tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Jan 29 15:32:53 2002
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RE: [KLBC] superlative + bogh?
Dum'er:
>> la' jaq law' Hoch jaq puS means 'the commander is boldest of all'.
>> So how would I say 'the commander who is boldest of all' ("the
>> boldest commander")? Where does the -bogh go? After law'?
Voragh:
> I'll let the BG explain the intricacies of the surprisingly
> flexible {law'/puS}
> formula, but while you wait take a look at the one example of a
> superlative + {-bogh} we have from SkyBox card S7:
>
> DujvamDaq tlhIngan nuH tu'lu'bogh pov law' Hoch pov puS 'ej DujvamDaq
> 'op SuvwI' tu'lu'bogh po' law' tlhIngan yo' SuvwI' law' po' puS.
> It [IKV Pagh] has the best weapons and some of the finest warriors in
> the Klingon fleet.
DloraH:
: As Voragh mentions, there is a lot you can do with law'/puS; adding -bogh
: and -taHvIS and more. But these occurrences are always modifying the noun.
: "While they fight, the commander is the boldest", "The commander which
: fights is the boldest." In these examples the [boldest] is translated as a
: verb; but in "The boldest commander will (do something)" the [boldest] is
: translated as an adjective. We don't have any examples of this type of
: usage. If it is allowed, we don't know how to do it yet.
The law'/puS formula is more flexible than it at first appears and can be part
of a longer sentence. Here are some examples with the law'/puS set off by
[brackets].
It can follow a subordinate clause, either with {-meH}:
tlhutlhmeH [HIq ngeb qaq law' bIQ qaq puS]
Drinking fake ale is better than drinking water. TKW
jonlu'meH [wo'maj pop tIn law' Hoch tIn puS].
Our Empire's highest bounty has been placed on his head. (ST5 notes)
or {-DI'}:
noH ghoblu'DI' [yay quv law' Hoch quv puS]
In war there is nothing more honorable than victory. TKW
Adverbials and/or place stamps can modify it:
reH latlh qabDaq [qul tuj law' Hoch tuj puS].
The fire is always hotter on someone else's face. PK
And then we have this odd line from ST5:
qIbDaq [SuvwI''e' SoH Dun law' Hoch Dun puS].
You would be the greatest warrior in the galaxy.
Frankly, I'm not sure exactly what's going on here. It appears that the A
element - {A Q law' B Q puS} - is a sentence with the predicate tagged with
{-'e'}: {SuvwI''e' SoH}. If I re-analyse it, we have:
qIbDaq SuvwI''e' [SoH Dun law' Hoch Dun puS].
As for the warrior in the galaxy, you are the greatest (of all).
in which case the law'/puS bit is okay (Okrand has told us that A and B can be
pronouns), but the place stamp is now strange. Does someone have a better
transcription?
: For now we will need to recast using multiple sentences.
This is certainly how Okrand did it in SkyBox S27:
tlhIngan wo' yuQmey chovlu'chugh Qo'noS potlh law' Hoch potlh
puS. roD 'oHvaD juHqo' ponglu' neH.
The principal planet of the Klingon Empire, Qo'noS, is usually
referred to as simply "The Homeworld."
But DloraH is right. It really depends on exactly what you're trying to say,
which is why it's hard to transcribe phrases. Give us the entire sentence or
thought.
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons