tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Sep 26 17:49:55 2005
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Re: ta
- From: "QeS lagh" <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: ta
- Date: Tue, 27 Sep 2005 10:49:35 +1000
- Bcc:
ghItlhpu' ghunchu'wI', ja':
>DeSqIvDu' ghajlaHchugh nevDagh, telDu' ghajlaH Duj.
jang Voragh, ja':
>The smaller {nevDagh} is characterized by its V-shaped handles,
>termed {DeSqIvDu'} ("elbows"; note the {-Du'}, the plural suffix
>for body parts is used here even though the handles are not lit-
>erally body parts). (KGT 97)
><<Ho'>> ("idol, someone worthy of emulation") yIlIjQo' je:
>This is actually the word for "tooth", but it is applied to someone
>who is admired or revered. [...] Grammatically, even as slang, {Ho'}
>follows the rules appropriate to its literal meaning. Thus, even
>though it may refer to a person, its plural is {Ho'Du'} ("teeth"),
>making use of the plural suffix for body parts ({-Du'}), not {Ho'pu'},
>with {-pu'}, the plural suffix for beings capable of using language.
>Similarly, it never takes the possessive suffixes associated with
>beings capable of using language. That is, "my idol" (literally,
>"my tooth") is {Ho'wIj} (with {-wIj}, the general suffix for "my"),
>not {Ho'wI'} (with {-wI'}, the suffix for "my" used with beings capable
>of using language). (KGT 152-53)
So the use of gender suffixes in Klingon may not be just done on the fly, by
deciding whether the labeled object can use language or not: it may be more
grammatical than semantic. Which would imply that Data, despite his
intelligence, ability to communicate, use language etc. etc. would still be
basically a {qoq}, and therefore probably of the {-mey} class, not {-pu'}.
But then, we do have the problematic {vIlInHoD} and {qaryoq}, which
apparently are a tad more fluid.
</musing>
QeS la'
taghwI' pabpo' / Beginners' Grammarian
not nItoj Hemey ngo' juppu' ngo' je
(Old roads and old friends will never deceive you)
- Ubykh Hol vIttlhegh
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