[90842] in tlhIngan-Hol
Re: [Tlhingan-hol] Inherently plural nouns and numbers
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (David Trimboli)
Wed Nov 23 09:49:06 2011
Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2011 09:48:46 -0500
From: David Trimboli <david@trimboli.name>
To: tlhingan-hol@stodi.digitalkingdom.org
In-Reply-To: <BLU0-SMTP38237F96841A5DF9429A5CD2C90@phx.gbl>
Errors-To: tlhingan-hol-bounces@stodi.digitalkingdom.org
On 11/23/2011 9:29 AM, Gaerfindel wrote:
> lughlaw' ghunchu'wI' 'ej ghItlhpu':
>
>> TKW 27: The Klingon word for "instincts" is {Duj}, and it is
>> grammatically correct to treat it as singular (a bundle or
>> collection of instincts) or plural (individual instincts).
>
> I wonder if there's some connection between the meaning of {DujlIj
> yIvoqtaH} "Always trust your instincts (each one separately)", and
> {DujlIj _yI_toqtaH}; "Always trust you're /ship/." Is this an
> intentional double entendre on MO's part? Or is it simply a
> happenstance of homophony?
I don't know if Okrand originally intended the homophony, but he
certainly used it in this way on purpose:
The Klingon word for instincts is {Duj}, and it is grammatically
correct to treat it as singular (a bundle or collection of instincts)
or plural (individual instincts). {Duj} also means "ship" or
"vessel," so a possible interpretation of the aphorism is "trust your
ship." In this context, a vessel could symbolize onself. To a
Klingon, this reveals a deep truth. (TKW p. 27)
--
SuStel
http://www.trimboli.name/
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