tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Jun 19 14:17:50 1996
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Re: thursday today
- From: Irene Gates <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: thursday today
- Date: 19 Jun 96 17:15:31 EDT
ghItlh ~mark
> - From what Okrand has told us, generally -'e' functions as a focus marker
> (tho it's erroneously labeled a topic marker) when attached to a noun.
> That means it emphasizes something as new information: jIluj jIH'e': it was
> *I* who failed, not someone else. The failure is not at issue, and is not
> being questioned; the sentence's main point is *who* was the one that did
> it. I know there have been a few questions as to some cases where -'e'
> seesm to be a topic marker (As for me, I failed), but so far as I know the
> official meaning is focus.
I understand the difference between emphasizing the person: jIluj jIH'e' (it
was *I* who failed) and the failure: jIlujqu' or jIlujqu' jIH (Boy, did I ever
blow it). But I'm not clear on the difference between 'focus' (*I* failed, not
someone else) and topic (As for me, I failed). Can you give a few more examples
to clarify the distinction?
Secondly, why does this example appear on p29 on TKD as lujpu' jIH and lujpu'
jIH'e' with the verb prefixes missing? I thought the jI- could never be
omitted.
Satlho'neS
T'Lark
Irene Gates