tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri May 07 05:14:54 2004

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Re: KLBC {X-Hom X X-'a'}

Scott Willis ([email protected]) [KLI Member] [Hol po'wI']

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "QeS lagh" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, May 03, 2004 6:25 PM
Subject: KLBC {X-Hom X X-'a'} and Re: Verbs of quality and 'e'

I apologize for the delay. I was having trouble finding this in canon.
Special thanks (as usual) to Voragh, for answering my distress signal. }}: )

> Which leads to the KLBC part of the message: {beyHom bey bey'a' jachtaH}
> looks a little bizarre; it's not a construct I've seen anywhere else.
Would
> the following sentence work?
>
> {nom chechmeH HIvje'Hom HIvje' HIvje''a' lo'}
> In order to get drunk quickly, he uses ever-larger cups
>
> If this is possible, is the {X-Hom X X-'a'} part singular, or plural?
(Hence
> {HIvje'Hom HIvje' HIvje''a' lulo'} for "they use ever-larger cups".)

I agree that this is an odd construction, one that feels wierd, certainly.
It's located on Skybox card S31, and here's the whole quote:

   Heghpu'bogh tlhIngan mInDu' lupoSmoHlu'. beyHom bey bey'a' jachtaH
   latlh tlhInganpu'.
   The eyes of the fallen Klingon are opened and others [Klingons] roar
   in a great crescendo.  (S31)

I'll answer your second question first: based on what I see above, I would
presume it to be plural, otherwise the verb would need
{lu-}"they-him/her/it", because the subject {latlh tlhInganpu'} is
explicitly plural.

As for the first part of your question ("would {HIvje'Hom HIvje' HIvje''a'}
work?") I would have to go with the usual answer, {maSovchu'be'}.

I, personally, would shy away from it. This construct practically screams
for a {je} at the end, which would make them collectively plural, and fits
in with the grammar of the sentence. So I suspect it's a canon error.

That being said, I would not correct you if you used {HIvje'Hom HIvje'
HIvje''a'}. Bottom line is, you have canon to back it up. And it would seem
to me that if you accept this as "legitimate" (e.g. non-error) canon,
{HIvje'Hom HIvje' HIvje''a'} would certainly be allowed.

--ngabwI'
Beginners' Grammarian,
Klingon Language Institute
http://kli.org/
HovpoH 701507.7

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