tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Dec 17 06:09:39 1996

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Re: KLBC - I fight with a sword.



> 
> >Date: Mon, 16 Dec 1996 07:22:15 -0800
> >From: "Donald E. Vick" <[email protected]>
> >
> >> 
> >> December 15, 1996 8:00 PM, jatlh HetaQ:
> >> 
> >> > I'm a little confused about the structure of the sentence:
> >> > I fight with a sword.
> >
> >> > jISuvmeH 'etlh vIlo'
> >> > For the purpose of fighting I use a sword.
> >> 
> >> > jISuvvIS 'etlh vIlo'
> >> > While fighting I use a sword.
> >But couldn't you just say <'etlh vIlo'>?  I mean, if you're using a sword,
> >what else would you be doing but fighting?
> 
> Kahless used his sword to plow a field and carve a statue of his beloved.
> Kor(?) used it to feed himself.  Any number of things can be done with a
> sword.  Just as there are always weapons (i.e. anything can be used as a
> weapon), there are always other uses too.
     Yes, but if I just say I'm using it, it should be obvious what I am
doing.  If I came to your door and said, "Could I use your phone please?"
you would probably not ask what I wanted to do with it.  Of course, it's
possible that I want to use your phone as a weapon to smash the head of the
person who's chasing me, but I doubt that would be your first thought.

taDI'oS vIq, law'wI'pu'vaD Holtej jIH
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| Thaddaeus Vick, Linguist to the Masses |    [email protected]  -or-    |
|                                        |     [email protected]      |
| gules on a saltire argent voided azure |                           |
| thirteen mullets of the second. Yeeha. | http://www.crl.com/~dvick |
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