tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Apr 15 13:12:46 2003
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Re: 'aH tIQ
On Mon, 14 Apr 2003, David Trimboli wrote:
> From: "...Paul" <[email protected]>
> > I tend to kringe when I see "wanI'vetlh". :)
>
> I think we've seen several sentences from Okrand that have words like
> {wanI'} and {ghu'} used in ways different than you'd comfortably use them in
> naDev qaS wanI' ramqu'
> "Nothing happening here." --Star Trek III
Literally,
"A very insignificant event is occurring here."
> Heghlu'DI' mobbe'lu'chugh QaQqu' Hegh wanI'
> "Death is an experience best shared." --TKW
Literally, "When one dies, if they are not alone, the phenomenon of death
is very good."
These I don't mind. Because in the first case, /wanI'/ is being used to
describe an event as an event. The second case, the construction is
actually /Hegh wanI'/, "The phenomenon of death", so the context is clear.
I kringe because I've seen, many times, people use "wanI'vetlh" to hack
around the English version of "is". I don't like using "that event" to
refer to something else *in the same sentence*, especially if "that event"
is the subject of a clause. /-vam/ and /-vetlh/ seem to be a sticky point
that are either underused or overused. ;)
Thus, "QublaHchugh ghom'a', vaj qubbej wanI'vetlh" seems like a kludge --
IFF /wanI'vetlh/ is referring to the /ghom'a'/. If it wasn't, then yes,
my comment is unnecessary.
...Paul
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