tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Nov 13 09:52:47 2002

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Re: Third sentence from Qov's sentences



Gina's apparently become confused by all the hints.  Let me see if I can help.

Gina wrote:
> >>>>> This very clever so-called "beginner" makes me very happy.
> >>>> I am made happy by this very clever so-called beginner.
> >>>>     muQuchmoH valqu' (beginner)qoq
> >> Qov wrote:
> >>> You missed translating the "very" on "very happy".
> >>> For beginner, have a look at Klingon words meaning begin, start or be 
> new.
>
>muQuchmoH valqu' taghwI'qoq
>
> > That puts a noun suffix (-qoq) on a verb (ghoj).  For beginner, how about
> > taghwI' or chu'wI'?  You've also mixed the word order around in this one.

No, {taghwI'qoq} "so-called beginner" is correct.   {tagh} "begin" is a 
verb, but once you add {-wI'} to the verb stem, it becomes a noun {taghwI'} 
"beginner" and can then take any noun suffix.  E.g. {taghwI'pu'} 
"beginners", {taghwI'vam} "this beginner", {taghwI'qoq} "so-called 
beginner", {taghwI'qoqvam} "this so-called beginner", etc.

ghItlh Quvar:
> > If a verb expressing a quality acts as a verb ("the beginner is clever"),
> > then it comes where all verbs come.  When it is used as an adjective
> > ("the clever beginner") it "can be used immediately following a noun
> > to modify that noun".  (TKD 4.4 Adjectives)
>
>muQuchmoH val taghwI'qu'qoq

Once you add {-wI'} to the verb, it becomes a noun and can no longer take 
the verb suffixes.  In other words, you can't add the verb suffix {-qu'} to 
the noun {taghwI'} "beginner"; put it on the verb quality "val".  Also, the 
word order is still wrong:  Qualities follow the nouns they modify.

Let's do this step by step:

   tagh
   he/she begins

   taghwI'
   (the) beginner

   taghwI' val
   the clever beginner

   taghwI'vam val
   this clever beginner

   taghwI'vam valqu'
   this very clever beginner

   taghwI'qoq
   the so-called beginner

   taghwI'qoq val
   the clever so-called beginner

   taghwI'qoqvam val
   this clever so-called beginner

   taghwI'qoqvam valqu'
   this very clever so-called beginner

Now that you have the complete subject, let's add the main verb {muQuchmoH} 
"he/she makes me happy":

   muQuchmoH taghwI'qoqvam valqu'
   this very clever so-called beginner makes me happy

Next, let's add another {-qu'}:

   muQuchmoHqu'
   she/he makes me very happy

And finally putting this all together, we have:

   muQuchmoHqu' taghwI'qoqvam valqu'
   This very clever so-called beginner makes me very happy.

Gina, sooner than you think, you'll be doing all this in your head.  It 
takes a while for this to sink in.  You're making exceptional progress.

Qapla'!


-- 
Voragh                            "All the meaning is in the context."
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons           (Ilya Kabakov, Russian artist)



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