[84608] in tlhIngan-Hol
Re: "Numeric" nouns?
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Steven Boozer)
Tue May 6 17:51:43 2008
Date: Tue, 06 May 2008 16:50:01 -0500
To: tlhingan-hol@kli.org
From: Steven Boozer <sboozer@uchicago.edu>
In-Reply-To: <cc4.2f3a4712.3552254f@wmconnect.com>
Errors-to: tlhingan-hol-bounce@kli.org
Reply-to: tlhingan-hol@kli.org
> > Voragh:
> > >>I wouldn't include the nouns {cha'puj} and {cha'pujqut} with the examples
> > >>of the number {cha'}. But it is an example of how numbers can combine to
> > >>form compound nouns.
> >
> > Another example is {loSpev} "quadrotriticale".
> >
> > Interesting that they're both "scientific" sounding names. Interesting
> too
> > that the other (second) morpheme in these - *{puj} (some sort of mineral?)
> > and *{pev} (lobe [of grain]?) - are unattested separately as nouns, though
> > *{puj} shows up again in the common mineral {beqpuj} *bekpuj*.
> >
> > Can anyone think of other examples?
lay'SIv:
>The only other examples of numbers used in compounds that I can find are all
>the bird names with {cha'} and {Hutvagh} and {vIychorgh}.
Puns all:
{cha'bIp}, {cha'Do'}, {cha'naS}, {cha'par}, {cha'qu'}! <g>
HQ 11.3 [Sep 2002]: On his drive up to attend {qep'a' HutDIch}, it is
believed that Marc Okrand was in communication with Maltz (the precise
mechanics responsible for this are unknown and unimportant to the present
concern). Traffic along the interstate was particularly heavy, a topic
which at some point entered into the conversation. Dr. Okrand reports that
Maltz volunteered the Klingon term {Hutvagh}, a noun, meaning "too many
people or things in a place all at once".
Pun: I-95 is the interstate highway between Washington D.C. and Philadelphia.
HQ 11.3 (cont'd): Maltz further indicated that the term was used as word
play, a substitution for the more common {Qu'vatlh} which might otherwise
be heard in such situations.
Hmm... who would have guessed that Klingons would use euphemisms when
swearing! <g>
{vIychorgh} "juice, sap of a plant" (KGT). Pun: "V-8" is the brand name
for a juice allegedly made from eight vegetables.
>{wejpuH} comes close.
It might be formed from the adverbial {wej} "not yet" - though both seem
unlikely.
I was hoping for examples of "serious" words, but these puns at least
provide even more evidence that Okrand considers that numbers can be
treated as nouns, at least for the purpose of noun compounding. Not
unexpected, since higher order numbers are themselves compounds: e.g.
{wa'}, {wa'maH}, {wa'vatlh}, {wa'SaD}, etc.
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons
