tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Oct 04 11:31:43 2001
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RE: Polysyllabic verbs
I love how a group has better memory than an individual. Thank you for
remembering these other exceptions. One comment below:
> -----Original Message-----
> From: d'Armond Speers [mailto:[email protected]]
> Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2001 4:06 PM
> To: '[email protected]'
> Subject: RE: Polysyllabic verbs
>
>
>
> > >charghwI' said:
> > >
> > > >I believe {HoSghaj} and {lo'laH} are the
> > > >only two polysyllabic verbs.
> >
> > >taD:
> > >
> > > > Don't forget the not-so-frequently used verb {ghIpDIj}
> (court-martial).
> >
> > >pagh:
> > >And of course <He'So'> and <roSHa'moH>.
> >
> > toH, bIlugh; Sor Darur.
>
> Hmm, what about {nga'chuq}?
I would not consider {nga'chuq} to be a root verb the same way I don't
consider {-taHvIS} to be a single suffix. They may always appear together,
but it really is a root plus a suffix and the root is monosyllabic.
> We also have an "edge case" in {nughI'}.
> Interesting in that doesn't seem to break down, but
> un-interesting as it's a
> borrowed word.
Exactly.
> > We have polysyllabic nouns such as {HIDjolev}, {paQDI'norgh},
> > {tu'HomI'raH}, etc. that apparently can't be broken down into
> > root words. However, it looks like all of the polysyllabic verbs can be
> > broken down, at least partially.
{ghIpDIj} doesn't break down. {He'So'} does not meaningfully break down. We
don't know that {roSHa'moH} is a root. Instead, it could just be an
idiomatic use of the verb {roS}. If I say in English without other context
that you were "clean", you'd likely assume that I was referring to your
physical hygene, but if I said you were "unclean", you'd assume that I was
referring to your spiritual purity. The two words have come to mean
something other than simple opposites, even though that is the normal
function of the prefix "un-".
I'll admit that I don't know what licking has to do with paralysis, though
it can be fun to guess. Perhaps licking is a Klingon's preferred method of
tickling, and the sensation of being tickled is considered to be the polar
opposite of the numbness associated with paralysis? Perhaps when Klingons
are paralyzed, the retraction of their tongues into the back of their
throats is considered to be the opposite of licking? I doubt we'll ever know
for sure. The point is that "unclean" is not really a root adjective. It is
an adjective with a prefix, and {roSHa'moH} is most likely {roS} with two
suffixes, even though the combination has a meaning that humans do not quite
understand.
We know that {lo'laH} is a root verb because Okrand had to cover his tracks
for having screwed up by using it as an adjective after explaining that
adjectives can only take {-be'} or {-qu'} (and we assume {-Ha'} as well).
> > - taD
>
> --Holtej 'utlh
>
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charghwI'