[83895] in tlhIngan-Hol
Re: Specifying distance traveled (was Art of War Chp. 2 (section 1/3))
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Doq)
Wed Jan 9 11:02:43 2008
From: Doq <doq@embarqmail.com>
To: tlhingan-hol@kli.org
In-Reply-To: <47843628.2000102@trimboli.name>
Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2008 11:01:19 -0500
Errors-to: tlhingan-hol-bounce@kli.org
Reply-to: tlhingan-hol@kli.org
I respect your opinion, but I don't understand why I fail to convey
the meaning of "I traveled 1,000 miles," if in English, I simply
shouted, "A THOUSAND MILES!" and then paused and said, "I traveled."
For me, that's what the topicalizer does. It's like I'm holding a sign
over my head that says, "1,000 miles" and I say, "I traveled".
Whatever I say while I hold that sign up is said in the context of
what is on the sign. It's not the subject. It's not the object. It's
the context. It's the topic.
So, if that's not a functional use of topic, what is?
Doq
On Jan 8, 2008, at 9:49 PM, David Trimboli wrote:
> Doq wrote:
>
>> It seems much safer to use {-'e'} to mark the distance here, since it
>> is the most significant noun there for the meaning of the sentence,
>> and it's not the subject or direct object. That's pretty much what
>> {-'e'} usually marks.
>
> No, {-'e'} doesn't work. The distance you traveled isn't the topic of
> the sentence. You're really just trying to squeeze extra meanings into
> the topicalizer, sort of as a catch-all space for meanings Klingon
> doesn't have.
>
> Oh sure, you COULD decide to make the distance into the topic of your
> sentence so you can put {-'e'} on it, but then you're changing your
> meaning to fit the grammar.
>
>> If we are going to start using distance nouns in place of time nouns
>> for time stamps, I don't think we should begin the practice casually
>> with a quiet declaration, expecting no challenges. It should at least
>> follow either a discussion period, or better yet, a declaration from
>> Okrand, since without that, even a discussion is probably moot.
>
> Quite right. Any such suggestion is based purely on one's imagination.
>
> SuStel
> Stardate 8022.2
>
> --
> Practice the Klingon language on the tlhIngan Hol MUSH.
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>
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