tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Aug 14 14:51:03 1997

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Re: Hoch, HochHom, bID, 'op

SuStel wrote:
> Okay, let's look at the revised rules for {Hoch}, {HochHom}, and {'op}.  
> Remember, some of this ('op!) is just speculation, but it's looking pretty 
> attractive to me right now.
> 
let's see... to me there's little difference between saying "every pie" and
"all pies". both express a plural to me - thus I'd see the difference between
{Hoch chab} and {Hoch chabmey} mostly in that the latter explicitly uses a
plural suffix, while the former doesn't

I'd say {Hoch chab DISop} rather than {Hoch chab ?wISop}

same for {HochHom} and {'op} (although you can express the "difference" 
between {'op chab} and {'op chabmey} in German)

on the other hand, if these words follow the noun, I think of the phrase
as being singular:

{chab Hoch wISop} rather than {chab Hoch ?DISop}

therefore, I don't understand what SuStel thinks the difference between
{chab 'op} and {chabmey 'op} might be... all I can come up with for the
latter would be equivalent to {'op chabmey}

> Finally, I'd like to consider another quantity word which has plagued us with
> questions: {bID}.  How is it used?  We've never been able to resolve that 
> question.  Wouldn't it be fantastic if it acted just like the other quantity 
> nouns?  {bID chab} "half of the pies," {bID chabmey} "half of the pies" (the 
> English translation of which has the same problems as {'op}); {chab bID} "hal
> f 
> of the pie."
> 
I don't agree here. IF {bID} was a numeral, then {bID chab} would have to be
"half a pie". However, IF it is just a simple noun, the N-N-construct
{chab bID} means "a pie's half", which is nothing else but "half a pie"
to me. So, I'd prefer to leave {bID} a noun. (Oh, yeah: "half of the pies"
would then of course be {chabmey bID}

> Heh . . . I wonder if Klingons ever break the rules like they do with 
> {Hochlogh}, to say {bIDlogh} "half of the time" . . .
> 
I'd see it more like "half a time", but then ...

HomDoq

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