tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Apr 13 16:18:35 2000
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RE: [KLBC] -nIS / need
- From: "Andeen, Eric" <[email protected]>
- Subject: RE: [KLBC] -nIS / need
- Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 16:20:42 -0700
jatlh De'vID:
>>>>>
I have a question about another suffix: /-nIS/.
How would one translate "Romeo must die"? My first
instinct was to go with /HeghnIS Romeo/. However,
TKD 4.2.2 says this: "Suffixes of this type express how
much choice the subject has about the action described
or how pre-disposed the subject is to doing it".
"Romeo must die" doesn't mean that Romeo needs
to die. It means that someone else (an indefinite
person) needs Romeo to die. I'm thinking
/Hegh Romeo 'e' X-nISlu'/, but I don't know what
verb should be in the place of X. Am I close?
More generally, how would one express "need"
in the sense of "something needs to happen",
as opposed to "someone needs to do something"?
>>>>>
You are quite correct - <-nIS> is about the needs of the subject, not
anybody else. The word you are looking for is <poQ> - "require". Here are
some examples:
bISop 'e' vIpoQ - I need you to eat
choQaH 'e' poQ pInqoq - The so-called boss needs you to help me
bIjIj 'e' vIpoQ - I need your cooperation
The other important part is <net>. <net> is used instead of <'e'> when the
subject of the second verb is indefinite. So "Romeo Must Die" would be <Hegh
Romeo net poQ>.
pagh
Beginners' Grammarian
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