tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Jul 25 22:15:50 1994
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re shrubbery
- From: [email protected] (Mark E. Shoulson)
- Subject: re shrubbery
- Date: Tue, 26 Jul 1994 10:12:13 -0400
- In-Reply-To: Mark E. Shoulson's message of Mon, 25 Jul 1994 13:27:40 -0400 <[email protected]>
>From: [email protected] (Mark E. Shoulson)
>Date: Mon, 25 Jul 1994 13:27:40 -0400
>>From: "William H. Martin" <[email protected]>
>>Date: Sun, 24 Jul 94 18:21:24 EDT
>>One of the most common misunderstandings in Klingon is the one
>>that the suffixes {-'a'} and {-Hom} are related to size. If this
>>were true, we would have no need of the adjectival verbs {mach}
>>and {tIn}. The diminutive and augmentative suffixes CAN refer to
>>size, but they more properly refer to SIGNIFICANCE. I would
>>suggest that a shrub is a lot like a tree, except that it is
>>rather less than a tree, and so I use {SorHom}. If I were merely
>>referring to a small tree, I'd use {Sor mach}.
More on "-Hom" and "'a'".
Let's look at the canonical usages of these suffixes for support of Will's
position and a better understanding.
We have "mangHom"/cadet and "rojHom"/truce and "SuSHom"/wisp of air (on
p.21, not in lexicon). Obviously these don't relate to size; a cadet could
easily be seven inches taller and a hundred pounds heavier than his CO, a
"mang", and still be a "mangHom". It's quality: a soldier of lesser
importance. "rojHom" and "SuSHom" can't even be measured in size; again,
they're indications of importance of quality (how much of a peace or wind
they are). A rojHom is just a minor peace, not a real, lasting one (not
that it isn't a peace; that'd be rojHey). It just barely qualifies as
peace. Similarly with SuSHom.
For "-'a'", consider "Duy'a'"/ambassador, "la''a'"/commandant,
"pIn'a'"/master, "toy'wI''a'"/slave, and "van'a'"/award. None of these
make any reference to physical size; just importance and quality. Note
"toy'wI''a'" for "slave". This isn't a servant a greater importance, this
is a servant (toy'wI') of highest order; one who is very much a servant.
Is this helping people get an idea of how to use "-'a'" and "-Hom" any
better? Maybe I should write a HolQeD article on this.
~mark