tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Jun 11 07:38:36 2004

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Re: taH (was Re: mu' lo' QaQ 'oSbogh mu'tlheghmey)

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

> >   DuHIvmeH SuvwI' lol ghaH
> >   the warrior is in a stance to attack you [HQ 11.2]

QeS lagh:
>Just in passing, the placement of {SuvwI'} in this sentence is a little odd
>to me (although I'm probably influenced by English in that perception): I
>would have said {DuHIvmeH lol SuvwI'}. It's shorter,

I agree, it does feel clumsy.

There are no hard and fast rules for where to use a pronoun vs. the subject 
noun.  Though he usually puts the subject noun with the main clause.  E.g.:

   labmeH 'evnagh Se' lo' tlhIngan QumwI'
   A Klingon communicator sends a signal through subspace radio. S19

   maghwI'Daq SIqmeH naQjejwIj lo' SuvwI'
   the warrior uses my spear to point at the traitor, the warrior points
   at the traitor with my spear. (HQ 10.2)

Okrand has occasionally put the subject noun in the introductory clause 
like in the above HQ example:

   SIQwI' lu'oy'moHmeH juppu'Daj 'oy'naQmey lo' chaH.
   The Painstik is employed by friends of the recipient who use the
   devices [painstiks] to inflict pain ... S32

   chIch vay' 'oy'moHmeH 'oy'naQ 'ul law' tlhuD 'oH
   Painstiks...emit a highly-charged shock for the express purpose of
   inflicting pain. S32

   'ang'eghQo' quv Hutlhbogh jagh neH ghobtaHvIS ghaH
   Only an enemy without honor refuses to show himself in battle. TKW

or in the first of two closely related sentences:

   ngoQvam luchavmeH ghawran maghpu' be'nI'pu'. woQ luSuqmeH jIjpu' chaH
   romuluSngan'e' je.
   To this end, the sisters have acted against Gowron, going as far as to
   work with Romulan factions in order to gain power. S26

Sometimes he actually repeats the subject noun instead of using a pronoun:

   Qu' buSHa'chugh SuvwI', batlhHa' vangchugh, qoj matlhHa'chugh, pagh
   ghaH SuvwI''e'.
   If a warrior ignores duty, acts dishonorably, or is disloyal, he is
   nothing. TKW

(Although it's not the same, I found this interesting example where he 
repeats the *object* noun, not using a pronoun, even in a short sentence:

   jagh luHoHmeH jagh lunejtaH
   They are searching for the enemy in order to kill him. TKD )

>                                                      plus in {DuHIvmeH
>SuvwI' lol ghaH} the warrior doesn't have to be the one in the stance.

True, but without any context the pronoun {ghaH} logically refers to the 
person mentioned previously in the sentence: {SuvwI'}.



-- 
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons

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