tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Dec 02 18:42:25 1997

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Re: V-bogh N V(adj) (was Re: bIQ'a' Doq bIngDaq)

On Tue, 2 Dec 1997, David Trimboli wrote:

|From: Terrence Donnelly <[email protected]>
|>>  yIntaHbogh tlhIngan Soj tlhol jablu'DI' tIvqu'lu'.
|>>  "Klingon food is best when served fresh and live."
|>>
|>>The relevant phrase is {yIntaHbogh tlIngan Soj tlhol}. It's not perfect;
|>>{yIn} isn't a "be something" verb.  But it's close.
|
|There are two possiblities supported by canon.
|(1)  <adj1>-bogh <noun> <adj2>
|(2)  <adj1>-bogh <noun> 'ej <adj2>-bogh
|where <adj> represents an adjectivally-acting verb.
|In fact, the first sentence can be generalized to
|     <verb>-bogh <noun> <adj>

Okrand tends to call these verbs "qualities" to avoid using the term
"adjective" which confuses beginners. 

|"Sentence" conjunctions actually join verb clauses, not necessarily whole
|sentences.  When you've got two verbs joined by a conjunction, and the
|subject is the same, it's customary to omit the subject the second time. I
|believe that's what's happening in the second sentence.
|
|See KGT p. 82.  {SuDbogh Dargh 'ej wovbogh}

Which - for those still without KGT - is translated as "The tea that is
{SuD} and light" (i.e. yellow tea).  You can also say: 
	SuD Dargh 'ej wov
	"the tea is {SuD} and light" (KGT 82)
to do it without the {-bogh} if you like.

There are two more patterns with -bogh attested in canon: 

(3)  <adj1>-bogh 'ej <adj2>-bogh <noun>

	romuluSngan Sambogh 'ej HoHbogh nejwI'
	Romulan hunter-killer probe (KCD)

Again, not qualities, but action verbs. Note the probe doesn't hunt down
and kill Romulans, but is merely of Romulan manufacture.  Notice too that
this is being used in a possessive <noun1> <noun2> construction:

	<romuluSngan> <Sambogh 'ej HoHbogh nejwI'>

The subject here is in the *second* clause, not the first.  Perhaps
{Sambogh 'ej HoHbogh nejwI'} is viewed as one unit, a sort of fixed phrase,
which usage is also reflected in the hyphenated English "hunter-killer
probe." 

(4)  <adj1>-bogh <adj2>-bogh je <noun>

	yoHbogh matlhbogh je SuvwI'
	the warrior brave and true (Anthem)

As many have remarked, this last one is highly unusual and is, in fact,
stylistically marked in *both* languages.  An archaic usage preserved in
poetry perhaps? 

Typically, we only have one example each of these last two patterns.


Voragh

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