Am 25.11.2019 um 18:48 schrieb mayqel qunen'oS:
However, I *do* believe, that unless someone is a real native klingon, he can't learn the language, if he can't remember what type of suffix, each suffix actually is.
It is possible to learn a language without knowing its grammar, that counts for any language. For instance, one could learn that in addition to {poSmoH} there is the phrase {poSnISmoH}. If you memorize both expressions, you learn the correct word order, without knowing the suffix type as a number. If I now add {poSmoHlaH} and drop the {-moH} you get {poSlaH}. Everyone will know that adding {-nIS} will result in {poSnISlaH} (ignore whatever that means). This still follows the grammatical order of suffixes, WITHOUT using any numbers. You only know that {-nIS} is less than {-moH}, but {-laH} is higher. This is how children learn grammar from their parents, but also how foreigners learn a language when they move to a different country (and don't take classes). They hear what people say and adapt the grammar, without knowing anything about it. If those foreigners take a test, they are asked to translate "Where is the restaurant?" but not "What is the simple past progressive for of 'I walk'?" -- Lieven L. Litaer aka the "Klingon Teacher from Germany" http://www.klingonisch.de www.klingonwiki.net/En/KlingonLanguageCertificationProgram