tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon May 01 08:03:32 2000

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RE: KLBC: Imperative question



I'm not sure why this hasn't been answered yet, but it's dragging on, and a
lot of misconceptions are turning up, so I'm going to answer it.

> "Somebody stop that man"

The subject of the verb in an imperative sentence is always an implied
"you" (either SoH or tlhIH).  

When a name or a person being addressed is included in the sentence, it's
just in apposition, placed there.  It's not really the subject of the
sentence.

> How about something as simple as
>
> loDvetlh bomev vay' {man-that you(pl)-stop-him somebody}

This says "Somebody you stopped that man" (or "you stop" or "you will
stop").  It's a statement, not a command, and the "somebody" doesn't make
any sense.  There's also a problem with mev, that I'll get to later.

> this would seem to follow my understanding of the object-verb-subject   
> rule.
> 
> The object is 'that man' the subject is 'somebody' and as, I assume, when   
> one is calling for 'somebody' to do something you are addressing a plural   
> group (otherwise it would be "you stop that man") the verb acquires the   
> you(pl)-him/her/it prefix.
>
> If I am wrong - which I probably am - could someone please explain to me   
> why.

Assuming you are looking at the matrix of verb prefixes in sextion 4.1.1,
turn the page and look at the Imperative Prefixes section.  A direct
command is an imperative sentence, and requires an imperative prefix.

The object of the verb is singular, "that man" so the prefix is /yI-/
regardless of whether one or many persons are being addressed.

I would say:

vay'! loDvetlh yImevmoH!
Someone!  Stop that man!

Note that /mev/ means stop, not cause to stop, so I used /mevmoH/ to stop
someone/something else.

If I said:
loDvetlh yImev

I might be giving the command to the man.  "That man!  Stop!"  





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