In imperatives, sometimes we see in Ca'NoN {-'eghmoH}, and sometimes we see {-choH}. For example: {yItam'eghmoH} or {yItamchoH}. I don't know, if there is a Ca'NoN example of using just the verb, e.g. {yItam}, but regardless whether there is indeed such a case or not, I wonder.. Should anyone choose whatever he likes ? Is there something of the three (-'eghmoH, - choH, or none at all), one should necessarily use in an imperative ? Or do we just use the Force ? ~ changan qIj
On 3/4/2019 9:40 AM, mayqel qunen'oS wrote:
In imperatives, sometimes we see in Ca'NoN {-'eghmoH}, and sometimes we see {-choH}. For example: {yItam'eghmoH} or {yItamchoH}.
I don't know, if there is a Ca'NoN example of using just the verb, e.g. {yItam}, but regardless whether there is indeed such a case or not, I wonder..
Should anyone choose whatever he likes ? Is there something of the three (-'eghmoH, - choH, or none at all), one should necessarily use in an imperative ?
We see all forms. I don't think Okrand made up his mind about *-'egh + -moH* until KGT, so some earlier words violate it. I also think *'egh + -moH* may not apply to every imperative on every /be-/verb; it's used for things you have to actively do yourself, even if that's only a grammatical pretext. I don't think *-choH* necessarily negates the need for *-'egh* and *-moH.* -- SuStel http://trimboli.name
Have we ever seen in Ca'NoN imperatives without -choH, and without -'eghmoH ? e.g. yItam, yIjot, yIQong, etc ? ~ changan qIj
On 3/4/2019 1:07 PM, mayqel qunen'oS wrote:
Have we ever seen in Ca'NoN imperatives without -choH, and without -'eghmoH ? e.g. yItam, yIjot, yIQong, etc ?
*yIn nI' yISIQ 'ej yIchep */Live long and prosper./ (http://klingonska.org/canon/1996-08-rt.txt) *Dujeychugh jagh nIv yItuHQo' */There is nothing shameful in falling before a superior enemy./ (TKW) *QaghmeylIj tIchID, yIyoH */Have the courage to admit your mistakes. /(TKW) I haven't looked for more. By the way, *yIQong* should not be on that list, as it's not a verb of quality. -- SuStel http://trimboli.name
On Mon, 4 Mar 2019 at 19:40, SuStel <sustel@trimboli.name> wrote:
On 3/4/2019 1:07 PM, mayqel qunen'oS wrote:
Have we ever seen in Ca'NoN imperatives without -choH, and without -'eghmoH ? e.g. yItam, yIjot, yIQong, etc ?
*yIn nI' yISIQ 'ej yIchep **Live long and prosper.* ( http://klingonska.org/canon/1996-08-rt.txt)
*Dujeychugh jagh nIv yItuHQo' **There is nothing shameful in falling before a superior enemy.* (TKW)
*QaghmeylIj tIchID, yIyoH **Have the courage to admit your mistakes. * (TKW)
I haven't looked for more.
Pseudo-canon: Okrand also wrote {yIpIv} to mean "Get well!" in a letter to Glen Proechel. Non-canon: The KLI web site also has {yIDoghQo'!} as an example sentence on its list of phrases: https://www.kli.org/about-klingon/klingon-phrases/
By the way, *yIQong* should not be on that list, as it's not a verb of quality.
I think this rule is an instance where Okrand was thinking of something more subtle than what he actually wrote, but didn't want to flesh out the details for brevity or whatever reason, and covered his escape with the usual "Generally...". If I had not known about the rule, the imperatives {yItuj} and {yItaD} would still sound weird to me in a way that {yIyoH} or {yItuHQo'} or {yItamchoH} do not. And the reason for that is that one cannot just "be hot" or "be frozen" (in the literal sense) as if it were an activity one can perform. However, {yItamchoH} *is* an activity that one can perform, namely, to become quiet. The {-choH} here is important, I think, because it makes the command into one to perform a change of state, and hence an activity. I think {-Qo'} is the same, in that it turns a "be" verb into an activity, namely, refusal or resistance against being whatever quality the verb describes. Also, {yoH} and {tuH} describe internal states, and {yIyoH} and {yItuH} sound natural to me, whereas {yIyoH'eghmoH} and {yItuH'eghmoH} sound like commands to take some sort of external action to cause a change of state in yourself. {yIyoH} "be brave!" (change your internal state). {yIyoH'eghmoH! 'Iw HIq yItlhutlh!} "make yourself brave (steel yourself)! Drink some blood wine!" (actually do something to embolden yourself) As for {yIchep}, the command {yIchep'eghmoH} sounds like something a Ferengi would say: "go and make yourself prosperous". But {yIchep} does sound slightly wrong to me, in the way that {yItuj} does, as "being prosperous" may not be something one can just "be". I'd have phrased this with {-jaj}, but as it's a translation of a Vulcan proverb, maybe it should sound like a slightly weird thing to say in Klingon. To answer the original question, no, I don't think one can choose just whatever he likes. I think the reasoning behind {-'eghmoH} is that whenever an imperative prefix is used, a command to *perform an activity* is being given, and so the verb has to be an activity that the listener can undertake. Whether {-'eghmoH} is required then is a function of the meaning of the verb and what you intend to command. It's just that "generally", with verbs of quality, one cannot simply "be" in that state, but must take an action to change oneself into that state, which implies (absent {-choH} or {-Qo'}) adding {-'eghmoH}. -- De'vID
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