[tlhIngan Hol] A thought on the irrealis construction

[mayqel qunenoS]

SuStel:
> Also note that the word irrealis means anything that states something other than actually is.

yeah, sorry. my bad ! As I always say, grammar terms confuse me. I
remember googling "irrealis", and a million types of it came up. The
irrealis type I am referring to in this post, is the "would be" type.

SuStel:
> give it enough context to make it clear that you are being hypothetical.

And here is the key. Being someone who a few months ago, found it hard
as hell to write a single klingon sentence, while now finds it easy as
pie to write one, I realize that through context one can overcome
almost anything.

The important thing for someone though, is to free his mind. My
problem with irrealis (of the "would be" type) wasn't as much the lack
of a specific suffix for it; it was my mind's "obsessive expectation"
to see a specific suffix for it. As soon as I let go of that obsessive
expectation everything became clear.

qunnoH
you haven't experienced shakespeare
unless you read him in the original klingon

On Thu, Nov 3, 2016 at 5:10 PM, SuStel <sustel at trimboli.name> wrote:
> On 11/3/2016 10:34 AM, mayqel qunenoS wrote:
>
> I remember having discussed here, that klingon doesn't possess the grammar
> to say "if klingon possessed an irrealis suffix, then I wouldn't be writing
> this post".
>
> So far so good..
>
> I've been trying to find a way to overcome this problem
>
>
> While Klingon does not possess any formal irrealis grammar like a
> subjunctive mood, it can still express irrealis nonetheless.
>
> bIje'be'chugh vaj bIHegh
> if you do not buy then you will die
>
> Klingon employs no special grammar for the irrealis of you will die, a
> statement which is not a prediction of definite future events but describes
> what will happen only if you fail to buy. Even in English no special
> irrealis is used in the you will die part.
>
> if I possessed foresight, I would have known my dog is stupid
>
>
> QIp dogwIj 'e' vISov, leSSov vIghajchugh
>
> Without using any special grammar, but employing context, this statement is
> already an expression of irrealis.
>
> paq'batlh has a couple of examples. Here's one:
>
> jIlay'DI' reH batlh jIpabchugh
>    Qapla'meywIj Hoch vIta'ta' 'e' DaHar'a'
> Did you think that my word of honor
>    Would have carried me this far?
>
> Also note that the word irrealis means anything that states something other
> than actually is. taHjaj wo' long live the Empire! is an irrealis, for
> instance, as it is making a wish for something, not stating something that
> is. -jaj is a suffix which specifically introduces this kind of irrealis.
> -chugh introduces a conditional irrealis.
>
> So whenever in English you find yourself saying "would have," just use a
> normal indicative-mood sentence, but give it enough context to make it clear
> that you are being hypothetical.
>
> Saleghchugh SaQoypa', Sagho', orc mach tlhIH 'e' vIHarmo', 'ej jIQaghpu' pIq
> 'e' vItu'.
>
> --
> SuStel
> http://trimboli.name
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> tlhIngan-Hol mailing list
> tlhIngan-Hol at lists.kli.org
> http://lists.kli.org/listinfo.cgi/tlhingan-hol-kli.org
>