[tlhIngan Hol] be-verbs used as adjectives and the {-chu'}

Steven Boozer sboozer at uchicago.edu
Tue Aug 8 08:59:40 PDT 2017


In Power Klingon {-chu’} is described as a qualifying suffix which "indicates action is performed absolutely properly."  In other words, it’s used on action verbs.  Adjectival verbs (which Okrand calls “qualities”) are states of being, not actions, e.g. {Doq} “be red”.  To turn a quality into an action you need to add a suffix, i.e. {-moH} “cause” or {-choH} “become”.

{'eychu'bogh chab} doesn’t work because {'ey} “be good/delicious/tasty” is also an adjectival verb – even with {-bogh} – and doesn’t take {-chu’}.  But what’s wrong with {chab ‘eyqu’} for your "perfectly delicious pie"?   If you’re trying to say that the pie is perfectly made, use another verb like {vut” “cook, prepare (food)”, {Qev} “stew”, {mIQ} “deep-fry”, etc.

For food or music, you can also use an idiom:

(KGT 84):  Food also resembles music in that if it affects one in an especially positive way--that is, if the food particularly satisfies the eater--one may say {DuQ Soj} (“The food stabs him/her).

Thus {muDuQqu’ chab} “the pie really stabs me”.  And since {Duq} “stab” *is* an action verb you can probably say {muDuQchu’ chab} meaning the same thing.

While we’re on the topic, some examples of {DuQ} with suffixes:

cheDuQchugh mareghbe''a'
Prick us, do we not bleed? TKW
ghIq QavwI'chaj DuQchu' qeylIS betleH chaHDaq SIStaHvIS negh 'Iw
Then Kahless's bat'leth pierced the last of them, showered with the soldiers' blood. PB
tIqDu'Daj DuQqu'meH qeylIS ma'veq cha' 'etlhmey jop
[translation not available]  PB

chablIj yItIv!

--Voragh


From: tlhIngan-Hol [mailto:tlhingan-hol-bounces at lists.kli.org] On Behalf Of mayqel qunenoS
hmm, I see.. So I guess the only way to say "a perfectly delicious pie" is something like {'eychu'bogh chab}, right ?

qunnoq

On 8 Aug 2017 6:37 pm, "SuStel" <sustel at trimboli.name<mailto:sustel at trimboli.name>> wrote:
On 8/8/2017 11:35 AM, mayqel qunenoS wrote:

Could someone be so kind as to remind me, whether we can add the

{-chu'} to a be-verb which is used as an adjective ?



For example can we say {chab 'eychu'} for "a perfectly delicious pie" ?

We've only seen rovers (not including -Qo') on adjectival verbs.

--

SuStel

http://trimboli.name

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