[tlhIngan Hol] qepHom grammar questions

Steven Boozer sboozer at uchicago.edu
Wed Oct 4 08:37:24 PDT 2017


mayqel qunenoS:
>>  5. Duj wejwIjDIch or DujwIj wejDIch ?

nIqolay Q:
>  I don't think you even need Okrand for this one. Is there any reason to
>  suspect Duj wejwIjDIch even works?

None that I know of.  The two number suffixes -DIch and -logh attach directly to the number, with nothing in between, or even attached to non-numbers such as 'ar and Hoch:

(TKD 54):  Ordinal numbers (first, second, etc.) are formed by adding -DIch to the numbers: wa'DIch first, cha'DIch second, HutDIch ninth. Ordinal numbers follow the noun: meb cha'DIch second guest.

(KGT 176f):  Several of these made-up words involve constructions normally restricted to numbers. The suffix -DIch is attached to a number to form an ordinal number: wa' (one), wa'DIch (first); cha' (two), cha'DIch (second); vagh (five), vaghDIch (fifth). Ordinal numbers follow the noun with which they are associated, as in 'avwI' vaghDIch (fifth guard), nentay wa'DIch (First Rite of Ascension).
     Sometimes the suffix is heard attached to pagh (zero, none), producing the technically ungrammatical term paghDIch (zeroth). It is used to describe something that was expected to occur but has not, or that could conceivably occur but has not. For example, one might say pawpu' 'avwI' paghDIch (the zeroth guard has arrived), implying that no guard has arrived even though one (and probably more than one) is expected. Similarly, one might describe how to wield a painstik during the Rite of Ascension by saying: 'oy'naQ DaQeqDI' mIw wa'DIch Data', 'ach 'oy'naQ Dachu'DI' mIw paghDIch Data' (When you aim the painstik, you accomplish the first step, but when you turn the painstik on, you accomplish the zeroth step). The implication here is that activating the painstik must be done before beginning the ritualistic part of the ceremony.
     On the other extreme, when -DIch is attached to Hoch (all), the resulting word, HochDIch (allth) is used as an alternate for Qav (be final, last) to refer to the final one of a series whose members either were counted or could have been counted, as in pIpyuS pach HochDIch DaSoppu' (You've eaten the last pipius claw). The word also may be used to describe the final step of a process. Speaking of the Rite of Ascension, one might say 'oy'naQ Dachu'Ha'DI' mIw HochDIch Data' (When you turn the painstik off, you accomplish the last step).

(TKD 55):   Adding -logh to a number gives the notion of repetitions. wa'logh once, cha'logh twice, Hutlogh nine times. These numbers function in the sentence as adverbials (section 5.4).

(KGT 178):  The suffix -logh, when attached to numbers, is used to count the number of instances of something: wa'logh (once), cha'logh (twice), vaghlogh (five times).
     When -logh is attached to pagh (zero), the resulting form, paghlogh (zero times) is used as an emphatic alternate for not (never), as in paghlogh jegh tlhIngan SuvwI' (a Klingon warrior surrenders zero times)... compare not jegh tlhIngan SuvwI' (a Klingon warrior never surrenders).
     Similarly, when -logh is attached to Hoch (all), the resulting word, Hochlogh (all times), is used in the same way as reH (always), as in Hochlogh no' yIquvmoH (All times honor your ancestors...); compare reH no' yIquvmoH (Always honor your ancestors).

Okrand later extended this to 'arlogh "how many times?" (st.klingon 2/1999):

'arlogh wab Qoylu'pu'?
How many times has someone heard the sound?
How many times has the sound been heard? [st.k 2/1999]

qen 'arlogh Qoylu'pu'?
Recently, how many times has someone heard it?
(i.e. What time is it?) [st.k 2/1999]


--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons


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