[tlhIngan Hol] A question on {Qatlh}

[SuStel]

On 11/14/2016 12:16 PM, mayqel qunenoS wrote:
>> wIqIpmeH Qatlh'a'
>> >Difficult to hit? (ST5 Notes)]
> In order to demonstrate my point, lets examine this sentence by
> removing the {-'a'}.
>
> The way I understand the english "difficult to hit", it means that a
> target "is difficult (for everyone) to hit". It possesses the
> attribute of "being difficult".
>
> But the klingon {wIqIpmeH Qatlh}, gives me the impression that it
> means "it is difficult, (in order to for us) to hit it". "It is
> difficult, in order TO ENABLE us to hit it".
>
> I don't know if I manage to express adequately my problem here, but
> the klingon sentence just rubs me the wrong way..
>
> For me it is equivalent with saying {qaghommeH jIpaS} "I was late to
> meet you", which actually means "in order to meet you I was late", or
> "being late was a prerequisite for my meeting you".

Yes, this is a known issue, and it's been done more than once. I feel 
pretty sure that this is caused by Okrand translating the English 
without considering the meaning carefully enough.

Whether Okrand's use of this sort of thing means it's legitimate Klingon 
grammar or it's just a translation mistake is unresolved.

A non-controversial way to say it would be *Qatlh'a' qIpmeH Qu'*/is the 
task of hitting difficult? /To say /I was late to meet you,/ recast as 
*qaghomDI' jIpaS.*

-- 
SuStel
http://trimboli.name

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