[tlhIngan Hol] Clarification on SIch

[Ed Bailey]

On Tue, Apr 9, 2019 at 10:30 PM qurgh lungqIj <qurgh at wizage.net> wrote:

> On Tue, Apr 9, 2019 at 8:27 PM De'vID <de.vid.jonpin at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Can you guys translate {paqvetlh DaSIchlaH'a'} without using the English
>>> word "reach"?
>>>
>>
>> "Are you able to extend yourself to touch that book?"
>>
>
> Thanks. That's helpful.
>
>
>>
>>
>>> I want to know exactly which meaning of "reach" you all mean because to
>>> me "reaches its goal" is the same as "arrive at its goal" which Okrand
>>> specifically said it wasn't.
>>>
>>
>> He did? Where?
>>
>
> In the same place you got that "it definitely wasn't (a)". "Reaches its
> goal" could literally mean "arrive at its goal", which seems the same as
> "arrive at a destination" to me.
>
>
>>> How would you translate these lines?
>>>
>>
>> {paq vISIch 'e' vInID} "I extended (my arm) to try to grasp the book", "I
>> tried to grasp the book (by extending my arm, etc.)" (i.e., "I reached for
>> the book")
>> {SIch 'e' nID} "He extends (his arm) to try to grasp something", "I tried
>> to grasp something (by extending his arm, etc.)" (i.e., "He reaches for the
>> book")
>> {paqvetlh DaSIchlaH'a'} "Are you able to extend yourself to touch that
>> book?" (i.e., "Can you reach that book?")
>>
>
> This helps clear things up. So, for you, "reach for" includes the concept
> of a failed attempt?
>
> For me "reach for" means a successful "reach and grasp/touch", while
> "reach" on it's own is just the extending part. "Reach for those crisps and
> hand them to me, won't you dear" was the sort of thing I often hear in my
> childhood when someone wanted me to pick up something and give it to them.
> "I tried to reach for the book", "He tried to reach for the book", "Can you
> reach for the book?" is how they come out in my dialect, hence the
> confusion.
>
> Thanks for helping me clarify this, and learn more about English in the
> process :D
>
> qurgh
>

Something I realized about English from this is that "reach for" (as
opposed to just "reach") can also convey continuous aspect, even without
the present participle. "He reaches for his gun." I'd render this as *HIchDaj
SIchlI'* or some such.

~mIp'av
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