RE: possessive suffixes and antecedents

["David Trimboli" <SuStel@msn.com>]

jatlh ghunchu'wI':

>  SuStel's sample sentence can be
>  translated "In his home I see the child," and the phrase "his home" could
>  very easily not be referring to the *child's* home.  For example:
>
>  puq jonlaw'ta' yaS.  qatlh vIHar?  juHDajDaq puq vIlegh.

Well, this sort of thing happens all the time in English, too.  Take for 
example, "When he saw me, the child laughed"  {muleghDI' Hagh puq}.  All 
you've got to do is set up a trap for a sentence like this.

"The officer messed up my hair.  When he saw me, the child laughed."
{jIbwIj ghIHmoH yaS.  muleghDI' Hagh puq.}

Suddenly the sentence makes less sense.  When who saw me?  Obviously, in a 
situation like this, you've got to rearrange the pronouns.  With your above 
example, you'd have to change the locative to {puq juHDaq}.

SuStel
Stardate 96832.9