[tlhIngan Hol] {moch} in noun-noun constructions

SuStel sustel at trimboli.name
Wed Mar 18 10:12:11 PDT 2020


On 3/18/2020 11:09 AM, nIqolay Q wrote:
> On Wed, Mar 18, 2020 at 10:56 AM SuStel <sustel at trimboli.name 
> <mailto:sustel at trimboli.name>> wrote:
>
>     On 3/18/2020 10:42 AM, mayqel qunen'oS wrote:
>>     We have the noun {moch} which means "(the) superior".
>>
>>     I wonder, whether we could use it in noun-noun constructions as
>>     {moch Qelpu'}/{moch maqleghpu'}, to say things like "the superior
>>     doctors"/"the superior priests", i.e. the doctors/priests who are
>>     of higher rank.
>>
>>     The problem is, that reading {moch Qelpu'}, I understand {the
>>     doctors of the superior}, whatever the @!#! this means..
>
>     Don't confuse the translation /Y of the X/ with a more genitive
>     meaning where Y is narrowed to the sense of X.
>
>     *moch Qel. *It's a doctor. What sort of doctor? A higher-rank doctor.
>
>     I wouldn't expect *moch* to participate much in noun-noun
>     constructions like this. It would typically stand alone or be the
>     head noun. *ja'chuq Qel mochDaj je*/The doctor and his/her
>     superior confer./ *lagh ra' Sogh mochDaj*/The ensign is ordered by
>     his lieutenant superior./
>
> I'd probably interpret *moch Qel* as a possessive phrase: "the 
> superior's (or superiors') doctor".

Sure. But the question is what does it mean as a non-possessive 
noun-noun construction.


> *mayqel*: If you're trying to express the notion of "superior", 
> there's the verb *nIv* "be superior". *Qelpu' nIv* "superior doctors", 
> *maqleghpu' nIv *"superior priests"

He's not looking for *nIv;* he's trying to figure out what *moch X* 
would mean if not a possessive construction.

Remember how mayqel does things: he's not searching for a way to say 
something; he puts together some words and asks what they would mean.

-- 
SuStel
http://trimboli.name

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