tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sun Jul 31 16:52:26 2005

Back to archive top level

To this year's listing



[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]

Re: new word #3

QeS lagh ([email protected])



ghItlhpu' Holtej, ja':
>The word is {bop}, it's a verb meaning "be all about (something)."  So for
>example, {HolQeD bopbe' paqvam} "this book is not all about linguistics."

jang Voragh, ja':
>I think {bop} will get a lot of use here on the List, along with {Del} 
>"describe".  Now we can retire {qel} in examples like these which I've 
>collected over the years:

Yes, I think {bop} is going to get a lot of usage very soon. The meaning of 
{qel} was definitely stretched, IMHO.

ja'taH:
>{qel} "take into account, consider" was a poor fit.  I've always felt that 
>it should have a person as its subject since considering is a type of 
>thinking and books can't think.  (OK, maybe computers can think.)

In my opinion, given the second gloss "take into account", one might be able 
to say {HolQeD qel paqvam} "this book takes linguistics into account, this 
book considers linguistics"; it could be said about, say, an archaeology 
textbook that also deals with glottochronology. But it's nonetheless a big 
step from {HolQeD qel paqvam} "this book takes linguistics into account" to 
{HolQeD bop paqvam} "this book is about linguistics".

That being said, the only canon instances I could find of {qel} are the 
proverb {Hoch nuH yIqel} "consider every weapon!" and its parallel {Hoch DuH 
yIqel} "consider every possibility!", which are both clearly talking about 
sentient consideration.

ja'taH:
>Related words include {buS} "concentrate on, focus on, think only about"; 
>{nga'chuq} "discuss, confer" and {ngach} "debate".

Er, I believe that "discuss, confer" is {ja'chuq}; {nga'chuq} is a different 
thing entirely (viz. "perform sex"). That's not a pair to get mixed up. 
{maja'chuqjaj} "let us discuss!" versus {manga'chuqjaj}... well, you get the 
idea. {{:)

Savan,

QeS lagh
taghwI' pabpo' / Beginners' Grammarian


not nItoj Hemey ngo' juppu' ngo' je
(Old roads and old friends will never deceive you)
     - Ubykh Hol vIttlhegh

_________________________________________________________________
Sell your car for $9 on carpoint.com.au   
http://www.carpoint.com.au/sellyourcar






Back to archive top level