tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Fri Mar 06 07:02:41 2015

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Re: [Tlhingan-hol] using adverbials or {-qu'} with comparison?

SuStel ([email protected])



On 3/6/2015 9:41 AM, De'vID wrote:
Can someone remind me whether it's possible to use an adverbial with a
comparison? Or attach {-qu'} to {law'/puS}?

If I wanted to express "the time to do this mission is much more than
the time we have", would it be:
tlhoy Qu' poH nI' law' poH wIghajbogh nI' puS.
Qu' poH nI' law'qu' poH wIghajbogh nI' puSqu'.

Or something else?

The only way to modify a comparison/superlative is to change {law'} and {puS} into different, similarly comparative verbs of quality. This is described in KLINGON FOR THE GALACTIC TRAVELER. For instance, you can change {law'} and {puS} into {HoS} and {puj}. This is considered intentional ungrammaticality—it's not strictly according to the rules, but it's sometimes done for effect.

However, the basic formula of {A Q law' B/Hoch Q puS} hides some important techniques. A and B need not be simple nouns; they can be noun phrases, such as your {poH wIghajbogh} above. Other words can be added to the front of a comparative/superlative, just as they can a normal sentence. For instance, {qIbDaq SuvwI''e' SoH Dun law' Hoch Dun puS}, which adds a locative and a topic to the superlative. Adverbials attached to the sentence also work, as do adverbials attached to relative clauses in the noun phrases.

What you apparently can't do is add affixes to the {law'} or {puS} (or substitutes). Also, Q must be a verb describing a state or quality, not an action. You can use {HoS} (a quality) but not {HoSmoH} (an action). We've never seen an adverbial modifying the Q; I wouldn't expect this to be allowed.

Here's how I might translate your original:

Qu'vamvaD poH poQlu'bogh nI' law' poH wIghajbogh nI' puS.

Using {Qu'vam'e'} instead of {Qu'vamvaD} might even be preferable.

--
SuStel
http://www.trimboli.name/

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