tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sun Mar 15 14:07:18 1998

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Re: [KLBC]: Family

In a message dated 98-03-13 10:34:17 EST, charghwI' and SuStel discuss:

<< I believe that the main reason people want to put it last is 
 because their primary language allows variety in word order and 
 people feel less creative if they can't mess with the word 
 order. Meanwhile, Klingon has so many other opportunities for 
 creativity, I don't personally feel any need to mess with the 
 most clearly understood word order. I say that as a person who 
 considers himself to be somewhat creative with the language.
 
--------pe'-------------

 > Technically speaking, {-jaj} and {-ghach} could "go in either order" too,
 > but since {-jaj} is put on main verbs and {-ghach} nominalizes the verb,
 > that doesn't make too much sense. >>

-------peHruS joins the discussion, a little-------
Just because I feel better putting relative clauses before the main clause,
because that's the way everything works in Chinese, which I grew up speaking
while living on Taiwan, doesn't mean that's the way it works in tlhIngan Hol.
It certainly doesn't work that way in American English!  Still, I follow my
habit of putting relative clauses before the main clause when I compose in
tlhIngan Hol.  If canon tlhIngan Hol bears out this usage, fine.  If I need to
start varying my usage and start putting some relative clauses later in the
sentence, I'll not be so comfortable, but I'll learn to do so.

I cannot change tlhIngan Hol grammar, either.  In TKD's Addendum, {-jaj} and 
{-ghach} are clearly given as Type 9 Verb Suffixes.  {-ghach} MAY be in this
category merely because nothing may come after it, making it feel more like
{-wI'} which makes the Verb become a Noun, and must conclude Verb
characteristics of the stem word, although Noun Suffixes may be added still.
To me, {-jaj} has always FELT like a Type 7; of course, I would not put the
Type 8 {-neS} after it because it is grammatically a Type 9!  To tie together
these ideas, I do not see {-jaj} and {-ghach} as conductors of relativity.  In
neither case does a main clause suffer affect because of its use.  (Actually,
I'd like to hear discussion from any/all of you folks as to why/whether you
see evidence of a main clause being affected from the use of {jaj} or
{-ghach}, or for that matter {-wI'}).

Because the Rovers are NOT Type 9s, they do not appear in this discussion.

peHruS

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