[tlhIngan Hol] Maltz about to compare

[kechpaja]

On Tue, Feb 06, 2018 at 02:10:14PM +0100, Lieven L. Litaer wrote:
> This obviously didn't come through when I had first sent it.
> pIch vIghajbe'.
> ---
> 
> Maltz has revealed some words which I don't want to keep secret from you 
> any longer. I'm sending them in individual messages to keep the subject 
> line separated.
> 
> ---begin quote------------
> 
> Perhaps the verb {patlh} "be ranked, have a status, be graded" will 
> work.  The form {patlhmoH} would mean "rank, assign status, sort" and 
> also "compare."  When used with the "compare" meaning, of course, the 
> object of the verb is always plural.  The implication that if two (or 
> more) things are ranked or sorted, they're ranked in comparison to one 
> another.
> 
> ---end quote------------

This, of course, immediately brings up a different question: if a
teacher is grading exams, at first glance it seems that this verb would
be appropriate. However, what happens if there's only one exam to be
graded? Do {patlh} and {patlhmoH} imply "be ranked/have a status/be
graded *with respect to other items/people*", or can they refer to a
rank or status that exists on its own? 

It would make sense to use {chov} for what the teacher does to the
students when they give the exam. Perhaps when they look at the exams
later, they would {poj} them, and then {patlhmoH} the students from best
to worst based on the results *if* there are multiple students.

 - SapIr