tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Jan 26 16:55:05 1999
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Re: Transitive / Intransitive
- From: [email protected]
- Subject: Re: Transitive / Intransitive
- Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1999 19:52:54 EST
In a message dated 1/26/1999 4:59:46 PM US Mountain Standard Time,
[email protected] writes:
<< jIHob
> is being intransitive (subject is me verb is yawn)
> 'e' neH jIH
> is transitive (I want it [refering to the previous topic]) >>
Questions which help us better understand Klingon are always okay.
First, your question concerns what is transitive; what is intransitive?
You're on the right track, I feel. Taking a direct object is transitivity.
Not taking an object is intransitivity. Klingon uses two distinct sets of
pronominal verb prefixes to indicate whether an object is present.
{jISop} means "I eat," in general. I am not telling anybody what I eat, only
that I eat.
{vISop} means "I eat it." "It" is the object.
{qagh vISop} means "I eat serpent worms served alive as food." {qagh} is the
object.
Klingon does not allow such sentences as {qagh jISop} because that sentence
has an object and the verb prefix {jI-} indicates "no object."
Next, you are correct with {jIHob}. You are "yawning something."
But, {'e' neH jIH} should be {'e' vIneH}. {'e'} is the object of {neH}, and
you are saying "I want that" so you need the verb prefix {vI-}. You can
append {jIH} but it is not necessary and is redundant unless you are really
trying to emphasize, "I, that's right I, want to."
peHruS