tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Jul 13 18:05:18 1998
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]
Re: Pronoun sentences again
ja' SuStel:
>SuStel 'oH pongwIj'e'.
>My name. The subject of this sentence is my name. What is my name, then?
>{SuStel 'oH}.
This just hits my brain at an odd angle. Your name is not a "SuStel".
Your name is a pair of syllables. Your name is an utterance which is
used to refer to you. Your name is a word with an interesting history.
"SuStel" is your name. "David" is your name also. In English, putting
things in the other order does not change the meaning of these words,
but Klingon is not English and I don't see pronouns as "to be" working
the same way as "is" does.
>nuq 'oH Dochvam'e'?
>This thing. The subject of this sentence is this thing. The question is,
>{nuq 'oH}?
>
>pu' 'oH Dochvam'e'.
>This thing. The subject of this sentence is this thing. I asked what this
>thing is. What is it? {pu' 'oH}.
Exactly. The subject of the question is something known and definite, and
the answer to the question describes the subject. This thing is a phaser.
>Dochvam 'oH nuq'e'?
>What? The subject of this sentence is an unknown. I am trying to determine
>the subject. What is it? {Dochvam 'oH}.
>
>Dochvam 'oH pu''e'.
>A phaser. The subject of this sentence is a phaser. What about a phaser?
>{Dochvam 'oH}.
Again, exactly. The subject of the question is the unknown thing that
is right here. The answer to the question identifies the thing itself.
:::
Now substitute {ponglIj} for {Dochvam} and apply the same interpretations.
nuq 'oH ponglIj'e'?
Your name. The subject of this sentence is your name. The question is,
nuq 'oH? The question is *not* asking for your name, it is asking what
your name *is*. Your name is a word. Your name is not a {SuStel}.
ponglIj 'oH nuq'e'?
What? The subject of this sentence is an unknown. I am trying to determine
the subject. What is it? {ponglIj 'oH}. The question is asking for your
name.
-- ghunchu'wI'