tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Jul 07 09:12:43 1997
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Re: Joke word - HoSchem
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>Date: Fri, 4 Jul 1997 00:06:48 -0700 (PDT)
>From: [email protected]
>
>In a message dated 97-07-01 21:50:27 EDT, ~mark writes:
>
>> Possible, but a bit strained. Moreover, {HoSchem} is clearly analyzable
>> into other elements which probably (but who knows, maybe not) predated it.
>> {HoS} is strength, energy, power, and the verb for being strong. And
>> {chem} occurs in other "field" constructions. But hey, it could be. And
>> if it isn't, it still makes for a good story and a good mnemonic.
>>
>
>This is peHruS. Of course, I am extremely interested in "clearly analyzable
>into other elements."
Roll back a second. You are very quick to put words in my (and MO's)
mouth, and take every least word as signifying far-reaching new theories.
The element {chem} in {HoSchem} is QUITE different from your {-ghep} from
{peHghep}. Note that we not only have {HoS} as a separate element (not
true of {peH-}), we also have {chem} itself showing up as a separate *word*
(though not its own entry) in {peQ chem} (and indeed we're also carefully
told what {peQ} is as well). Also, even though I said that {HoSchem} seems
to be pretty readily analyzable, there is a difference between being
analyzed and having that analysis being productive elsewhere. We *KNOW*
that {be'nal} comes from {be'} for "woman" and {-nal} meaning something
related to "spouse." BUT we also KNOW that {-nal} does NOT occur alone!
Does that mean I can't say {be'nal} is analyzable? Sure I can say that: we
can analyze it. Does it mean that I can then use {nal} as a word on its
own, or make constructions like {*Depnal} for "non-humanoid spouse"? NO!
"Unbeknownst" in English has "un-", but "*beknownst" is no longer a
productive word. "Unexampled" is a word, but "*exampled" isn't (according
to the dictionary I'm looking in, anyway).
So, the fact that I say that {HoSchem} is clearly analyzable and therefore
unlikely to be one of Okrand's puns does not in any way imply that
therefore you can disassemble words and certainly not to reassemble them
any way you want.
You're good enough at inventing your rules by yourself; don't put them in
my mouth to make ME seem to invent them.
~mark
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