tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed May 21 17:37:20 1997
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RE: KLBC: Martial Phrase
- From: "David Trimboli" <[email protected]>
- Subject: RE: KLBC: Martial Phrase
- Date: Wed, 21 May 97 21:59:41 UT
[email protected] on behalf of [email protected] wrote:
> naHwIj QaptaH porghwIj
> My body functions as my weapon.
"My body is winning my vegetable"? :-)
Weapon is, of course, {nuH}. However, the object of {Qap} is not (as far as
we have ever seen) the manner in which the subject functions. As shown in the
TKW example,
noH QapmeH wo' Qaw'lu'chugh yay chavbe'lu' 'ej wo' choqmeH may' DoHlu'chugh
lujbe'lu'.
Destroying an empire to win a war is no victory, and ending a battle to save
an empire is no defeat.
{Qap} can have an object, representing the contest of struggle which you were
engaged in. (Every other use of {Qap} in canon has no object.) {noH QapmeH}
"in order to win a war."
So, saying {nuHwIj QaptaH porghwIj} really means "My body is winning my
weapon." This seems to mean that your weapon is some sort of contest. This
isn't what you want to say.
> My body is my weapon.
*This* is a good way to go.
nuHwIj 'oH porghwIj'e'.
Applying two nouns to a pronoun to me identifies the subject as a part (or all
of) the object. "As for my body, it is my weapon." If you wanted something a
little less permanent-sounding, you might try
nuHwIj Da porghwIj.
My body acts as my weapon.
This would be good for describing a one-time event. If you're saying that
your body acts this way all the time, use {-taH}:
nuHwIj DataH porghwIj.
And if you're referring to an ongoing event, like a specific fight, you might
even be able to use {-lI'} (context will tell you if you can):
nuHwIj DalI' porghwIj.
reH nuHmey tu'lu'.
--
SuStel
Beginners' Grammarian
Stardate 97387.9