[Tlhingan-hol] nuq bop bom: 'ay' cha'vatlh cha'maH cha': 'omwI'pu'

[ghunchu'wI']

On Jul 16, 2012, at 3:21 AM, "De'vID" <de.vid.jonpin at gmail.com> wrote:

> {nuHmeyDaj neH chaH}
> 
> Which applies first, the {neH} or the {-Daj}?  Can this be read as "they're her only weapons (and she has no other weapon)"?  

I wouldn't read it that way.

> (And if not, how would one express this latter idea?)

{nuHmeyDaj mob chaH}

I once ordered {bIQ neH} to drink at a restaurant. Marc Okrand, sitting across the table from me, suggested that I really meant {bIQ mob}. That would have been proper if I were not having anything else. As I did intend to order food as well, however, my usage was correct. I wanted "mere water" as opposed to "water alone".

> I think {ghaHvaD nuHmey neH chaH} is clearer.
> 
> Qov:
> > yaj. It's the way it is because I don't want it read as "They want her weapons.".

I *think* the explicit {chaH} would be sufficiently unexpected to make that interpretation unlikely. Already knowing the intent makes it impossible to know if it's unlikely *enough*, though.

> > To my understanding, neH after a boy trivializes the noun and after a verb, the whole phrase.
> 
> Boy?

Autocorrect failure for a mistapped "noun", obviously.

-- ghunchu'wI'