tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Jul 25 21:54:38 1995
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Re: }}} KLBC: wamwI'
- From: "R.B Franklin" <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: }}} KLBC: wamwI'
- Date: Tue, 25 Jul 1995 18:54:38 -0700 (PDT)
On Mon, 24 Jul 1995, Marc Ruehlaender wrote:
> > {lut ghItlhlaH vay'} would normally be translated as "Someone can write
> > the story" but it could also mean "The story can be written by someone."
>
> I intended to translate this as ghItlhlaH lut
> (maybe 'publish' would be more appropriate though)
>
> o.k. (just tried to conserve the 'able' part
> from the original') so V-laH can (!) mean
> 'subject can be verbed' or 'subject can verb',
> right?
No. {ghItlhlaH lut} means "the story can write". There is no way to
say "subject can be verbed" in Klingon. Klingon verbs are inherently
active voice. That means the subject of the verb is the one
performing the activity described by the verb. The construction you are
looking for is passive voice. That is when the subject is the recipient
of the activity described by the verb.
Active voice Passive voice
The targ bites me. I am bit by the targ.
I can write a story. A story can be written by me.
Klingon does not have passive voice per se. The closest thing Klingon
has to passive voice is indefinite subject {-lu'}.
vIchoplu'. Something bites me. "I am bit."
lut ghItlhlu'. Someone writes the story. "The story is written."
Unfortunately, due to {-laH} and {-lu'} both being Type 5
suffixes, we don't have a simple way to say "object can be verbed"
either. You'll just have to make do with {object verb-laH vay'}.
> Marc 'Dochlangan'
yoDtargh