[86257] in tlhIngan-Hol
RE: {pagh Doch} or {pagh Dochmey}? (Fwd: [Question #76058]: Klingon
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Steven Boozer)
Mon Jul 13 09:40:49 2009
From: Steven Boozer <sboozer@uchicago.edu>
To: "'tlhingan-hol@kli.org'" <tlhingan-hol@kli.org>
Date: Mon, 13 Jul 2009 08:38:56 -0500
In-Reply-To: <D9F5FC96-BD7C-4887-917B-54676809C1B5@alcaco.net>
Errors-to: tlhingan-hol-bounce@kli.org
Reply-to: tlhingan-hol@kli.org
pm5 wrote:
>> I was [proposing][1] a Klingon plural expression in [Launchpad
>> translation][2], so they can setup the system to help translating
>> software into Klingon. I was asked to verify that "zero things" in
>> Klingon is {pagh Doch} instead of {pagh Dochmey}.
ghunchu'wI':
>I would probably never say {pagh Dochmey}. "Zero" is not more than
>one thing. I often leave off the plural suffix when counting things
>explicitly anyway. For something like a count of computer files I
>think I prefer it that way:
>
> 0 file
> 1 file
> 2 file
Exactly right. We even have two examples of {pagh} with a noun (both lacking the plural suffix):
pagh rep
midnight ("zero hour[s]") CK
Dal pagh jagh
No enemy is boring. TKW
The other known examples of {pagh} "zero" are in coordinates and bearings (e.g. "zero-zero-zero, mark two").
>The only time a plural suffix is "required" is when distinguishing
>between the "each" and "all" meanings of {Hoch}:
>
> {Hoch ta} "each record"
> {Hoch tamey} "all records"
If you want chapter-and-verse:
The plural suffixes ({-pu', -mey}) are not necessary when a
number is used. [TKD 3.3.2]
--
Voragh
Canon Master of the Klingons
