tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Jul 10 06:24:37 1997
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Re: KLBC: Trainning the begginers
- From: "David Trimboli" <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: KLBC: Trainning the begginers
- Date: Thu, 10 Jul 97 13:05:04 UT
[email protected] on behalf of TPO wrote:
> >> 6. they were all drunk, the commander fell and broke the engine
> >> Hoch chech 'ej pumta' romuluSngan la' 'ej jonta' ghor ghaH
> >
> >"They were all drunk." Remember what the subject is. {chech Hoch}.
> >
> >"The commander fell." Although it's not wrong, I don't see any need to add
> >{-ta'} to this sentence. You're describing a sequence of events, so keep
> >them
> >all in the sequence. {pum romuluSngan la'}.
> >
>
> wouldn't the -ta' suffix mean that he intentionally fell?
> -pu' would mean that it just happened; it wasn't planned, etc. qar'a'?
Yes, but that's not ALL they mean. When you use these two suffixes, you are
also indicating that the action is completed. Just saying a verb means the
action happens. Saying the verb plus {-pu'} means the action happens and is
completed. Saying the verb plus [-ta'} means the action happens, is
completed, and was meant to be completed when performed.
So, if you've got a sequence of three verbs, all happening one after another,
you don't want to have some of them have aspect markers and some not. It
would no longer be a sequence.
--
SuStel -- qoH vuvbe' SuStel
Beginners' Grammarian
Stardate 97523.7