tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sat Oct 18 23:15:27 1997

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Re: KLBC naDev jIchu'



At 12:19 97-10-17 -0700, Doneq wrote:
> naDev jIchu'.
> I'm new here.
jumuvpu'mo' ghur ghoghmeymaj.

> Doneq 'oH pongwIj'e'.
> My name is Doneq.
maj.  bIqImba'.  bIghaqchoHmo' jIbel.

> *Netherlands* vIDab.
> I live in The Netherlands.
nov Hol law' HaD Netherlands nganpu', qar'a'?

> wa'maH jav ben jIboghpu'.
> I'm 16 years old.
wa'maH loS ben wa'maH jav ben jIboghpu' jIH.

>tlhIngan Hol vIHad vIneH.
>I want to study Klingon.
{HaD} yIghItlh.  Always shift for {D}.  
tlhIngan Hol DaHaDbejlI'.  You're clearly already studying it.

> jav jarmey *ago* tlhIngan Hol vIHaDchoHta'.
> 6 months ago I started studying Klingon.
(I couldn't find a word for *ago* or *months ago*)

You can use {wa'vatlh chorghmaHHu'} "180 days 
ago."  I imagine there are Klingon terms for "weeks ago" and "months 
ago" but we just don't know them.

By using the perfective suffix on {HaDchoHta'} you're 
saying that at the time the sentence is set -- that is, six months 
ago -- you had already completed starting studying Klingon.  In other 
words, you sentence says that you've been studying Klingon at least 
six months, but doesn't necessarily mean you started then.
Leaving out the {-pu'} would make it clearer that that was when you 
actually started.  On the other hand, if you started just over six 
months ago, then {-pu'} would be as appropriate as the {-pu'} on 
{boghpu'}.  You've had your sixteenth birthday, so sixteen years ago 
you had already been born.

> tlhIngan Hol vIHaDlI' 'e' vItIv.
> I enjoy studying Klingon.

maj.  DamuSchoHchugh yIbup.

> Do'Ha' DuSaQDaq (juHDaq DuSaQvaD je) latlh vay' vIHaDnISlI' je }:-(
> Unfortunately I have to study other things at school (and at home 
> for school) too.

I'm not entirely happy with {juHDaq DuSaQvaD je}.  I have no problem 
with {juHDaq DuSaQvaD jIHaDnIS} : where you did it and the thing that 
is the beneficiary of your action.  I know it means {juHDaq 
DuSaQvaD jIHaDnIS je} and the elipsis is perfectly understandable to 
*me*, but it might not be to a Klingon.  You may need to use the verb 
twice to say this.

The word {vay'} is "something."  Better to use {Doch} for a more 
specific "thing."  {latlh Doch} {latlh Dochmey}

> 'ach DaH vIghIQ 'ej 'e' vItIvtaH.
> But now I have vacation and I'm enjoying that.

You are on vacation - no object - so use the {jI-} prefix.

You could say: {jIghIQ 'e' vItIv} "I'm enjoying being on 
vacation" There is a much ignored rule prohibiting type seven 
suffixes on the verb after {'e'}, and you must only use {'e'} to make 
the previous sentence the object of the current one.  Don't use an 
intervening conjunction). 

Or say: {jIghIQ 'ej vItIvtaH} "I'm on vacation and I'm enjoying it."

> ghojwI'pu'lI' tISaH

vInIDtaH.

Qov     [email protected]
Beginners' Grammarian                 



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