[tlhIngan Hol] {-'egh} and {-chuq} with {-lu'}

Will Martin willmartin2 at mac.com
Tue Sep 14 08:17:59 PDT 2021


The only part that seems weird to me (besides the already mentioned problem with stative verbs) is the use of {-chuqlu’}. It’s just a gut reaction since I tend to think of indefinite subjects as singular. {not Sovlu’.} “One never knows.” We don’t know who the One is, hence the Indefinite Subject, and likely more than one individual could stand in the place of the Indefinite Subject, but can the Indefinite Subject be plural? Maybe, but I’m not so sure.

The canon example that eventually arose fit this Singular Indefinite Subject model of the grammar. {potlhbe'chugh yay, qatlh pe''eghlu’?} If winning is not important, why does one keep score?”

The use of {-chuq} implies two nouns as Indefinite Subject. It takes at least two to do anything to each other. 

Maybe this is fine, but it feels weird and I don’t think I’ve run into any canon to support it.

Add that the verb prefixes with {-lu’} always use the singular third person object indicated, while basically reversing the subject/object functions of the prefix, heavily suggesting a singular Indefinite Subject. We can say {vIparHa’lu’}, (somebody likes me), and {wIparHa’lu’} (somebody likes us), but we can’t say *DIparHa’lu’* (multiple somebodies like us). It’s specifically disallowed by the grammar.

So, I’m not posing as a false authority by banning the use of {-chuqlu’}, but I do think it’s weird and I don’t think it’s a shoe-in, definitely right combination.

pItlh

charghwI’ ‘utlh
(ghaH, ghaH, -Daj)




> On Sep 14, 2021, at 8:19 AM, mayqel qunen'oS <mihkoun at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Is there anything strange in using {-'egh}/{-chuq} with {-lu'}?
> 
> Quch'eghlu'
> QuchchuqmoHlu'
> 
> I don't see anything grammatically wrong, but using {-'egh}/{-chuq} with {-lu'}, gives me the feeling as in using {-lu'} with {-wI'} (e.g. HIvlu'wI'), which although it doesn't break any rules, it's something we don't actually use.
> 
> ~ Dana'an
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