num logh
Adverb -> bong, chIch, DaH, ...
PP -> {S\meh} {N' Postp {VP bogh {NP}}}
Postp -> Daq, vo', mo', ...
Doesn't account for all of Klingon syntax, but it does do the main bits.
I know I should have used a unification grammar to do the different kinds of
sentential complement, but it might have complicated the paedagogy...
The business with naDev juHlIjDaq was as follows:
VP_
/\ \
/ | \
/ | \
{PP}* NP V'
/\ /\
PP PP /__\
/\ /\_ blah...
/ | | \
N' P N' P___
/ | | \
naDev 0 juHlIj Daq
DaHjaj and wa'leS still look to me more plausibly Adverbs than PPs...
By the way, this grammar should also explain why an apposition of PPs does
not guarantee an apposition of NPs.
--
Nick.