[Tlhingan-hol] Inherently plural nouns and numbers

[David Trimboli]

On 11/23/2011 9:29 AM, Gaerfindel wrote:
> lughlaw' ghunchu'wI' 'ej ghItlhpu':
>
>> TKW 27:  The Klingon word for "instincts" is {Duj}, and it is
>> grammatically correct to treat it as singular (a bundle or
>> collection of instincts) or plural (individual instincts).
>
> I wonder if there's some connection between the meaning of {DujlIj
> yIvoqtaH} "Always trust your instincts (each one separately)", and
> {DujlIj _yI_toqtaH}; "Always trust you're /ship/."  Is this an
> intentional double entendre on MO's part?  Or is it simply a
> happenstance of homophony?

I don't know if Okrand originally intended the homophony, but he
certainly used it in this way on purpose:

    The Klingon word for instincts is {Duj}, and it is grammatically
    correct to treat it as singular (a bundle or collection of instincts)
    or plural (individual instincts). {Duj} also means "ship" or
    "vessel," so a possible interpretation of the aphorism is "trust your
    ship." In this context, a vessel could symbolize onself. To a
    Klingon, this reveals a deep truth. (TKW p. 27)

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