tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Sep 19 01:03:37 1995
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Re: }} 'Smoking', in defense of my sig, and {QaQ}
- From: [email protected]
- Subject: Re: }} 'Smoking', in defense of my sig, and {QaQ}
- Date: Tue, 19 Sep 1995 01:03:37 -0400
In a message dated 95-09-15 10:46:25 EDT, you write:
>Which I don't like because it assumes {tlhuH} can take an object.
>Now that I think of it, this sort of 'meaning' or 'verb transitivity'
>question must get asked a lot... is there an FAQ or something for the
>unclear parts of the dictionary?
I am just going to throw in my own ideas here. I have seen lots of talk on
this Klingon language listserv regarding transitivity/intransitivity. Some
writers seem to think that, other than stative verbs which I know are only
intransitive, certain verbs can only be transitive; certain verbs can only be
intransitive. Other writers, including myself, put <-moH> on an apparently
intransitive verb to change it to transitive.
Now, I stick my neck out further: I feel that ALL verbs, other than stative
verbs without <-moH>, can be either intransitive or transitive depending upon
the usage of pronomial verb prefixes. If one uses <jI->, <bI->, <ma->, or
<Su->, the verb remains intransitive and does not take an object. If the
verb uses the pronomial verb prefixes indicating an object, or if an object
is present, the verb is transitive. To me, sticking my neck way out there
for getting arguments, the stem verb can be either.
Thus, if you say: jItlhuH, you get I breathe. If you say: tlhIch vItlhuH,
you get I breathe smoke. Worse, though, is my concept of allowing stem words
to be either nouns or verbs depending upon usage. Then, you get ghItlh
vIghItlhpu' for I wrote a manuscript, obviously using <ghItlh> as either a
noun or a verb. By extension, I would allow using <tlhIch> as a verb (TKD p
176: In Klingon, there are many instances of nouns and verbs being
identical in form (e.g., ta� accomplishment, accomplish). It is not known
if all verbs can be used as nouns, but it is known that verbs ending in
suffixes (such as -xa� undo in lobxa� disobey) can never be nouns. The
Type 9 suffix -ghach, however, can be attached to such verbs in order to form
nouns. Compare the following sets:), resulting in <yItlhIchQo'> for "No
Smoking."
OK. Before you get all excited and start arbitrarily using words listed in
TKD as only a noun as a verb and vice versa, I am SURE we will find a lot of
Klingon listserv contributors who will not approve.
In conclusion, even though I wish we could use singly listed words both ways,
I, too, am avoiding such usage.
peHruS