tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sat Nov 15 04:28:39 1997
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same verb for "to X" and "to cause someone to X"
- From: "Anthony.Appleyard" <[email protected]>
- Subject: same verb for "to X" and "to cause someone to X"
- Date: Sat, 15 Nov 1997 12:28:18 GMT
- Organization: Materials Science Centre
- Priority: normal
Qov <[email protected]> wrote (Subject: Re: KLBC:torgh):-
> } mIQ QoghIjDaj His brain frys
> Heh. This suggests that his brain is standing over a vat of hot oil,
> waiting for its onion rings to crisp up. {QoghIjDaj mIQlu'} "his brain gets
> fried" ([something] fries his brain).
Are there any Klingon verbs that can mean both "to X" and "to cause to X"?
"If I burn" in Klingon (jImeQchugh), am I the stoker or the fuel? If a patrol
has been seizing unauthorised items and has returned to base, English "the
patrolman burns" looks more like (A) "the patrolman is on fire" than (B) "the
patrolman is burning stuff, no need to say what or I don't know what", and to
mean (B) I must put a dummy place-holder object in: "the patrolman is burning
stuff". But in Greek (A) is {phylax kaietei} and (B) is {phylax kaiei},
clearly distinct.