tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed May 24 13:46:18 1995
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Re: -Daq on numbers
On Wed, 24 May 1995 [email protected] wrote:
> I've been notating my messages:
>
> jabbI'IDDaq cha'vatlh wa'maH ... whatever ... ja' ... whoever
>
> I just realized that I may be in error. Qu'vatlh!
> I know the type 5 marker goes on a following verb (adjective),
> but what about a number? What about an ordinal number?
I'm glad you brought this up. I had noticed this usage and I was just
about to comment on it.
> <lupDujHomDaq loSvatlh Soch jIH> or
> <lupDujHom loSvatlh SochDaq jIH>?
In order to say, "I am in shuttle craft No. 407", I would use your second
example.
> <lupDujHomDaq cha'DIch jIH> or
> <lupDujHom cha'DIchDaq jIH>
Likewise, I definitely prefer the second sentence.
> My gut tells me that because these are acting as adjectives,
> they will be treated like adjectival verbs; but I hope not. It
> looks messy. Oh well....
I have not seen any canon specifically addressing where a Type 5 noun suffix
goes on numbers when they are used for numbering. We do know that Type 5
suffixes go on the verb when it is used adjectivally: {pa' tInDaq} (in
the big room). We also know that the suffix goes on the final noun of a
noun-noun construction: {HoD pa'Daq} (in the captain's room).
I suspect that when you use numbers for numbering, a Type 5 suffix
would also go on the number instead of the noun. This would eliminate
the possible ambiguity that would result if you put the suffix on the
noun instead of the number.
Compare the following:
pa' wejDaq vISuv. (I fought him/her/it/them in room No. 3.)
pa'Daq wej vISuv. (I fought three of them in the room.)
By putting the locative on the number in the first sentence, it
serves to prevent the ambiguity that putting it on the noun would create,
and you can thereby distinguish the different meanings of these two
sentences.
As for ordinal numbers, putting the Type 5 suffix on the noun would
probably not create an ambiguous sentence, but due to the rules we have
for adjectives and noun-noun constructions, it just seems "natural" to me
to follow this trend and put it on the number. E.g. {pa' cha'DIchDaq}
> Brad
yoDtargh