[tlhIngan Hol] {-pu'} vs {-ta'} on verbs of speech

[Lieven L. Litaer]

Am 20.04.2020 um 14:55 schrieb mayqel qunen'oS:
> With the exception of the three cases already mentioned, people talk
> intentionally. They set out to talk, and then do so.

Well, based on that logic, almost everything is done intentionally.

But here's an interesting counter example from canon: In Star Trek 3,
Kruge yelled at his gunner {qaja'pu': jonta' neH} "I told you: only the
engine!"

This is repeated in TKD:

<<<
This suffix indicates that an action is completed. It is often
translated by the English present perfect ("have done something").

     {Daleghpu'} "you have seen it" ({legh} "see")
     {vIneHpu'} "I wanted them" ({neH} "want")
     {qaja'pu'} "I told you" ({ja'} "tell")
 >>>

So it is possible to have an accomplished saying that was obviously
intentionally, but yet not as an accomplished deliberately undertaken
action.

The difference is that you can of course speak intentionally, but you
can speak without planning to say something, that's why -pu' is used
instead of -ta'.

Using {-ta'} with ja' sounds like "I finally went to the woman of my
dreams and told her that I love her: vIja'ta'!"



--
Lieven L. Litaer
aka the "Klingon Teacher from Germany"
http://www.tlhInganHol.com