On 6/12/2018 8:37 AM, Daniel Dadap wrote:
1) IIUC the generally expected way to express that noun Y is in/on/at noun X is {(X)Daq 'oHtaH (Y)'e'}. How acceptable or unacceptable is it to abbreviate this to {(X)Daq (Y)}?
I would accept it as clipped Klingon, but not as formally grammatical Klingon.
2) Would {(X) (Y) law' Hoch latlhmey (Y) puS} mean that X is more Y than all other Xes, or that X is more Y than all other things, not limited to other Xes? I’m trying to express the former meaning without having to do {(X) (Y) law' Hoch (X)mey (Y) puS} every time, partly because being able to use {latlh} in every verse strengthens the formula, and partly because it’s already slightly awkward to accommodate different syllable counts for the different X items that appear in the verses.
/More than all others/ is just another way to say /most,/ and that's the superlative construction. *HoD Dun law' Hoch Dun puS. */The captain is the greatest./ If you want to put the superlative in context, you can model a line from /Star Trek V/ and get: *SuvwI''e' HoD Dun law' Hoch Dun puS. */The captain is the greatest warrior. As for warriors, the captain is the greatest./ Or you can just rely on context to make the superlative clear: *Dun Hoch SuvwI'pu' 'ach le'bej HoDma'. Devchu'. baHDI' not baHHa'. tlheDnISchugh reH pe'vIl chegh. HoDma' Dun law' Hoch Dun puS.* Technically speaking, I don't see anything wrong with saying *HoD Dun law' Hoch latlh SuvwI'pu' Dun puS*/The captain is greater than all other warriors,/ but we're given rules for the superative, and the alternative is more complicated to say, so why not use what Okrand gave us? ** -- SuStel http://trimboli.name