tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sat May 23 14:45:30 1998
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Sum (was: Quj bej Holtej qorDu')
- From: "David Trimboli" <[email protected]>
- Subject: Sum (was: Quj bej Holtej qorDu')
- Date: Fri, 22 May 1998 19:18:14 -0400
From: Holtej <[email protected]>
>SuStelvo':
>
>> Okrand himself has held off on answering that question. The main reason
I
>> assume it is intransitive is because {Hop}, described simply as "far" (on
>> Conversational Klingon) would have to be "far from" to be transitive, and
>> {Sum}/{Hop} certainly does seem to be a corresponding pair.
>
>I don't entirely agree. Just because they have corresponding intransitive
>uses, doesn't mean they *must* have corresponding transitive ones. (That
>is, if /Sum/ has a transitive use at all, which we don't know.)
No, it doesn't mean they *must*. It does seem a strong possibility.
>If I were to say /DujDaq jISum/, would you understand that I'm near the
>ship?
I would understand that we are both English speakers trying to translate an
English phrase into Klingon. I wouldn't say {DujDaq jISum} at all. I would
say {Sum Duj}.
Context will rule most cases:
Because he was near the ship, he was injured when the warp drive exploded.
Summo' Duj, rIQchoH ghaH jorDI' Duj.
If he is very far from the ship, the sensors may not be able to track him.
Hopqu'chugh Duj, chaq ghaH lughochlaHbe'taH noch.
Occasionally, when you force the sentences to have no context, you can still
get away with it:
I am near the ship. You are far from the ship. He is not near the ship.
jIHvaD Sum Duj. SoHvaD Hop Duj. ghaHvaD Sumbe' Duj.
These work just as well with {-vaD} as does {Qu'vaD lI' De'} "the
information is useful for the mission."
SuStel
Stardate 98390.1