tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Wed Nov 25 14:58:55 2009

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Re: The topic marker -'e'

ghunchu'wI' ([email protected])



On Nov 25, 2009, at 2:12 PM, Christopher Doty wrote:

> ...I imagine
> that the other linguists also on the list might not appreciate the
> insinuation that linguists don't know what they are talking about...

My observation is that many people with formal linguistic training  
don't know what they are talking about WHEN THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT  
KLINGON.

Using terms of art when trying to describe how Klingon works is often  
misleading, especially when the person using them won't yield to the  
suggestion that they are being inappropriately applied.  For example,  
the fact that you deny Tracy's demonstration that {-lu'} is not  
passive voice and continue to call it such doesn't mean you don't  
understand the concept of passive voice.  It merely demonstrates that  
you fail to understand what {-lu'} is.

{-lu'} is an indication that the subject is indefinite or unknown.   
That's *all* it is.  It does not turn objects into subjects.  It does  
not turn patients into agents.  It does not turn an active verb into  
a passive one.

I've had my say more times than I should have.  Rejoice; I do not  
plan to respond in this thread further.

-- ghunchu'wI'






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