tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Jun 30 15:39:41 1997

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Re: KLBC: qIm/qImHa'



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>Date: Sun, 29 Jun 1997 16:40:02 -0700 (PDT)
>From: "Neal Schermerhorn" <[email protected]>
>
>qIm = pay attention, concentrate (v)
>
>The definition is of the intransitive sense of "concentrate". In fact, since 
>we have buS = concentrate on (v) as well, qIm clearly is an intransitive verb.

Huh?  It's clearly *capable* of being used intransitively, but then so is
pretty much every transitive verb.  Just because there's another verb with
a similar, transitive meaning doesn't mean this one MUST be intransitive.
Klingon has several synonyms and near-synonyms already.  To me, {qIm} is a
somewhat weaker word than {buS}; {buS} is translated as "think only about"
which indicates a certain higher level of concentration than merely
attending to something or thinking about it, like {qIm}.

>We also have in TDK qImHa' = disregard (v). I cannot think of a useful meaning 
>of "disregard" that is intransitive. (Neither can Webster!) The word always 
>takes an object.
>
>There is a definite conflict between the suffixed and unsuffixed verb - it 
>does not seem that -Ha' should suddenly change an intransitive verb, which as 
>I have shown doesn't need to be forced into a transitive role, into a 
>transitive verb!

So, ENGLISH doesn't have an intransitive "disregard."  Klingon can.  To
disregard whatever was under discussion, or just generally to walk around
in a daze and disregard the world in general.  Works for me.

~mark

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