tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sat Nov 29 04:57:14 1997
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Re: indefinite subject
- From: Qov <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: indefinite subject
- Date: Sat, 29 Nov 1997 04:57:11 -0800
At 02:24 97-11-28 -0800, QetlhIS wrote:
}Which of the [below] versions is correct, and why, and why is
}the rest wrong. I'm at a loss there :)
}1.) Dat 'u'Daq qu' tlhInganpu' net Qub.
qar.
You're worried about {net} vs. {-lu'} but it's the {Dat 'u'Daq} that catches
my attention first. Because {Dat} doesn't take {-Daq}, I'm pretty sure it
works: it's as if you had two separate locative phrases. Note that {wutlh
Qo'noSDaq} would likely come out as "in the undergound's Qo'noS" or "at
Qo'noS of the underground" NOT as "underground on Qo'noS." Remember the
meanings of noun-noun. The {net Qub} is correct.
}2.) Dat 'u'Daq qu' tlhInganpu' 'e' luQublu'.
qarbe'.
The prefix {lu-} is for third person plural subjects with third person
singular objects. The indefinite subject implied by the suffix {-lu'} is
singular. I strongly suspect it remains singular even in situations where
one could argue it implied plural. In every case we've seen, a Klingon
collective is grammatically singular.
}3.) Dat 'u'Daq qu' tlhInganpu' 'e' Qublu'.
qarlaw'.
Had we not seen {'e' <verb>-lu'} in canon, I would tell you that it should
be replaced with {net <verb>}. As it is, we've seen both. They are
identical in meaning, but from the instructions in TKD I would say {net
<verb>} is preferred.
}4.) qu' tlhInganpu'. Dat 'u'Daq net Qub.
qarbe'.
The word {net} stands in for the sentence in the first half of the 'sentence
as object' construction. {Dat 'u'Daq} is not a sentence.
}5.) qu' tlhInganpu'. Dat 'u'Daq 'e' luQublu'.
}6.) qu' tlhInganpu'. Dat 'u'Daq 'e' Qublu'.
As #4.
}Everywhere in the universe one thinks that klingons are wild.
Fierce, actually, but not an unreasonable translation.
Qov [email protected]
Beginners' Grammarian