[87030] in tlhIngan-Hol
Re: The topic marker -'e'
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (ghunchu'wI' 'utlh)
Tue Nov 24 14:15:31 2009
In-Reply-To: <4B0C2508.7040600@trimboli.name>
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:13:50 -0500
From: "ghunchu'wI' 'utlh" <qunchuy@alcaco.net>
To: tlhingan-hol@kli.org
Errors-to: tlhingan-hol-bounce@kli.org
Reply-to: tlhingan-hol@kli.org
2009/11/24 David Trimboli <david@trimboli.name>:
> maja'chuqtaHvIS reH tlhIngan Hol 'op. rut agent, experiencer,
> patient, latlh je lo' tlhIngan Hol SoHvaD 'e' vI'agh rIntaH. chaq
> QInvetlh DaqImHa'pu'. Dajangbe'bejpu'.
vIjangta'. chovnatlh <Qoy> Damuch 'ej per "expreiencer" Danob. ponbe'
chovnatlhvam 'e' vI'angmeH, TKW mu'tlhegh <'IwlIj ghogh yIQoy> vIqel.
mu'tlheghmey Da'agh. permey Dachel. 'ach pagh luchoH permeyvam. pagh
luQIj. mu'vaD lo' DawIvlaw' 'ej 'oHvaD pong Dajatlh.
I see the application of linguistic labels and hear that Klingon has
different semantic roles for different kinds of subjects. When I ask
why a particular verb gets its subject labeled in a particular way and
point out a differing interpretation, I get what looks like circular
reasoning telling me that the given interpretation is the right one
because that's what the label means. Nobody has given me a compelling
explanation of how these labels make any difference whatsoever in our
usage, in our understanding, or in our construction of Klingon
sentences.
That's what's keeping me engaged in the topic -- the labels seem to
have no bearing on Klingon grammar as we know it from Okrand's
descriptions. I fear they can only cause confusion among people who
know the specialized linguistic meaning they have and misapply that
meaning to something which it does not describe. Simple lists of
Klingon sentences with labels on the nouns are not sufficient
explanation of how -- or why -- the labels matter.
> tlhIngan Hol SIghbejmo' pab wIqeltaHbogh, ngachmeH pup ghomvam.
chay' SIgh? yIperQo' neH. HIchuH!
-- ghunchu'wI'
