tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Jul 02 23:36:04 1999
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Re: jIchegh tulajchugh
Steven Boozer wrote:
> I don't see the distinction either. Are you a native English speaker,
> peHruS?
> "I'll be short" is not colloquial English, at least not in American usage.
> For
> the meaning he (she?) has in mind, the phrase is indeed "I'll be brief".
>
> AFAIK Okrand has used {ngaj} "be short (in duration)" once:
>
> ngaj ram
> The night is short. KGT
In all your examples, the things you are talking about have a beginning and an
end. Night, day, life..... so because they have a beginning and an end they can
indeed be brief or long. A person's actions can be brief but a person can't
literally be "a short duration of time" they can only accomplish things in a short
duration of time. That's how I see it anyway.
I'm not trying to stir problems. I'm really sincere in my confusion.
Qov, if you happen to read this would you offer an opinion? I'm curious to know
if I'm really so far out in left field on this.
K'ryntes
>
>
> Presumably {ngaj} works like its antonym {nI'} "be long, be lengthy
> (duration)", which he's used more often:
>
> nI'be' yInmaj 'ach wovqu'
> Our lives burn short and bright. (Anthem)
> [lit. "our lives are not long / our life is not long"]
>
> Notice that here Okrand used {nI'}, which has been around since the 1st
> edition
> of TKD (1985). {ngaj} is much more recent, first appearing in KGT (1997)
>
> yIn nI' yISIQ 'ej yIchep
> Live long and prosper! (Radio Times)
> [lit. "suffer a long life"]
>
> poH nI'
> a long time KGT
>
> nI' ram
> The night is long. KGT
>
> nI' jajvam
> This day is long. (st.k)
>
> nI' DaHjaj
> Today is long. (st.k)
>
> --
> Voragh
> Ca'Non Master of the Klingons