tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Jan 09 09:46:52 2004

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Re: vum

Steven Boozer ([email protected]) [KLI Member] 

yInqa'bogh baHwI':
> > jInmol chu' vIvumchoH

BG ngabwI':
>Were you going for "I began working on a new project"?  This is a toughy.
>AFAIK, {vum} "to work, toil" does not take an object, so we've got to work
>around this.

ngabwI' is surely right about {vum} "work, toil" not taking an object, 
although we have only a single example from canon:

   yIvumqa'!
   Back to work! CK

> > HIja', Qu'vam vI'rIn
>
>{rIn} is a verb of quality meaning "to be finished". If you wanted to say "I
>will finish this task", it must be recast as "I will cause the task to be
>finished." which, in Klingon, is  {Qu'vam vIrInmoH}

A suggestion:  Although *{rInmoH} is perfectly grammatical, if unattested, 
{ta'} "accomplish, do" may be preferred.  We have several examples:

   vIta'pu'be'
   I didn't do it. TKD

   Qu'Daj ta'taHvIS Hegh 'e' tul Hoch tlhIngan
   To die in the line of duty is the hope of every Klingon. TKW

   DaH nuq ta'pu' Day joH?
   What has Lady Di done now? RT

   'oy'naQ DaQeqDI' mIw wa'DIch Data', 'ach 'oy'naQ Dachu'DI' mIw paghDIch 
Data'
   When you aim the painstik, you accomplish the first step, but when you turn
   the painstik on, you accomplish the zeroth step. KGT

   'oy'naQ Dachu'Ha'DI' mIw HochDIch Data'
   When you turn the painstik off, you accomplish the last step. KGT

Note the second example with {Qu'} as it's object: {Qu'Daj ta'taHvIS...}.



-- 
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons

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