tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Jan 29 10:03:14 1996

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KLBC: Re: *romangan*Daq mu'thleghmey val



 uu> From: ur-valhalla!rel1.byu.edu!rhodesmd (Michael Rhodes)
 uu> Subject: KLBC: Re: *romangan*Daq mu'thleghmey val

While I realize that ghunchu'wI' has first crack at KLBC posts, I thought the
 
following point worth emphasizing.  It's one that we all need to watch out
for,  
because it's a powerful tool that can be misused by linking {-pu'} too closely
 
with the past tense.

 uu> Okrand also states that "Verbs with no Type 7 suffix are translated by
 uu> the English simple present tense," (TKD 4.2.7, p. 40) but that "when
 uu> context is appropriate, verbs without a Type 7 suffix may be translated
 uu> by the English future tense." (TKD 4.2.7, 0. 40)  Nowhere does he state
 uu> that it is appropriate to translate verbs with no Type 7 suffix as past
 uu> tense.

I have to disagree.

"Klingon does not express tenses...  These ideas come across from context or  
other words in the sentence (such as {wa'leS} "tomorrow")...  The absence of a
 
Type 7 suffix usually means that the action is not completed and is not  
continuous...."

Those other words are, of course, a time element, such as {wa'leS} or {wa'Hu'}
 
or {wa'SaD Hutvatlh HutmaH jav ben}.

{wa'Hu' lunej} and {wa'Hu' lunejpu'} mean two different things to me.  {wa'Hu'
 
lunejpu'} means "Yesterday they searched" and indicates that the serching is  
completed.  {wa'Hu' lunej} also means "Yesteday they searched" but says
nothing  
about the completion of the search, simply that they were engaged in searching
 
yesterday (and perhaps are searching again today).

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