tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Jun 02 16:29:20 1998
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Re: KLBC: Q on {-meH} (was: long weekend with MO)
- From: Qov <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: KLBC: Q on {-meH} (was: long weekend with MO)
- Date: Tue, 02 Jun 1998 16:25:40 -0700
At 11:15 98-06-02 -0700, ter'eS wrote:
}At 09:15 AM 6/2/98 -0700, jey'el wrote:
}>First and second persons can, in English, enter into the same
}>kind of construction as "the probe is difficult to hit".
}>Can we say in Klingon:
}>
}>{SammeH bIQatlh.} You're hard to find.
}>{belmoHmeH jIngeD.} I'm easy to please.
}>
}Well, not really. You're getting this confused with the English
}idiom. "You" isn't really the subject; it's not "you" that is
}hard; it's the task of finding you. "You're hard to find" ->
} "To find you is hard"/{qaSammeH Qatlh Qu'}. Similarly, "I'm
}easy to please" -> "It is easy to please me"/{mubelmoHmeH ngeD Qu'}.
}(Or, using charghwI''s new construction: {Qatlh qaSammeH Qu'},
}{ngeD mubelmoHmeH Qu'}!)
Placing the subject on the {-meH} verb is definitely the way to go.
qaSammeH Qatlh Qu' or
DaSamlu'meH Qatlh Qu'
I'm thinking about this in context, to see what pops out of my mouth and I
think I'm much more likely to say:
qaSamlaHbe'
bISo'chu'
qaStaHvIS wa' rep qanejlI' qaSampa'
qatlh juHlIj DaSo' jay'?
Leave translation into a language to the native speakers. In a second
language just get something out of your mouth that is as grammatical as
possible and conveys the idea you want to express. As Okrand said, the only
way to really grasp the language is to spend a LOT of time with native
speakers, and sadly this is not an option for us.
Qov [email protected]
Now on ICQ: 12235599