[tlhIngan Hol] Does Da necessarily require an object ?

[SuStel]

On 3/6/2019 10:04 AM, Jeffrey Clark wrote:
> I would think that there would be linguistic pressure against things like {jIqIm} and even {jIyaj}.
>
> In English, for example, we drop the object since context implies it (our own form of clipping). But in Klingon I don’t see the point of changing the prefix just because the object is understood. You are understanding something, you are paying attention to something, you are behaving like something… just because the object is not explicitly given doesn’t mean that the transitive quality of the verb goes away, there is a still “something” that the verb is pointing to, even if it is understood.

    This set of prefixes is also used when an object is possible, but
    unknown or vague. Thus, *jIyaj* /I understand/ can be used when the
    speaker understands things in general, knows what is going on, or
    understands what another speaker has just said. It cannot, however,
    be used for understanding a language or understanding a person.
    Similarly, *maSop* /we eat/ can be used to indicate a general act of
    eating, but not if a specific food is mentioned. [TKD]

*jIqIm* can be used in situations where you want to convey that your 
attention is given, without specifying exactly what you're paying 
attention to. *yIqIm* can be used to order somebody to pay attention to 
whatever is about to happen, without having to say the vague /whatever 
is about to happen/ every time.

*jIDa* simply means you are behaving as /something,/ without mentioning 
what you are behaving as.


> It seems more likely to me that there would be a (unspoken, perhaps) rule about using no-object prefixes with many transitive verbs that can’t have intransitive meanings.

You'd first have to convince me that there are verbs that cannot have 
intransitive meanings.

-- 
SuStel
http://trimboli.name

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