tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sun Sep 01 16:35:15 1996
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Re: "which?" as adjective
- From: "William H. Martin" <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: "which?" as adjective
- Date: Sun, 1 Sep 1996 19:35:55 -0400 ()
- Priority: NORMAL
On Wed, 21 Aug 1996 01:39:27 -0700 "A.Appleyard"
<[email protected]> wrote:
> A.Appleyard wrote:-
> > ({nuq} = "which thing ...?" as a noun, but how to say "which?" as an
> > adjective: e.g. "which ship is approaching?")
> "Mark E. Shoulson" <[email protected]> replied:-
> > Another one I've been itching for for the longest time. I'm pretty sure
> > we've asked this already of Dr. Okrand.
>
> (0) If <which?> is rendered as an adjective {X}, it would have to be an
> adjectival verb like {tIn} etc, "be the one whose identity I am asking about".
> If so, do these constructions look logical:-?
> ghoS Duj X? which ship is approaching?
> ghoSpu' Duj X? which ship approached?
> X Duj? which ship is this/that?
> Xpu' Duj? which ship was this/that?
If "which" as a question word is rendered at all, it will be classified
with the other chuvmey and to make up how it would behave in grammar now
is putting the cart just a wee bit ahead of the course. Meanwhile, I
think the language will survive quite well if it NEVER gets the question
word "which".
"Which ship is approaching?
Duj ghoSlI'bogh yIngu'!
All of your other questions can easily become appropriate commands.
> (1) It would be useful to put the wishlist on a WWW page, so everybody can
> read it and comment on it.
So it would become totally overcome by every whim and fancy that every
member of the list can imagine until it shows so little respect for what
exists and so much intimidating volume that Okrand won't touch it?
charghwI'