tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Nov 17 15:59:27 2000

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Grammar Highlight Each Day (unspecified plural)

In a message dated 11/15/2000 8:02:04 PM Central Standard Time, 
[email protected] writes:

<< Disclaimer:  I am presenting highlights in a language I have learned but 
did 
 not grow up speaking naturally.  The final authority on Klingon is its 
 creator, Marc Okrand.  The Klingon Dictionary grammar section is 
 authoratative, having been written by MO.  Consult it after reading the 
 "tip."  These "tips" are here to help, not to claim to be the only way to 
use 
 the presented material.
 
 Today's grammar highlight:  Noun suffixes, type 2 make a noun plural.
 
 Examples:  jagh = enemy; jaghpu' = enemies (-pu' = suffix which makes nouns 
 referring to beings capable of language plural)
 
 Doch = thing; Dochmey = things (-mey = suffix which makes nouns referring to 
 things not capable of language plural)
 
 ghop = hand; ghopDu' = hands (-Du' = suffix which makes nouns referring to 
 body parts plural)
 
 One need not put a noun suffix type 2 onto a Klingon noun in order to make 
it 
 plural.  If the context proves the noun to be plural, even in the absence of 
 the plural suffix, the noun is plural.
 
 naQ 'uch yaSpu' = The officers hold sticks.
 
 Okay, the subject of the sentence IS plural.  yaSpu' = officers.  When the 
 subject of the sentence is plural AND the object of the sentence is 
singular, 
 the Klingon verb MUST use the pronominal prefix {lu-}.  So, the 
grammatically 
 correct sentence has to be {naQmey 'uch yaSpu'} = "The officers hold the 
 sticks" or {naQ lu'uch yaSpu'} = "The officers hold a stick."  Still, the 
 sentence {naQ 'uch yaSpu'} is grammatically correct also, we have proven 
that 
 {naQ} "stick" (singular in appearance) really means "sticks" (plural even 
 without the suffix -mey.
 
 More:  cha' DeQ ghaj puq = A child has two credits*.
 (cha' = two; DeQ = Klingon monetary credit; ghaj = has; puq = child)
 
 Due to the fact that {cha'} ="two" indicates more than a single DeQ 
 ("credit"), in English we automatically say "credits."
 
 More:  be' DIlegh = We approach women.
 (be' = woman [singular]; legh = sees, DIlegh = we see them)
 
 Now, because DI- is the verb prefix which indicates that the object IS 
 plural, we did not need to say {be'pu'} ("women [plural]").
 
 peHruS >>



The original message was received at Wed, 15 Nov 2000 21:01:24 -0500 (EST)
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Disclaimer:  I am presenting highlights in a language I have learned but did 
not grow up speaking naturally.  The final authority on Klingon is its 
creator, Marc Okrand.  The Klingon Dictionary grammar section is 
authoratative, having been written by MO.  Consult it after reading the 
"tip."  These "tips" are here to help, not to claim to be the only way to use 
the presented material.

Today's grammar highlight:  Noun suffixes, type 2 make a noun plural.

Examples:  jagh = enemy; jaghpu' = enemies (-pu' = suffix which makes nouns 
referring to beings capable of language plural)

Doch = thing; Dochmey = things (-mey = suffix which makes nouns referring to 
things not capable of language plural)

ghop = hand; ghopDu' = hands (-Du' = suffix which makes nouns referring to 
body parts plural)

One need not put a noun suffix type 2 onto a Klingon noun in order to make it 
plural.  If the context proves the noun to be plural, even in the absence of 
the plural suffix, the noun is plural.

naQ 'uch yaSpu' = The officers hold sticks.

Okay, the subject of the sentence IS plural.  yaSpu' = officers.  When the 
subject of the sentence is plural AND the object of the sentence is singular, 
the Klingon verb MUST use the pronominal prefix {lu-}.  So, the grammatically 
correct sentence has to be {naQmey 'uch yaSpu'} = "The officers hold the 
sticks" or {naQ lu'uch yaSpu'} = "The officers hold a stick."  Still, the 
sentence {naQ 'uch yaSpu'} is grammatically correct also, we have proven that 
{naQ} "stick" (singular in appearance) really means "sticks" (plural even 
without the suffix -mey.

More:  cha' DeQ ghaj puq = A child has two credits*.
(cha' = two; DeQ = Klingon monetary credit; ghaj = has; puq = child)

Due to the fact that {cha'} ="two" indicates more than a single DeQ 
("credit"), in English we automatically say "credits."

More:  be' DIlegh = We approach women.
(be' = woman [singular]; legh = sees, DIlegh = we see them)

Now, because DI- is the verb prefix which indicates that the object IS 
plural, we did not need to say {be'pu'} ("women [plural]").

peHruS


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