tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Jun 18 10:49:16 2002

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Re: hello (BG)



"Sulu' wa'" asks:
> > Am I imagining this, or did you use an intransitive verb as a transitive?
> > Unless KGT says differently [...] I will go with TKD definition that
> > *qIm* is "pay attention, concentrate", not 'pay attention to'.
> > Please enlighten me. Would *jiHvaD yIqim* be better, or perhaps something
> > in *Hol poD*?

SuStel:
>Actually, I remember seeing something somewhere which made me grudgingly
>accept /qIm/ as transitive . . . but I can't remember what it was!

   HeDaj yIqIm!
   Track her course! ST5

   jemS tIy qIrq. loDHom jIHDI' qIrq qun vIqImchoH.
   James T. Kirk. I've followed his history since I was a boy. (MO's ST5 notes)

There's also {qImHa'} "disregard" which to me at least implies an object, 
even if unstated.  {qIm} "pay attention" can also be used without an 
explicit object:

   yIqIm, yIbuS!
   Pay attention and concentrate! CK

In this regard, {qIm} seems to work like {yaj} "understand" and {Sop} 
"eat", which can be used with or without an object - or rather, with either 
the "object" or "no object" prefixes.  Remember Okrand's explanation of 
{jI-}, that it can be used:

    ... when an object is possible, but unknown or vague. Thus {jIyaj}
    "I understand" can be used when the speaker understands things in
    general, knows what is going on, or understands what another speaker
    has just said. It cannot, however, be used for understanding a
    language or understanding a person. Similarly, {maSop} "we eat" can
    be used to indicate a general act of eating, but not if a specific
    food is mentioned.  [TKD p.33f]

>Of course, if you shout just plain old (clipped) /qIm!/ the effect is the
>same as saying /jIHvaD yIqIm/.  People are going to turn and look at you.
>(Kim may ask you want you want . . . .)

   qIm tera'ngan
   Attention Earther! (KCD bumper sticker)

If you don't like using {qIm} transitively, use {buS} "concentrate on, 
focus on, think only about, pay attention to" which unquestionably takes an 
object:

   ghIlab ghewmey tIbuSQo'
   Pay no heed to glob flies. TKW

   wa' DoS neH yIbuS
   Focus on but one target. TKW

   veqlarghlI' yIbuS 'ej veqlarghwI' vIbuS
   You pay attention to your Fek'lhr and I will pay attention to mine. TKW


-- 
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons



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