On Sat, 16 Feb 2019 at 10:26, Luciano Montanaro <mikelima@gmail.com> wrote:
I have been reading the KGT section about visual arts.
I have some doubts, that probably many of you can clarify.

The KGT explicitly says there is no word for color as such.

But how can I ask what color is something?

Doq'a'? SuD'a'?
 
The nguv verb can be used, but it is not clear to me if it includes
naturally occurring colors, as the definition is "is dyed, is tinted, is
stained". What about the natural color of an object? Is

chay' nguv tera' naran?

still an option?

I don't know if it can be used to describe the natural colour of an object, but I'd understand that question if you asked me.

Also, consider the verbs {but} and {pargh}.
 
Can I use to describe the color of something? The notes says it is rarely used,
but would something like this work?

DaHjaj Doqqu' nguv tlhom!

What is the {nguv} doing there? You have two verbs in a sentence.

{DaHjaj Doqqu' tlhom}

We were told that a {tlhom} can be described as {chum}, so I see no reason why it can't be {Doqqu'}.

Regarding nguvmoH: the direct object is the thing being colored, can I use the
color as an indirect object?
Can it be used for natural processes?

That is, is this a valid construct?

Doqvad chal nguvmoH jajlo'.

No, because {-vaD} is a noun suffix and {Doq} is a verb.
 
Well, I suppose I could use simply:

chal DoqmoH jajlo'.

Still, it would be nice if someone could confirm the meaning of an
indirect object with nguv.

I'm fairly sure it doesn't work that way, based on other examples of {-vaD} with {-moH}.

I'd say "to dye something red" like so:
{ret'aq DoqmoHmeH nguvmoH}
{ret'aq nguvmoHmo', DoqchoH} 

An odd thing for me was that SuDqu' means green; I expected to be a color at
the opposite end of the spectrum, and to indicate blue.

Anyway, that made me think of how to say yellow and orange instead;

Would

Doq dochvam, 'ach tlhoS SuD

work for orange/orange yellow

or

SuD, 'ach tlhoS Doq

for yellow, maybe close to orange?

I understand those sentences, but they're descriptions, not labels.
 
The KGT indicates

Sud 'ej wov

for yellow, but it looks ambiguous... Could't it indicate light blue
or light green as well?

It says it's a way to refer to a yellowish tinge. It's not a specific colour.
 
Finally... grays.

I have seen

qIj 'ej wov

to indicate gray. I suppose that works.

Can I use

chIs 'ach loQ Hurg/loQ wovbe'

for

light gray?

I don't see why now. Again, these are descriptions. It's like saying in English, "it's white but slightly dark".

--
De'vID