tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sun Aug 07 21:25:45 1994

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Re: Have a nice day (KLBC)

According to Coz:
... 
> I see what you've done here, and it DOES seem to work better.  The thing that
> has been confusing me about tlhingan Hol grammar is how you go about using
> several verbs in one sentence, as you've done above.

Just to comment on rules of thumb for having multiple verbs in
a sentence: Generally speaking, a sentence has one main verb.
Some verbs can be used adjectivally. These are verbs that
usually have TKD translations that look like "be ADJECTIVE"
where the word ADJECTIVE is an English word like big, small,
clever, etc.

These verbs can be used as main verbs if they preceed the nouns
they modify. {tIn Duj} means "The ship is big," and it is a
complete sentence. If the same verb is used adjectivally, it
follows the noun or pronoun it modifies. {Duj tIn} means "The
big ship" and it is a phrase and not a complete sentence. The
two words together count grammatically as a noun in the
sentence. In this case, {tIn} is not being used as a verb at
all, so if it is one of the two main verbs in a sentence that
confuses you, make sure that it is being used as a verb at all.

As an example, {vIH Duj tIn} means "The big ship moves." There
is only one main verb, {vIH}.

A sentence can have more than one verb if all but the main verb
are formed in such a way as to depend on the main verb. This
usually involves Type 9 suffixes. The dependent verbs tend to
have Type 9 suffixes. In this sense, don't count {'a'} or {jaj}
as Type 9 suffixes, since unlike other Type 9 suffixes, they do
not make a verb dependent.

Of course, you can also have more than one main verb if you use
a conjunction, since the conjunction combines two complete
sentences, so it is okay to have two main verbs. Similarly, the
Sentence-As-Object construction involves two main verbs
because, if you read Okrand's explanation, in Klingon, this
really is two complete sentences. This usually involves the
pronoun {'e'}, which represents the first complete sentence
which is the object of the second complete sentence. There are
exceptional verbs for this second sentence which do not require
the pronoun {'e'} (primarily the verb {neH} and verbs
indicating speaking, involving direct quotes).

There are also two main verbs in the comparative construction.
More accurately, there are FOUR main verbs in that
construction, but then again, this is a weird construction and
you shouldn't spend a lot of time understanding why it is built
the way it is. It is just plain weird. Use it when you have to,
and understand what is being conveyed when you see it, but
don't think about it too much.

Meanwhile, most sentences have only one main verb. If you see
something that presents itself as if it were a sentence and you
see more than one main verb, first check to see if it is an
example of Sentence-As-Object, or look for a conjunction or
look for the {...law'...puS) construction, look for type 9
suffixes or look for verbs being used adjectivally.

I hope this is helpful.
> 
> KoSneH, still confused, but enlightened and trying *real* hard to understand.

Keep at it. One day, you will wake up and it will all be clear
to you.

charghwI'

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