tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed May 07 16:11:28 1997

Back to archive top level

To this year's listing



[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]

RE: be'pu'



jatlh peHruS:
> << > Stardate 97323.1 jatlh charghwI':
>  .. 
>  > > *Kellie* 'Iv? >>
> 
> Based on TKD's {SoH 'Iv}, perhaps a Klingon idiomatic usage rather than an
> example of correct grammar, you could say {Kellie 'Iv}.
> 
> 'ach jIQuch

You mean {jIQoch}, don't you?

> {'Iv ghaH Kellie'e'} vImaSchu'

Okrand has explained that the question word {nuq} can be used as a pronoun is 
used in "to be" sentences.  His example is, I think (I don't have the message 
on my new hard drive yet), {yIH nuq} "What is a tribble?"  I don't remember if 
he addressed {'Iv}, but I doubt it's important: TKD p. 69 shows that {'Iv} and 
{nuq} function in the same way.

Conversational Klingon also has a sentence, {nuq mI'lIj, tera'ngan} "What is 
your number, Terran?"  Apparently, {nuq} can go on either side of the noun.  I 
suppose then that charghwI' could have asked, if he wanted to, {'Iv *Kellie}.

Your sentence, {'Iv ghaH *Kellie*'e'}, is also perfectly valid.  Another 
possibility is {*Kellie* ghaH 'Iv'e'}.

maja'chuqtaHvIS *Kellie* wIqeltaH tugh 'e' SovnIS ghaH!  chaq tlhIngan Hol 
jabbI'ID vIghItlh 'ej ghaHvaD vInob.  vIja' <Dayaj DaneHchugh, tlhIngan Hol'e' 
nom yIghoj!>.

-- 
SuStel
Beginners' Grammarian
Stardate 97349.6


Back to archive top level