tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Feb 07 10:23:49 2003

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Re: KLBC: comparative structure as clause



ghItlh ngabwI':
>tlhIngan Hol vIjatlhtaHvIS, "Because my stomach is smarter than my brain, I resumed eating" vIjatlh vIneH.
>burghwIj val law', yabwIj val puS. 'e'mo', jISopqa'.

The problem lies obviously in the {'e'mo'}.
That's a nice try, assuming that we can use {'e'} like any noun:
{'e'mo'} "because of *that*"

TKD: 6.2.5. Sentences as objects
<<<<<<<<
Klingon has two special pronouns, {'e'} and {net,} which refer to the previous sentence as a whole. They are used 
primarily, not exclusively, with verbs of thinking or observation (such as "know, see"). 
[Note this sentence:]
They are always treated as the object of the verb, and the verb always takes a prefix indicating a third-person singular 
object.
>>>>>>>
According to this, a sentence as object will *always* be like 
  {blablah 'e' vI-blablah}
  "I blahblah that blablah"
I don't know any example for {'e'} combined with a suffix.

My suggestion would be to put the {-mo'} at one of the verbs describing the stomach: 
   "because my stomach is smart, and because my brain is not smart..." 
   *burghwIj val law'mo' 'ej yabwIj val puSmo' jISopqa'.*

But I'm not sure if this would interrupt the "standard" law'/puS formula, and hence lead to confusion. Maybe we need to 
leave the law'/puS construction as it it, and add the -mo' only to the last word:
   "because my stomach is smarter than my brain ..." 
   *burghwIj val law' yabwIj val puSmo' jISopqa'.*

I don't like my suggestion, though.

Another suggestion is making it two sentences:
   "Maybe my brain is smart, but because my stomach is very smart, I eat again."
   {chaq val yabwIj, 'a valchu'mo' burghwIj jISopqa'.}

Now, I'd like to see other suggestions! :-)

Quvar
Beginners' Grammarian
  ghojwI'pu'wI' vISaH





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