tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Nov 30 22:15:00 2000

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Grammar Highlight Each Day (Multiple Adjectives)

Disclaimer:  This is intended only as a highlight of a particular point of 
Klingon grammar.  It is not an exhaustive teaching tool.  There are a lot 
more aspects of Klingon grammar that do not appear in today's highlight.

The Klingon Dictionary states that only one adjective may come after a noun 
to modify it.  Also, the adjective had to be a verb glossed in the dictionary 
as "be ............"  Today's highlight is how to overcome that restriction.

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.
(tIn = be big; 'ej = and; HoS = be strong; loD = man; ror = be fat; legh = 
sees; puq = child)

machbogh 'ej Doqbogh 'ej tISbogh 'ej qutlhbogh nav chIm legh be' = A woman 
sees the little, red, lightweight, cheap, empty paper.
(mach = be little; 'ej = and; Doq = be red (etc.); tIS = be lightweight; 
qutlh = be cheap; nav = paper; chIm = be empty; legh = sees; be' = woman)

I could have translated the sentences above as The child sees the fat man who 
is big and who is strong and as A woman sees the empty paper which is little 
and which is red and which is lightweight and which is cheap.  These would 
have been literal translations.  tInbogh = X which is big; machbogh = X which 
is little, etc.

Now, we may use various verb suffixes on the verbs BEFORE the noun.  Because  
  {-bogh} is a type 9 verb suffix (the last possible position), any other 
verb suffixes must come before it, also.  Example:  Doqchu'bogh 'ej 
jejHa'ba'bogh betleH = the blade of honor which is perfectly red and which is 
obviously dull (Doq = be red (etc.); -chu' = perfectly; jej = be sharp & 
jejHa' = be dull; -ba' = obviously; betleH = a Klingon weapon known as a 
blade of honor).

We are not forced to have an adjective (actually a verb glossed as "be ..." 
in TKD) after the noun when we have a number of -bogh adjectives (again 
actually verbs) in front of the noun.  Example:  SuDbogh 'ej 'ughbogh 'ej 
waghbogh paqmey vIje' = I buy books which are green (etc.) and which are 
heavy and which are expensive.

Finally, the adjectives which come before the noun don't even have to be 
verbs which are glossed as "be ...."  They can be any verbs.  Example:  
laDbogh 'ej Haghbogh SuvwI'  = The reading and laughing warrior  (laD = 
reads; Hagh = laughs; SuvwI' = warrior).

I have called these adjectives.  They are clauses which deserve much more 
attention than mere highlights can provide.

peHruS

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