tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Mar 22 09:17:37 1999

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Using {law'/puS} (was Re: jIqontaH.)



Voragh:
> <ghot> lo' Okrand law' <nuv> lo' Okrand puS 'e' wISov neH.
 
maHvatlh (Zrajm C Akfohg):
: pab'a' mu'tlheghvam? vIyaj 'ach lughlaHbe''a'?  
: <A Q law' B Q puS> vIjatlh TKD (p.70). 
: nuqDaq Datu' mu'tlheghvam chut?
: <O-V-S law' O-V-S puS> 'oH'a', chutlIj?

You're right.  I'm not sure whether using {law'/puS} like this is kosher,
but you obviously understood it right away.  I was trying to say: "We only
know that Okrand uses {ghot} more than (Okrand uses) {nuv}".  

We've seen Okrand use {law'/puS} for comparing things other than simple
qualities ("Q"):

	QamvIS Hegh qaq law' torvIS yIn qaq puS 
	Better to die on our feet than live on our knees. ST6
	"Dying while standing is preferable to living while kneeling." TKW

(Note that this phrase seems to be an old, possibly {no' Hol}, quotation;
the verbs would be {QamtaHvIS} and {tortaHvIS} in "modern" 24th century
{ta' Hol}.)

And, in comparing qualities, "A" can be fairly complex, particularly when
"B" is {Hoch}:

	reH latlh qabDaq qul tuj law' Hoch tuj puS. 
	The fire is always hotter on someone else's face. PK

	noH ghoblu'DI' yay quv law' Hoch quv puS 
	In war there is nothing more honorable than victory. TKW 

	tlhIngan wo' yuQmey chovlu'chugh Qo'noS potlh law' Hoch potlh puS 
	The principal planet of the Klingon Empire, Qo'noS... S27

	tlhIngan qorDu' pong potlh law' Hoch potlh puS 
	Above all, the Klingon family name is highly valued. S13

	DujvamDaq tlhIngan nuH tu'lu'bogh pov law' Hoch pov puS 'ej DujvamDaq 
	 'op SuvwI' tu'lu'bogh po' law' tlhIngan yo' SuvwI' law' po' puS 
	[IKV Pagh] has the best weapons and some of the finest warriors in
	 the Klingon fleet. S7

That being said, I wonder if these variants are grammatical:

	?<ghot> lo' Okrand law' <nuv> lo' puS.
	 Okrand uses {ghot} more than (he uses) {nuv}.

	?<ghot> lo' Okrand law' latlh lo' puS.
	 Okrand uses {ghot} more than (he uses) the other (one).

	?<ghot> lo' Okrand law' Hoch lo' puS.
	 Okrand uses {ghot} most (of all).


-- 
Voragh                       
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons



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