[tlhIngan Hol] Expressing "some of"

[SuStel]

On 11/29/2018 8:53 AM, mayqel qunenoS wrote:
> jIH:
>> tugh, Hargh SuvwI'pu'vam mI'
>> soon, a number of these warriors will fight
> SuStel:
>> SuvwI'pu'vam mI' means these warriors' number, the number of these warriors.
>> Are they carrying a sign with an eight on it, and the sign is going to fight some other warriors' number in a duel?
> So far so good. I understand SuStel's point. And I accept it.
>
> paq'batlh:
>> lutlhej tlhInganpu' Hem mI' nIb
> And here, things get strange.
>
> Since paq'batlh doesn't use punctuation, the only way I could see this
> sentence "in-keeping" with what has been said so far in this thread,
> is if it actually is:
>
> {lutlhej tlhInganpu' Hem. mI' nIb}
> proud klingons accompany him. an equal number.
>
> Because, if this isn't the case, and the sentence punctuation-wise
> goes: {{lutlhej tlhInganpu' Hem mI' nIb}, then the meaning goes "an
> equal number, e.g. 40, grows arms and legs, and starts the
> accompanying".
>
> If the paq'batlh sentence is to be accepted as correct, without a dot
> following the {Hem}, I really don't see how it is any different from
> the one of the initial sentences I wrote: {tugh, Hargh SuvwI'pu'vam
> mI'} "soon, a number of these warriors will fight".

I think the difference is that /paq'batlh/ is talking about the 
/quantity/ of Klingons, while you are using /a number of/ as a synonym 
for /some. A number of/ is English idiom, and you're trying to literally 
translate the idiom. What /paq'batlh/ translates is not an idiom but 
literal.

-- 
SuStel
http://trimboli.name

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