tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Nov 21 20:25:16 1997

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lu-



HomDoq wrote:
> charghwI' wrote:
> 
> > >I'd be interested to know the difference you see in meaning
> > >between {*jInguvmoH} and {vInguvmoHlu'}. I suggest there IS no
> > >difference in meaning. 
> > 
> and ghunchu'wI' answered (as well as SuStel in a seperate post):
> > Huh? These seem *very* different to me.
> > {jInguvmoH} "I cause to be painted" or "I paint"
> > {vInguvmoHlu'} "one causes me to be painted" or "I am painted"
> 
> I think charghwI's reasoning goes more like
>
> {nguvlu'} something is painted
> {vInguvmoHlu'} I cause something to be painted
> 
> obviously this is at least ambiguous but wasn't the one example 
> from TKD with {-moHlu'} of a similar kind? I may misremember, 
> though.

I know charghwI' knows his {-lu'} better than that, so I'm going to  
step away from the 'objectless' question and explain plain old {-lu'} 
to anyone who has been confused by all this ranting.  What is below 
is nothing new, not controversial, just an explanation of {-lu'} the 
way it appears in TKD.
When the subject of a verb is known and specific, it and the object, 
if any, are represented in the verb prefix, and {-lu'} is not used.

vay' vInguvmoH - I cause something to be painted.

When the subject of a verb is not specified, as in the case of 
English sentences using the passive voice or the anonymous they, 
Klingon uses {-lu'}, and indicates the object with a special use of 
some of the verb prefixes.  The prefixes normally used to indicate 
various *subjects* with third person singular *objects* {vI- Da- 0 
wI- bo- lu-}, are reversed in meaning to indicate various *objects* 
all with an "indefinite" subject.

vIleghlu' - "I am seen"  "[someone inspecific] sees me"

naDev wIlajlu'Qo' - "They won't accept us here"  

vInguvmoHlu' - "I am painted" "[someone] paints me"

If the subject of the active verb is specific, don't use {-lu'}.

For practice, rewrite these sentences so they have the same object, 
but an indefinite subject, using {-lu'}.  Careful! I've included some 
trick ones.

DuparHa' vay'.
nIbejlaw' nuvpu'.
vay' luleghbej.
lIqopta' vay'
chaH HoHnIS vay'
megh neHqu' vay'
'uQ vutlaH vay'
De'wI' tI'lI' vay'
veS tIvbe'law'taH roghvaH
muQopmoH Qu'

Qov     [email protected]
Beginners' Grammarian                 



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