[tlhIngan Hol] Can I place {-mey} on a number ?

[Steven Boozer]

AFAIK the only other use of {law'} following a number is another example with {SaD} again from the paq'batlh:

  tlheDDI' quvmoHmeH veng HeHDaq lutlha' SaD law' nuvpu' 
  Thousands followed him to the edge of the city, to bid him farewell. PB

Can anyone think of another example?

Yet another option for "hundreds of enemies, thousands of dead," etc. is to use {vItlh} "be high,  be great" instead:

(qepHom 2017 p.17):  "{vItlh} means 'be high, great (in quantity, size, intensity)'. It's used for things that are measurable or quantifiable but not necessarily countable. So you'd use it for things like speed or distance or the price of something: {Do vItlh} 'high velocity', {chuq vItlh} 'great range, great distance'. You wouldn't use {law'} in these instances. For things you can count (like people) (as opposed to things you can measure using units of measure, like length or speed), you'd use {law'} almost all the time. But you'd use {vItlh} if the number of whatever it is you're talking about is higher than normal or greater than before or greater than what was expected. 
   "So if you were referring to a lot of warriors, you'd most likely say {SuvwI'pu' law'}. But if the high number of warriors is somehow important, if it's the point you're trying to make and not just an added fact, you'd use {vItlh}. You'd use it if you're not saying merely that there are a lot of warriors, but that the quantity of warriors is particularly high (higher than usual, higher than expected, higher than some other similar group of warriors, etc.). So it sounds like L'Rell used {vItlh} correctly in referring to the large number of people who died in battle (more than expected, more than before, etc.). Note that the exact number of warriors (or whatever) doesn't matter (and doesn't have to be stated). The idea is that the high number of warriors you're talking about is somehow noteworthy (the number of warriors who died is greater than the norm for this sort of military unit, for example)."

--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons


-----Original Message-----
From: mayqel qunen'oS

Rhona Fenwick, quoting paq'batlh:
> SaD law' San chenmoH qeylIS
> Kahless decided the fate of thousands (paq'raD 23.44)

This is a beautiful example, thank you for sharing.

In the past, I've seen experienced speakers, writing in this list numbers followed by {law'}, and wondered where this is based. So, this Ca'Non example answers something I've been wondering for quite some time now.

Thanks QeS.

~ m. qunen'oS
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