tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Dec 05 20:46:29 1995
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{-bogh} vs {-meH}
- From: [email protected] (Alan Anderson)
- Subject: {-bogh} vs {-meH}
- Date: Tue, 5 Dec 1995 23:47:01 -0500
ghItlh SuStel:
>I suppose you are technically correct, but I find {ghormeH taj} to be
>inferior to {ghorbogh taj}. Why complicate matters with -{meH}?
It's the difference between identifying the knife by what it does
and identifying the knife by what it is for. One can use a steak
knife to jimmy a lock, but it's still a {Ha'DIbaH pe'meH taj}.
Okay, it's now a {lojmIt poSmoHbogh taj}, but that's not its *name*
or its *purpose*, that's only what it *did*. One can misuse almost
any tool; the common screwdriver can accomplish more tasks than its
inventor ever dreamed of, but it remains a "tool for driving screws."
In the case of an "axe", it's not just any "knife which breaks" (*).
It's a tool whose *purpose* is to chop wood.
(*) The transitivity issue nabs us here, too. Is {ghor} transitive?
If not, a {ghorbogh taj} would be inferior merchandise :-), and a
{ghormeH taj} would be worthless except as a stage prop. Then again,
maybe it could be an assassin's weapon, intended to remain in the
victim's body.
-- ghunchu'wI' batlh Suvchugh vaj batlh SovchoH vaj