tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Oct 14 08:56:53 1999
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Re: Mu'mey chu'
>From: "William H. Martin" <[email protected]>
>Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1999 12:45:35 -0400 (Eastern Daylight Time)
>
>On 12 Oct 1999 01:56:21 -0000 "Mark E. Shoulson" <[email protected]>
>wrote:
>
>> pIHoHvIpbe'qu' we are NOT afraid to kill you
>> pIHoHvIpqu'be' we are not AFRAID to kill you
>> pIHoHqu'vIpbe' we are not afraid to KILL you
>
>> The first word might be used after an enemy challenged the bravery of the
>> speaker. The second might be followed by an explanation such as "We are
>> not willing to kill you you because we require your services." The third
>> would be used to emphasize killing, as opposed to some other form of
>> punishment.
>>
>> Note he says "would be used" not "could be used but wouldn't because of the
>> taboo in section 4.2.2."
>
>I think the most important thing that doesn't seem to be getting
>any attention here is that {-vIp} and {-be'} are being used in a
>combination here that would release a Klingon from the taboo. In
>all cases, we are saying that there is a lack of fear.
>Certainly, that is not taboo. Saying that we fear would be quite
>taboo.
Yes, it's significant that the -vIp is itself being negated, not just that
there's a negation somewhere in the sentence. I wouldn't say
{*vIHoHbe'vIp} is okay just because it has both -vIp and -be'; it's still
admitting the fear ("I am afraid not to kill it.") Here, we have the -be'
acting directly on the -vIp; it follows it directly, except for the
intervening -qu', which doesn't interrupt the flow (i.e. the -be' does not
act of the preceding -qu', but rather the thing before it, which the -qu'
itself acted upon. This doesn't necessarily mean that you could never have
{-qu'be'} with the -be' negating the -qu' itself... but I would think
that's highly unlikely. You'd have to have a clear context, probably even
actually nonce construction (explicitly or implicitly saying "I'm playing
around with abnormal usage here, to make a point." People do that in
language and poetry)).
~mark