On Mon, 22 Nov 2021 at 20:01, Will Martin <willmartin2@mac.com> wrote:
I believe that it was explained that for the normal use of the verb {qa’} the subject is the thing that replaces the object, not the person who causes one thing to replace another, so the examples given here are erroneous.
That explanation applies to {qa'} without {-moH}. With {-moH}, the subject causes the replacement, the thing doing the replacing takes {-vaD}, and the thing which is replaced remains the object. The examples are correct.
Your original use, {yan qa’chugh pu’, maQap} is grammatically complete and correct. You can always add context. Say your group presented you with a plan to attack someone with swords, your suggestion would be a good response if you wanted them to use phasers instead of swords.
You could also probably say {yanvaD pu’ DIqa’moHpu'} to mean “We replaced swords with phasers," based on {SoHvaD tlhIngan Hol vIghojmoH}, which is apparently the way to use {-moH} when added to a verb that has separate causer, subject-of-action-of-verb, object-of-action-of-verb. I may be corrected this point. It’s one of my weaker areas of Klingon grammar.
You've reversed the thing being replaced and the thing doing the replacing. {yanvaD pu' DIqa'moHpu'} means "we have replaced phasers with swords". Look at the following parallel: {tlhIngan Hol Daghoj [SoH]} "you learn Klingon" {quHDaj qaw ghaH} "He (Worf) remembers his heritage" {yan qa' pu'} "phasers replace swords" Adding {-moH}: {SoHvaD tlhIngan Hol vIghojmoH} "I teach you Klingon" - the object remains {tlhIngan Hol}, the original subject of {ghoj} takes {-vaD} {ghaHvaD quHDaj qawmoH [Ha'quj]} "[the sash] reminds him (Worf) of his heritage" - the object remains {quHDaj}, the original subject of {qaw} takes {-vaD} (example from SkyBox card 20) {pu'vaD yan DIqa'moH} "we replace swords with phasers" - the object remains {yan}, the original subject of {qa'} takes {-vaD} I think the way to think about it is that {-vaD} marks the thing that the subject of {verb-moH} causes to do {verb}. So if {pu'} was originally replacing something, then {pu'vaD ... DIqa'moH} means we cause {pu'} to replace something. -- De'vID