tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sun Dec 04 17:49:19 1994

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Re: targh lut



(I think this was one of the messages that the listserver lost; so I'll 
send it again.)

chargwI', thanks for the helpful comments.  This is the longest text I've 
written 
so far, and contained many tricky (to me) constructions that evidently 
came out all right.  

William H. Martin writes:

> The only negative comment I have at first glance is that you
> seem to miss the point about tense in Klingon. [stuff deleted]
> Meanwhile, Klingon does not have tense.  Using
> aspect as if it were tense doesn't really work.  Aspect is used
> to mark the degree of completion of the action relative to the
> time setting of the story set by context.

jIyaj.  I think I really do understand aspects (I hope I used them 
correctly within the dialog), but I got momentarily confused about 
narratives.  I think you have cleared up my confusion.

>> /jIghungqu'.  jIHvaD Sop yInob./...

> You probably mean to use {Soj} instead of {Sop}.

Urk.  What can I say?  HIvqa' veqlargh.

>> // /SuvwI' quv,/ jatlhqa' targhHom, /jIghung. jIHvaD SopHom yInob./

> Again you use {Sop} when you want {Soj}.  Also, this is
> stretching the use of {-Hom}.  It is a diminutive, not just
> "small"....

The sense I wanted was "some, a portion of".  The tape PK has the phrase 
{Ho'Du'lIjDaq to'baj'uSHom lughoDlu'bogh tu'lu'}, translated "you have 
*some* stuffed tobaj leg in your teeth."  To me, the alternatives you 
suggest don't say the same thing.


>> juHDaq jItuQHa'moHtaHvIS wepvo' targhHom vIlelDI' ...

> I don't think you want {-moH} in the middle of
> {jItuQHa'taHvIS}, unless you want {vItuQHa'moHtaHvIS}.  That
> suffix implies transitivity.

I am now confused about {tuQ} and {-moH}.  Is the following correct?

{jItuQ}  I am wearing clothes.
{jItuQHa'} I am not wearing clothes.

{nIvnav vItuQ} I'm wearing my PJs.
{nIvnav vItuQHa'} I'm not wearing my PJs.

{jItuQchoH}  I'm getting dressed.
{jItuQHa'choH} I'm getting undressed.
{nIvnav vItuQchoH}  I'm putting on my PJs.
{nIvnav vItuQHa'choH} I'm taking off my PJs.

{puq vItuQmoH}  I'm dressing my child.
{puq vItuQHa'moH} I'm undressing my child.

(lacking) I'm dressing my child in its PJs.

So the phrase from my story should be {jItuQHa'choHtaHvIS}, "while I am 
becoming undressed", right?

> charghwI'

-- Terry



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