tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sat Feb 15 12:23:55 1997

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RE: KLBC:Succes

February 14, 1997 10:08 AM EST, jatlh may'qal ro':

> Hegh nachDajDaq qlp Qapla''e' vIlo'ta'
> I used success to hit death over his head.

Eek!  I'm not sure I understand the English, let alone the Klingon!

Well, to get started, here's what I read from the Klingon, translated back 
into English:

"At his death's head success hits I have used it."

You need at least one compound sentence clause in there, and it looks like it 
might be {-meH}.  Something like

ghaH vIqIpmeH Qapla' vIlo'
I used success in order to hit him.

But that doesn't have everything you wanted.

> This is the first time I have used the 'e' suffix and I probablly screwed
> it up.  But I am welcome suggestions and comments.

Well, {-'e'} in its standard use is very difficult to screw up.  It simply 
makes its noun the topic of the sentence.  For example, {Duj'e' legh puq} "The 
child sees the SHIP."  The ship is unquestionably the main topic of the 
sentence.

{-'e'} may also be used to disambiguate the head noun of a relative clause 
with both subject and object, and it can also be used to distinguish an object 
noun when an adverbial comes after it.

-- 
SuStel
Beginners' Grammarian
Stardate 97127.3

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