tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Nov 23 12:34:02 2009

Back to archive top level

To this year's listing



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

Re: The topic marker -'e'

Christopher Doty ([email protected])



> Not all verbs of action have agents. For instance:
>
>    bom Qoy puq
>    the child hears the song
>       puq = experiencer
>       bom = theme
>
> To be an agent, the noun must intentionally perform the action. This
> means that mindless forces are not agents (they are "forces").
>
>    qoH pummoH SuS
>    the wind knocks over the fool
>       SuS = force
>       qoH = patient

This is quite interesting, actually, since Klingon actually contrasts
intentionality with non-intentionality. Compare:

bom Qoypu' puq
the child heard the song

bom Qoyta' puq
the child heard the song (by eavesdropping? Putting one's ear up to
the wall with a cup?)

What do y'all think of Qoyta'?  Can one use -ta' with verbs that would
otherwise have experiencer subjects?

Chris






Back to archive top level