tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Dec 01 17:35:14 2000

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RE: Grammar Highlight Each Day (Multiple Adjectives)



peHruS:
> Klingon speakers may put two (or several) verbs in front of a noun
> combined by the conjunction 'ej = and.  Each verb preceding the noun 
> must end with the verb suffix, type 9 {-bogh}. 
> First, some examples, then more notes.
>   tInbogh 'ej HoSbogh loD ror legh puq =
>   The child sees the big, strong, fat man.

De'vID:
: Doesn't the song {Qoy qeylIS puqloD} have a line that goes:
: {yoHbogh matlhbogh je SuvwI'}?  According to this highlight,
: it would be {yoHbogh 'ej matlhbogh SuvwI'}.  Is it acceptable 
: both ways, or did MO make a mistake?  (Or is just this part of
: the song in {no' Hol}, even though I understand the rest just fine?

You're right:

  yoHbogh matlhbogh je SuvwI' Say'moHchu' may' 'Iw.

This is Okrand's translation of Hillary Bader's lyric:

  The blood of battle washes clean the warrior brave and true.

And here is Okrand's own literal back-translation:

  "The battle blood perfectly cleans the warrior who is brave and loyal." 

N.B. this is *not* a mistake; Okrand was translating a marked, archaic
English usage - "the warrior brave and true".  Putting the adjective after
it's noun is usually seen only in song and poetry nowadays.  This appears
to be his attempt at an archaic Klingon "feel" in what may be a very old
song.  (Doesn't Okrand say somewhere in KGT that {je} is sometimes used
incorrectly instead of {'ej}?  Maybe this "error" is a dialectical
variation or a remnant of older usage.)  

In any event, I don't think you should model your speech on a bit of odd
grammar in the Anthem, particularly when we have examples of more standard
(modern?) usage:

  romuluSngan Sambogh 'ej HoHbogh nejwI' 
  Romulan hunter-killer probe. KCD

(FYI: This weapon is called a {HoHwI'} for short.)

  SuDbogh Dargh 'ej wovbogh
  The tea that is {SuD} and light 
  (i.e. green ["light {SuD}"] tea)  KGT

Okrand said that this last could also be phrased as:

  SuD Dargh 'ej wov 
  The tea is {SuD} and light.  KGT

which is another way of using more than one descriptive verb (or quality).
  
>  machbogh 'ej Doqbogh 'ej tISbogh 'ej qutlhbogh nav chIm legh be'
>  A woman sees the little, red, lightweight, cheap, empty paper.

I don't think that we've seen evidence of more than two "adjectives" strung
together like this, however.  Too many, I think, would confuse the listener.


-- 
Voragh                       
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons 


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