[Tlhingan-hol] Eurotalk - New Words - Shopping

[David Trimboli]

On 11/3/2011 12:10 PM, Robyn Stewart wrote:
>
> At 07:56 03/11/2011, you wrote:
>> >>> comb - jIb Ho'Du'
>>
>> Qov:
>> >> This makes me sad because I like to have the extra clarity of using
>> >> -mey when using a body part name to describe a non body part and it
>> >> looks like I'm wrong.
>>
>> qe'San:
>> > Possibly as this is a descriptive usage it's the way to go and as -mey
>> > on body parts implies all over the place you wouldn't want someone to
>> > think you wanted to decorate your hair with teeth you'd knocked out of
>> > an enemy ;-)
>>
>> Note Okrand's comment on {nevDagh} "type of pot with handles (used for
>> food preparation)" in KGT:
>>
>> KGT 97: The smaller {nevDagh} is characterized by its V-shaped
>> handles, termed {DeSqIvDu'} ("elbows"; note the {-Du'}, the plural
>> suffix for body parts is used here even though the handles are not
>> literally body parts).
>
> Yeah, but that was one and he pointed it out, so maybe it was an anomaly
> just for that pot, but now it's a pattern. I am probably also using
> plurals incorrectly when I say things like <nach DuQwI'Du'> for -- well
> you know, because I used the body parts suffix. Would you have had I not?

It's quite sensible, really. It means that Klingon nouns have inherent 
genders. These genders are "beings capable of using language," "body 
parts," and "everything else." You don't choose a suffix based on your 
estimation of the noun in question; you choose it based on the gender of 
the noun.

Thus, Klingon babies aren't {tlhInganmey}, comb teeth aren't {Ho'mey}, 
and iPhones with Siri aren't {ghogh HablI'pu'}. Those words are 
inherently wrong, no matter what the circumstances.

If you were to use the wrong suffix on purpose, to make a point about 
the status of a noun, a Klingon would get it, but would also recognize 
it as the wrong suffix. This probably also informs your choice of 
pronouns, but I'm not sure how much evidence of this we have.

-- 
SuStel
http://www.trimboli.name/