[tlhIngan Hol] A thought on the irrealis construction
SuStel
sustel at trimboli.name
Thu Nov 3 08:10:02 PDT 2016
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 */dog/*wIj '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
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