tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Sep 19 08:11:09 2007

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Re: direct speech in Persian

Steven Boozer ([email protected])



At 08:05 PM Tuesday 9/18/2007, lay'tel SIvten wrote:

>In "Teach yourself Modern Persian" (c1971) by John Mace, it says on page 120,
>"In Persian there is no distinction between Direct and Indirect Speech: we
>always use the _exact_ words of the speaker."
>Sure sounds familiar.

Indeed.  For the beginners:

   Similarly, with verbs of saying (say, tell, ask, etc.), {'e'} and
   {net} are not used. The two phrases simply follow one another, in
   either order: {qaja'pu' HIqaghQo'} or {HIqaghQo' qaja'pu'} "I told
   you not to interrupt me". This is literally, "I told you, 'Don't
   interrupt me!'" or "'Don't interrupt me!' I told you." (TKD 67)


   The verb {jatlh} can also be used when giving direct quotations:
      {tlhIngan jIH jatlh}    "he/she says, 'I am a Klingon'"
      {jatlh tlhIngan jIH}    "he/she says, 'I am a Klingon'"
   (With verbs of saying, such as jatlh, the phrase that is being said
   or cited may come before or after the verb.) If the speaker is first
   or second person, the pronominal prefix indicating "no object" is used:
      {tlhIngan jIH jIjatlh}  "I say, 'I am a Klingon'"
      {tlhIngan jIH bIjatlh}  "you say, 'I am a Klingon'"
   There are instances where the pronominal prefix marks a big distinction
   in meaning:
      {tlhIngan Hol Dajatlh}  "you speak Klingon"
      {tlhIngan Hol bIjatlh}  "you say, 'Klingon language'"
   (that is "you say the phrase 'Klingon language'")." (st.klingon 6/97)




--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons






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