tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed May 26 11:28:12 2004

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Re: Possessive style

David Trimboli ([email protected]) [KLI Member] [Hol po'wI']

From: "Scott Willis" <[email protected]>

> From: "Dr. Jeremy DM Cowan" <[email protected]>
>
> > I have a stylistic question.  Should one use the possessive when the
> > possession is obvious?
>
> We don't really have a "style manual", as I'm sure you're aware. }}: )
>
> > In English, good style always requires the possessive...
> > "He takes his coat." vs. "He takes the coat."
> > "He opens his mouth." vs. "He opens the mouth."
> >
> > In Spanish, good style rejects the possessive if the possession is
> > obviously...
> > "El trae el abrigo." vs. "El trae su abrigo."
> > "El abre la boca." vs. "El abre su boca."
> >
> > How about in Klingon?  I have assumed that since most Klingon speakers
> > are native English speakers the common style would be to always include
> > the possessive.  However, efficiency would encourage Klingon speakers to
> > drop the extra suffix when the possession is obvious.  What is your
> > opinion?
>
> Using the coat example, in Klingon these would be:
> {wep tlhap} "He takes the coat"
> {wepDaj thlap} "He takes is coat"
>
> Everybody's probably sick of hearing this, but context needs to guide this
> usage.
> Ex:
> {QongDaqDaq 'oHtaH wepDaj'e'. wep tlhap, 'ej tlheD}
> "His coat was on the bed. He took the coat and left."
>
> The omission of the {-Daj} from the second {wep}doesn't detract from the
> intended meaning.


Context doesn't answer Jeremy's question.  He's asking whether it's good
style to include redundant possessives, not whether he's understood.  Your
first comment, that we don't have a Klingon manual of style, was right on
the money.  In order to really answer the question, an analysis of the canon
is in order.

Having done no analysis, I suspect the instances of opportunities for
redundant possessives in the canon have been few.  Where they do crop up, I
doubt Okrand thought about this issue, and just did whatever came to mind
(i.e., he did it the English way).

I've wondered about this sort of thing myself from time to time.

SuStel
Stardate 4401.8

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