tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Aug 10 07:49:34 1999
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qay' aspect jay'! Part 2
- From: Carleton Copeland <[email protected]>
- Subject: qay' aspect jay'! Part 2
- Date: Tue, 10 Aug 1999 18:49:50 +-400
- Encoding: 32 TEXT
Ok, I'm reassured about my aspect-free past tenses, so let's get on with
Part 2.
Repetitive (as distinct from continuous) action is another point where TKD
is rather less than enlightening. In English, the simple present is
normally used to express on-going repetitive action: *the officer eats
gagh often*.
In Russian, the imperfective (akin to English continuous) is required, so
that Russians learning English will often say things like *every day Boris
is eating borsch* (or dismissing his prime minister).
A quick look through recently archived posts tells me that *pIj qagh Sop
yaS* (English-style) would be far more common, but that *pIj qagh SoptaH
yaS* is probably also possible. Two examples of the latter construction
are "pIj chechtaH nuvpu' law'" (charghwI' 'utlh) and "reH jabbI'IDghomvam
laDtaH voragh net Sov!" (voragh).
Might this express a difference between repetitive actions which are
thought of as being more or less continuous? E.g., "voragh is always
reading this list", implying that he reads it so often it's practically an
unbroken process.
The only clue I could find in TKD is the phrase *Duj tIvoqtaH* (Always
trust your instincts), in which {-taH} is translated as *always*. If this
is an exhortation to be continuously trusting of one's instincts, then I
suppose *bIghobDI' Duj tIvoq!* would be the way of expressing a more
punctuated repetition.
qa'ral