tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Apr 03 06:31:12 1996
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]
Re: Re: KLBC "Don't let the bastards get you down"
According to [email protected]:
>
> Thank you so much for your suggestions, here are some replies;
>
> >From William H. Martin
> >Hmmm. I guess it does need an {'e'} between the two >main
> >verbs, regardless of which first main verb one >chooses...
> My feeling is the the verb "chaw'" allow was referring to the taHqeqpu' and I
> wrote don't allow them, making 'e' inappropriate.
Sorry. That doesn't work. You then have two main verbs and no
grammatical justification for their both existing in the same
sentence. In Klingon, you never have two main verbs in a
sentence without a special reason. The Sentence As Object
construction is just such an exception, so the {'e'} is needed,
unless the second verb is a verb of speaking or {neH}. You also
might consider comparatives to be that sort of exception.
Otherwise, one of the verbs needs to be dependent upon the
other, as in with Type 9 verb suffixes or with {-taHvIS}.
You were trying to use {taHqeqpu'} as both subject of "wear you
down" and object of "Don't allow", all in one sentence with
neither verb dependant upon the other. Most languages would not
allow that and Klingon very much does not allow it.
When you say, "Don't allow..." it is the ACTION that you are
not allowing, not the individuals DOING the action. Just look
at the pseudosentence:
taHqeqpu' tIchaw'Qo'.
What is that supposed to mean? "Don't allow the taHqeqs". It
doesn't make any sense.
nIDoy'moH 'e' yIchaw'Qo'.
"Don't let them make you tired."
That makes sense.
nIDoy'moH taHqeqpu' 'e' yIchaw'Qo'.
"Don't let the taHqeqs make you tired."
That makes sense. See?
> See above and add, allowing a thing (even if that thing is an action) doesn't
> sound right. We allow sentient beings, we make objects do things. If you
> want to use 'e' then the sentence should be something like <nIQop taHqeqpu'
> 'e' yImev>, but that's getting away from the spirit of the original. Another
> way to translate it and get more of the sense of the action would be <nIQop
> taHqeqpu' yIchaw'Qo'egh>
I agree that "Stop the bastards from abrading you," misses the
point, but I don't think anyone was suggesting replacing
{yIchaw'Qo'} with {yImev}. Your last suggestion, however, is
total gibberish. The {-'egh} indicates that the subject is the
object and Klingon grammar states that you place the
subject/object in the subject position. It's like the
difference between saying, "I wash myself" and saying, "I am
washed by myself." The latter is not Klingon.
So, your last suggestion does not make more sense of the
action. It makes no sense AT ALL.
> Satlho'
> tIm
charghwI'
--
\___
o_/ \
<\__,\
"> | Get a grip.
` |