On 4/20/2020 8:55 AM, mayqel qunen'oS wrote:
Unless someone:
a. talks in his sleep
b. is drunk/intoxicated
c. is being possessed by the devil
then I think that *always* we can use {-ta'} instead of {-pu'} to refer to the event of speech which has taken place.
So, we can say {jatlhta'} instead of {jatlhpu'}, {ja'ta'} instead of {ja'pu'}, and (although they don't typically qualify as verbs of speech) {ghelta'} and {jangta'}.
With the exception of the three cases already mentioned, people talk intentionally. They set out to talk, and then do so.
Whether they finally end up saying the things they wanted to say is another story. But the "talking event", (where the aspect suffix refers), is always intentional.
The point of *-ta'* isn't just that something was done intentionally. The point is that something was /accomplished./ It's not just that the action was performed under my own willpower; I'm making the point that I deliberately set out to accomplish something and did. Klingon is not a scientific language attempting to accurately define events in the universe. It doesn't describe things objectively. Every sentence has a viewpoint. Klingon is a means of personal expression. If accomplishment is not part of what I want to express, then I shouldn't use *-ta'* instead of *-pu'.* If I'm telling the story of how someone asked me if I like stuffed tobaj legs, and I want to express that I said yes, I probably won't use *jIjatlhta' HIja'.* Whether my speech was directed by my own will isn't important here; what's important is whether saying yes was an event I set out to accomplish and whether that matters at all. In this case, it doesn't matter at all. The appropriate sentence would be *jIjatlhpu' HIja'.* Imagine saying "and I meant to do that" after each sentence you think deserves a *-ta'.* If the "and I meant to do that" seems pointless, *-ta'* is not really appropriate. "He asked me if I like stuffed tobaj legs. I said yes, and I meant to say that." The addition is silly, so *-ta'* should not be used. On the other hand, "When I saw the guard, I killed him, and I meant to do that." Here, the addition fits right in, so *-ta'* would be perfectly appropriate, though still optional. This isn't a rule, just a guideline you can use to figure out which suffix to use. -- SuStel http://trimboli.name