[tlhIngan Hol] About colors

De'vID de.vid.jonpin at gmail.com
Sat Feb 16 03:00:20 PST 2019


On Sat, 16 Feb 2019 at 10:26, Luciano Montanaro <mikelima at gmail.com> wrote:

> I have been reading the KGT section about visual arts.
> I have some doubts, that probably many of you can clarify.
>
> The KGT explicitly says there is no word for color as such.
>
> But how can I ask what color is something?
>

Doq'a'? SuD'a'?


> The nguv verb can be used, but it is not clear to me if it includes
> naturally occurring colors, as the definition is "is dyed, is tinted, is
> stained". What about the natural color of an object? Is
>
> chay' nguv tera' naran?
>
> still an option?
>

I don't know if it can be used to describe the natural colour of an object,
but I'd understand that question if you asked me.

Also, consider the verbs {but} and {pargh}.


> Can I use to describe the color of something? The notes says it is rarely
> used,
> but would something like this work?
>
> DaHjaj Doqqu' nguv tlhom!
>

What is the {nguv} doing there? You have two verbs in a sentence.

{DaHjaj Doqqu' tlhom}

We were told that a {tlhom} can be described as {chum}, so I see no reason
why it can't be {Doqqu'}.

Regarding nguvmoH: the direct object is the thing being colored, can I use
> the
> color as an indirect object?
> Can it be used for natural processes?
>
> That is, is this a valid construct?
>
> Doqvad chal nguvmoH jajlo'.
>

No, because {-vaD} is a noun suffix and {Doq} is a verb.


> Well, I suppose I could use simply:
>
> chal DoqmoH jajlo'.
>
> Still, it would be nice if someone could confirm the meaning of an
> indirect object with nguv.
>

I'm fairly sure it doesn't work that way, based on other examples of {-vaD}
with {-moH}.

I'd say "to dye something red" like so:
{ret'aq DoqmoHmeH nguvmoH}
{ret'aq nguvmoHmo', DoqchoH}

An odd thing for me was that SuDqu' means green; I expected to be a color at
> the opposite end of the spectrum, and to indicate blue.
>
> Anyway, that made me think of how to say yellow and orange instead;
>
> Would
>
> Doq dochvam, 'ach tlhoS SuD
>
> work for orange/orange yellow
>
> or
>
> SuD, 'ach tlhoS Doq
>
> for yellow, maybe close to orange?
>

I understand those sentences, but they're descriptions, not labels.


> The KGT indicates
>
> Sud 'ej wov
>
> for yellow, but it looks ambiguous... Could't it indicate light blue
> or light green as well?
>

It says it's a way to refer to a yellowish tinge. It's not a specific
colour.


> Finally... grays.
>
> I have seen
>
> qIj 'ej wov
>
> to indicate gray. I suppose that works.
>
> Can I use
>
> chIs 'ach loQ Hurg/loQ wovbe'
>
> for
>
> light gray?
>

I don't see why now. Again, these are descriptions. It's like saying in
English, "it's white but slightly dark".

-- 
De'vID
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