tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sat Dec 10 05:45:06 1994

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Re: KLBC: -lu'be'



According to R.B Franklin:
> 
> wot vIchenmoHDI' <-lu'be'> vIjatlhlaH'a' 'ej <-lu'be'> vIjatlhlaHchugh vaj 
> <pagh> vIHechba' 'e' yajlaH'a' vay'?  <nulegh pagh> <nulegh pagh ghot> joq 
> rur'a' <wIleghlu'be'>? 
> 
> yoDtargh
 
bIlugh 'e' vIHar. qechvam vIQubta'be', 'ach DaH vIyajchu'.
mojaQ Hut neH tlha'laHbe' //-be'// 'ej mojaQ Hut 'oHbe'
//-lu'//'e', vaj lughnIS //-lu'be'//. DIvI' Hol jatlhlu'chugh
vaj "We are not seen," jalthlu' je. toH, //wIleghlu'be'// rur
//wIleghbe'lu'//, qar'a'?

For those with Fed Standard as a primary language:

yoDtargh asks if it is okay to use the suffix combination
{-lu'be'}. {-lu'} indicates an indefinite subject and is
typically translated either with the subject as the generic
"one" or as the passive voice. Thus, {wIleghlu'} is translated
as either "One sees us," or "We are seen," which essentially
mean the same thing.

Since the rule is that {-be'} can follow any suffix not of Type
9, then, since {-lu'} is Type 5, it is legal to follow {-lu'}
with {-be'}. yoDtargh then suggests that it means the subject
changes from "one" to "nobody", such that {wIleghlu'be'} means
"Nobody sees us."

I agreed and suggested that this is also translatable as "We
are not seen," which is also a legitamate translation of
{wI'leghbe'lu'}. Essentially, I'm pointing out the semantic
similarity between, "Nobody sees us," and "One/everybody
doesn't see us."

charghwI'
-- 

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