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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 2/19/2017 6:52 PM, André Müller
wrote:<br>
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<blockquote
cite="mid:CABDLMbUO-5aeTZHSypTLyNSbUZkgCxCGdnO+CiriKfCCeixU8g@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite">
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<div><span><span>In a noun-noun construction, when
introducing a preceding quantifier such as {'op} or
{Hoch}, is it better to put it in front of the whole
phrase as in a) below, or in front of the second
element, as in b)?<br>
<br>
</span></span></div>
<span><span>In this example, I am trying to say "Some
Klingon sentences", would that be:<br>
</span></span></div>
<span><span>a) {'op tlhIngan Hol mu'tlheghmey}<br>
</span></span></div>
<span><span> or<br>
</span></span></div>
<span><span>b) {tlhIngan Hol 'op mu'tlheghmey}<br>
<br>
</span></span></div>
<span><span>Sentence a) could be misinterpreted as "sentences of
some Klingon languages". This is also the reason why I am
tending to choose b).</span></span></blockquote>
<br>
<p>I find that it helps to think of the phrase in "weapon's secret"
form rather than "secret of the weapon" form. The latter can trip
you up with alternative meanings; the former is pretty much
guaranteed to match the sense of the Klingon, though it may not
always be the most colloquial English.<br>
</p>
<p>Given that, I'd go for a). Each first noun (phrase) modifies and
constricts the second noun (phrase). <i>Klingon some sentences</i>
doesn't get constricted in a way I'm comfortable with;<i> some
Klingon sentences</i> does.</p>
<p>Now, there's no guarantee that Klingon's noun-noun constructions
have to match the sense you get with the English translation, but
I think there's a reason beyond English convention that <i>some
Klingon sentences</i> makes sense while <i>Klingon some
sentences</i> does not. I think the correct-sounding one, in
some way I can't express, more correctly narrows down the meaning
than the other one. It's the same with the noun suffixes: they
appear in the order they do for linguistic reasons; it's not an
arbitrary order.<br>
</p>
<p>All that said, it's true that either order could be said to
LOGICALLY arrive at the same thing: some of the set of Klingon
sentences versus the set of some sentences that are Klingon. So
while I definitely prefer a) over b), I can't definitively say
that b) is wrong.<br>
</p>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
SuStel
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://trimboli.name">http://trimboli.name</a></pre>
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