tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Jun 08 14:39:20 1998
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]
Re: KLBC: Q on {-meH}
- From: Marc Ruehlaender <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: KLBC: Q on {-meH}
- Date: Mon, 08 Jun 1998 16:39:10 CDT
Great Maker!
charghwI' writes in response to ter'eS:
> If I map the way I understand it, {-meH} can be seen split in
> two unrelated ways, each of which have two variations. First,
> does the purpose clause modify a noun or a verb?:
>
> qaSuchmeH nargh 'eb. = purpose clause modifying the verb {nargh}
>
my problem boils down to this:
if you don't think that {qaSuchmeH} modifies {'eb} here, then I
should be able to modify {'eb} without distorting the meaning of
the sentence, no?
qaSuchmeH nargh paq vIlaDmeH 'eb.
"The opportunity for me to read a book escaped, in order that I visit you."
In TKD 6.2.4. "jagh luHoHmeH" definitely modifies the verb.
I have no problem with this.
> nargh qaSuchmeH 'eb. = purpose clause modifying the noun {'eb}
>
no problem with this, nor with any of the examples SuStel quoted in
an other response in this thread.
> Both of these are valid. The first means, "In order that I
> visit you, the opportunity escaped." This is confusing because
> it sounds like escape of the opportunity was accomplished with
> the intent of it improving the likelihood that I visit you. It
> is grammatically correct, but symantically ugly. That's why
is it canon?
(aside:
> Since {qaSuchmeH} has a subject and an object, it is not an
> infinitive. The definition of infinitive involves dealing with
> a verb without dealing with a subject or object. The most
I like this much better than what Holtej wrote about infinite
verb forms...)
> Neither of these examples involves the infinative/gerund
> construction, which could appear as follows:
>
> SuchmeH nargh 'eb. = "To visit, the opportunity escapes."
>
(same problem as above)
> nargh SuchmeH 'eb. = "The to-visit opportunity escapes."
>
to see if I understand you right:
your interpretation of them being different from forms with a
0 prefix is based on the absence of {-lu'} to indicate an
indefinite subject?
but, technically, it could also mean "The opprtunity for him
to visit her escapes.", right?
Marc Ruehlaender
aka HomDoq
[email protected]