tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Jan 18 18:33:09 2000
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RE: KLBC: yInmeywIj ngo'
- From: "Andeen, Eric" <[email protected]>
- Subject: RE: KLBC: yInmeywIj ngo'
- Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 19:34:42 -0700
jatlh Eodrakken:
> I'm a believer in reincarnation; here I've tried to
> describe some of my past lives. I'm unsure of a lot
> of the language I've used, so this time I've done
> translations for each sentence.
> cha' yInmey vIghajta' 'e' vISov.
> =I know I've had two lives.
> (I doubt that this is correct; I found the
> concept difficult to express with the vocabulary
> I have.)
I would agree that it is not correct. A minor point is that <-ta'> is
borderline here at best - <-pu'> would make more sense.
The major problem is that <ghaj>
> chaq law'ta' yInmeywIj 'ach Hoch vIqawbe'.
> =Perhaps my lives have been many, but I
> don't remember all of them.
<-ta'> is definitely wrong here. You don't really need an aspect suffix at
all for this one.
> ben'a' *dragon* jIH.
> =I was a dragon many, many years ago.
I'm not sure what to make of <ben'a'>. With the exception of <'uj'a'>,
Okrand has said that <-'a'> and <-Hom> aren't generally used with
measurements. The most natural way to say this is <ben law'>, or probably
better <ben law'qu'>.
> jIpuvlaH 'e' vIqawchu'.
> =I clearly remember that I could fly.
maj.
> jIpuvtaHvIS tlhab vItIv.
> =When I was flying, I enjoyed the freedom.
maj.
> yInvetlh vItIvqu'.
> =I loved that life.
maj.
> benHom Human jIH.
> =Not that many years ago, I was a human.
Again, <ben puS> would be better.
> yInvetlh vIqawchu'be' 'ej nI'be'.
> =I don't remember it very clearly and it didn't last long.
Do'Ha'.
> Huch joq Sov vIghajbe' 'ej vaj nom jIHeghpu'.
> =I had no money or knowledge, thus I quickly died.
Noun conjunctions like <joq> go after all the nouns. <Hutlh> would also be
more natural here than <ghajbe'>, although with <Hutlh> the <joq> turns into
a <je>.
Since you're describing this life in this sentence, the aspect suffix <-pu'>
is not appropriate here - during that life you had not yet died.
In general, when you find yourself using <vaj> or <'ej vaj> as a
conjunction, you should consider turning the first bit into a <-mo'> clause
instead:
Hoch Sov je vIHutlhmo' nom jIHegh.
What you have is not incorrect, but you should be aware of the alternative
style possibilities.
> DaH Human jIH.
> =Now I am a human.
quSDaq bIba'.
> yInmeyvammo' vIghojlaH 'e' muQuchmoH.
> =I am happy that I can learn from these lives.
Since you're just learning in general, rather than learning something
specific, the prefix on <ghoj> should be <jI->.
You're trying to use <'e'> as a subject here - "it makes me happy", but
<'e'> can only be an object. The best way to express this is probably
another <-mo'>:
yInmeyvammo' jIghojlaHmo' jIQuch.
Very good message overall. The subject matter was personal and rather
different, and was not an attempt to translate anything. All of these things
make for a very good KLBC message and a very good learning experience.
pagh
Beginners' Grammarian
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