[1476] in tlhIngan-Hol
locatives in relative clauses
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU)
Tue Aug 31 06:34:04 1993
Reply-To: "Klingon Language List" <tlhIngan-Hol@village.boston.ma.us>
From: DSTRADER@delphi.com
To: "Klingon Language List" <tlhIngan-Hol@village.boston.ma.us>
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 1993 04:41:42 -0400 (EDT)
X-Vms-To: IN%"tlhIngan-Hol@village.boston.ma.us"
For a while, some members on this mailing list have been speculating
about how to translate a relative clause whose head noun is locative,
e.g., "the ship to which, the reason for which, etc." And not too
long ago, I announced that I had found what appeared to be what
everyone was looking for. {naDev jIHtaHbogh vISovbe'}. In the
appendix of TKD, this was translated as "I'm lost," or rather
"I don't know where I am." WillMartin expressively stated his
discontent with this; he interpreted this sentence as "I don't know
what I am here." This is understandable. But I'd like to refer
Martin to section 6.3 of TKD where Okrand illustrates the use of
pronouns in connection with locatives by adding the -taH suffix.
Thus, jIHtaH does not mean "I continue to be (something)," but
rather "I am at/in/on (somewhere)." The -taH suffix after a pronoun
is used to describe location.
As TKD in section 3.3.5 shows, in addition to jIHtaH/SoHtaH/ghaHtaH/etc.,
"There are a few verbs whose meanings include locative notions,
such as ghoS /approach, proceed/. The locative suffix need not be
used on nouns which are the objects of such verbs." jaH and qet
would also be in this category. So how, may I ask, would
{Duj vIghoS} be translated: "I proceed *TO* the ship." But *to*
is missing from the Klingon since the locative notion of the
verb makes it redundant. If so, then {nIn ghaj Duj vIghoSbogh}
must mean "The ship *to* which I proceed has fuel."
And there you have it.. Locatives in relative clauses. However
I will admit one restriction on this: It only works with the
locative; we still don't have a construction for "the officer
because of whom, the prisoner for whom, the ship from which."
Guido#1 ---*
