[305] in tlhIngan-Hol
Causatives
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU)
Wed May 6 15:22:52 1992
Errors-To: tlhIngan-Hol-request@village.boston.ma.us
Reply-To: "Klingon Language List" <tlhIngan-Hol@village.boston.ma.us>
From: Allan C. Wechsler <ACW@RIVERSIDE.SCRC.Symbolics.COM>
To: "Klingon Language List" <tlhIngan-Hol@village.boston.ma.us>
Date: Mon, 4 May 1992 16:22-0400
In-Reply-To: <9205041347.AA02558@startide.ctr.columbia.edu>
In general, the issue of this kind of suffix ordering is a very tricky
one. The problem is interesting and subtle. I don't think I can state
it clearly, but <yitay'eghmoH> is a fine example. I think everyone is
in agreement that there is something funny about *<tay'egh>, because
<tay> isn't transitive, so it's not subject to reflexivization. On the
other hand, <taymoH> is certainly transitive, but how can you
reflexivize it? In other words, <tay'eghmoH> has a similar feel to the
English plural "passersby" -- an operation that is conceptually late
appears as an infix.
It may well be (but only O. knows) that to a Klingon, <tay'eghmoH> just
feels wrong. One might have to resort to circumlocutions like <taymoH
'e' da'egh>, roughly "become civilized, he does it to himself".
