tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Feb 17 07:43:17 1999
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Re: jatlh
In article <01be5a77$b7e07060$LocalHost@default>, Lieven L. Litaer
<[email protected]> writes
Just my humble opinion... I'm not a grammarian or anything. ;-)
>{pagh Dajatlh}
>"You speak nothing." (= you don't speak any languages)
I'm not sure if you can extrapolate that from 'speaking nothing'. I
agree that in 'speaking a language' the verb speak / {jatlh} is
transitive. I'd be more inclined to make it explicit.
{pagh Holmey Dajatlh.}
>{pagh Dajatlh}
>"You say nothing." (= you are being silent)
[nothing] - [you say it]. Fair enough.
>{pagh bIjatlh}
>"You say PAGH." (= You said our BG's name)
>"You say NOTHING" (= You say the word "nothing")
We have the same problem in Terran languages, too. ;-) But, I don't see
how you can use a null-object prefix here, because there IS an object -
what is being said!
The routes you have here, to *me*, seem to be:
{bIjatlhlaHbe'} You are incapable of speaking.
i.e. You don't speak any languages.
{pagh Dajatlh} You said nothing / are being silent.
{*pagh* Dajatlh} You said "pagh" (whatever its meaning).
{bIjatlh!} You are speaking!
*{pagh bIjatlh} (meaningless? verb with bad prefix?)
{bIjatlhHa'} You are saying nothing / are being silent.
{*nothing* Dajatlh} You said "nothing".
Just my views, as I said. If charghwI', pagh or anyone else charges up
with an explanation, take their views first. :-)
--qonwI'
--
Matt Johnson <mailto:[email protected]>