tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Jul 24 12:04:55 2000
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RE: KLBC: relative clauses again
- From: Eric Andeen <[email protected]>
- Subject: RE: KLBC: relative clauses again
- Date: Mon, 24 Jul 2000 12:04:35 -0700
jatlh lay'tel SIvten:
> vaj tlhIngan Hol lo'DI' jatlh vay':
>
> 1. The child sees the man who hears the woman.
> be' Qoylogh loD legh puq.
Typo: <-bogh>, not <-logh>.
maj. This would generally be assumed to be "The child sees the man who hears
the woman". Of course, it *could* mean "The child sees the woman who is
heard by the man".
To disambiguate, stick an <-'e'> on the "head noun" of the relative clause.
Your example would be <be' Qoybogh loD'e' legh puq>, while "The child sees
the woman who is heard by the man" would be <be''e' Qoybogh loD legh puq>.
This idea was first proposed by Captain Krankor in an old Grammarian's Desk
column, and Marc Okrand later said that Klingon does indeed work this way.
> 2. The man who hears the woman sees the child.
> puq legh be' Qoylogh loD.
maj.
> 'ach chay' tlhIngan Hol lo'DI' Dochvam jatlh vay':
>
> 3. The child sees the man whom the woman hears
> ? loD Qoybogh be' legh puq.
> (?The child sees the woman who hears the man.)
loD'e' Qoybogh be' legh puq.
See above.
> 4. The man whom the woman hears sees the child.
> ? puq legh loD Qoybogh be'.
> (?The woman who hears the man sees the child.)
puq legh loD'e' Qoybogh be'.
pagh
Beginners' Grammarian