tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Jan 16 10:07:05 1997
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Re: Quotable quotes
- From: "Mark E. Shoulson" <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: Quotable quotes
- Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 13:07:00 -0500 (EST)
- In-reply-to: <[email protected]> (message from Ivan ADerzhanski on Thu, 16 Jan 1997 07:01:33 -0800)
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>Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 07:01:33 -0800
>From: Ivan A Derzhanski <[email protected]>
>
>HurghwI' wrote:
>> jatlh 'Iwvan:
>> >David Trimboli wrote:
>> >> [...] Hoch 'oHbe' quv'e'; Doch neH 'oH.
>> >
>> >`Honour is not all; it is merely a thing.'
>>
>> That would be <...Doch 'oH neH>.
>
>Hardly. That would mean `only it is a thing', `it alone is a thing'.
No, THAT would mean "it is merely a thing." The pronoun "'oH" in this
sentence is functioning as the verb, so neH after it is triviallizing that
action of "being" a thing.
>> "Unlike other adverbials, <neH> can follow a noun. In such cases
>> it means only, alone." TKD 56
>
>Exactly. Let's see how it works. {Doch} `a/the thing'. {Doch neH}
>`only a/the thing', `a/the thing alone'. {Doch neH 'oH} `it is only
>a/the thing (and nothing else)'. nap, qar'a'?
Ooog. This is something I had not considered. I see where you're coming
from. If "yaS neH vIlegh" means "I see only the officer," then "Doch neH
'oH" would logically mean "only it is a thing."
Ah, but would it? THAT really would have to be "Doch 'oH 'oH'e' neH"! (or
possibly 'oH neH 'oH Doch'e'). A big part of the problem is the double-use
of 'oH as pronoun and copula. in "Doch 'oH"/"it is a/the thing," Doch is
plainly a noun (since as a verb it means something totally different), and
thus 'oH must be functioning as a predicate (thus verbally). I suppose if
you're being very picky, "Doch neH 'oH" would come out to "it is a/the
thing alone" (not merely!).
Personally, I think "Doch neH 'oH" does sort of work for this, but 'Iwvan's
points are good and can't be countered with just what I feel. Moreover, I
suspect that Klingon would express "the only thing" with someting using
"mob" or "latlh", and basically this proverb wouldn't translate for beans.
~mark
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