tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Mar 19 22:41:13 1999
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Re: qama'
ja' T'Lod:
> jIjach, jIjatlh <HIQaH!>
>
> DloraH >>
>
>shouldn't I mumble "something" or yell "something," that thing being language
>or the actual words I am yelling or mumbling? Like using jatlh for quoting
>something said, or using ja' for what is being reported. I don't see these as
>intransitive, but I could be wrong. vaj, jIlughbe' 'e' vIchIDbej.
The "actual words" you are yelling or mumbling are a quote. Quotes aren't
the object of the verb when you speak -- look closely at the examples on
page 67. The quote can come *after* the verb of saying, for one thing, and
the verb prefix {qa-} sure isn't pointing to the words spoken as an object.
The Marc Okrand interview in the December 1998 HolQeD (Volume 7, Number 4)
makes it clear that one does not "yell" words; one merely yells. A short
quote from Okrand:
The way I see the verbs of speech, there may be more than just
ja' and jatlh, but there is only a small number of words, unlike
English. You have to use a separate sentence for the replying,
pleading, screaming. "He screamed. He said, 'Come help me.'"
That's exactly what DloraH said; I suspect he was looking at this part of
the interview (or at least thinking about it) when he composed his response.
-- ghunchu'wI'