tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Jan 13 14:35:52 2004
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Re: "ser" and "estar" (to be)
Voragh:
> > There is, however, a slight wrinkle when using pronouns to refer to
> > location: you have to say PRONOUN + {-taH} "continuous". E.g.:
SuStel:
>My guess is this isn't so much a linguistic requirement as a practical one.
I'm not so sure. Just to play Fek'lhr's advocate for a moment, Okrand used
{PRO+taH} even for temporary locations. E.g.:
pa'Daq jIHtaH
I'm in the room. TKD
pa'wIjDaq jIHtaH
I am in my quarters. TKD
pa'DajDaq ghaHtaH la''e'
The commander is in his quarters. TKD
jIHtaHbogh naDev vISovbe'
I'm lost. TKD
naDev bIHtaH
Here they are. PK
>Given the right circumstances, I could see other suffixes being used this way.
>
> wa' rep ret jImej; DaH naDev jIHqa'.
> I left an hour ago; now I'm here again.
I would expect to hear {DaH naDev jIHtaHqa'}.
There are no examples of {-qa'} being used on a pronoun. Okrand writes
(TKD 37) about {-qa'}: "Using this suffix implies that an action had been
taking place, then it stopped, and then it began again". Is {jIH} "I am"
really an *action*?
> pa'lIjDaq jIHlI'.
> I'm in your room (and will be until I don't have to be anymore).
There are no examples of any other Type 7 suffix being used on a pronoun
other than {-taH}, and all the examples of the latter are those I provided
in my last post showing location.
Okrand writes (TKD 42f.) that "{-lI'} implies that the activity has a known
goal or a definite stopping point. In other words, it suggests that
progress is being made toward that goal." Again, I'm not sure that
"being" is an activity. Linguistically at least, pronouns-as-verbs behave
as stative verbs, not action verbs.
> pa' 'oH! DaH pa' 'oH! DaH pa' 'oH!
> There it is! Now it's over there! Now it's over there!
> (said pointing at an erratically-moving object)
This one without any suffix, however, I think is quite possible. I can
easily imagine hearing this from a frustrated {nuHpIn} trying to get a lock
on an enemy ship continuously cloaking and decloaking in the midst of battle.
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons